Islands

2005-10-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

Memories of Hawaii...I had a fabulous trip and I look forward to returning to Hawaii again. I rediscovered how beautiful the islands are. I am including a few more pictures of my time there. Two of the shots are of a class of children with their teachers learning how to surf on Kailua Beach. Another is a mural I saw on the Big Island.Enjoy and Aloha!

2005-10-21T02:50:00.000-05:00

Flowers I found around Maui. White Hibiscus, Tuberose that smell heavenly, Quail Bromilaid and Pink Protea (maybe...not sure), and gorgeous Pink Plumeria

2005-10-21T02:34:00.000-05:00

A Unique street address in front of a home. The monster waves on a remote Maui beach, an outlook where I stopped to search for a waterfall on the road to Hana, notice the Hawaiian flag flying in the distance on the home. Another view at the Hyatt.

2005-10-21T02:25:00.000-05:00

2005-10-21T01:23:00.000-05:00

My last day on Maui. I had a wonderful day. I had breakfast at Whaler's Village. I ate at the Rusty Harpoon right next to the water and had another special food from Guam. Those of you who remember breakfast at Shirleys; fried rice with portugese sausage, with poached eggs on top will be drooling. This was almost as good as Shirleys! What a great way to start my day, with a breakfast I love on the water. I spent some time shopping and getting some last minute things before I left. Then I went and sat on the beach in front of the resort next door. Really a gorgeous view with several boats going in and out of the area. From there I drove further into West Maui and found another out of the way excellent beach. This one was called Mokelea and it is also called Slaughterhouse Beach. Yuk! There used to be a slaughter house on the cliffs, now long gone. This beach was one of the best I'd visited for watching the waves and seeing nature at it's best. The waves were at least 12 feet high. No one was swimming of course, but some were body surfing the waves and that was enjoyable to watch. I spent nearly two hours there just relaxing and enjoying the monster waves. It was the perfect way to wrap up my trip. It was sad to say goodbye and fly away from Maui. But I know in my heart I will return again and that leaves me with a good feeling. Check back for more pictures. Aloha!

2005-10-19T02:37:00.000-05:00

Another Fabulous Day! This was my last full day on Maui and it was excellent. I spent the morning on the beach in Kapalua which has to be one of the best beaches on the island. Super half moon medium sized bay and great conditions to swim and relax. The waves were higher today than the last time I visited. But still a great day! After my morning reading and swimming I decided to have a little adventure. There is another drive here that takes you around the West Maui coast. This is a drive that is similar to the Hana drive, but not as many people make it. It was the adventure of a lifetime and it made me fall in love with Maui. It takes you through the most remote parts of Maui and two sections, one eight miles and another six miles of the road are a NARROW ONE LANE ROAD, so you have to be on the ball completely anticipating any cars coming around blind curves and bridges. There are SMALL, as in tiny pull overs periodically in case another car does come. Three or four times I had to pull aside for another car and a couple times a car pulled aside for me as well. This drive is the most beautiful drive I have ever experienced, but it isn't for the timid I can assure you. There were sections of the one lane road that dropped off into deep ravines going down to the ocean with no guard rail next to you. A couple times I had to take a deep breath and say a prayer. But the magnitude of the mountains, the lush green colors, the ocean view and the tiny village half way around made it heavenly to drive. It was somewhat like the mountain drives in California only twenty times more difficult. I enjoyed it and felt really happy I did it. It was a wonderful way to wind up the trip. As I said, I met a few cars, but everyone was driving with good sense, being careful and sensible. You really could not drive above 20 sometimes with hairpin turns only 5 mph. So the entire drive took about three hours and it was only about a 25 mile drive, plus many stops to see the gorgeous views. I will have to return to Maui and drive it again, as I only had my waterproof camera and I ran out of film! I didnt want to take the digital to the beach when I was swimming alone. So I have very few pictures. About a third of the way around I stopped in this valley I think called Honolua Valley or something similar and this woman had a tiny tiki stand set up selling drinks, homeade oatmeal cranberry cookies with a killer view of the ocean and cove. I imagine they love living there. It reminded me of the tiny villages on Southern Guam only a hundred times more gorgeous. More later, Im almost out of time!

