Travels and thoughts

KOKO TRAILHEAD HIKE: 1,048 RAILWAY STAIRS TO THE TOP OF THE CRATER. The first motivation Having read about the Koko trail on the island of Oahu, we wanted to give it a try. We believed that it would test our strength of endurance, determination, stamina, willpower, and fitness. We had scheduled the Koko trail for the last day of our holiday.   The ascent - any second thoughts? During WW 2, the summit of the Koko head crater held a strategic position. Several bunkers were built there as observation stations to keep an eye on the surrounding islands and their waters. There was a railway that carried supplies and personnel up and down. A gasoline-powered tramcar with a winch helped in the transportation. The railway line is now known as the Koko head stairs. The state of tracks  After the world war, this place became an Air Force station before turning into a district park. The Koko Head Trail starts at this district park. The distance to the top of the Koko's head is just ....

  The Hawaiian Islands are magical any time of the day or year. It will continually fill you with wonder with its natural beauty at every turn. There are marvelous ways to keep busy from sunrise to sunset on the islands.  Oahu island was our destination on this trip. We had a five-day holiday at Oahu. The days flew by, watching the sunrise, sunsets, going on adventurous hikes.  On day 3 of our trip, we had the Lanikai Pillbox hike on our schedule. The initial plan was to catch the sunrise from the Lanikai Pillbox. However, we got up late and drove to Lanikai beach instead. We were on time to see the mesmerizing sunrise over the Pacific waters.  The morning was perfect. The spontaneous decision to catch the sunrise gave us some fantastic moments. The rising sun cast a golden hue across the morning sky, parting the grey clouds. The golden rays spread across the ocean water. We stood by the ocean side, soaking in the warm glow of the morning rays.  Pathway to th...

After a relaxing two days at Napa Valley, with plenty of wine tasting, we were ready to set forth for our new adventure... Yosemite Valley.  We aimed to have an early start. The route was straight to CA 120. The journey time was 4 hours, and with rest, we knew it would take us almost 5 hours to reach Yosemite. We wished to reach our destination before the sunset. The slow, gentle slopes of Napa Valley gave way to the mountains and forests of Stanislaus. The road journey through the woods was winding and spectacular. Many sharp bends had to be navigated with caution. Driving between the towering pine and fir trees was beautiful beyond belief. Stopping by at various viewpoints, we made our way to the Air BNB for the night.  Yosemite is a national park operated by the U.S. National Park Service. It was established as a park in 1890. The park is situated in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California and is famed for its incredible cliffs, deep valleys, waterfalls, rivers, and anci...

The year 2020 was bizarre; who would have expected a minuscule virus unseen to the naked eye to completely dominate our lives. My travel, which I took for granted year after year, had come to a standstill. What kept us sane was our yoga and zoom calls with family. It was the month of November, and my mind wandered to travel. It has been a year since I saw my children. By now, I had summoned the courage for 13 hours of air travel to visit the USA. The constant reassurance by Emirates airlines on Instagram helped, along with the newly installed HEPA filters on the planes. We reached Chicago, to be greeted by SanchitRam. A quick ride by Uber brought us to his compact and comfortable house. A warm meal awaited us. A sense of pride crept into me that my young son managed his home well. This year luckily, Arvind joined me for a holiday.  After a detailed look around the house, we had thoughts on rearranging the furniture to make the house look more spacious. We continued our home isolati...