Hello, friends,
This will probably be the last entry I write from Hawaii. It has been a wonderful time filled with many adventures and connecting with friends. I am sad to leave but I will be glad to be home and see my family and sleep in my own bed and get back into the routine of life. But I have most of a day left here yet.
Yesterday my friend P went to her Gallery Management class (learning how to curate art exhibits) - she's really enjoying it. She takes all kinds of classes, mostly in the art realm, and she is a splendid artist. She paints, does stained glass, makes jewelry, and currently is making leather bowls for a craft show later this year. No wonder we get along so well - I have way too many hobbies, too. She proudly showed me her craft room, which she said was party inspired by my workshop I set up in my garage this past year. She has her things much better organized than I do.
While she was gone, I went for a run. Well, an "interval" run. I went almost 5 miles in the nearby neighborhood, which is fairly hilly, walking some and running some. I'm not used to running when it's 76 degrees, so I got a good workout. I remembered the route I ran a few years ago when I was training for my very first race. The scenery was stunning. It took me quite a while to cool down.
After that, P had returned from her class, and we got in the car and headed out. We went to a couple of beaches (I don't remember the names of them, but P would). We were going to go beach combing, but the surf was really high and dangerous. It was exciting to watch, and the colors of the ocean are always fascinating and so difficult to capture on film. (well, on digital). We drove out up the coast, stopped at the craft store for some materials (we're going to work with some metal clay today) and at the supermarket for some exotic syrups (coconut, guava) for me to ship home. We also stopped and split a sandwich at a little bistro.
Refueled, we headed northwest up the coast. We went to a really cool store with a lot of locally made clothing and items. We stopped at a scenic overlook to watch the surf splashing up the rocks. We walked down another beach that was at high tide. There were not many pickings; most of the stuff washed up consisted of pieces of plastic - very sad.
Eventually we landed at the Polynesian Cultural Center to look in the shops. P and I bought some jewelry from the artist, and she gave us a great deal (especially compared to some of the other kiosks). The weather was off and on misty, cloudy, and sunny, but it was balmy and the company was fun. P's car does not have a working cigarette lighter so we were unable to charge our phones. I had enough charge left to call my kids to wish them a goodnight, at least. Before we left we got some chocolate-covered salted caramels, and I got some ice cream. Yum.
When we got home, R was there with two of their grandkids. Shortly after that they took them to a restaurant for dinner. I declined and stayed here to get some things packed and work on my blog.
This morning, P is at class again, but she plans to come home early so that I can take her and R to lunch, and then we are going to make some metal clay pieces. My plane leaves at 8:45 tonight, so we'll see what the rest of the day holds.
My apologies for the sometimes pedestrian flow of this blog; often it was more for my own remembrance than a writing exercise, and I'm sorry to say I have not waited for the Muse to show up. Days here have been full, with not a lot of time for contemplation these days. I am also sorry to say that I am now acclimated to this time zone - just in time to head home and be off 5 hours. Sigh. Oh well, it will take me a week or so to recover. Wish I had another week off.... ;)
Thanks for following me so far.
Blessings,
W
Friday, November 13, 2015
Antepenultimate day
Greetings, all.
Yesterday was a busy day, as was today, so I didn't get to sit down and write until now. It's 8:45 PM Hawaii time. Whew.
In the morning yesterday, P made me some French toast out of locally made sweetbread. I like French toast, but I've never had it made from sweetbread. It was as good as it sounds. After that we got ourselves ready and R and P and I all drove down to Honolulu, into Chinatown, where R and P help with a ministry to the homeless people down there. They were trying something new that day, opening their space in the city to those who wanted to come in and help sew blankets for Operation Christmas Child. We unlocked the door, did some cleaning and moving furniture (the space is perhaps 16 feet by 12 feet), and were ready for the participants to come.
There was one man already there, sitting a few yards down the block next to a shopping cart and a baby stroller that were overflowing with his possessions. I'll call him W. He had just been released from the hospital last week. He had a wound infection in his leg, and also suffers from congestive heart failure. He is in his early 50s, and probably weighs close to 500 pounds by my guess. He was in an oversized wheelchair, wearing two overlapping hospital gowns. It was a bit of a trick to get him into the space that is devoted to the ministry (which is called PS 150, after Psalm 150), because his wheelchair was too wide to go through the door. W had to be supported from the front by R and a sturdy chair while P and I folded the wheelchair enough to get it in the door, and then unfolded it so W could sit back in it.
Once W was in there, R and P told me to go across the street to a marketplace (we were in Chinatown, after all). So I did. I spent about 90 minutes wandering around, looking at very small store spaces jammed with clothing, slippers, bags, fans, beads, statuettes, jewelry, vases, bells, knick-knacks, parasols, lanterns, decorative items and household supplies. I bought a few things, and walked around to the food court, which opened up into a market with vegetables, fruits, fish, and seafood. I absorbed the sights, noises, and smells (I was glad to get away from the fish) and then decided to go back to PS 150 and see what was going on. R and P's plan was to be there until 12:30 (we got there at 10:30). W was still there, along with another woman, D, who was formerly homeless but now helped out with the ministry. R and D were sitting at sewing machines (R is rather a good seamster, if that's a word) and P was sitting by D's grandson, Caleb, who is 5 and was there because it was a school holiday (Veteran's Day). P and Caleb were writing encouraging messages on strips of cloth which were stitched together with the other colorful strips. W was also helping to write, but once I got there, he started telling me about himself. Interesting, and sad. We cleaned up and prayed for W and got him back outside. He waved until we were out of sight.
After that, we drove over to the Aloha Stadium where the Swap Meet was being held - scores of vendors around the stadium, selling all kinds of wares. Some were made in Hawaii, some in other places. It was amazing. Bags, dresses, T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, luggage, macadamia nuts, hats, freshwater pearls, stickers, carvings, boxes, figurines.... We traversed perhaps 1/4 of it, and then realized that we hadn't eaten lunch. R and P went back to the car and I wandered around for another 1/2 hour and bought a few things. I wish I had had more time, but it was probably better for my wallet that things were wrapping up. :)
R and P and I stopped at a Mexican restaurant around 3 and had lunch. After that we went to the Windward Mall to get ...an avocado? Yes, indeed, on Wednesdays, the mall has a farmer's market inside. It's the strangest experience for someone who is used to malls having, well, just mall stores in them. There was even someone pounding poi.
After the avocado purchase, we headed home, and relaxed. We left around 6 PM for someone else's house where R and P's "mini-church" was meeting (like a small group). One of the members had just returned from a mission trip to Kenya, so after a yummy dinner, we looked at his pictures. By then it was late, so we went home and crashed.
And I'm done for the day. Writing about today's adventure will have to wait for tomorrow. Thanks for hanging with me so far.
Blessings,
W
PS "Antepenultimate" means third-to-last. :)
Yesterday was a busy day, as was today, so I didn't get to sit down and write until now. It's 8:45 PM Hawaii time. Whew.
In the morning yesterday, P made me some French toast out of locally made sweetbread. I like French toast, but I've never had it made from sweetbread. It was as good as it sounds. After that we got ourselves ready and R and P and I all drove down to Honolulu, into Chinatown, where R and P help with a ministry to the homeless people down there. They were trying something new that day, opening their space in the city to those who wanted to come in and help sew blankets for Operation Christmas Child. We unlocked the door, did some cleaning and moving furniture (the space is perhaps 16 feet by 12 feet), and were ready for the participants to come.
There was one man already there, sitting a few yards down the block next to a shopping cart and a baby stroller that were overflowing with his possessions. I'll call him W. He had just been released from the hospital last week. He had a wound infection in his leg, and also suffers from congestive heart failure. He is in his early 50s, and probably weighs close to 500 pounds by my guess. He was in an oversized wheelchair, wearing two overlapping hospital gowns. It was a bit of a trick to get him into the space that is devoted to the ministry (which is called PS 150, after Psalm 150), because his wheelchair was too wide to go through the door. W had to be supported from the front by R and a sturdy chair while P and I folded the wheelchair enough to get it in the door, and then unfolded it so W could sit back in it.
Once W was in there, R and P told me to go across the street to a marketplace (we were in Chinatown, after all). So I did. I spent about 90 minutes wandering around, looking at very small store spaces jammed with clothing, slippers, bags, fans, beads, statuettes, jewelry, vases, bells, knick-knacks, parasols, lanterns, decorative items and household supplies. I bought a few things, and walked around to the food court, which opened up into a market with vegetables, fruits, fish, and seafood. I absorbed the sights, noises, and smells (I was glad to get away from the fish) and then decided to go back to PS 150 and see what was going on. R and P's plan was to be there until 12:30 (we got there at 10:30). W was still there, along with another woman, D, who was formerly homeless but now helped out with the ministry. R and D were sitting at sewing machines (R is rather a good seamster, if that's a word) and P was sitting by D's grandson, Caleb, who is 5 and was there because it was a school holiday (Veteran's Day). P and Caleb were writing encouraging messages on strips of cloth which were stitched together with the other colorful strips. W was also helping to write, but once I got there, he started telling me about himself. Interesting, and sad. We cleaned up and prayed for W and got him back outside. He waved until we were out of sight.
After that, we drove over to the Aloha Stadium where the Swap Meet was being held - scores of vendors around the stadium, selling all kinds of wares. Some were made in Hawaii, some in other places. It was amazing. Bags, dresses, T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, luggage, macadamia nuts, hats, freshwater pearls, stickers, carvings, boxes, figurines.... We traversed perhaps 1/4 of it, and then realized that we hadn't eaten lunch. R and P went back to the car and I wandered around for another 1/2 hour and bought a few things. I wish I had had more time, but it was probably better for my wallet that things were wrapping up. :)
R and P and I stopped at a Mexican restaurant around 3 and had lunch. After that we went to the Windward Mall to get ...an avocado? Yes, indeed, on Wednesdays, the mall has a farmer's market inside. It's the strangest experience for someone who is used to malls having, well, just mall stores in them. There was even someone pounding poi.
After the avocado purchase, we headed home, and relaxed. We left around 6 PM for someone else's house where R and P's "mini-church" was meeting (like a small group). One of the members had just returned from a mission trip to Kenya, so after a yummy dinner, we looked at his pictures. By then it was late, so we went home and crashed.
And I'm done for the day. Writing about today's adventure will have to wait for tomorrow. Thanks for hanging with me so far.
Blessings,
W
PS "Antepenultimate" means third-to-last. :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Early morning
Hello, all,
I am currently ensconced at some friends' house on the north side of Oahu. I came here yesterday afternoon; the morning was spent with my friend L on the big island. She had a pediatrics conference this week that she wanted to register for, so I rode with her to the Mauna Lani resort on the Kohala Coast, about 45 minutes from their house. It was a pretty drive - sunny, like most days on that side of the island are. The landscape is amazing, with huge stripes of lava rock alternating with patches of green. In some places there are scrubby plants growing out of the lava rock. It makes for a study in contrasts.
We arrived at the hotel and parked in the shade. The hotel was impressive, massive, and rambling with a bridge from the parking lot to the main lobby that ran over a water feature filled with large koi fish. We stopped to look at them and they swam over and started begging for food. It was funny - I didn't know fish could beg.
She signed in for her conference (she planned to attend the lectures today and later this week) and we walked around the back of the hotel to the beach. The sand there was pretty coarse, and a mixture of black lava rock and white coral bits, so it looked as if the entire beach was coated with salt and pepper. We walked along the beach a bit and then sat on the sand. I noticed the coarseness of the sand and with careful observation one could find tiny shells, like the ones that come from Ni'ihau. We sat together for a few minutes, talking and picking tiny shells out of the sand. L was excited because she hadn't seen them there before, and planned to bring her boys to beachcomb. In 20 minutes we had something like a teaspoon each of shells, so the shore was not being significantly depleted thereby.