2005-10-19T02:27:00.000-05:00

Spa Day.. Well I needed a break after the day of the drive from hell and the dead bird..LOL So I made an appt for a Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage and had a fabulous time at the Hyatt (Hey Kathy you and Steve have to visit this location. It was heavenly.) Their spa is wonderful, everything you could ask for. I have pictures I will add later. The massage was excellent, my only wish that I should have asked for scented oil, such as a Hawaiian flower choice. Ah well, the massage was treat enough. When she finished she brought me to a room they call the Relaxation Room. WOW...I want to move in. It was as fabulous as the massage, maybe more so! This room is the size of a medium sized living room and has loungers, tropical flowers, drinks, fruit, wicker chairs and an entire wall that is an open window looking right on to the ocean! God it was like dying and going to heaven. It was so relaxing that I spent at least 40 min or so there. Which is how I got pictures, everyone else stayed like ten min and I had the place to myself. So I went back to my locker and got the camera :) I never wanted to leave! After that calm centering time I used the jacuzzi and had that to myself as well. How much more fabulous can it get? So I had a heavenly day and I can highly recommend the Hyatt on Maui to anyone. The grounds are very nice, not as nice as the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu, but excellent all the same. I had a chance to get some nice pictures of the flowers around the grounds which I will add soon! All in all an excellent day concluded with sunset on the beach and Vietnamese food which I love.

2005-10-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

These are pictures I've taken here on Maui. I feel moderately better today. I spoke to the man who own the B&B where I am staying and he said that even he doesn't do the drive on the road to Hana alone. He said really it requires two, one to drive and one to check the guide book and map for stops. That made me feel better. But still I don't like that I have traveled all over the world, and to several countries alone and I can't do Maui alone! This island is the first place I have ever felt odd being alone. There are almost no "single" travelers. It is very different, I have only seen two other women who are traveling alone and even in restaurants everyone is in couples. I have never felt this feeling overseas or even on the Big Island. But here for some reason I really feel it. Would it stop me from returning, absolutely not. It's a beautiful island and I love the beaches and the views. But this island is just more "couples " centered.

2005-10-17T02:35:00.000-05:00

Upcountry... Today I drove to what is considered Maui Upcountry, into the mountains with gorgeous views from Makawao, Paia and Haiku. It was an interesting trip. I always say that when something didn't go quite right. LOL! Makawao was a really charming little town that reminded me somewhat of Julian, the mountain town outside of San Diego. For those of you who know that. Of course with the fire Julian may never look the same, but I hope it has been rebuilt. I enjoyed the peace of the area and the small town feel and few tourists. From there I drove to Paia. This is where the trip took a turn for the not so great. As I was driving the winding roads two pheasant like birds ran out in front of me, and I slowed down as much as I could, but with three cars behind me I didn't have many options. I hit the second one, and I felt bad for the next two hours. They were together which means to me they were a family and I feel so sad for the remaining bird to know that bird watched the other being hit. It was a very sad moment for me. I am so careful when driving and I've never hit an animal that I can remember. I've saved a couple cats that were hit by someone (One I now own....Hense the name Money cat!) but I've never hit one, until today. That really put a damper on my day. I know it was only a bird, but even birds are precious. So after that I didnt enjoy my visit to Paia so much. I did enjoy walking around a bit and I had lunch there. After that on the recommendation of my friend Veronica (thanks Veronica!) I drove to a well known windsurfing and surfer beach. I have never seen so many windsurfers! It is said to be the windsurfing capital of the world. I must have seen at least thirty on the water. So that was cool to see. Also many excellent surfers! From there I tried to find two waterfalls. (this area was on the road to Hana. But with the Haole (mainland tourists) driving like they were on a race track it was impossible! The roads are winding and speed limits are 20-30, and I watched people driving much greater speeds, at least 40 or 50! So it was difficult to find these spots. The Undiscovered Maui guide book I have is GREAT. But they give you mile markers and such to find things and say something like 8/10 of a mile after mile marker ten look for the light post and barb wire fence. Great if you have two people in the car so one can drive and the other can look, nearly impossible alone! I did manage to find what I thought was one spot, but when I got out and walked as directed I saw no waterfall. I doubled back twice but with the INSANE drivers on the road it was fruitless and frustrating. I wanted to slap them! I swear to god, we are on an island, it is a vacation paradise and they need to drive like they are in NY city! I cannot tell you how irritating it was! After that fun (NOT) I drove to the beach I had seen on an earlier drive and parked myself on the sand and spent a fabulous hour watching surfers! They are really fabulous, so good. Really fun to watch! So that and an excellent sunset made my evening much better! More later and hopefully pictures as well. :)

