napali coast, Hawaii

Hawaii's Dazzling Wrinkles


Kalalau Valley
One of the iconic settings of the Napali Coast.
shallow flight
Helicopter flies over a Waymea Canyon canyon.
intense erosion
Sharp, verdant edges of the Napali Coast's steep slope.
The Garden Island of Hawaii
An aerial view from one end of the Napali Coast reveals why Kauai is considered the greenest of the Hawaiian Islands.
Kauai Multicolor Shed
Most colorful section of the Napali Coast, next to Waymea Canyon.
Precipitated Water
Long waterfall plummets to the edge of Waymea Canyon.
Soggy canyons
Lush inland meanders of Kauai's northern slopes.
towards the pacific
Stream runs along a vertex of the Napali Coast Mountains.
Jardim island beach
Sand in the extension of a semi-wild, rural corner of northern Kauai.
Great Waymea Canyon
A panoramic view of the wide Waymea Canyon, much drier than the Napali Coast which retains most of the moisture coming from the Pacific.
Green water
One of the many waterfalls that irrigate the Napali Coast.
Hawaiian shirt, Hawaiian scenery
Visitor admires the excavated immensity of Waymea Canyon.
gentle slope
Verdant meadow on a gentle slope in the interior of the Napali Coast
dream abodes
Humanized coastline of the North Shore of Kauai.
Hawaiian pasture
Cows graze in a verdant meadow in northern Kauai.
Kauai is the greenest and rainiest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is also the oldest. As we explore its Napalo Coast by land, sea and air, we are amazed to see how the passage of millennia has only favored it.

There is no urban phenomenon on Kauai that resembles the Hawaiian capital Honolulu in the slightest.

The atmosphere of this ancient island is bucolic and its inhabitants are spread over quiet villages with less than 10.000 inhabitants. They are all residents of old homes or homes with a historic aspect, by law, always shorter than a coconut tree.

We chose Lihue, the main and largest of the villages, as a base for exploration. We enter a nice motel-restaurant, operated by an extended Japanese-Hawaiian family that during lunchtime serves traditional Polynesian food. They change the decor completely for dinners, a meal in which the restaurant becomes a true Japanese.

On the opposite side of the street, several houses have political posters that advise Carvalho for Mayor.

The 13.000 Portuguese emigrants quickly multiplied. formed a current community of more than 60.000 Portuguese descendants. Among so many and long-established, several entered the Hawaiian political sphere with great acceptance.

The Geological Splendor of Kauai, Hawaii's Greenest Island

On Kauai, the secret to success is, by the way, simple. As a rule, it is enough to grant outsiders the best conditions to be enchanted by the island's panoramas and to spend honestly and efficiently the money they leave there, like those that the federal government grants.

Unlike what happens in Oahu, the Hawaiian Island of Encounter and Hawaii's most cosmopolitan, Kauai's greatest attractions are 100% natural.

Urbanized Coast, Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

Humanized coastline of the North Shore of Kauai, seen from the air.

We traverse the island from east to west to reach the first, the Waimea furtive canyon, a dramatic setting comparable to the North American Grand Canyon in terms of shapes, textures and tones.

Canyon of Waimea. Grand Canyon in the Fashion of Hawaii

Waimea hides in the depths of the island. It is reachable via the Koke'e and Waimea Canyon Drive roads that crisscross it until it reaches its western limit. It was excavated over the ages by the slow passage of the homonymous river and its tributaries. But also by seismic and volcanic activity, just like the gigantic counterpart in Arizona.

If it is true that the dimension of the Waimea canyon is far below that of the continental model, the impressive configuration of the canyons and their color palette are almost confused.

Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

A panoramic view of the wide Waymea Canyon, much drier than the Napali Coast which retains most of the moisture coming from the Pacific.

We are amazed by the subtle variations in tones each time the path takes us to a new vantage point and reveals different perspectives and, as the clouds and rain dissipate, different luminosities.

Finally, Koke'e Road comes to an end and close to the entrance to Napali Coast State Park.

The Impossible Vision of the Crest of Kalalau

It leaves us stunned in front of Kalalau, a jagged and exuberant valley, accessible only by its foothills adjacent to the Pacific Ocean or by a demanding trail so busy that the authorities have to control, day after day, the number of hikers that it. run through.

Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

One of the iconic settings of the Napali Coast.