We drove over to another spot and walked through the Puako Petroglyph Archeological District, and into this creepy-looking forest to find some petroglyphs in the interior. The woods would have made a great haunted forest, and it was shady and fascinating. It's amazing how the petroglyphs here are so similar to those we saw in Utah and Arizona this summer on our family vacation. I suppose they have to be simple if they are to be carved in a rock.
After that we drove to Kona, and walked around, did a bit of shopping, and I saw where the Ironman finished. Then back to the house to have lunch and pack, and she drove me to the airport. The airport in Kona is very open-air, more so than the other airports in Hawaii I've seen. It's surrounded by lava rock and looks pretty desolate. There are gates, but the planes load from the tarmac, also different than other airports.
The flight back to Oahu was short and uneventful and my friends R and P picked me up, and we went "for a drink and pupus" at the Haleiwa Lounge, which had beautiful decor and the food wasn't bad either. I had a very nice root beer. Out pretty server was left-handed and had the nicest dimple on her face.
Then we came back to their house and P worked on making some leather bowls for an upcoming craft fair, and we watched and discussed part of the Republican debate. Interesting. I made some chain maille pieces and then went to bed (after writing last night).
Got up this morning almost 2 hours earlier than I had planned, because I heard P walking around, and I decided just to get up. I had gone to bed at 10:30 (yawn). I think I will go to bed a bit earlier tonight. We have some plans for today but I'm not yet sure what they are, so I'll get back to you later.
blessings
w
More catching up
Written Tuesday, 10 Nov
Good morning, all .
Yesterday (still at the Volcano House lodge in Volcanoes National Park) I woke up at 2:45 and, looking out the bathroom window, saw a red glow from the crater. Last night it was too rainy to see much of anything before bedtime, so I of course threw on some clothes and took my camera out to the back of the lodge to see if I could get a picture. It was misting lightly. I debated whether I should go back to bed or get my tripod and try to get a good photo. The judge ruled in favor of the tripod, and I stood out it in the increasingly incessant rain to get my picture. The kind clerk at the hotel desk loaned me an umbrella to keep my equipment dry, at least. I was up for perhaps 30 minutes, but I figured I don't get this opportunity often. (Never before or after, at least until I come back to Volcanoes National Park again). The rain was not of the heavy droplet kind, but rather of the fine quickly-soaking type. Thanks to the umbrella, this camera stayed dry.
*************
No, that's not a bunch of expletives; I was having trouble with the bluetooth keyboard again and gave up. But now it seems to be working. I'm on yet another island, but I will go back to the big island of Hawaii and continue my adventures from yesterday.
I woke up when I heard the hotel room door close - L was just slipping out to take a morning run (she's like that). I got up shortly after that - it was about 6:30 - and noticed the crater was very visible, and the rising sun was glancing off the steam vents and making the whole plain look inviting. So I trotted out with my camera (saw the same clerk who loaned me the umbrella, just about to go off her shift). It was breezy - I think it was in the upper 50s - and other people watching the morning sun shine on the crater were bundled up and saying, "It's so COLD." I was standing there in capris and a short-sleeved shirt and feeling pretty comfortable.
L and I went to the hotel restaurant (called The Rim) for a buffet breakfast after she got back from her run, and then we went for a hike on the Kilauea Iki trail and through the Thurston lava tube. The hike was about 4 miles, and pretty steep in places (downhill on the way there). We got a little turned around before we got to the crater floor, but didn't go too far out of our way before we realized we had missed the trail. The landscape was indescribable, but you know I'm going to try. It was like being on another planet - black lava rock everywhere, with plants and shrubs poking out here and there. The land was covered with ripples and in places it sounded like walking on ice because the porous rock scraped hollowly when we walked on it (that was our unintentional detour, mostly). It was around 9 in the morning when we traversed most of the valley floor, and it was getting rather warm when we again gained the shade of the woods, and headed up. We did a detour into the lava tube, which was really neat and very wet, with large puddles on the floor and the walls dripping. It was cool. And it was fun to hike with a buddy, especially after all the solo hikes. I enjoyed those, but it was nice to have someone compatible along as well.
We got back to our room in time to pack up and check out in good time. We went to the gift shop (the National Park gift shops always have a nice variety and good prices). I forgot to mention that last night I bought "volcano socks" - black socks with red flames around the cuffs - to warm up my feet after all the rain. There was a portable fan in the room which I aimed at my wet shoes, and they were dry by morning. L liked the socks so much she bought a pair herself.
It started to drizzle a bit. We headed over to the Volcano Art building (I don't know its official name), in which there were dozens of types of hand made items, all for sale, everything from prints to carvings, scarves, paintings, stained glass, and jewelry. So many beautiful things to see. The weather cleared up a bit and the sun came out, so we did a short walk (1/3 mile) to the Sulphur Banks and saw all the discolored rocks and partly-dead plants from the sulfur steam vents. As you can imagine, it stank. It also looked like very poorly painted movie sets. Hard to believe it is real, like so much of the park, and the island.
We got back in the car and drove to the Kilauea Lodge. They had the tiniest gift shop ever (it doubled as the lodge office) but a lot of nice things in there as well. Then we headed over to Hilo, but it poured most of the time so we didn't stop and get out anywhere. Instead we drove up the saddle road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and back to L's house.
That night, we were invited to dinner at A's parents' place. They are from Minnesota but are staying on island for a few months, renting a former plantation building, very grand and up a VERY steep driveway. It was sweet of them to include me in the invitation. Last time I saw them, son #1 was turning a year old, so just over 12 years. They were very kind and the food was great, and everyone was talking all at the same time so I had trouble following any given conversation, but after a week of being alone, it was really fun. Son #2 told a vivacious story about being in the car with grandma and grandpa when a huge tarantula got in the car. He was laughing so hard he couldn't finish the story. Apparently they all survived. Well, maybe not the spider.
Back home and went to bed.... and it's much later than I've yet gone to bed, so perhaps I'll take some time tomorrow to catch you up on today.
Good night, all
blessings
w
Good morning, all .
Yesterday (still at the Volcano House lodge in Volcanoes National Park) I woke up at 2:45 and, looking out the bathroom window, saw a red glow from the crater. Last night it was too rainy to see much of anything before bedtime, so I of course threw on some clothes and took my camera out to the back of the lodge to see if I could get a picture. It was misting lightly. I debated whether I should go back to bed or get my tripod and try to get a good photo. The judge ruled in favor of the tripod, and I stood out it in the increasingly incessant rain to get my picture. The kind clerk at the hotel desk loaned me an umbrella to keep my equipment dry, at least. I was up for perhaps 30 minutes, but I figured I don't get this opportunity often. (Never before or after, at least until I come back to Volcanoes National Park again). The rain was not of the heavy droplet kind, but rather of the fine quickly-soaking type. Thanks to the umbrella, this camera stayed dry.
*************
No, that's not a bunch of expletives; I was having trouble with the bluetooth keyboard again and gave up. But now it seems to be working. I'm on yet another island, but I will go back to the big island of Hawaii and continue my adventures from yesterday.
I woke up when I heard the hotel room door close - L was just slipping out to take a morning run (she's like that). I got up shortly after that - it was about 6:30 - and noticed the crater was very visible, and the rising sun was glancing off the steam vents and making the whole plain look inviting. So I trotted out with my camera (saw the same clerk who loaned me the umbrella, just about to go off her shift). It was breezy - I think it was in the upper 50s - and other people watching the morning sun shine on the crater were bundled up and saying, "It's so COLD." I was standing there in capris and a short-sleeved shirt and feeling pretty comfortable.
L and I went to the hotel restaurant (called The Rim) for a buffet breakfast after she got back from her run, and then we went for a hike on the Kilauea Iki trail and through the Thurston lava tube. The hike was about 4 miles, and pretty steep in places (downhill on the way there). We got a little turned around before we got to the crater floor, but didn't go too far out of our way before we realized we had missed the trail. The landscape was indescribable, but you know I'm going to try. It was like being on another planet - black lava rock everywhere, with plants and shrubs poking out here and there. The land was covered with ripples and in places it sounded like walking on ice because the porous rock scraped hollowly when we walked on it (that was our unintentional detour, mostly). It was around 9 in the morning when we traversed most of the valley floor, and it was getting rather warm when we again gained the shade of the woods, and headed up. We did a detour into the lava tube, which was really neat and very wet, with large puddles on the floor and the walls dripping. It was cool. And it was fun to hike with a buddy, especially after all the solo hikes. I enjoyed those, but it was nice to have someone compatible along as well.
We got back to our room in time to pack up and check out in good time. We went to the gift shop (the National Park gift shops always have a nice variety and good prices). I forgot to mention that last night I bought "volcano socks" - black socks with red flames around the cuffs - to warm up my feet after all the rain. There was a portable fan in the room which I aimed at my wet shoes, and they were dry by morning. L liked the socks so much she bought a pair herself.
It started to drizzle a bit. We headed over to the Volcano Art building (I don't know its official name), in which there were dozens of types of hand made items, all for sale, everything from prints to carvings, scarves, paintings, stained glass, and jewelry. So many beautiful things to see. The weather cleared up a bit and the sun came out, so we did a short walk (1/3 mile) to the Sulphur Banks and saw all the discolored rocks and partly-dead plants from the sulfur steam vents. As you can imagine, it stank. It also looked like very poorly painted movie sets. Hard to believe it is real, like so much of the park, and the island.
We got back in the car and drove to the Kilauea Lodge. They had the tiniest gift shop ever (it doubled as the lodge office) but a lot of nice things in there as well. Then we headed over to Hilo, but it poured most of the time so we didn't stop and get out anywhere. Instead we drove up the saddle road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and back to L's house.
That night, we were invited to dinner at A's parents' place. They are from Minnesota but are staying on island for a few months, renting a former plantation building, very grand and up a VERY steep driveway. It was sweet of them to include me in the invitation. Last time I saw them, son #1 was turning a year old, so just over 12 years. They were very kind and the food was great, and everyone was talking all at the same time so I had trouble following any given conversation, but after a week of being alone, it was really fun. Son #2 told a vivacious story about being in the car with grandma and grandpa when a huge tarantula got in the car. He was laughing so hard he couldn't finish the story. Apparently they all survived. Well, maybe not the spider.
Back home and went to bed.... and it's much later than I've yet gone to bed, so perhaps I'll take some time tomorrow to catch you up on today.
Good night, all
blessings
w
Monday, November 9, 2015
This always happens
Hello all,
I have the best intentions of writing, and then something always messes it up. Last night it was my internet connection, which was a bit spotty in my friends' house, and I finally gave up, because the bluetooth keyboard was giving me fits.
Today I got up around 6:30 - the rest of the household was getting up, even though it is Sunday, because they have pretty early days on the other days of the week. I had breakfast in a bowl the size of a small mixing bowl - since I have girls, I forget how much prepubescent boys eat - and the family were cracking macadamia nuts to roast that they had gathered from a local tree. I didn't know they had two layers of shells.
I did some ringweaving (2 by my side for part of the time, at least, keeping up a running commentary) and then dressed for church, and put my laundry in the dryer for a touch-up. I had done a small load the night before and hanging it dry didn't quite do it overnight. Then L and the boys and I left for church around 8. A stayed home. It was weird, watching football before church (not that I normally watch football anytime).
