Hike to a waterfall along the Hamakua coastline

Its always been on my bucket list to follow a waterfall to where it ends in the ocean, I don't know why.  Its strange after living in Hawaii for quite some time, I've always been fascinated by this type of  hike but have never had the opportunity. So when the occasion came up recently to visit a private garden in the Hamakua with a waterfall and trail that eventually falls into the ocean, I was excited.

When I arrived at the property, I talked with the other guests and everyone seemed to be distracted with the beautiful and expansive garden which in itself was worth spending most of one's time enjoying. Since no-one was ready to hike, I started down the precarious staircase leading down to the waterfall. The paths were tricky but nicely planted with colorful anthuriums and other shade loving plants.

Then I noticed after a taking few pictures, I was totally being eaten up by mosquitoes (no wonder the guests were not interested in coming down) I was now the feast for all the mosquitoes that morning and they were hungry. Needless to say I didn't stay idle in one spot for a very long time.

I could hear the sounds of waterfalls directly ahead and in no time arrived at this sweet waterfall opening framed with lush greens of every color. It was beautiful, and I had the whole scene to enjoy on my own. Quickly, I followed the stream bed down a worn path dotted with palms and coconut tree along with many large leafed plants. I make it finally to the edge with of the cliffs which were framed with these huge ironwood trees supporting the cliff sides - quite an idyllic spot to relax. The little breezes fortunately keeping the mosquitoes at bay and allowing me to linger awhile longer.

I hear the waters loudly as they cascade down the cliffs into the ocean. It was a little tricky trying to get a good view of the waterfall into the rocks below, all I could really see was the rushing water from the top view, but the coastline views from the edge was spectacular and the waters were various shades of aqua to deep, deep blue along the horizon.

It was an enjoyable moment even though I couldn't see the waterfalls cascading directly to the bottom of the ocean. Wonderful breezes kept those pesky mosquitoes at bay for the moment. Now, it was time to make that arduous hike back up those 100 plus steps to the main house, well at least if I go quickly I won't be harassed by the mosquitoes on the way back uphill. All done, so glad I finally got that out of my bucket list of hikes to do and I actually enjoyed the challenge and rewards all to myself.

©Noel Morata, All rights reserved

Come and visit my photography website at http://noelmorata.photoshelter.com/

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.

May day is also called Lei day in Hawaii, its a popular and fun way to cherish someone you love and care for with a beautiful hand-made lei.

The origins of lei making started with the early Polynesians and settlers to the Hawaiian islands to honor their gods by twining greens into wreaths and making these as offerings. They also used the wreaths and flowered lei made of fragrant ginger blooms to decorate and adorn their bodies. Other fragrant greens used included maile and hala leaves which were used extensively to celebrate various rites, special occasions and daily wear.

This concept of giving a lei to someone special was then popularized with the influx of tourism throughout the Hawaiian islands around the 19th and 20th century. Presenting a lei during the arrival or departure of a love one was shared and communicated as a sign of affection and aloha and still is still used currently as a symbol of affection and aloha.

Leis are now made with many different and aromatic flowers to include tropical plumeria, jasmine, ginger, roses, gardenias, tuba rose and scented orchid blooms to create aromatic and beautiful displays. Every flower and color combination is available and sold through different wholesale and retail outlets. Leis are also made with with many types of organic materials including seeds, shells, fabric and ribbon along with a variety of greenery to create different looks and texture and patterns.

(A gorgeous tutu or grandmother wears and elaborate collection yellow, orange and red flowered leis at a hula performance in Hawaii)

Green material used for the leis above include aromatic maile leaves, ferns and seeds pods, along with the very popular plumeria well loved for its wonderful aroma. Fresh leis are made and worn as adornment for each and every hula performances like the dancer above performing at the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo.

Even elaborate large leis are made to adorn horses in many of the annual parades throughout the islands. Here leis elaborate leis are created for the horse and pau rider for the annual Merrie Monarch parade in Hlo, Hawaii.

Lei day celebrations today in East Hawaii are marked with lei and craft demonstrations, live music and performances and other festivities celebrating this well loved tradition. It seems so appropriate for the first day of May to celebrate spring and a beautiful day by making a lei and giving to someone special in your life..