2005-10-16T02:50:00.000-05:00

Ulalena.....what a fabulous show. It was mesmerizing and such a beautiful expression of Hawaiian culture. It lasted two hours but went so fast it was unbelievable. The costumes were simple but the lighting and the surround sound as well as the props were just fabulous! I paid extra to do the producers package, which meant I had a chance to meet the actors afterward as well as learn how they do some of the special effects and see and learn more about the native Hawaiian drums used in the performance. The Hawaiian chanting and drums are such beautiful sounds, that part I found very moving. The entire show is just so perfect, everyone who comes to Maui should see it. I had two photos taken with some of the cast afterwards. I will try to post them tomorrow. That was also fun! Then afterwards I found a Vietnamese restaurant and they had my favorite dish from Guam. I have gone to MANY Vietnamese restaurants in the last nine years and none have had the exact dish, that I loved on Guam, so to actually have it as it should be served was an excellent way to end a perfect evening! What a treat. For Sally and Myscha it was BBQ Beef with Lemon grass, served with rice noodles, mint leaves, bean sprouts and the lettuce leaves that you use to wrap all of it into a wrap. Fabulous! I'm going back. More on that later and the wonderful Vietnamese woman I met there. More later, Aloha!

2005-10-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

Maui I've been in Maui now almost 24 hours. This island is a little crazier than I expected. I should have known, as it is SO POPULAR. Traffic is heavier here and people drive faster. They aren't very patient either. That could be attributed to the fact that so many of the drivers are visitors from the mainland still in their mainland RUSH MODE. It is absolutely gorgeous. There is just so much to take in that it is sensory overload at first. Yesterday as I drove in from the airport I noticed so much variety in the scenery. Mountains, red dark volcanic dirt, open countryside and the gorgeous ocean views. As you fly in the mountains are fabulous, get a window seat, it was amazing! But adjusting to this place is a real challenge. It's completely new to me, so I dont know the roads or the towns and am finding my way around slowly. I spent last night exploring Lahaina and watching the sunset. It is a quaint little town, filled with zillions of tourists just like me. Ahg! But even then it is worth the time to visit and explore. I also drove out and explored for a few hours today. I visited three beaches in West Maui. Ka'anpali Beach, which is in front of several resorts and has a nice walking path to follow. I also found Kahekili Beach Park which is the same area and there you could sit in sand or grass, and they had bbq's covered tables and really a nice beach area to relax. It was a gorgeous walk! The ocean colors are just so stunning, it isn't even easy to describe how beautiful it is. The third beach was Napali Beach, this one was smaller and more intimate and fewer people. Really excellent area to swim as it was a more protected cove and the water was crystal clear. I hope to return to that beach another day. All in all it is a wonderful island, just a bit overwhelming at first as there is SO MUCH HERE to see and do. Tonight I'm going to see Ulalena. This is a show that was recommended to me by some of my Hawaiian friends. It's a theatre production of Hawaii's history and culture with hula and many other things included. I'm looking forward to that. I'll give you a report another time! Take care. Lisa

2005-10-14T18:10:00.000-05:00

On the way to Maui.... I'm waiting for my flight to Maui. It's been a great week here visiting friends. I wish I'd had more time with each of them, yet seeing all of them was very special and allowed me to reconnect to their lives here in Hawaii. I'm looking forward to Maui. I'm especially excited as it's my first trip to the island. I hope that you are enjoying following my trip and adventures in the islands. I wish my trip were longer, it's great to be here, and I wish I could stay forever. It really is a wonderful place. Though yesterday a local woman I talked to in Haleawa said that there are trade offs here

2005-10-14T04:49:00.000-05:00

Surf shorts and Hawaiian drivers.... Just a couple short but cool things I wanted to add. Driving here has been a real pleasure. The Hawaiian drivers (I'd forgotten) are very friendly, they always let you in, they don't get impatient when you dont take off the second the light changes and they basically drive with a very considerate attitude. Now I did have a FEW jerks, but my friend Dory assures me they are mainlanders who just can't let go of that rush attitude.. It makes driving a real pleasure I can take my time and really relax. The surf shorts, how did I never own these before?? These are excellent, very comfortable, soft and instead of a zipper they have velcro and instead of a snap close they tie like a shoe lace back and forth. SO COOL. I love them. I found them today and I'm certainly buying another pair before I leave! Off to Maui tomorrow.

2005-10-14T03:09:00.000-05:00

Lanikai beach taken in the morning sun. Pink Plumeria which smell divine! Byodo Temple in Kaneohe.