The church was a little open-sided United Methodist church that had about 150 people. As a visitor, I got a macrame lei along with an explanation of what the various knots signified. The lady pastor had just gotten back from a trip to India, apparently. Part of the service was dedicated to reading names of people who had died this year, and names of veterans. There was a 3-piece band (keys, clarinet, and brass) and a singer. They had a big hymnal, and a smaller, soft-sided one that had a lot of songs I recognized from the 80s and 90s. At one point there was a Samoan choir who sang in English and then in Samoan. I had a flash back of the Zambian churches I had attended, and a brief vision of the church universal, everyone singing and dancing and participating in worship in their own ways. Stunning.
After the service we drove back to the house and got ready for L and my trip to the Volcanoes National Park. We are staying overnight. It was a 2+ hour drive up and down and around winding roads. We stopped at "Punalu'u, the southernmost bakery in the USA." We looked around, but didn't buy anything. But we had lunch in their little shaded pavilion. We also stopped at a couple of lookouts and at a black sand beach. It was so windy that I had to hold my phone with two hands to take a picture. At the beach there were turtles sunning themselves. There were beautiful formations of the hardened lava as well.
We got to the park and it was raining lightly. We checked in at the Volcano House (where we're staying tonight) and then walked across the street to the Visitors' Center. We watched a 20-minute movie on the formation of the islands, and then spoke to a ranger about possible hikes for tomorrow. The rangers are all so friendly. I found that at the parks out west as well.
We went back to the car and drove out to the Jaggar Museum overlooking the Kilauea Caldera and the Halemau'uma'u Crater. Just as we got there, the sun came out for a few minutes (though it was still windy and rather chilly, comparatively) and made a lovely rainbow extending down into the crater. We stayed for part of a ranger talk, but then got hungry and decided to find some food.
We drove about a mile out of the park to the Kilauea Lodge, which turned out to be an excellent choice. It was a B&B built from an old YMCA camp, and the interior had a great deal of charm and ambiance, as well as a fireplace. We were wet and cold from the quick-soaking rain, so we were glad to be indoors and ready to eat. We got panko-coconut encrusted brie with three-grain bread, brandied apples and mango salsa, and we both got the same entree - chicken tuscany with grapes and wine-cream sauce, rice and veggies. It was soooooooo good, and we were very happy with our restaurant choice.
Now we are in our crater-view room, but it's raining pretty hard and there isn't much crater viewing going on. Just as well - I'm tired. See you tomorrow.
Good night, and blessings
w
Catching up
Hello everyone;
I wrote an extremely short blog yesterday and then didn't post the link. Oh well; you can see it if you look back one from this one.
Here's what I started yesterday until my bluetooth keyboard was driving me so crazy that I had to give up:
7 November - I got up this morning (Saturday) at 5, packed and got everything into the car, drove over to the hotel, and walked along the sidewalk between the building and the beach just before sunrise. I met up with a lady who was taking a photo of her hotel room, and commented that I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes a photo of the place I'm staying. We got into a conversation and I asked if she and her husband would mind if I sat with them at breakfast. They agreed to meet me at the restaurant after they took a short walk. I walked the other way to give them some privacy and ended up sitting on the end of a cabana chair right on the shore, near the hotel restaurant. It was a fine morning, and very windy, so I watched the surf pound the shore. The waves are such a lovely color; I can never seem to capture it with my camera. I stared at the waves for a few minutes, then noticed something moving about 20 feet to my right. At first I thought it was a person, lying on the beach, wrapped in a black coat. Then I saw that it was a monk seal, and I started. They are endangered and apparently fairly rare. Nobody from the hotel had shown up to position the "do not approach" signs around the seal yet. I didn't get too close, but I got a few photos using my zoom lens. I hadn't expected it to be so big - it was at least 6 feet long, with proportional seal belly. :)
My new friends showed up just as I was deciding I was hungry enough to go to breakfast without them, so we sat together. They were from Idaho, and he is a family doctor in a rural area. We had a nice talk (and the breakfast buffet was just as good as the other day's) and then it was time to get to lecture. Not much to say about the lectures - they were good, but I had to peel out a bit early in order to make it to the Koloa post office to mail a package home. I had to buy a new camera because mine went belly-up after unexpectedly encountering an open water bottle in my backpack. I hope it can be saved, but since I was going to the Waimea Canyon the following day (Friday), I wanted to have an operational camera. So the new camera (purchased at the handy island Costco) came in a huge box, with two lenses I didn't need, and a carry bag I also didn't need. I put the body of the old camera in the box, and also put in several things I had purchased for my family, as well as the huge syllabus from the conference, which I didn't really want to schlep home in my luggage. It was cheaper to mail that big box than it would have been to buy a cheap suitcase and then check a bag three more times. (I try to travel with only carryons when I travel alone.)
I made it to the post office and then back, only having missed one lecture. I was a little early for the next lecture, so I stood outside and chatted with the conference coordinator, Maria (who turns out to be the COO of the company) and her friend John (who is reading Brene Brown's Daring Greatly). Maria really liked my necklace, and then realized, "Oh, were you the one sitting there making those necklaces?" John responded enthusiastically because he was responsible for taking up the audience questions to the speakers, and had walked by me many times. Maria seemed so very interested in my work that she took my e-mail and gave me her card as well, and plans to "be in touch" about a custom chain maille order. :)
I attended my last lecture, then went back to dip my feet in the ocean for a little bit before I had to return my rental car. The seal was still there, snoozing on the beach, cordoned off now. I got a video of it stretching and rolling over (which was about all the action I was likely to see, so I hear), and then it was time to leave. I returned my rental car in time (but forgot to fill up with gas) so that was a small extra charge, but I didn't mind that too much. The man from the rental place took me to the airport in my own rental, which I thought was kind of funny.
I went through the TSA line, and my larger carryon was selected to be searched. I sometimes wonder if they pull my bags aside to see what all the rings are for, since that was the one I had my ringweaving things in. It always seems to be a female agent who looks in the bag, too. The TSA agent was very nice, and I got my bag back and went to the gate.
I was going to grab some food, but looked at the prices in the cafe and decided against it. Though I looked longingly at a pint of chocolate milk, when the cashier apologetically told me that it would cost "almost 5 dollars," I gave up. Just before I left the cafe, I remembered I had a packet of tuna in my bag, so I grabbed a plastic fork and went back to the gate.
We boarded in good time (why am I always in Zone 3?), and I was seated next to a veterinarian who lives on Maui. He was very talkative (informatively so) and he pointed out things on the islands over which we flew - because we did fly over all the islands between Kauai and Maui, rather than going around. This apparently surprised him, but I was glad for it, because it was a mostly clear day and the views were excellent.
I was a little concerned that I might not make my connection to Kona (on the big island) because I only had a 30-minute layover. We left early and were to arrive a bit early, which eased my mind a bit, but I was still fretting about it. I sensed the Lion saying, "Don't worry." So I took a deep breath, and then they announced overhead that "anyone on Flight 270 to Kona, this will be your aircraft." I could almost hear the cosmic chuckle.
I have never been on a plane so early, even before the preboarders. I felt so special (even though I had to move back several rows to my new seat). I was without a seat companion this time for the 30-minute flight. That was OK with me.
What a difference in the airport at Kona from pretty much every other Hawaiian airport I've seen. I had not been prepared for the black volcanic soil and rock. We landed and had to exit onto the tarmac. I passed through the (largely) open air airport and out, where I saw my friend L and her #2 son. I called her name (she was just texting me to see where I was) and she looked up and smiled. #2 came over and put a lei around my neck - a yarn one, which was fuzzy and tickled a bit. I was so touched that they thought of that. L said, "I thought you might like a yarn one, so that you can keep it." I did. I do. :) We hopped in the car and it turned out that there was no parking fee, because she had been in the lot fewer than 15 minutes. Sweet.
So she drove us up, and up, and up, winding around and down, until we finally got to their place, almost at the end of a dead-end street. What a magnificent, rambling house. There are 5 people in their family - L and her husband A, and their 3 boys (all of whose names start with A, so I'll call them 1, 2, and 3). 1 was born when L and I were in residency together; I hadn't seen him since he was a baby, and now he's 13 and taller than both L and I. 2 (who had come to the airport with us, and had provided me with a lot if interesting information along the drive home) is 10, the same age as my younger daughter, and 3 is 8 years old. They also have a dog named Frodo. :)
It was a lovely thing to be among friends (even some new ones) and in a house instead of a condo or cottage. There were Star Wars things all over the place, and Lord of the Rings figurines - I felt right at home. Their guest room is in the downstairs portion of the house (kind of a walk-out basement) and is accessible only through 3's room, or by walking out onto the lanai by the pool and back into the house through a family room.
We had Kahlua pork and salad and fresh pineapple and rice for dinner, and we had a lively conversation about all kinds of things, including the differences between life in Michigan and on the big island - for instance, their school day starts at 7:45 and gets done at 1:45, but they started back to school in July. The boys all swim for their sport - that makes a lot of sense - and their dad just finished the Iron Man triathlon in October. When I asked if he would train for another one, he said, "In about 10 years."
I got my rings out and made some bracelets for the boys, and 2 peppered me with questions, and seemed quite interested and amazed in the ringweaving process. He reminds me of my younger daughter. :) I let him try to close some rings, and after a few tries he got it, but kept saying, "I don't know how you DO that."
I went to bed rather later than usual. And now it's 9 PM and I still have to catch up on today... I think there's no hope for other days last week.
aloha,
w
I wrote an extremely short blog yesterday and then didn't post the link. Oh well; you can see it if you look back one from this one.
Here's what I started yesterday until my bluetooth keyboard was driving me so crazy that I had to give up:
7 November - I got up this morning (Saturday) at 5, packed and got everything into the car, drove over to the hotel, and walked along the sidewalk between the building and the beach just before sunrise. I met up with a lady who was taking a photo of her hotel room, and commented that I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes a photo of the place I'm staying. We got into a conversation and I asked if she and her husband would mind if I sat with them at breakfast. They agreed to meet me at the restaurant after they took a short walk. I walked the other way to give them some privacy and ended up sitting on the end of a cabana chair right on the shore, near the hotel restaurant. It was a fine morning, and very windy, so I watched the surf pound the shore. The waves are such a lovely color; I can never seem to capture it with my camera. I stared at the waves for a few minutes, then noticed something moving about 20 feet to my right. At first I thought it was a person, lying on the beach, wrapped in a black coat. Then I saw that it was a monk seal, and I started. They are endangered and apparently fairly rare. Nobody from the hotel had shown up to position the "do not approach" signs around the seal yet. I didn't get too close, but I got a few photos using my zoom lens. I hadn't expected it to be so big - it was at least 6 feet long, with proportional seal belly. :)
My new friends showed up just as I was deciding I was hungry enough to go to breakfast without them, so we sat together. They were from Idaho, and he is a family doctor in a rural area. We had a nice talk (and the breakfast buffet was just as good as the other day's) and then it was time to get to lecture. Not much to say about the lectures - they were good, but I had to peel out a bit early in order to make it to the Koloa post office to mail a package home. I had to buy a new camera because mine went belly-up after unexpectedly encountering an open water bottle in my backpack. I hope it can be saved, but since I was going to the Waimea Canyon the following day (Friday), I wanted to have an operational camera. So the new camera (purchased at the handy island Costco) came in a huge box, with two lenses I didn't need, and a carry bag I also didn't need. I put the body of the old camera in the box, and also put in several things I had purchased for my family, as well as the huge syllabus from the conference, which I didn't really want to schlep home in my luggage. It was cheaper to mail that big box than it would have been to buy a cheap suitcase and then check a bag three more times. (I try to travel with only carryons when I travel alone.)
