DIAMONDS AND SHAVED ICE -THE HAWAII JOURNEY

 We came out with our luggage from the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Honolulu, before checking into our hotel we thought we would visit some places as we were all still quite fresh after a nap in the flight

We hired a car in the airport for our stay and started on our way, we had taken our grandson’s car seat along as per the rules prevailing

Oʻahu translated as the Gathering place is the third-largest and most populated Hawaiian island, it is 44 miles long and 30 miles across and its special attraction is its 227 miles long shoreline

Honolulu is its capital city and this cosmopolitan city offers everything from historic landmarks to fine dining and world-class shopping.

Honolulu is home to the majority of Oʻahu’s population and stretches across the south eastern shores of the island, from Pearl Harbour to Makapuu Point, embracing the world-famous Waikiki Beach on its way.

I remarked to my family that all these names sounded very musical, my hubby who knows my passion for travelling and tendency to fall in love with the places I visit gently smiled at me

Like all other Hawaiian Islands, Oʻahu was formed from the volcanism associated with the Hawaii hot spot and it started to grow from the sea floor 4 million years ago. Today, the island is composed of the remnants of two extinct and extensively eroded shield volcanos the Waianae and Koolau Ranges, with a broad valley or saddle between them. The highest point is Kaala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet above sea level

Early archaeological studies suggest that Polynesian explorers may have arrived as early as the 3rd century and other settlers around 900–1200 A.D. 

On January 19, 1778, Oʻahu was the first of the Hawaiian Islands to be sighted by Captain James Cook

Though by 18th century, Waikiki was a major settlement on Oʻahu, nearby town of Honolulu came to eclipse it in size and importance due to its more accessible harbour.

After World War II, Oʻahu became a tourism and shopping destination with more than five million visitors per year

Right from the airport, everywhere we went in Hawaii, we saw and heard the word Aloha which is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. It means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth and caring with no obligation in return. 

‘Aloha’ is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ‘Aloha’ means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable. 

We then went to the beautiful Puu Ualakaa State Park at about 1000 feet elevation, the road was quite narrow and very tortuous and lined with eucalyptus trees on either side of the road.

Luckily we could get parking easily, and we were advised to carefully lock up our car as it is very common for cars to be broken into in that area

After walking a few steps we saw the scenic lookout and observation desk 

From there we could see awesome views of Honolulu including Diamond Head and the Punchbowl, the blue Pacific Ocean and the skyline competed with each other with their vivid blue colours . There are several nice hiking trails through the rainforests to enjoy as long as one is prepared with water and insect repellents. 

Leahi (Diamond Head) is a 760 feet crater and is a famous landmark of Hawaii it was so named by 19th century British soldiers who joyously thought they discovered diamonds on the crater’s slopes, but alas to their dismay the diamonds were actually shiny calcite crystals that have no value whatsoever

Formed more than 1000,000 years ago, the crater was used as a strategic military lookout in early 1900s and was named a national natural landmark and now is a popular hiking destination with panoramic views of Waikiki and Oahu’s south shore

Sunset is supposed to be good from this spot but we couldn’t wait till then as we had to check in

On popular demand of our grandson Vihaan who was literally screaming for an ice-cream, we went to the Island shave ice and creamery shop to taste the famous Hawaiian shave ice which is an ice-based dessert made by shaving a block of ice and flavouring it with syrup and other sweet ingredients

The thin ice shavings of shave ice allow the flavoured syrups to be absorbed completely instead of sinking to the bottom. 

As soon as we entered we saw a pretty Hawaiian girl at the counter who smiled at us and enquired which flavour we would like to taste, we had a very serious round table discussion and finally chose mango and coconut

We were handed over the ice in a plastic cup with syrups poured over the top and a straw and spoon

Additional elements like ice cream, azuki beans or condensed milk also can be chosen.

Syrups used in shave ice in Hawaii use local ingredients such as guava, pine apple, coconut cream, passion fruit, lychee, kiwifruit and mango. 

These syrups are often quite vibrant with certain colours traditionally representing specific flavours, such as blue for coconut and yellow for mango. When many different colours of syrups are combined, it is referred to as “Kalakoa” which means calico in Hawaiian slang

The history of Hawaiian shave ice can be traced back to an ice-based dessert that originates from Japan. This dessert is known as kakigōri and was once reserved for the wealthy because of the complex production process of ice, which was only accessible in the winter and refrigeration purely relied on natural sources like ice houses

During the early 1900s, development of new technologies allowed ice to be cheaply made and stored, allowing for greater consumption among various types of people. Around the same time, sugar plantations prolifically developed across Hawaii, and many people from Asian countries relocated to the Hawaii islands with hopes of earning a steady income. The Japanese were among this immigrant population and brought with them their traditional kakigōri. 