2005-10-14T02:14:00.000-05:00

A couple pictures of my favorite beach areas. One is Sandy Beach where you can always find surfers and the second is Waimanalo Beach, which is up the windward coast a bit. It's a really gorgeous area that makes me REALLY WISH TO MOVE BACK TO HAWAII. As I stood there looking at the beach all I could think of is, I want to move back and live on an island. It was a really sad moment, to know that I have to wait, that I have to stay where I am for a time and let things unfold naturally, not an easy thing for a gypsy soul like me to do.

2005-10-14T01:42:00.000-05:00

Aloha The picture is the From Here to Eternity Beach I had a wonderful day exploring the North Shore and driving down the windward coast, past all the surf beaches. What a great day! You'll laugh when I tell you where I'm sitting to connect to the internet.... in the back yard next to the pool. I tried several times to get my wireless to work in my bungalow and couldn't get a strong enough signal. So I KNEW there was a signal nearby. It was a matter of finding where the signal was good and it's the backyard!! I had a chance to visit some of my favorite places today. I drove to Mokeleau Beach and Kaena Point, which is a remote beach area that I used to love. There are always windsurfers in that area.. Today I watched kite boarders and they were amazing to see!! But sadly the area has gone down and it's a bit rough around the edges and you have to be more careful out there. No one bothered me, and I knew ahead of time to be careful. Well, I've hit some unknown key, because I suddenly have italics and no way to get out of it. Ah... computer fun! After the kiteboarders I drove to Haliewa and had lunch and visited a few of my favorite shops. It has grown a bit, but still has the same wonderful small town feel. After lunch I drove the coast back to Kailua and stopped at several of my favorite beaches. The sunset beach area where I stopped was packed with surfers and the waves were really high. Only experienced people were in the water, but lots of people watching. I also stopped at Chinaman's Hat. A favorite beach park that has an island off the coast that looks like an asian straw hat. Really a beautiful area with beach and huge mountains. Tonight I had dinner with my friend Dory. I've enjoyed seeing all my friends, one each day and just catching up on their lives. I will add some pictures tonight or in the morning. Enjoy!

2005-10-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

Kailua and Kaneohe I've had a wonderful couple of days. I am now on the windward side of the island and the beaches and views are fabulous. I've spent part of each day with friends and part of the day alone re- exploring my favorite places. I had a chance to spend nearly an hour at the Byodo Temple in Kaneohe. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Right up there with the Place of Refuge and the Temple on the lake in Bali. Spending time at the Japanese temple is centering and relaxing. The grounds and temple are a replica of a 900 yr old temple in Japan. I took lots of pics and will add them to the blog when I can. For now I am in an internet cafe on the north shore. I've also enjoyed walks on Kailua and Lanikai beach. Heavenly is the best way to describe it, though Lanikai beach is fast disappearing, there is a lot washed away and in some areas the water comes right to the sea wall by homes. Sad, I think this has happened because of the sea wall being built from what I heard from locals. It has been really amazing to be here again. Being here has made me realize all over again that I am an island person at heart and that there will come a time when I move again to live near the ocean. These islands feel so comfortable to me. I have driven around and found my way without a map as if I'd never left. It feels good to know that it's even more beautiful than I remembered.

2005-10-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

Windward Coast Today I'm heading to the windward side of the island to stay in Kailua. I will be there three days, there won't be wireless internet at my bungalow so I won't be able to add pictures for that time. But I will try to find an internet cafe to add updates. I love this side of the island. The beaches are fabulous and my favorite Japanese temple is there as well. It will also be a chance to see three very good friends. Lisa P is having a dinner party for me tonight at her home. That will be a lot of fun. I met her here in Hawaii when both of our mom's were ill with cancer at the same time and we were both new at the same school. She's a wonderful friend. I will also see two other friends I treasure who taught with me here in Hawaii. This picture is of Naomi, Ed, Evie, Fran and I yesterday. Aloha!

2005-10-11T05:54:00.000-05:00

Another wonderful day! I had a relaxing day with friends. I spent the afternoon with teacher friends from my days living on Oahu. It was so good to see all of them again. Surreal actually to sit in a restaurant catching up on their lives and mine. I found it interesting as I drove through Honolulu that I knew exactly where to go and found my way as if I'd never been gone. That was quite a pleasant surprise. I suppose when you drive the same streets to work for two years you are bound to remember, even after six years! After my afternoon of catching up I had dinner with Jeanette and her friend at Roy's. We loved it so much our first visit that her friend Erwin treated us to another evening at Roy's. We had a really lovely time. P.S. The lei I'm wearing is from my friend Fran.