I made it to the post office and then back, only having missed one lecture. I was a little early for the next lecture, so I stood outside and chatted with the conference coordinator, Maria (who turns out to be the COO of the company) and her friend John (who is reading Brene Brown's Daring Greatly). Maria really liked my necklace, and then realized, "Oh, were you the one sitting there making those necklaces?" John responded enthusiastically because he was responsible for taking up the audience questions to the speakers, and had walked by me many times. Maria seemed so very interested in my work that she took my e-mail and gave me her card as well, and plans to "be in touch" about a custom chain maille order. :)
I attended my last lecture, then went back to dip my feet in the ocean for a little bit before I had to return my rental car. The seal was still there, snoozing on the beach, cordoned off now. I got a video of it stretching and rolling over (which was about all the action I was likely to see, so I hear), and then it was time to leave. I returned my rental car in time (but forgot to fill up with gas) so that was a small extra charge, but I didn't mind that too much. The man from the rental place took me to the airport in my own rental, which I thought was kind of funny.
I went through the TSA line, and my larger carryon was selected to be searched. I sometimes wonder if they pull my bags aside to see what all the rings are for, since that was the one I had my ringweaving things in. It always seems to be a female agent who looks in the bag, too. The TSA agent was very nice, and I got my bag back and went to the gate.
I was going to grab some food, but looked at the prices in the cafe and decided against it. Though I looked longingly at a pint of chocolate milk, when the cashier apologetically told me that it would cost "almost 5 dollars," I gave up. Just before I left the cafe, I remembered I had a packet of tuna in my bag, so I grabbed a plastic fork and went back to the gate.
We boarded in good time (why am I always in Zone 3?), and I was seated next to a veterinarian who lives on Maui. He was very talkative (informatively so) and he pointed out things on the islands over which we flew - because we did fly over all the islands between Kauai and Maui, rather than going around. This apparently surprised him, but I was glad for it, because it was a mostly clear day and the views were excellent.
I was a little concerned that I might not make my connection to Kona (on the big island) because I only had a 30-minute layover. We left early and were to arrive a bit early, which eased my mind a bit, but I was still fretting about it. I sensed the Lion saying, "Don't worry." So I took a deep breath, and then they announced overhead that "anyone on Flight 270 to Kona, this will be your aircraft." I could almost hear the cosmic chuckle.
I have never been on a plane so early, even before the preboarders. I felt so special (even though I had to move back several rows to my new seat). I was without a seat companion this time for the 30-minute flight. That was OK with me.
What a difference in the airport at Kona from pretty much every other Hawaiian airport I've seen. I had not been prepared for the black volcanic soil and rock. We landed and had to exit onto the tarmac. I passed through the (largely) open air airport and out, where I saw my friend L and her #2 son. I called her name (she was just texting me to see where I was) and she looked up and smiled. #2 came over and put a lei around my neck - a yarn one, which was fuzzy and tickled a bit. I was so touched that they thought of that. L said, "I thought you might like a yarn one, so that you can keep it." I did. I do. :) We hopped in the car and it turned out that there was no parking fee, because she had been in the lot fewer than 15 minutes. Sweet.
So she drove us up, and up, and up, winding around and down, until we finally got to their place, almost at the end of a dead-end street. What a magnificent, rambling house. There are 5 people in their family - L and her husband A, and their 3 boys (all of whose names start with A, so I'll call them 1, 2, and 3). 1 was born when L and I were in residency together; I hadn't seen him since he was a baby, and now he's 13 and taller than both L and I. 2 (who had come to the airport with us, and had provided me with a lot if interesting information along the drive home) is 10, the same age as my younger daughter, and 3 is 8 years old. They also have a dog named Frodo. :)
It was a lovely thing to be among friends (even some new ones) and in a house instead of a condo or cottage. There were Star Wars things all over the place, and Lord of the Rings figurines - I felt right at home. Their guest room is in the downstairs portion of the house (kind of a walk-out basement) and is accessible only through 3's room, or by walking out onto the lanai by the pool and back into the house through a family room.
We had Kahlua pork and salad and fresh pineapple and rice for dinner, and we had a lively conversation about all kinds of things, including the differences between life in Michigan and on the big island - for instance, their school day starts at 7:45 and gets done at 1:45, but they started back to school in July. The boys all swim for their sport - that makes a lot of sense - and their dad just finished the Iron Man triathlon in October. When I asked if he would train for another one, he said, "In about 10 years."
I got my rings out and made some bracelets for the boys, and 2 peppered me with questions, and seemed quite interested and amazed in the ringweaving process. He reminds me of my younger daughter. :) I let him try to close some rings, and after a few tries he got it, but kept saying, "I don't know how you DO that."
I went to bed rather later than usual. And now it's 9 PM and I still have to catch up on today... I think there's no hope for other days last week.
aloha,
w
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Busy day
Hello friends,
Just a short one tonight.
I am safely arrived on the Big Island and staying with my friends from residency. L was in my class but we rarely got to see one another or talk much - residency is kinda heck on one's social life - but she had a baby boy about 10 months before I had a baby girl, so we were new mommies together. :) She and her husband, A, have three boys now. L and her second oldest met me at the (very strange) Kona airport.
We're getting up for church tomorrow and this is later than I've stayed up yet on my trip, plus the bluetooth keyboard is giving me fits, so it must be time to turn in. So far I'm liking my stay here, and enjoying being with L and A and their kids (1, 2, and 3).
:)
More later, promise.
peace
w
\
Just a short one tonight.
I am safely arrived on the Big Island and staying with my friends from residency. L was in my class but we rarely got to see one another or talk much - residency is kinda heck on one's social life - but she had a baby boy about 10 months before I had a baby girl, so we were new mommies together. :) She and her husband, A, have three boys now. L and her second oldest met me at the (very strange) Kona airport.
We're getting up for church tomorrow and this is later than I've stayed up yet on my trip, plus the bluetooth keyboard is giving me fits, so it must be time to turn in. So far I'm liking my stay here, and enjoying being with L and A and their kids (1, 2, and 3).
:)
More later, promise.
peace
w
\
Saturday, November 7, 2015
New tribal name: "Goes back for things"
Greetings, all,
I realize that I am several days behind (not surprising for me) so rather than backtrack right now I will catch up today's activities, and fill in around the edges with the other days.
Today (Friday) has been a busy one. We didn't have lecture sessions until 3 this afternoon, so I decided to have a longer adventure up by the Waimea Canyon (aka, "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific," as Mark Twain never called it). It is about 35 miles away from where I'm staying in Poipu, and (per my GPS) the trip takes over an hour to drive. My GPS has been pretty reliable - I'd give it a 4.7/5, because twice it landed me in nothing like my chosen destination and pronounced, "You have arrived." While that may be true in other respects (ha ha), it failed to be true in these two instances. However, I did manage to find my destinations despite that, and overall it has been a godsend as I navigate strange territory in my beat-up car. Side note: I normally use the GPS with the voice muted, but I almost always turn it on in Hawaii, for the sheer pleasure of listening to the voice say, turn right on to Ala Kalanikaumaka Road."
I was up by 5 (slept in, by recent standards), and got all my gear ready for this big hike I wanted to take, called the Nu'alolo Trail Grand Loop, which would have involved 10 miles of hiking. I was a bit unsure especially since my calves were still a bit stiff from Tuesday's adventure, but I figured I'd give it a shot. My plan was to leave the B&B by 6, and I got out the door at 6:05, but then realized 5 minutes into the drive that I'd forgotten my hat, so I went back to get it, and (happily) also picked up my moleskin and scissors.
The sun was not yet up, but the sky was getting light (another reason to leave at 6 - I didn't want to drive up the mountain in the dark). I arrived up at the first lookout over the canyon in about an hour, so the GPS was right. The sun had cleared the sides of the canyon, and actually it was rather difficult to take photos because of the angle of the light. There were between 4 and 8 other people there (depending on the timing). Some of them had coats on; it was cooler because of the elevation, but it was still in the upper 70s at the least. Sheesh. I had a bad moment when I misplaced my car key - shades of the Grand Canyon, when I lost my phone, only worse, because my car was locked ad the phone service was unreliable. I retraced my steps (there were not a lot of places to go at the overlook) and found it in the bathroom, where I had put down my camera as well and not noticed the key when I retrieved the camera. Whew. Onward.
I drove by both of the trails I intended to hike, and the first one had a sign saying, "Nu'alolo Cliff Trail CLOSED." I drove up farther and noted where the trailhead was for the more northerly trail, and decided to go to the end of the road to the Pu'u o Kila lookout and work back from there. The only people up there when I arrived were 8 Japanese people, 7 of whom were lined up at the railing, and the 8th was trying to take a photo of them with his selfie stick. I am notorious for volunteering to take photos of others while on trips, so of course I did so. It was funny - they wanted two views, one with all of them facing the railing, and one with all of them facing the camera. I thought that was clever. And the man with the selfie stick offered to take my picture, so I accepted. The two things I can't do very well while traveling alone: take my own photo, and put sunscreen on the middle of my back.
I worked my way down the lookouts until I got to the Awa'awapuhi Trail. There were 3 other vehicles parked there, and another one pulled up as I gathered my things. I decided to do this trail because the views are supposed to be spectacular (short of taking the Nu'alolo Cliff Trail) and it is downhill most of the way there (and correspondingly uphill on the way back) with a 1500-foot elevation change. Good thing I wanted a workout.
I was about 5 minutes down the trail when I realized that I had left m trekking poles in the car, and remembered the long walk uphill on the way back, so I turned back to retrieve them. Let me say again what a fan I am of trekking poles. They help you balance, check the depth of streams or rivers, clear away cobwebs and push away branches - so many things. It was worth the mildly muddy return journey to get them.
The trail itself was a dream compared to the Kalalau Trail, and especially the hike to the waterfall. There were not a lot of times I needed to plan where to step, except for several muddy places, and the ground was uninterrupted by the constant rocks underfoot that were in Na Pali. It was a treat even to walk up at the end, so easy on the feet it was. I was passed by a young man, and after I emerged (at mile 3.25 - end of the trail), another one passed me. It appeared they were together. The second one had a camera with one heckuva telephoto lens, and also had a white four-footed frame of some kind strapped onto his backpack. I didn't know if it was some kind of fancy tripod or something - until I heard a little buzzing sound, and saw something lift past the edge of the bluff. It was a little drone, probably with a camera attached. The two men flew it around for a while. I didn't go as far out on the promontory as they did - the place I ended up was plenty scary and full of great views for me.