Until the XNUMXth century, many native Hawaiians lived in this lush and colorful setting where they planted taro in terraces conquered from the vegetation. These days, the park's statute prohibits any building.

Viewed on the map, the Napali Coast appears just a few kilometers north of Waimea Canyon. The absence of a road connecting the two would, in itself, be a good reason to explore it only the next day.

Grooves, Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

Sharp, verdant edges of the Napali Coast's steep slope, helicopter perspective, from the air.

We had, however, another unavoidable reason. We were going to do it from the air.

A Panoramic Flight As Eccentric as Kauai

We return to Lihue in the middle of the afternoon, with just time to get into a panoramic helicopter. Kurt, a half-crazed employee who insists on treating us and other customers by “kids”, takes us between the company office and the city airport.

In turn, Michael, the pilot, assures passengers that they will embark on one of the most solemn experiences of their lives. Then he takes his shoes off to the side of the pedals and makes the helicopter soar into the sky.

In a flash, we left Lihue and civilization behind. We return to the Waimea canyon which, seen from the air, proves fascinating to double.

Heli Flight, Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

Helicopter flies over a Waymea Canyon canyon.

Michael turns up the volume on Beethoven's 5th Symphony that he's chosen as the soundtrack for the flight. Makes the aircraft penetrate a blanket of clouds trapped against the mountain. Out of the fog, the pilot accentuates the pomp of the voiceover and announces the high point of the course, the Napali Coast.

The Napali Coast and the (Even More) Lush North of Kauai, Seen from the Air

Before us, the Pacific Ocean and the entire northwest coast of Kauai unveiled, sculpted by the intense rain and wind that have always punished the volcanic mountains.

More than approaching, the pilot arrests and scares passengers with filmic incursions in canyons and deep valleys. It accompanies long waterfalls and cliffs covered with moss and verdant vegetation that contrast with the reds and browns of the rocky walls to which they cling.

Great Waterfall, Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

One of the many waterfalls that irrigate the Napali Coast, seen from the air.

Above, dominates the pivotal summit of Mount Wai'ale'ale (1570 m) which retains moisture from the North Pacific and is one of the wettest spots on the planet with an average annual rainfall exceeding 1160mm.

Nothing is heard on board apart from classical music and the follow-up to the pilot's voiceover. Michael talks about the geological antiquity of the place. Take the opportunity to list some of his most recent prodigies in the 7th art.

Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

Most colorful section of the Napali Coast, next to Waymea Canyon.

Sublime like few others, Kauai and, in particular, the Napali Coast amaze whoever discovers them. The list includes countless Hollywood directors and producers.

His scenarios were used in mega-successes such as “Jurassic Park”, “King Kong” the musical “South Pacific”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, the TV series “Fantasy Island” and “Hawaiian Spell” that launched Elvis Presley to prolific stardom, among others.

Aerial view of Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles

An aerial view from one end of the Napali Coast reveals why Kauai is considered the greenest of the Hawaiian Islands.

This regular presence on screen has long been the most media-friendly proof of how time has only favored Kauai.

Key West, USA

The Tropical Wild West of the USA

We've come to the end of the Overseas Highway and the ultimate stronghold of propagandism Florida Keys. The continental United States here they surrender to a dazzling turquoise emerald marine vastness. And to a southern reverie fueled by a kind of Caribbean spell.
Maui, Hawaii

divine hawaii

Maui is a former chief and hero of Hawaiian religious and traditional imagery. In the mythology of this archipelago, the demigod lassos the sun, raises the sky and performs a series of other feats on behalf of humans. Its namesake island, which the natives believe they created in the North Pacific, is itself prodigious.
Big Island, Hawaii

Searching for Rivers of Lava

There are five volcanoes that make the big island of Hawaii grow day by day. Kilauea, the most active on Earth, is constantly releasing lava. Despite this, we live a kind of epic to envision it.
Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Mauna Kea: the Volcano with an Eye out in Space

The roof of Hawaii was off-limits to natives because it housed benevolent deities. But since 1968, several nations sacrificed the peace of the gods and built the greatest astronomical station on the face of the Earth.
pearl harbor, Hawaii

The Day Japan Went Too Far

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor military base. Today, parts of Hawaii look like Japanese colonies but the US will never forget the outrage.
Waikiki, OahuHawaii

The Japanese Invasion of Hawaii

Decades after the attack on Pearl Harbor and from the capitulation in World War II, the Japanese returned to Hawaii armed with millions of dollars. Waikiki, his favorite target, insists on surrendering.
Jabula Beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Safari
Saint Lucia, South Africa