Hawaiian shave ice sales began to rise in the 1950s and 1960s with the arrival of Californian surfers. Shave ice which has originated in Japan and gained popularity in Hawaii has spread to other parts of the world too.

As soon as we saw the shop and its contents, we recollected that we had shaved ice in India too, it is known as Gola or Chuski, a popular summer treat, sold especially on the streets. It consists of finely shaved or crushed ice, often hand-packed onto a stick and flavoured with colourful, fruity syrups. Popular flavors include Kala Khatta (a dark, blackberry-like flavour), lime and salt, and raw mango. 

Gola is widely available on the streets, I remember seeing it in Chowpatty beach in Mumbai.

After having tasted the shaved ice and getting our grand son's shirt heavily flavoured with all the syrups we tried, we checked into our hotel in Kaplei, I found everyone in Hawaii very cheerful and welcoming, wherever we went Aloha rang in our ears 

After lunch in a nearby Mexican restaurant we relaxed a while and started for the Maili beach , Maili means pebbly the rounded stones at the shore  

The drive took us along the Western Leeward coast of Oahu ,we had mountains on our right side with an occasional house perched on their top and the Pacific ocean stretched on the left endlessly ,as we reached the Maili beach we saw a long green stretch of land with palm trees lining the coast line which was the beach park which extended for 40 acres and had multiple entrances with ample parking

Maili has among the highest percentage of Native Hawaiians and is a popular destination for surfing, snorkelling, swimming and boogie boarding

The water conditions are supposed to be treacherous during winter-time but usually calm during summer. The beach park had a lifeguard station, a playground, beach facilities, restrooms, picnic tables, and showers

We settled down on the beach, the waves were stroking the shore so gently that our grandson also could fearlessly play in the water, the sand was very clean and there were hardly anybody to disturb us

As we watched, the sun started to gracefully sink but dark clouds gathered and we were apprehensive of a sudden shower but fortunately it didn’t rain and we returned to our hotel after watching a beautiful sunset 

WHERE DID WE GO THIS TIME ?

As our first son Nikhil stays in the US with his wife and son, we visit America every now and then and make short trips around the lovely vast country. This time we thought why don’t we visit Hawaii and celebrate our grandson’s birthday there

So our planning began, we tried to look for the places in Hawaii which we could cover with a 4 year old inquisitive and naughty boy which would be interesting for him and not too taxing too

The Hawaiian Islands, or Aloha State, is an archipelago - an area containing 137 islands scattered in the Pacific Ocean with eight main islands being well-known among them. From west to east are they are  Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and the Island of Hawaii (Big Island).However only seven out of  the eight islands are inhabited. 

Niihau is known as the "Forbidden Island" due to its restricted access and preservation of traditional Hawaiian culture. 

Kauai is also known as the "Garden Isle," and boasts of stunning natural beauty which includes the majestic Napali Coast. 

Oahu is the most populous island, home to Honolulu which is Hawaii's capital and the vibrant Waikiki beach. 

Molokai is often referred to as the "Friendly Isle," offers a low-key but authentic Hawaiian experience. 

Lanai is the smallest inhabited island and is known for its off-beat attractions and laid-back atmosphere. 

Kahoolawe is an uninhabited island, primarily used for military training and preservation. 

Maui popularly known as the "Valley Isle," offers a blend of volcanic landscapes and luxury resorts. 

Hawaii (Big Island) features active volcanoes, diverse landscapes, and cultural attractions.

Hawaii is very popular due to its natural beauty, rich culture and delicious cuisine. There are beautiful beaches, volcanic landscapes, and the welcoming "Aloha Spirit" which make it an attractive vacation destination ,it is also a surfer’s paradise

While preparing for the trip we were advised to take lightweight and breathable  cotton, linen, and quick-drying fabrics to stay cool in the tropical climate. We packed few swim suits for our grandson for the inevitable and frequent beach visits. Comfortable but sturdy shoes were packed which are a must along with sandals to use in beaches. 

Accessories like Sunscreen, hats and sunglasses to protect our eyes and skin from the intense sun were packed   

We took some reusable water bottles and baggy shopping bags with travel documents like passport, flight confirmations, and other travel documents along with Snacks and travel-sized toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, and body wash with first-aid kit with pain relievers, band- aids, and personal medications along with the essential power adapter. 

We decided to go to Oahu one of the popular islands as we had a direct flight from San Diego where our son resided to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) which is the largest airport in the State of Hawaii and located in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. From Honolulu one can fly to neighboring island airports which totaled 15 airports.

The airport is named after Hawaii’s late Senator Daniel K Inouye who was the second longest serving member of the U.S. Senate with a distinguished tenure of more than 49 years. 

