COW TOWN CIRCLE 11/10/13
Another easy hike is chosen to ease us back in to the hiking mode. This time we decide to take on the Cowtown circle hike, starting from the Last Command Post area. Once again, five of us gather at the parking lot: Handy, Cutie, Chops, Dora, and Capt. C. It is a nice and bright morning, with occasional bikers cruising the Marpi roads.
CC attaches her gloves to the Camel Pak and Chops thinks it's worth a picture.
The building on the right is finally finished, with Suicide Cliff in the background.
Dora pays a brief respect to the statue of Guan Yin (Avalokiteshvara), or the Goddess of Compassion, along the Banzai Cliff memorial field.
The CowTown trail from Banzai Cliff to the the beach is still clear and easy to walk on. However, the surfs at the beach are high. Handy is checking out the rocks for new finds?
High tide and high surfs.
Not in a hurry to move on, Handy, Dora, and Chops chitty chatty a while.
Cutie finds a comfortable rock to sit and waits for snack time. We snack on the white sand before continuing our leisurely walk.
Under the Pandanus tree, Dora, Handy, Chops, Cutie.
Poor Cow Town sign and gate is weather worn and over grown with weeds. Handy is illustrating the height of the weeds.
Back on the main road, past the dump, a brief stop under the giant Taotaomona tree with the shimmering roots hanging down like orange ribbons. Cutie, Handy, Chops, CC, and Dora.
Instead of walking on the main road back to the car, we veer into the old jungley runway that parallels the main road. It is a much more pleasant trail.
As Chops ducks under the tree, she notices this St. Nick wedged at the crook of this tree waiting for the next Christmas. This is a bit different from the occasional discarded appliances we find along the trail.
We emerge from the trail onto Banzai Cliff Road and our parked car nearby.
While on the trail, Dora gets stung by a boonie bee. Cutie has the After Bites stick to ease the pain. All hands on deck to nurse Dora.
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LAU LAU BEACH TRAIL 11/17/13
The hikers are quite excited to hear that the mayor's office is developing a new trail in LauLau, an area we haven't visited for a while. Handy is dispensed to find out more about this new trail. His report comes back disappointing, as it appears no one in the mayor's office knows anything about it, despite an article published in the newspaper. We decide to hike the LauLau trail anyway to enjoy the beach front trail/road, a bit different from the rocky cliffs and caves we have been hiking through.
5 a.m. Sunday morning, the full moon is shining bright.
By the time everyone is assembled on the beach at LauLau, it's seven o'clock and the sun is up high and bright. From a small group of five expected hikers (Handy, Cutie, Giggles, Chops, and CC), we have a new Sunday hiker, Cheryl, and the surprised appearance of Bruiser and Jane, in addition to Dora, Cowboy, and Sparky, for a total of 11. We are very happy to go on this "field trip" as everyone chats away.
We begin on the beach. The tide is a little high so we are careful not to get hit by the gentle surfs.
Surprised to find this palapala on the beach. Chops watches Dora climbing up the rafter while others explore around.
Behind the palapala is a cave-like opening. Chops demonstrates her nimble skill across the rocks into the chamber and exit to the other side.
Jane eases toward the opening of this cave.
Some hikers go through the cave, and others simple walk around the rock to the other side. Can you identify those legs?
Giggles, Jane, Sparky, Bruiser, Chops, Handy, Cutie, and Cheryl gather on the outside of the cave. Everyone marvels at this group of rocks, crevices and caves.
After the cave, we begin walking on the road. Since there is no traffic, we enjoy the quiet morning, listening to birds singing.
During rainy season, this gully becomes a waterfall. Bruiser checks out how far the steep gully go, for possible future exploration.
From an almost disappeared metal sign post, we learn that there are latte stones in the area. Here is one set of haligi (pillar), and tasa (cap) among some other less distinguishable stones around.
We come upon a grassy field with fenced-in cliff and a fantastic view of the bay. Giggles and Cheryl enjoying the view.
With a picnic table on site, we decide to have our snacks. (Ouch! CC has too much to eat!)
At the end of the road, before we reach the fence of the golf course, we visit the diving and fishing site. Here the weather/water instrument is situated in the water. Bruiser contemplating the depth of the water.
Cutie and Sparky mesmerized by the aqua water that is so blue and bright that it almost hurts the eyes. This is a popular spear fishing cove.
Cowboy and Dora also mesmerized by this amazingly beautiful cove.
On the way out, Sparky trips and falls with minor cuts. No bee stings.
This mysterious cave on LauLau Bay Drive is deep, but neither Handy nor Sparky want to go too far down. The entrance to the cave is covered with tiny black gnats-like flying insects that creep out everyone.
Finally, back to the parking lot. Despite fairly short distance and level ground, this hike takes us nearly four hours, mostly because we take it easy, visit with friends, conduct house-inspection, and enjoy the company of fellow hikers.