I ate a snack and had a drink of water, then turned around and plunged back into the tall grasses (about 6 feet high) that led to the wooded part of the trail. LOTS of uphill, with a little reprieve now and then of flat or even downhill. I encountered more tourists - trail etiquette is not what it used to be. I was brushed aside or made to wait (the other party not offering to stand aside) more times than not when the trail was too narrow to negotiate two-way traffic. But as you can tell I'm still alive to talk about it, so it all turned out well. Speaking of trail etiquette - there is a lot of variation in greeting a fellow traveler going in the opposite direction. How close do you have to be before you acknowledge the other's presence? Is it necessary to say something to everyone, especially if there are more than two in the party, or does a blanket "hi" cover a multitude of greetings? There are some people who hardly acknowledge one, some who return greetings reluctantly, some who initiate greetings, and some who say hello as if one is the best-looking thing on two legs s/he has seen all day. I like those last type the best. :)
Yawn, talking of blankets, I think I'm going to crawl under mine very soon. I'll finish up quickly: on my way back, there were many people heading the opposite direction, but nobody passed me from behind, not even the drone boys. I made a pretty good pace back to the car despite all the uphill (though of course not as good as the downhill) and was happy to get back in the car and drive down the mountain, stopping here and there for a scenic vista or two. I even got a good look at Ni'ihau, "the forbidden island," from one of the lookouts. There was a tiny museum in Koke'e State Park that also had a pressed penny machine - my kids collect them, and this is the first time I've had a chance to get them some, so I was excited about that. Driving down the mountain was fun - a lot like a roller coaster, except with me in control (so much better than a coaster) and with the added challenge of oncoming traffic. Once back at sea level, I stopped at a little shop or two on the way back, and then landed, gathered my things, and drove over (I know - wimpy) to the conference center instead of walking.
After the lecture, I dropped things off at the B&B and then went to the shopping center across the street in search of packing tape. I didn't get any (it was pricey) but after some looking I realied there wasn't anywhere else, unless I wanted to make a 20-minute drive to another town. I picked up some take-out at a...colorful burger joint called "Bubbas," and took it back to the B&B, then went back to the Longs Drugs to buy the packing tape anyway (I'm mailing a package home tomorrow).
Whew. And now I'm all clean - the Kauai mud washed off my ankles at last - and ready for bed. This is not proofread yet, so be kind; I'll fix it later.
Aloha
Wendy
I realize that I am several days behind (not surprising for me) so rather than backtrack right now I will catch up today's activities, and fill in around the edges with the other days.
Today (Friday) has been a busy one. We didn't have lecture sessions until 3 this afternoon, so I decided to have a longer adventure up by the Waimea Canyon (aka, "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific," as Mark Twain never called it). It is about 35 miles away from where I'm staying in Poipu, and (per my GPS) the trip takes over an hour to drive. My GPS has been pretty reliable - I'd give it a 4.7/5, because twice it landed me in nothing like my chosen destination and pronounced, "You have arrived." While that may be true in other respects (ha ha), it failed to be true in these two instances. However, I did manage to find my destinations despite that, and overall it has been a godsend as I navigate strange territory in my beat-up car. Side note: I normally use the GPS with the voice muted, but I almost always turn it on in Hawaii, for the sheer pleasure of listening to the voice say, turn right on to Ala Kalanikaumaka Road."
I was up by 5 (slept in, by recent standards), and got all my gear ready for this big hike I wanted to take, called the Nu'alolo Trail Grand Loop, which would have involved 10 miles of hiking. I was a bit unsure especially since my calves were still a bit stiff from Tuesday's adventure, but I figured I'd give it a shot. My plan was to leave the B&B by 6, and I got out the door at 6:05, but then realized 5 minutes into the drive that I'd forgotten my hat, so I went back to get it, and (happily) also picked up my moleskin and scissors.
The sun was not yet up, but the sky was getting light (another reason to leave at 6 - I didn't want to drive up the mountain in the dark). I arrived up at the first lookout over the canyon in about an hour, so the GPS was right. The sun had cleared the sides of the canyon, and actually it was rather difficult to take photos because of the angle of the light. There were between 4 and 8 other people there (depending on the timing). Some of them had coats on; it was cooler because of the elevation, but it was still in the upper 70s at the least. Sheesh. I had a bad moment when I misplaced my car key - shades of the Grand Canyon, when I lost my phone, only worse, because my car was locked ad the phone service was unreliable. I retraced my steps (there were not a lot of places to go at the overlook) and found it in the bathroom, where I had put down my camera as well and not noticed the key when I retrieved the camera. Whew. Onward.
I drove by both of the trails I intended to hike, and the first one had a sign saying, "Nu'alolo Cliff Trail CLOSED." I drove up farther and noted where the trailhead was for the more northerly trail, and decided to go to the end of the road to the Pu'u o Kila lookout and work back from there. The only people up there when I arrived were 8 Japanese people, 7 of whom were lined up at the railing, and the 8th was trying to take a photo of them with his selfie stick. I am notorious for volunteering to take photos of others while on trips, so of course I did so. It was funny - they wanted two views, one with all of them facing the railing, and one with all of them facing the camera. I thought that was clever. And the man with the selfie stick offered to take my picture, so I accepted. The two things I can't do very well while traveling alone: take my own photo, and put sunscreen on the middle of my back.
I worked my way down the lookouts until I got to the Awa'awapuhi Trail. There were 3 other vehicles parked there, and another one pulled up as I gathered my things. I decided to do this trail because the views are supposed to be spectacular (short of taking the Nu'alolo Cliff Trail) and it is downhill most of the way there (and correspondingly uphill on the way back) with a 1500-foot elevation change. Good thing I wanted a workout.
I was about 5 minutes down the trail when I realized that I had left m trekking poles in the car, and remembered the long walk uphill on the way back, so I turned back to retrieve them. Let me say again what a fan I am of trekking poles. They help you balance, check the depth of streams or rivers, clear away cobwebs and push away branches - so many things. It was worth the mildly muddy return journey to get them.
The trail itself was a dream compared to the Kalalau Trail, and especially the hike to the waterfall. There were not a lot of times I needed to plan where to step, except for several muddy places, and the ground was uninterrupted by the constant rocks underfoot that were in Na Pali. It was a treat even to walk up at the end, so easy on the feet it was. I was passed by a young man, and after I emerged (at mile 3.25 - end of the trail), another one passed me. It appeared they were together. The second one had a camera with one heckuva telephoto lens, and also had a white four-footed frame of some kind strapped onto his backpack. I didn't know if it was some kind of fancy tripod or something - until I heard a little buzzing sound, and saw something lift past the edge of the bluff. It was a little drone, probably with a camera attached. The two men flew it around for a while. I didn't go as far out on the promontory as they did - the place I ended up was plenty scary and full of great views for me.
I ate a snack and had a drink of water, then turned around and plunged back into the tall grasses (about 6 feet high) that led to the wooded part of the trail. LOTS of uphill, with a little reprieve now and then of flat or even downhill. I encountered more tourists - trail etiquette is not what it used to be. I was brushed aside or made to wait (the other party not offering to stand aside) more times than not when the trail was too narrow to negotiate two-way traffic. But as you can tell I'm still alive to talk about it, so it all turned out well. Speaking of trail etiquette - there is a lot of variation in greeting a fellow traveler going in the opposite direction. How close do you have to be before you acknowledge the other's presence? Is it necessary to say something to everyone, especially if there are more than two in the party, or does a blanket "hi" cover a multitude of greetings? There are some people who hardly acknowledge one, some who return greetings reluctantly, some who initiate greetings, and some who say hello as if one is the best-looking thing on two legs s/he has seen all day. I like those last type the best. :)
Yawn, talking of blankets, I think I'm going to crawl under mine very soon. I'll finish up quickly: on my way back, there were many people heading the opposite direction, but nobody passed me from behind, not even the drone boys. I made a pretty good pace back to the car despite all the uphill (though of course not as good as the downhill) and was happy to get back in the car and drive down the mountain, stopping here and there for a scenic vista or two. I even got a good look at Ni'ihau, "the forbidden island," from one of the lookouts. There was a tiny museum in Koke'e State Park that also had a pressed penny machine - my kids collect them, and this is the first time I've had a chance to get them some, so I was excited about that. Driving down the mountain was fun - a lot like a roller coaster, except with me in control (so much better than a coaster) and with the added challenge of oncoming traffic. Once back at sea level, I stopped at a little shop or two on the way back, and then landed, gathered my things, and drove over (I know - wimpy) to the conference center instead of walking.
After the lecture, I dropped things off at the B&B and then went to the shopping center across the street in search of packing tape. I didn't get any (it was pricey) but after some looking I realied there wasn't anywhere else, unless I wanted to make a 20-minute drive to another town. I picked up some take-out at a...colorful burger joint called "Bubbas," and took it back to the B&B, then went back to the Longs Drugs to buy the packing tape anyway (I'm mailing a package home tomorrow).
Whew. And now I'm all clean - the Kauai mud washed off my ankles at last - and ready for bed. This is not proofread yet, so be kind; I'll fix it later.
Aloha
Wendy
Thursday, November 5, 2015
And the winner IS....
...my trekking poles.
Greetings, all. Sorry for the late entry, but yesterday was a busy day. It's about 7 PM Wednesday (midnight for EST folk) and although I had been writing in the mornings, it didn't work, for reasons I'll tell you later.
I need to go back and write about my hike on Tuesday. The story behind my blog title is that I was debating on my way back to the car what I was most grateful for on the hike. The trekking poles won, hands down (no pun intended). Tied for second were my barefoot shoes and my drinking water. But I digress.
I woke up around 4:30 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. I got up, ate some breakfast, and got together the things I thought I'd need for the hike, including but not limited to three bottles of water and my trekking poles, and the sunscreen I bought at Costco (in convenient 3-oz sizes so I can take them on the plane if I don't use them all). I got on the road just around 6:15, about 1/2 hour before sunrise. The world was beginning to lighten as I drove west toward the Kalalau Trail. I was compelled to stop in several places along the way due to photo opportunities. :)
I drove into the trailhead area and managed to get a fairly close parking space, though I was not the first one there. I strapped on my DSLR camera (made the adjustable hiking harness myself), put on my backpack and headed off. The first two miles of trail leads to Hanakapi'ai beach, and from there it is almost 2 miles to the falls of the same name. Last time I was here (two years ago) I hiked the Kalalau Trail to the halfway point (6 miles) and turned around and hiked back, which took me something like 9 hours. This is no ordinary hike. And I didn't even do the really scary part. This time I thought I'd take the side trip to the waterfall. I figured I could hike a mile between 1 and 2 hours. That turned out to be true, although it was closer to 2 than 1. I realized several hours into this endeavor that I was not in as good shape as I was in 2013. In that year I had run 3 half-marathons and a 25K, in addition to several other races. This year I haven't run much at all, though I've been trying to get some workouts in the last few weeks.
How to describe this trail? Even the photos don't do it justice, because there's no way to see truly the steep climbs and descents, combined with the rough terrain and the heat. I was happy to go in the morning, when the sun had not yet climbed over the mountain, and the west coast was shady. I was wearing my sunblocking shirt and a pair of "travel fabric" capris over a tank and my triathlon shorts, and had my essentials (including my water) in my backpack. I also included my Kauai guidebooks, which is about an inch thick and HEAVY. Why I did that I have no idea, because I never took it out. It ain't going with me on future hikes beyond going in the car. I actually left one of my bottles of water in the car, thinking two would be enough. I started to rethink that later.
The first 90 minutes of hiking to the beach wasn't bad - lots of ups and downs (several hundred feet of elevation change) and switchbacks, but shady and I was full of energy. I passed a few people, some of whom were, like I, planning to hike to the beach and/or waterfall, some of whom were planning to go the whole 11 miles to Kalalau Beach (camping overnight by permit only). The trail goes back down to sea level just before the beach, and one has to cross the river to get there (there are stones on which to climb to cross). I stopped at the beach for perhaps 20 minutes. The water was much higher than last time. The trees give way to a rocky shoreline, and only a small strip of sand was visible. On the rocks to the south of the river, someone had placed dozens of cairns. It must have taken a lot of time. It looked amazing.
