Oahu Nature Tours Valley of the Rainbows

It still amazes me within half hour of anywhere on Oahu, the scenery changes dramatically. Today, we embarked on our first tour with Oahu Nature Tours. Our van showed up, with Cameron as our guide and we were delighted to find that we had only one person with us on the trip. This ensured we would receive a thorough tour, as well as, extra time for questions and reflection. Within 30 minutes, we arrived in spectacular lush foilage, surrounded by flourishing extravagant flowers. Cameron was knowledge, friendly and patient as he answered our questions and waited for us several times thru our walk in the rainforest. Under a canopy of Bayan and Monkey Pod trees, is Lyon Arboretum, a world renowed botanical gardens. Here we were introduced to a variety of floral and fauna, we never have seen before. Surrounded by primeval greenery and jagged peaks of olive mountainside, our travels took us thru the jungle, where sights and scents of every kind glorified the beauty. The melodies of tropical birds seemed to follow us as we continued along our tour. Cameron told us stories of how the land was utilized from planting taro, sweet potaoes and coffee; explaining the many uses of the area. His sense of humor was refreshing and he was passionate about his job. This allowed us to walk freely and return with any questions. As I roamed the majestic land, I was enthralled by a statue of a Buddha, which had endured time, climate and even a move from under a tree to its final resting place. Another stop on Valley of the Rainbows tour was at the brilliant 180 degree view from Pu`u `Uala-ka`a, which is located 1,048 feet above Waikiki. The ascending drop  point circles the area, offering an ariel view of Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean. The only thing missing from our tour that would have made it grand, was a gleaming kalidescope of colors that make up a rainbow. Yet, I felt fulfilled to have being treated to history and nature by our guide, Cameron, whose first intro to our touring resulted in an impressive experience. Tomorrow, we fly over to the Big Island for a Volcano tour. Our wake up time of  4:30am leaves alot to be desired, but then again...last time I checked a bubbling crater of Lava does not care what I look like.