hike – Viola Jean Photography

Shek-O Coast

November 18, 2015February 20, 2017 Viola Gaskell

Shek_O_08 If you take a bus towards Shek-O, the semi-fancy beach town on the South East side of Hong Kong Island, you will pass numerous signs for small villages dotting the windy coastal road. These signs ignited my curiosity, so I jumped off the bus a few stops before Shek-O and made my way down a steep incline to the tiny village of Lan Nai Wan Tsuen.

An irrigation trail lining the coast led me past abandoned homes covered in Banyan roots and meagre spray paint. The only other people I saw was a group of men working for the irrigation dept. fixing a pipe and an elderly couple watching over the town temple – the only well-preserved building to speak of.

There were signs of a life left behind, surf boards and kayaks decaying beside the cracked cement docks, small buildings being taken over by Mangrove, the mattresses still inside the rooms. The place seemed to have been abandoned in an instant, yet a few simple houses across the bay were clearly still occupied – dogs on the roof, smoke coming from the backyard, and a flourishing garden irrigated by the nearby stream. Shek_O_02 Shek_O_03 Shek_O_04 Shek_O_05 Shek_O_06 Shek_O_07 Shek_O_01

Val Rosandra

April 28, 2015February 20, 2017 Viola Gaskell

On my last day in Italy I rode a bus into the mountains and debarked at a stop in the Val Rosandra Nature Reserve, moderately far from any signs of civilization. Unable to find directions in English, I asked a few climbers along the way and they were more than helpful. The canyon was breathtaking with it’s silvery trees and golden riverbed, home to a thin emerald line of water winding below the steep rocky trail. I reached the road in Rosandra just before sunset, starving, and lucky enough to find a delicious, modestly priced café. I accidentally bought something with meat in it. I didn’t care, I ate it anyway. The bus ride back to Trieste was an introspective one. I spent the last few hours before my train to Prague napping by the water.

jharanā

October 19, 2013October 22, 2013 Viola Gaskell

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In Hindi Jharanā means waterfall. Last Sunday a group of us Yoga students went on a hike to the construction site of the Ashram being built for Peeth Yoga training in a few years. Along the trail there happens to be a short detour to an amazing waterfall. In my life I have experienced many breathtaking waterfalls in Hawaii and the West Coast, and this one made the ranks. I was unable to take my camera to the most mystical part that was only seen by 4 of us because it involved climbing up slippery algae covered surfaces and passing under curtains of falling water. That unseen part was the most special for me, maybe next time I’ll protect my camera and share it.

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Volcanic

June 18, 2013June 18, 2013 Viola Gaskell

After a five hour hike through various Lava fields from naked Pahoehoe to withered trees strewn across splintered rock, Lipoa and I walked along the jagged coast till we approached the steaming cliff. Just as we passed a stark neighborhood built on the highly affordable sulfurous land adjacent the Volcano, rather aggressive rainfall began, luckily rain in Hawaii is never too cold. The Lava looked like scarlet ribbons running down the black rock into the ocean where steam plumed along the beach. It reminded me of birth, seeing the earth give out such a powerful yet somehow seemingly vulnerable part of it’s self into the crashing sea. It was mesmerizing. We found a shorter trail on the way back and ended up on a small, remote road somewhat far from our vehicle. We hitched a ride on the tailgate of a truck pilled with Noni fruit, which for those who don’t know, do not have the most pleasant odor, but it was a ride and the friendly driver took us all the way to the Kava Bar where we had started our hike. With the sun high overhead, it was nice to end our volcanic experience at a place with fresh Acai and cold water.

Waimoku

April 23, 2013July 31, 2013 Viola Gaskell

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Earthbound.

These roots do this to me.

Wound in the ground like the the veins near my heart.

Keep us breathing.

The twists are as tangled as teenage love. Without the naiveté.

They write names in your skin

thinking it promises some kind of permanence.

Years after we are gone, your branches will keep shape.

You are the mother.

near this river where the saplings want to know your grace.

You are the outside peace.

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Monyca

April 20, 2013July 31, 2013 Viola Gaskell

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Monyca had to do a speedy blog post for her new Roxy outdoor fitness bikini and we thought, let’s enjoy this and jump in Waioka. The pool was stunning. And very cold for Hawaii standards. It was a quick, lovely jaunt. These are my favorites.

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MI – Traversing the Peninsula

February 20, 2013March 12, 2014 Viola Gaskell

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MI Vocabulary Word of the Day

Youper = (N) Michigan term for a person from the Upper Peninsula. Note: They tend to look down on those from the Lower Peninsula nicknamed “Trolls” because they live under the Bridge. The bridge is shown in the following images.

Pasty = (N) Midwestern trademark bite. Pastry dough enclosing seasoned meat and vegetables. Often served at dingy MW bars, best with a $2.50 pint and amusing speak from the regulars.

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