After a drink of water and a snack, I turned mauka (inland) to head up to the waterfall, 1.8 miles, according to the guidebook. It took me almost 2 hours to get there. I'm not used to traveling 1 mph, especially on foot. The trail was definitely different than the coastal trail. I was thinking on the way back how to describe it. "Grueling" comes to mind, or "not for the faint of heart," or even, "What was I thinking?" Picture a narrow, winding trail, ranging from 12-18 inches wide, but sometimes widening into 6 or 8 feet across, or dividing into two trails, most instances of which converged again, but some which did not. (I took a false trail two or three times and had to backtrack.) The dirt was covered with a thin layer of mud, except when it was covered with a thick layer of mud. Almost none of it was level, and there were always rocks, tree roots, sticks, fallen nuts and fruit, stalks of plants, or piles of boulders to negotiate. Although most of the trail was in the shade, it was humid and hot, and I was dripping sweat most of the way. Rotting fruit fallen from the trees attracted swarms of flies, not the kind that bite people, but certainly the kind that are easily inhaled when disturbed by a hiker gasping for breath. The trail crosses the river at least 5 times, more if one takes a wrong turn, and some of the crossings were more difficult than others, for those who were trying to cross and stay dry.
I kept checking my GPS (yes, the GPS still worked, although the phone service did not) to see how much farther. I saw some people coming back and they would give an update - "about 20 more minutes," etc. Most of this distance I hiked in solitude, though I occasionally passed people resting and paused to say hello, or once or twice I got behind some people and there was no real way to get around, so I just plodded behind them for a few tenths of a mile (passing the time by talking to them, of course). Finally, the waterfall was in sight. Don't get me wrong - there was plenty to see on the way as well: flowering trees (more of these closer to the beach), stands of bamboo, lush foliage, ferns, collections of boulders, and the smell of tropical greenery, rotting fruit, and (sometimes) flowers, plus the ever-present sound of the river, sometimes close at hand, other times more distant. But I can't tell you how glad I was to get to the falls.
At the base of it was a pool that was delightful for swimming. At least, that's what some others said. I didn't swim, though I did go in up to my neck and dip my hair in (there's potential leptospirosis in the fresh water so I was being cautious). I had my swim togs under my clothes (remember?) but some people just changed right there in front of everyone, though I couldn't be sure because I averted my gaze as soon as I noticed a lot of skin showing. A nice woman took my photo in front of the waterfall. I discovered that she is from the GR area, and works as a nurse in the local children's hospital. Cue the "small world" music. Anyway, the photo she took was so nice:
I spent maybe 30 minutes there, dipping in the cold water (which felt wonderful) and then dressing without drying off, hoping that the wet clothing would help keep me cooler (though in the humidity, it didn't really). I also soaked my hat, and drank all but 2/3 of a bottle of water. Then for the trek back. Sigh. I could have taken a nap right there on the rocks, but I had 3 hours' worth of walking to get back to the car.
So I set out. One thing that made the trek so tiring was that it wasn't just hiking; it was cognitive hiking. In other words, there was almost no stretch in which I didn't have to think about where the next footfall would be. I was constantly having to decide which part of the trail was less likely to cause a broken ankle, or a shoe lost in 6 inches of mud; which way would be best to scramble up (or down) the next pile of boulders; which part of the river seemed least likely to cause a spill that would soak my camera.... Pair this with the uneven ground, the mud, the false trails, the heat and the fatigue.... yup, next time I'll be in better shape, and I WON'T go to the waterfall. Been there, done that.
It was certainly worth the hike. It was. And now that I've seen it, I don't ever have to do it again. :)
I stopped briefly at the beach to drink some more water, and hoisted my backpack and crossed the river for the 7th time since I'd left the waterfall and headed makai (toward the sea). By the time I was on my way back, I didn't bother trying to cross on the rocks anymore; I just plunged in (sometimes up to mid-thigh) and waded across, first making sure that my phone wasn't in my leg pants' pocket.
When I made it to the trail head, I got some water (they have a bathroom near the Ke'e beach and drinking fountains), got in the car, cranked the AC and headed east. I stopped in Hanalei for some light shopping and a chicken sandwich and lemonade (I ate at the Hanalei Gourmet, and had the same server, Lisa, as last time) and made a point of going to the Havaiki shop, where the clerk, Dylan, was also the same as was there last time. He is from South Africa and was wearing only a sarong. Nice dress code. I have to say it looked good on him, though I'm not sure every employee could pull that look with the same garment. He showed me some of the scrimshaw but I didn't buy any this year. It was pleasant to speak to him, though.
Princeville is not far from Hanalei (boy, do I hate those single-lane bridges between the Ke'e and Princeville, though - and there are 6 or 7 of them) so I was home in a jiffy. I thought about collapsing but instead went back down to the condo beach (a 15-minute walk, if you recall) and sat on the beach until just before sunset. It was mostly in the shade long before that, though, because of a big hill to the west. I didn't want to get stuck a 15-minute hike away in the dark, so I went "home," took a shower, and did a load of laundry, including everything I had been wearing and my backpack.
Today my calves are a bit sore, and my left quadricep aches when I change position, but if I keep moving, it works itself out - until the next time I sit still.
time to sit still again - I'm going to bed. I'll tell you about today later, not that there's much to tell. I think I'll save any big adventures for a couple of days from now.
Good night, all
blessings
Wendy
Greetings, all. Sorry for the late entry, but yesterday was a busy day. It's about 7 PM Wednesday (midnight for EST folk) and although I had been writing in the mornings, it didn't work, for reasons I'll tell you later.
I need to go back and write about my hike on Tuesday. The story behind my blog title is that I was debating on my way back to the car what I was most grateful for on the hike. The trekking poles won, hands down (no pun intended). Tied for second were my barefoot shoes and my drinking water. But I digress.
I woke up around 4:30 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. I got up, ate some breakfast, and got together the things I thought I'd need for the hike, including but not limited to three bottles of water and my trekking poles, and the sunscreen I bought at Costco (in convenient 3-oz sizes so I can take them on the plane if I don't use them all). I got on the road just around 6:15, about 1/2 hour before sunrise. The world was beginning to lighten as I drove west toward the Kalalau Trail. I was compelled to stop in several places along the way due to photo opportunities. :)
I drove into the trailhead area and managed to get a fairly close parking space, though I was not the first one there. I strapped on my DSLR camera (made the adjustable hiking harness myself), put on my backpack and headed off. The first two miles of trail leads to Hanakapi'ai beach, and from there it is almost 2 miles to the falls of the same name. Last time I was here (two years ago) I hiked the Kalalau Trail to the halfway point (6 miles) and turned around and hiked back, which took me something like 9 hours. This is no ordinary hike. And I didn't even do the really scary part. This time I thought I'd take the side trip to the waterfall. I figured I could hike a mile between 1 and 2 hours. That turned out to be true, although it was closer to 2 than 1. I realized several hours into this endeavor that I was not in as good shape as I was in 2013. In that year I had run 3 half-marathons and a 25K, in addition to several other races. This year I haven't run much at all, though I've been trying to get some workouts in the last few weeks.
How to describe this trail? Even the photos don't do it justice, because there's no way to see truly the steep climbs and descents, combined with the rough terrain and the heat. I was happy to go in the morning, when the sun had not yet climbed over the mountain, and the west coast was shady. I was wearing my sunblocking shirt and a pair of "travel fabric" capris over a tank and my triathlon shorts, and had my essentials (including my water) in my backpack. I also included my Kauai guidebooks, which is about an inch thick and HEAVY. Why I did that I have no idea, because I never took it out. It ain't going with me on future hikes beyond going in the car. I actually left one of my bottles of water in the car, thinking two would be enough. I started to rethink that later.
The first 90 minutes of hiking to the beach wasn't bad - lots of ups and downs (several hundred feet of elevation change) and switchbacks, but shady and I was full of energy. I passed a few people, some of whom were, like I, planning to hike to the beach and/or waterfall, some of whom were planning to go the whole 11 miles to Kalalau Beach (camping overnight by permit only). The trail goes back down to sea level just before the beach, and one has to cross the river to get there (there are stones on which to climb to cross). I stopped at the beach for perhaps 20 minutes. The water was much higher than last time. The trees give way to a rocky shoreline, and only a small strip of sand was visible. On the rocks to the south of the river, someone had placed dozens of cairns. It must have taken a lot of time. It looked amazing.
After a drink of water and a snack, I turned mauka (inland) to head up to the waterfall, 1.8 miles, according to the guidebook. It took me almost 2 hours to get there. I'm not used to traveling 1 mph, especially on foot. The trail was definitely different than the coastal trail. I was thinking on the way back how to describe it. "Grueling" comes to mind, or "not for the faint of heart," or even, "What was I thinking?" Picture a narrow, winding trail, ranging from 12-18 inches wide, but sometimes widening into 6 or 8 feet across, or dividing into two trails, most instances of which converged again, but some which did not. (I took a false trail two or three times and had to backtrack.) The dirt was covered with a thin layer of mud, except when it was covered with a thick layer of mud. Almost none of it was level, and there were always rocks, tree roots, sticks, fallen nuts and fruit, stalks of plants, or piles of boulders to negotiate. Although most of the trail was in the shade, it was humid and hot, and I was dripping sweat most of the way. Rotting fruit fallen from the trees attracted swarms of flies, not the kind that bite people, but certainly the kind that are easily inhaled when disturbed by a hiker gasping for breath. The trail crosses the river at least 5 times, more if one takes a wrong turn, and some of the crossings were more difficult than others, for those who were trying to cross and stay dry.
I kept checking my GPS (yes, the GPS still worked, although the phone service did not) to see how much farther. I saw some people coming back and they would give an update - "about 20 more minutes," etc. Most of this distance I hiked in solitude, though I occasionally passed people resting and paused to say hello, or once or twice I got behind some people and there was no real way to get around, so I just plodded behind them for a few tenths of a mile (passing the time by talking to them, of course). Finally, the waterfall was in sight. Don't get me wrong - there was plenty to see on the way as well: flowering trees (more of these closer to the beach), stands of bamboo, lush foliage, ferns, collections of boulders, and the smell of tropical greenery, rotting fruit, and (sometimes) flowers, plus the ever-present sound of the river, sometimes close at hand, other times more distant. But I can't tell you how glad I was to get to the falls.
At the base of it was a pool that was delightful for swimming. At least, that's what some others said. I didn't swim, though I did go in up to my neck and dip my hair in (there's potential leptospirosis in the fresh water so I was being cautious). I had my swim togs under my clothes (remember?) but some people just changed right there in front of everyone, though I couldn't be sure because I averted my gaze as soon as I noticed a lot of skin showing. A nice woman took my photo in front of the waterfall. I discovered that she is from the GR area, and works as a nurse in the local children's hospital. Cue the "small world" music. Anyway, the photo she took was so nice:
I spent maybe 30 minutes there, dipping in the cold water (which felt wonderful) and then dressing without drying off, hoping that the wet clothing would help keep me cooler (though in the humidity, it didn't really). I also soaked my hat, and drank all but 2/3 of a bottle of water. Then for the trek back. Sigh. I could have taken a nap right there on the rocks, but I had 3 hours' worth of walking to get back to the car.
So I set out. One thing that made the trek so tiring was that it wasn't just hiking; it was cognitive hiking. In other words, there was almost no stretch in which I didn't have to think about where the next footfall would be. I was constantly having to decide which part of the trail was less likely to cause a broken ankle, or a shoe lost in 6 inches of mud; which way would be best to scramble up (or down) the next pile of boulders; which part of the river seemed least likely to cause a spill that would soak my camera.... Pair this with the uneven ground, the mud, the false trails, the heat and the fatigue.... yup, next time I'll be in better shape, and I WON'T go to the waterfall. Been there, done that.