An Africa as Wild as Zulu

On the eminence of the coast of Mozambique, the province of KwaZulu-Natal is home to an unexpected South Africa. Deserted beaches full of dunes, vast estuarine swamps and hills covered with fog fill this wild land also bathed by the Indian Ocean. It is shared by the subjects of the always proud Zulu nation and one of the most prolific and diverse fauna on the African continent.
Mount Lamjung Kailas Himal, Nepal, altitude sickness, mountain prevent treat, travel
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 2th - Chame a Upper BananaNepal

(I) Eminent Annapurnas

We woke up in Chame, still below 3000m. There we saw, for the first time, the snowy and highest peaks of the Himalayas. From there, we set off for another walk along the Annapurna Circuit through the foothills and slopes of the great mountain range. towards Upper Banana.
Traditional houses, Bergen, Norway.
Architecture & Design
Bergen, Norway

The Great Hanseatic Port of Norway

Already populated in the early 1830th century, Bergen became the capital, monopolized northern Norwegian commerce and, until XNUMX, remained one of the largest cities in Scandinavia. Today, Oslo leads the nation. Bergen continues to stand out for its architectural, urban and historical exuberance.
Adventure
Boat Trips

For Those Becoming Internet Sick

Hop on and let yourself go on unmissable boat trips like the Philippine archipelago of Bacuit and the frozen sea of ​​the Finnish Gulf of Bothnia.
Ice cream, Moriones Festival, Marinduque, Philippines
Ceremonies and Festivities
Marinduque, Philippines

When the Romans Invade the Philippines

Even the Eastern Empire didn't get that far. In Holy Week, thousands of centurions seize Marinduque. There, the last days of Longinus, a legionary converted to Christianity, are re-enacted.
Porvoo, Finland, warehouses
Cities
Porvoo, Finland

A Medieval and Winter Finland

One of the oldest settlements of the Suomi nation, in the early XNUMXth century, Porvoo was a busy riverside post and its third city. Over time, Porvoo lost commercial importance. In return, it has become one of Finland's revered historic strongholds.  
Meal
Margilan, Uzbekistan

An Uzbekistan's Breadwinner

In one of the many bakeries in Margilan, worn out by the intense heat of the tandyr oven, the baker Maruf'Jon works half-baked like the distinctive traditional breads sold throughout Uzbekistan
Pitões das Junias, Montalegre, Portugal
Culture
Montalegre, Portugal

Through Alto do Barroso, Top of Trás-os-Montes

we moved from Terras de Bouro for those of Barroso. Based in Montalegre, we wander around the discovery of Paredes do Rio, Tourém, Pitões das Júnias and its monastery, stunning villages on the border of Portugal. If it is true that Barroso has had more inhabitants, visitors should not miss it.
Reindeer Racing, Kings Cup, Inari, Finland
Sport
Inari, Finland

The Wackiest Race on the Top of the World

Finland's Lapps have been competing in the tow of their reindeer for centuries. In the final of the Kings Cup - Porokuninkuusajot - , they face each other at great speed, well above the Arctic Circle and well below zero.
Boat and helmsman, Cayo Los Pájaros, Los Haitises, Dominican Republic
Traveling
Samaná PeninsulaLos Haitises National Park Dominican Republic

From the Samaná Peninsula to the Dominican Haitises

In the northeast corner of the Dominican Republic, where Caribbean nature still triumphs, we face an Atlantic much more vigorous than expected in these parts. There we ride on a communal basis to the famous Limón waterfall, cross the bay of Samaná and penetrate the remote and exuberant “land of the mountains” that encloses it.
Barrancas del Cobre, Chihuahua, Rarámuri woman
Ethnic
Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon), Chihuahua, Mexico

The Deep Mexico of the Barrancas del Cobre

Without warning, the Chihuahua highlands give way to endless ravines. Sixty million geological years have furrowed them and made them inhospitable. The Rarámuri indigenous people continue to call them home.
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

life outside

scarlet summer
History

Valencia to Xativa, Spain (España)

Across Iberia

Leaving aside the modernity of Valencia, we explore the natural and historical settings that the "community" shares with the Mediterranean. The more we travel, the more its bright life seduces us.

