Hawaii has this reputation of being a very beautiful state filled with beautiful landscapes. It is depicted in countless movies as this exotic island paradise, but after seeing it so many times in movies or television shows, I began to think that places like this did not in fact exist. They had to be filmed edited and photoshopped to look that amazing. Sure Hawaii was a tropical island, but the colors and richness of life could not be as pronounced as they appear to be in all those shows.
When Cory and I visited Hawaii in 2020, I could not believe how wrong I was. Hawaii is stunningly beautiful. Even more beautiful in person than it is in pictures and movies. Especially on the Big Island. While Oahu is more densely populated than the Big Island, it also is incredibly beautiful. On the Big Island though, it really is a tropical paradise, which Cory said reminded him of Neverland filled with lagoons, mermaids and Pirates. Cory is a big fan of Peter Pan.
One of the most beautiful locations on the Big Island are the picturesque waterfalls. The Akaka falls is the tallest on the Big Island, and the Rainbow Falls generate a seemingly permanent rainbow like in the image at the beginning of this post. Both falls are surrounded by lush greenery, exotic plants and wildlife. It was visual overload, I wasn't sure where to look half the time. I got distracted a bit by several lizards walking, camouflaged, on tropical plants. Later Cory insisted we walk a little off the beaten path so he could show me these Banyan Trees, which have prop roots and branch systems that seem to vale the heart of the tree. Apparently Banyan trees are not native to Hawaii, rather they are from India. Also they apparently grow so large that the envelope and suffocate other nearby trees. Regardless they are very interesting to look at, peak through and they look right at home in the landscape. It was just an awesome experience and a visual extravaganza.
While I don't think I could live permanently in Hawaii, after being with Cory for so long, I have come to realize that I can make anything work for 3 years or so. I wouldn't complain too much, I mean just look at it.
Comments