©Noel Morata, All rights reserved

Come and visit my photography website at http://noelmorata.photoshelter.com/

The Merrie Monarch Festival - A weeklong hula festival

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The whole week right after Easter day celebrations in Hilo, Hawaii is marked with the Merrie Monarch festival which covers everything and anything focused on the beautiful hula dance, competitions and various events celebrating the hula.

This is one of our most beautiful festivals to watch not only for the gorgeous dancing, wonderful live music and colorful outfits, but also for the gorgeous flower leis, head pieces and organic plant materials used as adornments. In the traditional styles of performances, traditional wear is all handmade from local materials including the coloring of costumes. This dancer below wears a crown of palm pods with indigenous flowers and moss for her hairpiece decoration.





Every day is set with amazing hula performances at many venues around Hilo town and many hula halau (hula schools) coming from all over the world converge to enjoy, compete and perform in the festivities. You will see some of the best hula performances in the world at this week long celebration of hula.

The first day of peformances starts on Easter Sunday and is a called the Ho'olaule'a (Hawaiian celebration or event). The event features well known local hula halau (hula schools) from Hawaii Island and is a favorite event with local audiences. Usually the auditorium is packed with audience members supporting their favorite hula halau with loud cheers and whistles. The energy level and spirit of Aloha is alive with the hula dancing along with audience participation.

Many hula halau include young keiki (children) dancing in their age groups and hula performances are encouraged at all ages from young to old. But the keiki hula performances are very popular and fun to watch at the Ho'olaule'a show.

Traditional hula dancing known as hula kahiko is a very popular dance to see and experience. Not only are the costumes handmade, but also their adornments, leis and musical instruments are hand done for each specific performance. Every part of a dance and costume is presented with authentic details with time consuming practise and performance. This is to present a hula dance to the audience so they can experience an authenthic and ancient hula performance.

The modern dance style called hula Auana is also popular with colorful outfits and a beautiful and expressive flowing style. Most hulas dances are typically done in this modern style of dance with popular Hawaiian music performed with an ukulele, guitar and base guitar combination and singers complementing the dance.

 

Here are a few more performance highlights of last night's event.

The Merrie Monarch Ho'olaulea hula performances in Hilo are just the start of a week long celebration of hula dancing at its finest. The rest of the week comprises of beautiful hula demonstrations, crafts fairs, singing competitions, various competitive dance performances and a colorful parade with the champions of the hula events.



To view more images of this event, please visit my flickr site below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12701042@N04/sets/72157633140716967/with/8610627747/



A hui hou (until we meet again) - hopefully at another beautiful hula performance at the Merrie Monarch festival in Hilo.

Enjoying the west side at Polulu Valley,Hawii

Its nice to switch it up and visit the west side of Hawaii island for a change of pace. After an assignment in Kona, I wanted to drive out to Hawi and hike down Polulu valley to the black sand beach, and with any luck catch an amazing sunset which I've never experienced at Polulu.

Unfortunately, it seems like whenever I visit Polulu, its always socked in with clouds, stormy skies, and no sunsets - a little disapppointing considering the drive.


Oh well, here's the scene from the lookout point to the rugged coastlines on this grey, grey day.

The light was flat with even clouds creating a washed out atmosphere to the usually dramatic landscape. Walking back to the car, I did notice some beautiful wildflowers all over the roadway which I've never noticed before, and they were blooming everywhere. Its always amazing how inspiration can change instantly when you keep your eyes open and observe things differently in the landscape.

In this lighting, photographing plants and flowers is very flattering, framing the view with texture and color to create a pleasing image.


Inspiration comes back into view:

Beautiful white wildflowers frame this entire field creating a sweeping panorama with a gorgeous wild flower foreground below.

I'm loving this image that I converted to a black and white, the wildflowers just seem to pop out drammatically against the dark green hillsides. Even though this didn't turn out well for a sunset opportunity, I was able to find something just as interesting wih the wildflowers and creating a different mood to Polulu, definitely worth the drive.

©Noel Morata, All rights reserved

Come and visit my photography website at http://noelmorata.photoshelter.com/

Big Island Chocolate Festival

 

 

 

The cacao plant is starting to make big inroads in the chocolate market on the Big Island of Hawaii. This relatively new commodity is driving huge demand for locally grown cacao and creating new markets in  bean to bar, chocolate purveyors and chocolatiers, secondary finished products, restaurant inspired chocolate creations and food fanciers using the raw product to create some amazing new chocolate inspirations.


