“Let’s go hiking,” they said.
“OK,” I said.
“2.5 miles. 5 miles round trip,” they said.
“No biggie,” I said…….
That was until about mile 1, I started to feel the impact of the steep hike on my unfit lungs. This hike, located on the bottom of Angeles National Fores, starts at the intersection of East Loma Alta Drive and Lake Avenue in Altadena. Parking is available on the street but check the signs. The Sam Merrill trail head starts at the Cobb Estate gate.
The hike is a steep 2.5 miles upward climb. About half a mile in, you will start seeing the LA skyline. Continue reading →
Nestled among Oahu’s suburbia is the rainforest Manoa Falls.
You will experience many ecosystems in this arborous rainforest. It rained on and off throughout the 0.8 mile hike to the waterfall. Note: Bring an umbrella and wear appropriate clothes.
Despite the stairs, the incline is gradual and the hike is an easy one.
The trail does get muddy so wear appropriate shoes.
It took about 45 minutes to reach the 150 feet waterfall.
To get to the heart of the park, you have to hike up steep and sometimes broken terrain. Tip: Wear comfortable shoes and bring water as the trail is mostly in the sun.
After 20 minutes of strenuous uphill, you will forget about the hike once you spot the free roaming Japanese macaque monkeys.
At the top, there is a feeding hut, which is the only place you are allowed to feed the monkeys. If you feed them outside the hut, they can become aggressive.
For 100 yen, you can buy a bag of peanuts or apples to feed the monkeys.
The fatty on the left kept stuffing his mouth with peanuts until he became a chubby bunny. I was shocked to see the monkeys knew to reach their hand out for more food.
Outside of the feeding hut, the monkeys roam around freely. However, you are not allowed to make eye contact with the monkeys or touch them.
This little guy was my favorite.
Instead of asking for food, he decided to hunt for his own.
Peace out homies. It’s naptime. Fun fact: The monkeys have red faces due to the blood rushing to their face.
Last but not least, don’t forget to turn around and enjoy the gorgeous view of Kyoto.
Home to the infamous thousands of red (vermillion) torii gates shrine. Below is the Romon Gate donated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1589. Behind it is Honden, the main shrine building.
Fushimi Inari is named after the mountain it sits atop, Mount Inari,
and the Shinto god of rice it gives homage to, Inari. Foxes are known to be Inari’s messengers. Therefore, you will see them everywhere before the shrines.
Beginning of the ascent to the thousands of red torii gates.
One of the many mini shrines that dot the mountain.
Senbon trail is the parallel rows of mini torii gates. Each torii gate is donated either by an individual or company in hopes of prosperity. The small gates start at 400,000 yen while the larger ones can cost up to 1 million yen.
One is not like the other.
After about a 40 min ascent, you will come across Yotsutsuji intersect with a view of Kyoto. Tip: Bring some snacks and water with you as it is mostly uphill. Onigiri is a small and filling snack. 7-11 offers a decent variety.
If you’re adventurous, you can continue the path for another 1.5- 2.5 hours to reach the full summit.
YUMTRAVELS 