Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Pali Highway

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." Lao Tzu
"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe." Anatole France


"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind." Seneca

" It is not down in any map; true places never are." Herman Melville


When driving over the famous Pali Highway between Honolulu and windward Kailua Town, through lovely Nu`uanu, and up into the lush Ko`olau Mountains, be sure to take the OLD ORIGINAL PORTION of the road! It’s called Nu`uanu Pali Drive and it’s well worth a “detour!” After separating from the main road (and the modern world) you will pass by lovely, flower-strewn ponds on your left. Then the trees join their hands above your head as you drive into a cool, hushed trail of shadows and smells. The narrow, twisty lane always makes me feel as if I’ve entered a timeless, magical realm that leaves me refreshed and rejuvenated as I rejoin the rushing highway at last. Of course, a stop at the Pali Lookout is MANDATORY! The winds, the view of the island’s windward shores, the waterfalls curving upward to oblivion, all etch themselves on your permanent record. Here too the spirits sing, remember and lament. Many of them are the wandering spirits of defeated warriors – so it’s just as well to leave before the foxy dusk. . .




A L O H A! Cloudia