Supporting this new fledging crop, the newly formed Kona Chocolate Association was established to promote and educate the general public and buying market of locally grown Hawaiian cacao. The association's main focus is to educate and create outreach opportunities for cacao and chocolate products. The association created a new venue, the Big Island Chocolate Festival, which is celebrating its second year of Chocolate festivities, seminars and gala events. Partnering with hospitality, educational groups and local media to bring more  awareness and interest in the marketplace, this festival has quickly become a destination spot for chocolatiers and their supporters to enjoy all the activities centered on cacao and chocolate creation.

 

 

 

The chocolate festival is a chocoholic fantasy dream come true with alot of chocolate inspired activities geared to the enthusiasts. This three day celebration of everything centering around chocolate included chocolate demonstrations, chocolate farm tours, chocolate competions and of course an ample opportunity to see and savor chocolate at its best.

 

 

Student participation from the culinary schools around Hawaii brought out the best in group collaborations and imaginative creations. The attention to detail and focused concentration of the students to make nothing but the best shows the anticipation and excitement to the culinary events.

Ah, it was so hard to just pick one as a favorite dessert or savory presentation an the gala night presentation. Chocolate preparations were all on display from chocolate confectioners, bean to bar creators, chefs and chocolatiers were all putting on an amazing show.

Fortunately, a judging panel chose sweet and savory winners with the culinary team at the Fairmont Orchid receiving both sweet and savory award. They also won the people's choice award for the delicious sample below,cocoa dusted spicy ahi cone with truffle orange vinagrette and chocolate nibs.

Here's a sample of other sweet and savory dishes and chocolate inspirations from the gala evening event.

You get a delicous bite with this chocolate infused Kau pork belly from the Hilton Waikoloa, made with 72% Waialua chocolate from Oahu, pickled daikon and carrots and chile cilantro in a chocolate char siu sauce

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Executive chef Donald Wressel from Guittard chocolate was busy working on a floral chocolate fantasy masterpiece. It was amazing, but I'm wondering who got away with this forty pounder at the end of the event, wish I had a big enough bag to haul this puppy away!

The beautiful floral details to this chocolate sculpture.

A very odd and yet delicious mixture of sensations presented was the Big Island Hog Balls made with all local ingredients including nice big chunks of Hawaiian bacon, I think I polished off a good third of this platter alone!

The sold out event at the Fairmont Orchid was truly a chocolate connoisseur's tasting experience, and it also raised funding for equipment at a local Hawaiian culinary school and a community amphitheature at a charter school at Kaleakekua.





Its always great to support and sample locally made ingredients and finished products like Hawaiian grown chocolate and the Kona chocolate association and their supporters are making great efforts to promoting Hawaiian products and events so that more people can appreciate these products.


To see more images of the three day event, please visit my flickr page.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12701042@N04/sets/72157633085707831/

No GMO, Monsanto must go in Hawaii

Hawaiian rallies and marches are always very colorful and filled with beautiful imagery and passion. Here, a recent protest and rally in Hilo against Monsanto and GMO tested produce grown on the Hawaiian islands are galvanizing many diverse groups of supports to pressure government to start labeling GMO produced products and drive out Monsanto interests on all the islands.

Prior to the rally starting a new planting bed was created in front of Hilo's historic Kamehameha statue and people started to plant Taro or Kalo as it is called in Hawaii - a food staple on the islands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You cannot help to smile with creative and humorous signage that adds a human dimension

to this type of protest.

Personal signage give a more intimate story of the relevance of the rally and appeal for local government to consider their constituent's priorities.

The hands show what its all about....

A'ole GMO means No GMO

Even the oldest march and create insightful written dialog.

The weird and funny always grabs attention and sense of humor along the parade route.

A very large turnout supports and galvanizes local community to act and be heard, hopefully spurring action and changes within government.

Strength in numbers and positive reinforcement of words and local support inspire marchers along with onlookers. Hopefully this march has created some impact and thought, along with a very colorful display of Hawaiian culture.


For more images of the rally and march, please visit the flickr link below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12701042@N04/page1/

©Noel Morata, All rights reserved

Come and visit my photography website at http://noelmorata.photoshelter.com/