It was certainly worth the hike. It was. And now that I've seen it, I don't ever have to do it again. :)
I stopped briefly at the beach to drink some more water, and hoisted my backpack and crossed the river for the 7th time since I'd left the waterfall and headed makai (toward the sea). By the time I was on my way back, I didn't bother trying to cross on the rocks anymore; I just plunged in (sometimes up to mid-thigh) and waded across, first making sure that my phone wasn't in my leg pants' pocket.
When I made it to the trail head, I got some water (they have a bathroom near the Ke'e beach and drinking fountains), got in the car, cranked the AC and headed east. I stopped in Hanalei for some light shopping and a chicken sandwich and lemonade (I ate at the Hanalei Gourmet, and had the same server, Lisa, as last time) and made a point of going to the Havaiki shop, where the clerk, Dylan, was also the same as was there last time. He is from South Africa and was wearing only a sarong. Nice dress code. I have to say it looked good on him, though I'm not sure every employee could pull that look with the same garment. He showed me some of the scrimshaw but I didn't buy any this year. It was pleasant to speak to him, though.
Princeville is not far from Hanalei (boy, do I hate those single-lane bridges between the Ke'e and Princeville, though - and there are 6 or 7 of them) so I was home in a jiffy. I thought about collapsing but instead went back down to the condo beach (a 15-minute walk, if you recall) and sat on the beach until just before sunset. It was mostly in the shade long before that, though, because of a big hill to the west. I didn't want to get stuck a 15-minute hike away in the dark, so I went "home," took a shower, and did a load of laundry, including everything I had been wearing and my backpack.
Today my calves are a bit sore, and my left quadricep aches when I change position, but if I keep moving, it works itself out - until the next time I sit still.
time to sit still again - I'm going to bed. I'll tell you about today later, not that there's much to tell. I think I'll save any big adventures for a couple of days from now.
Good night, all
blessings
Wendy
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Mosquito bites in paradise
I'm in a little condo on the north shore of Kauai. The sun isn't up yet, but I am. I seem to have time in the mornings to comment on the day before, so until that changes, I will be a day behind. My arrow keys on my bluetooth keyboard are working today (they didn't yesterday) so I'm happy about that.
Yesterday I woke up at 3:30 local time. I didn't go back to sleep, so I got up, took a shower, and wrote the entry from the day before. I then went in to the kitchen and started making myself a chain maille sunglasses retainer chain (like a Croakie or whatever) out of silicone and aluminum rings. My hostess (who was up before I was) came in and we started to talk. My host came in soon after that and we had a nice breakfast (scrambled eggs and toast) and then did a short devotional. Interestingly enough it was about forgiveness and not judging others, something I have been reading a lot about lately. We had a bit of a discussion, and then I finished my chain, packed my things and we were off to the airport to catch my 10:10 flight to Kauai. It was a beautiful morning - it had rained a bit just at sunrise but then the sun came out. The drive is so pretty. In a way it reminded me of Anchorage, Alaska - people living their lives, going to the store and the gas station and to work, and yet with this splendid scenery.
I had to print my boarding pass at the airport. I've tried the electronic ones in the past and at a crucial moment the internet failed me and I had to have a printed one anyway, so just to be safe, I print it out. The lines for the TSA were fairly long, and (although I don't think I can describe it well), positioned such that people coming from one direction had to pass through the people standing in line to get to the end of the line. I was a bit nervous that I might miss my flight, but since they leave every hour or less, the consequences of that would have been pretty minor. They did open new lanes and the line sped up considerably (though they are rarely quick unless the airport is small). I got to the gate without incident and boarded the plane. I had switched my seat in the morning when I checked in, and I was on the left side of the plane and had no seat companion. It was lovely. The clouds were swirled into fantastic shapes and it was brilliantly sunny. I didn't get a good look at Kauai when we landed but I didn't mind. I'll take lots of pictures as I wander this week.
I called a cab and was taken to my rental car place, which was in a more industrial area with lots of businesses (I don't know what else to call it; it reminded me of parts of Chicago Drive that I pass taking the girls to fencing). Parking is certainly at a premium in some places - there were cars tucked in so closely to one another that it felt claustrophobic. The cabby, who was probably in his 60s and had long, curly hair pulled back in a ponytail with multiple rubber bands, said as he dropped me off, "Good luck with your car." Hm.
I waited for the gentleman in front of me to finish his rental, and filled out my paperwork. I called my family to say hello (this 5-hour time difference is tricky sometimes) and then it was my turn. They gave me a Toyota Camry; I don't know the year but it has fuzzy seats and a cassette player. The mechanic said, "It looks bad on the outside but it drives good. You want air conditioning, right? The AC works good." YES, I want AC - I'm a wimpy northerner.
He was right. It looks bad on the outside, but it does "drive good." And the AC works great.
So, keys in hand, I put on my GPS and made my way to.... Costco. Yes, there's a Costco. And a Walmart. I visited both, for different things. I also went to a grocery store. I should have gotten gas at Costco as well - it was 50 cents cheaper than everywhere else - but I can do that when I go back south for my conference tomorrow. I had forgotten about the chickens and roosters everywhere. There was even a nest of young chickens (not chicks - are they called pullets?) in the landscaping on the sidewalk of Walmart. I didn't bring in my reusable bag to Walmart (yes, of course I carry a reusable bag with me on vacation - don't you?) and I figured they would give me a bag, but surprise - no more plastic bags. (I don't know if this is an island initiative - I haven't shopped anywhere else yet.) You can buy a (very) cheap reusable bag for 50 cents. Since I had one in my car, I elected to take my purchases out to the car just loose in the cart. Weird - while walking around the store, the items don't look strange lying there loose, but walking out to the car, it was peculiar.
Anyway, got my groceries and other necessities (including a sunshade for the car) and took off for Princeville on the north shore. It took me about 45 minutes. The speed limit was never over 50, and was 25 in a lot of places. It was very hilly and rather windy in places, but much easier once one got out of the cities. I stopped at a scenic overlook, and my car was approached by a brood of chickens. I wonder if they thought my car would leak food or something - they walked underneath it, pecking and scratching.
I got here to my condo and realized I had printed the wrong e-mail, so I had to call the 800 number to get the combination to the place. It's a one-bedroom condo with a living area, kitchen (complete with dishwasher), a fold-out couch, a washer and dryer, and a lanai that overlooks the grassy cliff down to the ocean. I got settled and then went to the beach. This is no easy matter - it's a good 15-minute walk down and up and back down steep hills, through a lot of foliage, through the woods, across a stream, then a wooded path by the ocean strewn with pine needles (it would have been very slippery if wet). Turn the corner and maneuver over and down some big rocks, and whew - you've made it to a beautiful little crescent-shaped beach that was well worth the walk, even though I got several mosquito bites along the way. Small price to pay for this beach, which even gets in the guidebook as "A real gem." Maybe I'll bring down some snorkel equipment next time (it's in the closet). I was the only one there for about 1/2 an hour, then a couple came and swam in the sunny part (I was sitting in the shade because it's hard to put sunscreen on your own back). A little bit later the man came over - he looked to be in his 30s. I said hello, and he answered with an accent, so I asked him where he was from. He replied he was from Germany. I used what little German I remembered to talk to him, then gave up and spoke English. His name is Peter, and he and his girlfriend of 12 years were touring the islands with some friends. Sunday he asked her to marry him, and they're getting married this morning on some beach (not the condo beach). I wished them well, came home, ate, organized some things, studied my guide book to plan the rest of my adventures for the week, and went to bed.
Today I plan to hike Na Pali to the waterfall - a place I didn't get last time. It's about 2 miles to the beach, then another almost 2 to the waterfall, so with luck I will have an 8-mile hike in today. The sun still isn't up and I'm not wild about driving there in the dark, but I'll leave as soon as it's light enough so I can get a parking spot at the state park.
See you later.
Blessings
Wendy
He was right. It looks bad on the outside, but it does "drive good." And the AC works great.
So, keys in hand, I put on my GPS and made my way to.... Costco. Yes, there's a Costco. And a Walmart. I visited both, for different things. I also went to a grocery store. I should have gotten gas at Costco as well - it was 50 cents cheaper than everywhere else - but I can do that when I go back south for my conference tomorrow. I had forgotten about the chickens and roosters everywhere. There was even a nest of young chickens (not chicks - are they called pullets?) in the landscaping on the sidewalk of Walmart. I didn't bring in my reusable bag to Walmart (yes, of course I carry a reusable bag with me on vacation - don't you?) and I figured they would give me a bag, but surprise - no more plastic bags. (I don't know if this is an island initiative - I haven't shopped anywhere else yet.) You can buy a (very) cheap reusable bag for 50 cents. Since I had one in my car, I elected to take my purchases out to the car just loose in the cart. Weird - while walking around the store, the items don't look strange lying there loose, but walking out to the car, it was peculiar.
Anyway, got my groceries and other necessities (including a sunshade for the car) and took off for Princeville on the north shore. It took me about 45 minutes. The speed limit was never over 50, and was 25 in a lot of places. It was very hilly and rather windy in places, but much easier once one got out of the cities. I stopped at a scenic overlook, and my car was approached by a brood of chickens. I wonder if they thought my car would leak food or something - they walked underneath it, pecking and scratching.
I got here to my condo and realized I had printed the wrong e-mail, so I had to call the 800 number to get the combination to the place. It's a one-bedroom condo with a living area, kitchen (complete with dishwasher), a fold-out couch, a washer and dryer, and a lanai that overlooks the grassy cliff down to the ocean. I got settled and then went to the beach. This is no easy matter - it's a good 15-minute walk down and up and back down steep hills, through a lot of foliage, through the woods, across a stream, then a wooded path by the ocean strewn with pine needles (it would have been very slippery if wet). Turn the corner and maneuver over and down some big rocks, and whew - you've made it to a beautiful little crescent-shaped beach that was well worth the walk, even though I got several mosquito bites along the way. Small price to pay for this beach, which even gets in the guidebook as "A real gem." Maybe I'll bring down some snorkel equipment next time (it's in the closet). I was the only one there for about 1/2 an hour, then a couple came and swam in the sunny part (I was sitting in the shade because it's hard to put sunscreen on your own back). A little bit later the man came over - he looked to be in his 30s. I said hello, and he answered with an accent, so I asked him where he was from. He replied he was from Germany. I used what little German I remembered to talk to him, then gave up and spoke English. His name is Peter, and he and his girlfriend of 12 years were touring the islands with some friends. Sunday he asked her to marry him, and they're getting married this morning on some beach (not the condo beach). I wished them well, came home, ate, organized some things, studied my guide book to plan the rest of my adventures for the week, and went to bed.
Today I plan to hike Na Pali to the waterfall - a place I didn't get last time. It's about 2 miles to the beach, then another almost 2 to the waterfall, so with luck I will have an 8-mile hike in today. The sun still isn't up and I'm not wild about driving there in the dark, but I'll leave as soon as it's light enough so I can get a parking spot at the state park.
See you later.
Blessings
Wendy
Monday, November 2, 2015
On a new adventure
Good morning, all. It's 3:50 local time, and I can hear a distant feral rooster crowing, but I went to bed at 7, so being mixed up in the first few days is kind of to be expected. I'm at my friends' house on Oahu, after a long day of travel yesterday. This may not be a very interesting blog, but I write these things down so I can remember, so feel free to skip if it doesn't interest you.