There are non-stop departures from HNL to various states in US, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, New Zealand, China, Mexico, India, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Norway, Russia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

We started from San Diego airport, our grandson was hell bent on carrying his own suitcase which he had packed almost 3 weeks prior and had shuffled and reshuffled all his clothes every single day, the clothes started looking extremely bored and were wilting due to his enthusiastic handling LOL!

During the flight which lasted 6 hours he enjoyed looking out of his window and played with the imaginary cloud formations incidentally my favorite past time too 

Finally we landed at the airport which I found to my surprise quite dated, hired a rental car and started our tour

OUR PLEASANT VISIT TO KANHA SHANTI VANAM

We had been hearing about Kanha Shanti Vanam since quite a long time and wanted to visit it, so we made plans to go there on my birthday 

I looked up for details about it, Kanha Shanti Vanam, spread over 1,400 acres, is situated about 40 km from the center of Hyderabad city 

Sri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) which teaches the practice of "Sahaj Marg" or "Heartfulness Meditation" is a non-profit organization and a spiritual movement which originated in India. It was registered in 1945 by Ram Chandra also known as Babuji hailing from Uttar Pradesh, its current headquarters are at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Kanha village, Ranga Reddy District near Hyderabad in Telangana

Sri Babuji had taken the name Ram Chandra after his teacher of the system Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, also known as "Lalaji". Babuji was succeeded as president and spiritual master of SRCM by Parthsarathi Rajagopalachari. Following his death on 20 December 2014, Kamlesh D. Patel became president of SRCM and the fourth spiritual Master of the Sahaj Marg system, he is fondly called Daaji by all

Shri Ram Chandra Mission has spread its system of meditation amongst millions of people across 160 countries the world over 

We had our breakfast at home and started off for Kanha, we had booked accommodation in the Pearl hotel in Kanha

There were various other accommodation options, like AC Cottages (twin-sharing) where up to 200 persons can be accommodated.

Luxury Dormitories (air-conditioned) which can take 40 persons per room totaling 300 persons also were there.

Service apartments are also available for rent, as well as Madhuvanam apartments which are similar to a hotel 

In no time we reached Kanha, at the main gate we were stopped by the security guard who checked our ID cards and guided us to our hotel, he asked us not to honk the horn and to keep our speed limits below 20 km per hour, there were direction boards which made it very easy for a new person to navigate the area. 

As soon as we entered the campus we could feel the stillness in the air, plenty of trees gave cool shade and the clean roads were a beauty to watch, people were either walking down them or cycling leisurely 

 The pearl hotel had 44 rooms and needs prior booking, the reception desk people were very courteous and directed us to our room in a jiffy

The room was a luxurious one with all comforts, oddly there was no calling bell, maybe to minimize sounds in the hotel, all the foyers had books scattered around and free hot and cold water facility, Wi-Fi and Laundry service and gym facility existed, we could hire a Bicycle and had Golf cart facility to go around 

We freshened up and went around, we first went to the meditation centre and were spellbound by its magnificence, it is 30 acres wide and has a central primary meditation hall, with cold water running under the floor to keep it cool in the summer

It has no pillars or other structures within it but stands freely as the designers had come up with a new concept of large empty spaces surrounded by eight additional pods to enhance deep introspection and contemplation in the people spending time there, they did this by applying advanced scientific principles called Ferrari tensile fabric. 

High-quality material like stones, timber, glass and clay were locally sourced to guarantee long-lastingness besides linking the construction with the environment.

The 8 pods house an auditorium with a seating capacity of about 850. It is centrally air-conditioned and sound-proof with high speed Internet and a hi-tech audio-visual system. The auditorium is well-equipped with green rooms, washrooms and drinking water facility.

There is also a conference hall and seating over 2 floors for meditation and training purposes. Collectively, the meditation facility can hold 100,000 participants, making it the largest of its kind in the world

We left our footwear and entered the central hall, there was a stage and in front of it rows and rows of chairs, I thanked my stars for the chairs and meditated or truly speaking stilled my thoughts for nearly half an hour

The hall was surrounded by inscriptions of sacred scriptures carved into granite stone, on special occasions flags of various countries are unfurled in the central lawn.

Kanha is known and famous for its Green initiative to conserve the threatened, rare, and endangered species of our tropical forests, the mission feels that tree plantations is the answer to combat air pollution and temperature stabilization.

The mission also aims to create nationwide nurseries to grow highly resilient saplings that can compete and survive in hostile conditions and support livelihoods and micro-entrepreneurs.

Tree Conservation Center's project of Kanha undertook plantation of 50,000 plants over the years. A contemporary tissue culture laboratory has been built to aid in the propagation of critically endangered plant and tree species and is used in addition to the traditional methods of seed propagation, cutting, and layering.