2005-10-10T04:42:00.000-05:00

A couple more fun pictures with Jeanette in Waikiki......

2005-10-10T04:29:00.000-05:00

Waikiki................. We had a great evening in Waikiki. It was a real change and brought back some nice memories. I've always loved Teppanaki, where they dice/cook the food in front of you. I returned to a favorite Japanese Teppanaki restaurant I used to frequent when I lived on Oahu. That was fun! Then we walked around Hilton Hawaiian village. It's still just as fabulous as I remember, lots of walkways with orchids, water ponds, koi fish, a lovely pool and bar and music and just quiet little areas to sit and relax surrounded with tropical flowers. A real change from the normal Waikiki insanity. So spent a couple hours there shopping, taking pictures, and just found a quiet area to chat. It was a lot of fun. EXCEPT for the sunburn I got snorkeling. I had on sunscreen but forgot my back. So now I'm paying and it isn't feeling too great. I will have to be careful for a few days now.

2005-10-09T21:19:00.000-05:00

Hanauma Bay! We had a delightful day snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. There were so many colorful fish. It looked like a tropical island that was just beyond gorgeous. We lolled the afternoon away talking under a palm tree after our snorkel. What a great day! Now off to the windward side for a relaxed dinner.

2005-10-09T03:12:00.000-05:00

It's nice to be back on Oahu. My friend Jeanette and I had dinner at Roy's a wonderful Hawaiian restaurant near the water. We had a fabulous dinner and had time to catch up and hear about each others lives and challenges. Tomorrow we're planning a day to see some Oahu sights that she has never seen and that I love most. This is the view from the boat slip in front of Jeanette's place. They have a wonderful view of the canal and other homes.

2005-10-09T03:04:00.000-05:00

One of my many beach views on the Big Island Jeanette feeding the ducks on the boat slip. Two views from my last dinner on The Big Island A few more pictures of paradise!

2005-10-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

Aloha from Oahu! I have arrived at my friend's place in Hawaii Kai. Wow is it gorgeous! They have a house that is on the canal. When you are on the patio it feels as if you are on a house boat! Quite a unique experience. It is wonderful to be back on Oahu, happy and sad really. So many treasured memories and a tinge of sadness as well. I have a wireless connection at their home so I will update with some pictures later.

2005-10-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

How do the Germans find me? The funniest thing happened at dinner. I ate at a casual beach place right on the water and I had an excellent table overlooking the water. The restaurant was getting crowded by the time I was finishing dinner and this couple came over and asked if they could sit with me. Of course they were Germans. It was almost comical. Only I could be sitting in a beach resort in Hawaii and meet pushy Germans. Who else would have the guts to come up and ask to share a table. They were from Hamburg and he was very nice, we talked for quite sometime. She was less friendly and fliting around taking a lot of pictures so not even at the table for most of our conversation. They were touring Hawaii then off to San Francisco and to Las Vegas. A five week trip, I love that about Germany, enough vacation time to really enjoy life and a good trip! America has a lot to learn in that respect. Just had to share this. Those of you who know how much pushy Germans can drive me nuts will get a good laugh! Tomorrow I'm off to Oahu to see friends.

2005-10-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hi again, Well I learned a couple things about the blog today. I type these nice neat paragraphs and it shows them when I preview but when I publish to the blog it becomes one giant glob of type that is probably hard for you guys to read. I will try to do several shorter messages so it is easier to read! I had a really nice day, took it easier, discovered another new beach. The Old Kona Airport Beach. to get to the beach you drive on the old runways, which is kind of bizarre, but it is a gorgeous beach and I really enjoyed the walk and the really wild high waves. After the beach I drove to another new area for dinner. (One that came recommended in the guide book. Great restaurant.) What I didnt know until I arrived was that the area is basically the Waikiki of Kona. So alot of touristy shops and tons of people. I wasnt so keen on that, but the sunset view at the restaurant made up for it.