Yesterday I got up at 5:15 - so grateful that Daylight Savings Time ended yesterday - and woke up my girls, who were understandably reluctant to get up so early on a Sunday morning, and got ready to go. We drove to the airport and said goodbye and I was off. Got to watch the sun rise before we had to board the plane - that was lovely, both because it was "earlier" and because we've had rain for the past couple of days. The plane was so small that my carryon had to be gate-checked, but that wasn't a big deal. I think people taller than about 5'8" had to stoop while walking down the aisle of the aircraft. It took us half an hour or less of flight time to get to Chicago, and it was beautifully sunny when we landed, and some of the autumn color was still on the trees, which was lovely to see from the air.
The causeway from our aircraft was the longest I think I've ever walked. It must have been almost 1/4 mile - it went on, and on. Finally we arrived at the gate area and it wasn't a far walk to my connecting gate. Funny - they didn't have power outlets on the aircraft, and they told us to "fully charge" our mobile devices so that we could take advantage of the airlines free in-flight entertainment on their app, but there were no outlets in sight anywhere near our gate area. I like Gerald R Ford International airport SO much in comparison to many other airports I've been to - small, friendly, equipped with water-bottle fillers and power outlets in abundance, and free wi-fi. I think every airport should have free wi-fi, as a matter of convenience, since flying these days seems fraught with inconvenience. It seems the least they could do.
I found a seat at the gate and charged my phone with one of the power banks I had brought along for the occasion. And we waited. And waited. The flight crew accumulated, and so many people were standing, ready to board, as they announced that the engines were being checked and they were unable to board anyone until that was done. I worried a bit that we might have to change planes (it's happened to me before) and that we would be extremely delayed, which is not something one wants to imagine while already anticipating a 9-hour flight. But the delay was only 45 minutes, and they had us on the plane pretty quickly, I thought.
I have no idea how many people were aboard, but I'm guessing in excess of 400. I was boarding zone 5 (last to board, it seems, no matter what seats I have). It doesn't make any sense to me that they don't board the back of the plane first. That would be more logical than pushing with one's luggage past rows and rows of people already in their seats. But they never ask me. I was in row 40, seat H, and had to stand and wait while the multitude of people in front of me got settled. But I didn't mind. In fact, I noticed, looking out over the people all sitting facing me, that we were on a plane to Honolulu and NO ONE was smiling. That made me laugh. I know people were probably cross about the delay, but really?
When I finally got to my seat, I found it firmly occupied by a lady a few years older than I, who looked at me blankly when I showed her my boarding pass. She finally pulled hers out (she was sitting with her friend) and she was assigned to row 37. Whoops. I felt a little bad separating them, but I had chosen my seat with care, and the airlines had screwed up putting them together (my seat companion, a retired teacher from Nebraska, told me the whole story). She came back to visit from time to time during the flight, and her friend told me, "We're spending the next two weeks together - don't worry about it." So I didn't.
My seat was a good one, behind the wing, a left-sided aisle seat on the right side of the plane, just behind the exit row and right near the middle bank of lavatories, and not a far stroll from the galley at the back. I made use of being able to get up and walk around whenever I wanted to (there was very little turbulence). My seat companion was pleasant and conversational but not an incessant talker (though she had a great deal to say about the airline snafus initially), and was determined to finish her book so she could leave it somewhere and thus lighten her load, so she spent much of the flight doing that. I ate my bagel (from GRR), and managed to catch a 30-minute nap - I brought earplugs, which was most welcome at certain points when an infant about 10 rows back did a remarkable impression of a dentist's drill. Thankfully that was not frequent. I also ordered a small meal - a French-style beef bowl that had a delicious marinade. I was glad I bought it, even though it was overpriced. I did some sudoku fusion (my new favorite) and leafed through the airline magazine, which surprisingly enough had an insert on Nebraska.
I don't quite remember when it happened - about 4 hours into the flight, I suppose - but at one point there was ann overhead annoucement asking for "any medical personnel" to report to seat 22F. I was watching Fellowship of the Ring (nice 3-hour movie to pass some time) and I pulled out my headphones, dumped my iPod on my seat, and scurried forward.
Apparently I pushed past someone else who was also a doctor, but with a bunch pf people standing around in the aisles, what else can you do? Nobody's wearing nametags. I'm also fairly small and could easily lean down to talk to the woman, who was in her 40s in one of the middle seats. She seemed to have passed out, but was already recovering by the time I spoke to her. The flight attendants were hovering nearby with the list of things in the medical kit. I asked for a stethoscope (I don't routinely bring mine, but after yesterday's incident, I might start) and a blood pressure cuff. The lady was speaking, and looking kind of confused, but she told me her name, and where she was, etc. She had a decent pulse but the stethoscope was a piece of junk - couldn't hear much over the plane noise, and I couldn't hear to get her blod pressure at all. A big tall guy standing near identified himself also as a family doctor, so I asked him if he could get a BP and he couldn't either, which made me feel better. We came to a consensus that she had proably had a syncopal episode (the official terminology for "fainting") and recommended to her to stay hydrated, and get up and walk around (with her husband nearby at first) and to get checked out at a med center when we arrived on island.
And later the flight attendant brought me the paperwork to fill out. :) In the margins I recommended that they carry better stethoscopes.
Other than that, the flight was a good one, with little cloud cover while we were over the mainland, which pleased my seat companion who tried to guess where we were. It was a bit disappointing that they didn't announce from time to time where we were. It's all so beautiful from the air. I finished my movie and spent the last 90 minutes doing puzzles and writing in my journal so I could remember what happened.
My dear friends picked me up from the airport shortly after I arrived and took me home, and fed me, and we talked until I was yawning. It was a good end to a long day.
Today I travel to Kauai. My conference starts Wednesday, so I have a couple of days to explore. See you all later.
Blessings
w
Yesterday I got up at 5:15 - so grateful that Daylight Savings Time ended yesterday - and woke up my girls, who were understandably reluctant to get up so early on a Sunday morning, and got ready to go. We drove to the airport and said goodbye and I was off. Got to watch the sun rise before we had to board the plane - that was lovely, both because it was "earlier" and because we've had rain for the past couple of days. The plane was so small that my carryon had to be gate-checked, but that wasn't a big deal. I think people taller than about 5'8" had to stoop while walking down the aisle of the aircraft. It took us half an hour or less of flight time to get to Chicago, and it was beautifully sunny when we landed, and some of the autumn color was still on the trees, which was lovely to see from the air.
The causeway from our aircraft was the longest I think I've ever walked. It must have been almost 1/4 mile - it went on, and on. Finally we arrived at the gate area and it wasn't a far walk to my connecting gate. Funny - they didn't have power outlets on the aircraft, and they told us to "fully charge" our mobile devices so that we could take advantage of the airlines free in-flight entertainment on their app, but there were no outlets in sight anywhere near our gate area. I like Gerald R Ford International airport SO much in comparison to many other airports I've been to - small, friendly, equipped with water-bottle fillers and power outlets in abundance, and free wi-fi. I think every airport should have free wi-fi, as a matter of convenience, since flying these days seems fraught with inconvenience. It seems the least they could do.
I found a seat at the gate and charged my phone with one of the power banks I had brought along for the occasion. And we waited. And waited. The flight crew accumulated, and so many people were standing, ready to board, as they announced that the engines were being checked and they were unable to board anyone until that was done. I worried a bit that we might have to change planes (it's happened to me before) and that we would be extremely delayed, which is not something one wants to imagine while already anticipating a 9-hour flight. But the delay was only 45 minutes, and they had us on the plane pretty quickly, I thought.
I have no idea how many people were aboard, but I'm guessing in excess of 400. I was boarding zone 5 (last to board, it seems, no matter what seats I have). It doesn't make any sense to me that they don't board the back of the plane first. That would be more logical than pushing with one's luggage past rows and rows of people already in their seats. But they never ask me. I was in row 40, seat H, and had to stand and wait while the multitude of people in front of me got settled. But I didn't mind. In fact, I noticed, looking out over the people all sitting facing me, that we were on a plane to Honolulu and NO ONE was smiling. That made me laugh. I know people were probably cross about the delay, but really?
When I finally got to my seat, I found it firmly occupied by a lady a few years older than I, who looked at me blankly when I showed her my boarding pass. She finally pulled hers out (she was sitting with her friend) and she was assigned to row 37. Whoops. I felt a little bad separating them, but I had chosen my seat with care, and the airlines had screwed up putting them together (my seat companion, a retired teacher from Nebraska, told me the whole story). She came back to visit from time to time during the flight, and her friend told me, "We're spending the next two weeks together - don't worry about it." So I didn't.
My seat was a good one, behind the wing, a left-sided aisle seat on the right side of the plane, just behind the exit row and right near the middle bank of lavatories, and not a far stroll from the galley at the back. I made use of being able to get up and walk around whenever I wanted to (there was very little turbulence). My seat companion was pleasant and conversational but not an incessant talker (though she had a great deal to say about the airline snafus initially), and was determined to finish her book so she could leave it somewhere and thus lighten her load, so she spent much of the flight doing that. I ate my bagel (from GRR), and managed to catch a 30-minute nap - I brought earplugs, which was most welcome at certain points when an infant about 10 rows back did a remarkable impression of a dentist's drill. Thankfully that was not frequent. I also ordered a small meal - a French-style beef bowl that had a delicious marinade. I was glad I bought it, even though it was overpriced. I did some sudoku fusion (my new favorite) and leafed through the airline magazine, which surprisingly enough had an insert on Nebraska.
I don't quite remember when it happened - about 4 hours into the flight, I suppose - but at one point there was ann overhead annoucement asking for "any medical personnel" to report to seat 22F. I was watching Fellowship of the Ring (nice 3-hour movie to pass some time) and I pulled out my headphones, dumped my iPod on my seat, and scurried forward.
Apparently I pushed past someone else who was also a doctor, but with a bunch pf people standing around in the aisles, what else can you do? Nobody's wearing nametags. I'm also fairly small and could easily lean down to talk to the woman, who was in her 40s in one of the middle seats. She seemed to have passed out, but was already recovering by the time I spoke to her. The flight attendants were hovering nearby with the list of things in the medical kit. I asked for a stethoscope (I don't routinely bring mine, but after yesterday's incident, I might start) and a blood pressure cuff. The lady was speaking, and looking kind of confused, but she told me her name, and where she was, etc. She had a decent pulse but the stethoscope was a piece of junk - couldn't hear much over the plane noise, and I couldn't hear to get her blod pressure at all. A big tall guy standing near identified himself also as a family doctor, so I asked him if he could get a BP and he couldn't either, which made me feel better. We came to a consensus that she had proably had a syncopal episode (the official terminology for "fainting") and recommended to her to stay hydrated, and get up and walk around (with her husband nearby at first) and to get checked out at a med center when we arrived on island.
And later the flight attendant brought me the paperwork to fill out. :) In the margins I recommended that they carry better stethoscopes.
Other than that, the flight was a good one, with little cloud cover while we were over the mainland, which pleased my seat companion who tried to guess where we were. It was a bit disappointing that they didn't announce from time to time where we were. It's all so beautiful from the air. I finished my movie and spent the last 90 minutes doing puzzles and writing in my journal so I could remember what happened.
My dear friends picked me up from the airport shortly after I arrived and took me home, and fed me, and we talked until I was yawning. It was a good end to a long day.
Today I travel to Kauai. My conference starts Wednesday, so I have a couple of days to explore. See you all later.
Blessings
w
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