Kéré Island, Bijagós, Guinea Bissau, from the air
Islands
Kéré Island, Bijagós, Guinea Bissau

The Little Bijagó that hosted a Big Dream

Raised in Ivory Coast, Frenchman Laurent found, in the Bijagós archipelago, the place that enraptured him. The island he shares with his Portuguese wife Sónia accepted them and the affection they felt for Guinea Bissau. Kéré and the Bijagós have long enchanted visitors.
coast, fjord, Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Winter White
Seydisfjordur, Iceland

From the Art of Fishing to the Fishing of Art

When shipowners from Reykjavik bought the Seydisfjordur fishing fleet, the village had to adapt. Today, it captures Dieter Roth's art disciples and other bohemian and creative souls.
José Saramago in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, Glorieta de Saramago
Literature
Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain (España)

José Saramago's Basalt Raft

In 1993, frustrated by the Portuguese government's disregard for his work “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ”, Saramago moved with his wife Pilar del Río to Lanzarote. Back on this somewhat extraterrestrial Canary Island, we visited his home. And the refuge from the portuguese censorship that haunted the writer.
rusty boat, Aral Sea, Uzbekistan
Nature
Aral Sea, Uzbequistan

The Lake that Cotton Absorbed

In 1960, the Aral Sea was one of the four largest lakes in the world. Irrigation projects dried up much of the water and fishermen's livelihoods. In return, the USSR flooded Uzbekistan with vegetable white gold.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Okavango Delta, Not all rivers reach the sea, Mokoros
Natural Parks
Okavango Delta, Botswana

Not all rivers reach the sea

Third longest river in southern Africa, the Okavango rises in the Angolan Bié plateau and runs 1600km to the southeast. It gets lost in the Kalahari Desert where it irrigates a dazzling wetland teeming with wildlife.
Cambodia, Angkor, Ta Phrom
UNESCO World Heritage
Ho Chi Minh a of Angkor, Cambodia

The Crooked Path to Angkor

From Vietnam onwards, Cambodia's crumbling roads and minefields take us back to the years of Khmer Rouge terror. We survive and are rewarded with the vision of the greatest religious temple
In elevator kimono, Osaka, Japan
Characters
Osaka, Japan

In the Company of Mayu

Japanese nightlife is a multi-faceted, multi-billion business. In Osaka, an enigmatic couchsurfing hostess welcomes us, somewhere between the geisha and the luxury escort.
Sesimbra, Vila, Portugal, View from the top
Beaches
Sesimbra, Portugal

A Village Touched by Midas

It's not just Praia da California and Praia do Ouro that close it to the south. Sheltered from the furies of the West Atlantic, gifted with other immaculate coves and endowed with centuries-old fortifications, Sesimbra is today a precious fishing and bathing haven.
Passage, Tanna, Vanuatu to the West, Meet the Natives
Religion
Tanna, Vanuatu

From where Vanuatu Conquered the Western World

The TV show “Meet the Native” took Tanna's tribal representatives to visit Britain and the USA Visiting their island, we realized why nothing excited them more than returning home.
Train Fianarantsoa to Manakara, Malagasy TGV, locomotive
On Rails
Fianarantsoa-Manakara, Madagascar

On board the Malagasy TGV

We depart Fianarantsoa at 7a.m. It wasn't until 3am the following morning that we completed the 170km to Manakara. The natives call this almost secular train Train Great Vibrations. During the long journey, we felt, very strongly, those of the heart of Madagascar.
Tombola, street bingo-Campeche, Mexico
Society
Campeche, Mexico

A Bingo so playful that you play with puppets

On Friday nights, a group of ladies occupy tables at Independencia Park and bet on trifles. The tiniest prizes come out to them in combinations of cats, hearts, comets, maracas and other icons.
Casario, uptown, Fianarantsoa, ​​Madagascar
Daily life
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

The Malagasy City of Good Education

Fianarantsoa was founded in 1831 by Ranavalona Iª, a queen of the then predominant Merina ethnic group. Ranavalona Iª was seen by European contemporaries as isolationist, tyrant and cruel. The monarch's reputation aside, when we enter it, its old southern capital remains as the academic, intellectual and religious center of Madagascar.
Asian buffalo herd, Maguri Beel, Assam, India
Wildlife
Maguri Bill, India

A Wetland in the Far East of India

The Maguri Bill occupies an amphibious area in the Assamese vicinity of the river Brahmaputra. It is praised as an incredible habitat especially for birds. When we navigate it in gondola mode, we are faced with much (but much) more life than just the asada.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.
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