Sedona/Grand Canyon Trip

I finally got around to posting about my week-long trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. A trip to Sedona is not complete without hiking. So, we went hiking almost every single day. I think it's safe to assume that this is the most hiking we've all done in a long time (with the exception of Joanna, of course). Despite the wind blowing dust into our eyes and mouths, the views at the top were definitely worth it. What I love most about Sedona is how beautiful and still it can get. But without a doubt, the highlight of this trip was seeing my friends again.

Montezuma Castle (along the way to Sedona from Phoenix)

Hanging on for dear life

Joanna leading the hike

Lily struggling to keep up

Coconino National Forest

You can't tell but we're actually standing on top of...

...this arch

The Chapel of the Holy Cross

My favorite rock Snoopy (can you see?)

Pink Jeep tour

Spectacular view of the red rocks

Hazy view of the Grand Canyon

Hiking down the Grand Canyon

Trying to keep warm (I think I was supposed to make a face, oops...)

One of our many jump shots

No kidding, an actual UFO store

Lunch at In and Out! (Very good, I was satisfied)

Mini-golf in Scottsdale

Dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant

Weekend getaway: Taipingshan

Living in Taipei is very convenient and comfortable. But every once in a while, I yearn to leave the city, in particular the noise and pollution, behind for a breath of fresh air and a change of scenery. This past weekend, we did just that, we left Taipei behind for Taipingshan in Yilan. The drive took 2-3 hours --mainly because driving from the base to the top of the mountain took over an hour. Aside from hiking in the forrest, we also soaked in the hot and cold spring. I definitely felt rejuvenated afterward. The great thing about Taiwan is that since it's a small island you can find beautiful places to hike without having to drive too far.

Entrance to Taipingshan

Our hotel

Walking along the railroad (built by the Japanese to transport trees)

Cueifong Lake

Using hot spring water to cook eggs

Stress = gray hair?

I came across this article on the New York Times "For Young President, Flecks of Gray" (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/us/politics/05gray.html?em) and my first thought was this journalist clearly does not have anything of substance to write about. I mean our economy is in a perpetual, dismal state, honestly who cares if President Obama is getting gray hair? And then I realized, I care. At least enough to finish the entire article.

The basic premise of the article is the overwhelming stress of being a president shows in the health and appearance of the presidents--in President Obama's case, going gray 44 days into the job. While I didn't learn anything important in this article (does learning that FDR developed hypertension while in office counts?), I was left with a curiosity about the relationship between stress and gray hair.

While in college, I've wondered why some students were more prone to have gray hair. In particular, I've noticed that men are more likely to have gray hair than women. But that could be because women care more about their appearances and so dyed their hair (not that there's anything wrong with having gray hair--Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada). Of course I know that getting gray hair is part genetics just as being bald is. But I think stress is a big contributor as well. Anyways, time to google.

So what's the verdict? Graying can begin as early as teens and as late as 50s. Usually, men start graying around age 30 whereas women start around age 35. However, while there is no empirical evidence demonstrating a cause-and-effect relationship between stress and gray hair, scientists do believe that a surfeit of stress can lead to graying.

It would be fatuous for me to say stop worrying and that worrying is a waste of time. But who am I kidding? We ALL worry. And besides, some stress is better than no stress. What is important is that we don't let our worrying control us.

Day 4 & 5: The Big Island

On the third day, our ship docked at Hilo. From our ship, we headed straight to Rainbow Falls State Park since it was only a 10-15 minutes drive. Supposedly if there had been enough water, we would have been able to see a rainbow appear in the mist of the fall. As you can see below, there was not enough water, which made the waterfall nondescript. But whatever, it's close by. Next, we drove to Volcanoes National Park. Nobody should leave the Big Island without visiting this park because this is one of the main attractions of Hawaii. This park is home to the world's longest continually erupting volcano. Last time we were there, the volcano was still dormant. This time, however, we could see and smell sulfur dioxide permeating the air. In fact, they closed off half the park because of high sulfur dioxide level. For comparison, I included a picture that I took in 2007. After looking at the crater, we drove to Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory where we bought lots of macadamia nuts. To conclude our day, we drove on Onomea Scenic Drive on our way to see Akaka Falls. With water tumbling 440 feet to its base, Akaka Falls is definitely the most majestic waterfall I have ever seen in Hawaii.

That night, our ship sailed slowly to Kona, our second port on the Big Island. Along the way, we were able to watch the lava flow. The sight was spectacular. Unfortunately, it was far away so we had to use a binocular to see. Still, how often do we see an active volcano with lava flowing? The experience is ineffable.

The next day, we headed to Greenwell Farms for a tour of their coffee farm. We got to see the entire coffee process and even tasted the renown 100% Kona Peaberry Coffee. Needless to say, we bought several bags of coffee. Afterward, we visited Puuhonua O Honaunau Historical Park. Apparently, up until the early 19th century, this had been a place of refuge for people who broke a kapu or one of the ancient laws against the gods. Finally, we drove to Kahaluu Beach to go, what else, snorkeling! Kahaluu Beach is not as pretty as Kapulua Beach in Maui. The beach is very rocky and the water is extremely shallow. We found it really difficult to snorkel with our flippers because we were afraid of kicking the coral reefs. The waves were also stronger that day which made it difficult to swim away from the coast. Moreover, we all got cuts and scrapes either on our hands or legs. All I can say is I'm heading somewhere else to snorkel next time.

Rainbow Falls

Kilauea Caldera (January 2009)

Kilauea Caldera (July 2007)

Thurston Lava Tube

Onomea Scenic Drive

Onomea Bay Overlook

Akaka Falls

Banyan Tree (doesn't it look freaky?)

Greenwell Farms Coffee

Puuhonua O Honaunau Historical Park

Day 2 & 3: Maui

We started our day in Maui by driving on Hana Highway, a scenic drive that connects Kahului to Hana. As this is a 68-mile convoluted drive, I would not recommend taking this trip if you are short on time. Since we only had two days, we only drove part of the way. We stopped at various points, including Keanae Peninsula Lookout, Wailua Valley Lookout, and Waikani Falls.

After getting back to Kahului, we headed to the Haleakala National Park where we waited to watch the sunset. The summit is about ~10,000 feet high and it is absolutely freezing there. Last time we were there, it was in August so it wasn't as cold. But this time, it was almost unbearable because the wind was very strong. Keep in mind that we came prepared with winter coats and hats. After watching the sunset, we proceeded to drive very carefully down the volcano because there were no lights except the ones from our car. I would not leave Maui without visiting this park because the view is simply sublime. However, I would recommend coming in the summer to watch the sunrise, follow by a bike ride down the volcano.

The next day, we drove to Iao Valley State Park to see the famous Iao Needle. Afterward, we drove along the west coast of Maui toward Kapulua Beach where we plan to snorkel. Along the way, we stopped to do some whale watching. Each time we caught sight of a whale, we shouted in excitement. There were so many whales swimming that it was hard to pull away and continue on our drive. But pull away we did and thank goodness because snorkeling on Kapulua Beach was truly an unforgettable experience. We swam with countless variegated fishes, coral reefs, and even a huge Hawaiian turtle! Needless to say, it was one of the highlights of our trip.

View of Maui from our balcony

"Painted" trees along Hana Highway

Keanae Peninsula Lookout

Wailua Valley Lookout

Waikani Falls

View of the rim of the Haleakala

View from the summit of Haleakala

View of the sunset from the Haleakala

Nene: a Hawaiian bird

Iao Needle

Kapulua Beach