 Kanha changed the name of horticulture to Heartyculture which I found quite quaint 

The rainforest in Kanha Shanti Vanam, which is grown in the formerly arid Nandigama mandal, covers five to six acres, has increased the area's green cover and has become home to vulnerable and endangered species in the past four to five years.

Rain Guns made by Italian technology have been applied in large forested areas to improve water conservation with less labour input and usage of fewer water tankers. They maintain and promote moisture for the trees.

Extensive Mulching is also adopted in large-scale farms and croplands to curb crop and soil moisture loss through evaporation. 

We were taken to the various vanams like Nakshatra Vanam, Ruchi Garden (Garden of edible wild fruits), Ayushya Vanam (Garden of Medicinal Plants), Raashi Vanam (Garden of Zodiac Signs), Palmeral (Coconut Palms), Freshwater ecosystems and Rock garden and other theme-based gardens.

It was a delight to go around and see the various gardens developed with utmost care and thought, seating was available everywhere for people to sit, relax , think and meditate

Kanha has started an initiative to improve the fertility of the soil using biochar. Biochar is created using organic wastes and twigs and through a process called Pyrolysis. This way the organic wastes are “burnt” without smoke and a fertile coke is produced that can be mixed with soil to grow plants.

We were stunned by the Babuji Maharaj statue which was 30 feet tall on its own and stands 75 feet above ground level when including the platform it sits on. The statue weighs 13 tons. It overlooked the entire Kanha campus blessing the inmates with its august presence

Apart from the green one, the Blue initiative was reached by developing twelve water harvesting ponds to replenish the groundwater surrounding the site. As a result the recent years have seen better rainfall due to the increased green cover. 

We could see the "Heartfulness Learning Center," established to offer knowledge and education to children from Pre-KG through Grade 8 in most novel ways and also prepare them for their future in an innovative manner

We had our complimentary breakfast in the hotel, it was a simple one though rather bland. Kanha houses a spacious dining hall where all residents and abhyasis can get simple, sattvic, hearty vegetarian meals completely free three times a day, throughout the year. 

Fausto's is an Italian terrace restaurant at Kanha, serving authentic Italian cuisine. The place is ideal for small events and gatherings. We found it very colorful and filled with youngsters

For our lunch and dinner we went to the Suruchi Cafe which was a spacious modern cafeteria, they were serving regular vegetarian meals in form of thalis thrice a day.

We could see that there were on sale a variety of mouth-watering cuisines, bakery items and confectioneries. There were North Indian, South Indian, and Chinese cuisines. There was both indoor and outdoor seating provided

As we strolled along we came across the children's park, very well designed with various games to enhance the development and observation skills of children. Apart from the park, Kanha Shanti Vanam has wide open places that allow children to play freely, ride bikes, learn cottage crafts and join storytelling and other activities. 

The idea of HISC (The Heart fullness International Sports Centre) was conceived in 2020 as a unified multi-sport facility to promote excellence in sports. The idea is to ignite that spark in children to look at sports and fitness as a means for career or healthy lifestyle. The sports centre facility spans over 54,680 square feet with state-of-the-art infrastructure. It includes 14 badminton courts under Gopichand Badminton Academy, 3 squash courts, 25 meter temperature controlled swimming pool and Gym and Fitness centre ,it serves both the youth and old alike

There was a convenient store where the residents and visitors could shop for fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as groceries and items of daily use, food provided at this store is fresh and organic, some of which are grown right here in Kanha , to my surprise I found that the rates also were quite reasonable

There was a Pottery Studio equipped with tools of the trade, products to purchase, a large kiln, and all the materials one needs to potter around to their heart’s content.

The Goshala at Kanha is home to over 100 native cows and buffalos from various regions of India such as Gir, Red Sindhi and Sahiwal, it surrounds vast agricultural land which made it more pertinent, I found kids enjoying their time there feeding the cows

We then saw the Wellness Center which looked very professional, it provides an integrated and holistic approach towards health and well-being, there are doctors who prescribe mainly ayurvedic treatments for all health conditions and it has adequate medical facilities to assist the local population and visitors too

Who would have ever imagined that a once barren and parched land could turn into a lush oasis with more than half a million trees, Kanha is now fully self-sufficient and sustainable and has become a haven for people thirsty for mindfulness irrespective of their age, a few committed individuals working towards a noble cause selflessly can achieve wonders and do miracles

We returned home from Kanha Shanti Vanam with our hearts filled with Shanti and lungs full of oxygen, our minds were peaceful and rested,I  reluctantly left the place wishing I could have stayed there for ever and for ever