2005-10-07T16:44:00.000-05:00

Hi there, Yesterday was amazing. I had two very different experiences. First I had a Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage. This kind of massage is one using long deep strokes in sets of threes, along with some shaking movements when working with various joints. It was fabulous. Nicki, the woman who owns the B&B is a certified Massage Therapist and she did my massage in my cottage where I could hear the waterfall. My afternoon was a very different kind of experience. I took the Mauna Kea Summit Trip. What an amazing trip. I highly recommend it, though there were things I wasn't thrilled with. More on that later. We drove for about an hour and a half to reach the visitors center at 9000 ft. This on a road called Saddle road, which is very winding and FORBIDDEN to rental cars. I know why, as the guide explained it. It is a decently paved road, though bumpy at some points. The reason you aren't allowed to take it is because it was engineered incorrectly, which means the curves are not such that your car flows correctly through them and it is apparently very easy to flip the car or run off the road, and if that happened you could sue the country or state because the road is improperly made. But that said, if you aren't driving like an idiot (curves were 20mph) you would very likely be fine. We saw tourist cars along the route who did drive to the visitors center. We had dinner at the visitors center to acclimate to the altitude. After that we headed for the summit which is 13,796 ft. This drive took us 45 minutes, and we arrived with plenty of time to see the sunset. It is an incredible experience to be up there. Really a once in a life time opportunity, at least once in this girl's lifetime. Our guide was the owner of the company and very knowledgeable of the mountain, the observatories on the summit and the geological history of the area. I guess my BIG complaint was that he never explained how we COULD feel upon reaching the summit. The air is so thin up there that the smallest amount of walking just leaves you feeling either lightheaded or very winded and slightly off. I talked to a pilot who was with our group and even he was affected and he'd previously been at 11,000 ft without oxygen. That said, if you just stopped and stood still and rested you were fine. I did have one moment when I thought I might pass out, but standing still and resting made that feeling go away. I left the summit with a slight headache, that went away as soon as we had been back at 9000 ft for a time. We only spent approx 25 minutes on the summit. The next part, the star gazing was FABULOUS. I cannot believe how many stars we saw. Six shooting stars, the constellation Scorpio so clear that even a complete novice like myself could see it clearly. We also saw Venus and the moon up close in the telescopes, along with many other things. Overall a top experience!! My only other gripe, the incredible cold and wind. Even with our parkas all of us were basically freezing our butts off (even those in the group from Michigan used to the cold). We were out in 35- 40 degree temps with 30 mph wind for about three and a half hours. I think the sheer amount of time outdoors really had an impact. Today is a cafe and beach day! Not a hardship by any means! The internet cafe has a fabulous beach view. Honestly I never want to leave! Aloha, Lisa

2005-10-07T16:29:00.000-05:00

PICTURES of Paradise! Today I'm adding some pictures to my blog. These are beaches I've visited, and plants and flowers and my trip to the Summit of Mauna Kea. Enjoy!

2005-10-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

A Perfect Day! Today was one of those days that just couldn't have been better. Of course.... I haven't driven home yet...LOL Those of you who don't understand, read my post from this morning! After a relaxing morning and a wonderful Thai lunch overlooking the ocean I took off for The Place of Refuge. The Place of Refuge is one of those very spiritual places that allows you to recenter yourself and feel refreshed when you leave. It is run by the state park and was originally a spiritual place for the native Hawaiians in ancient time. It was a place of refuge for those who committed a crime. When a person committed a crime they were killed and if they made it to the place of refuge before they were caught they were forgiven for their misdeed by the priests that were there. The only way to reach the Place of Refuge was by water, so they either swam or canoed to their spiritual safety. As you walk around the grounds there are authentic huts and Hawaiian statues that guard the safe keeping of the bones of special individuals who were buried there. It has a lagoon and today there was an endangered Green Sea Turtle resting there. The turtle seem unperturbed by us and only occasionally opened his eyes to look at us. I was fortunate there were only about 12 people on the whole grounds so it was wonderful and extra quiet. Now, for why I turned up two hours later than I expected..... I knew basically where it was from my last trip. I even saw the sign that said 3 miles ahead. What I didn't see was that the sign expected me to turn at the next intersection. So of course I drove by the turn. It turned out to be a blessing. I found an amazing beach that I would have otherwise never found. After I finally found a place to turn around & I was on my way back to the Place of Refuge and I saw this sign that said Hookeleau 2 miles, so I thought what the heck, wonder what that is. I drove the two miles on more windy and narrow roads, some of this one single lane. Thankfully I only met two cars. At the end of this amazing drive I found paradise! I drove up to a beach with only 20 cars or so and a view like I would expect on a deserted island. Mountains to one side and open ocean to the other, to make it more dramatic and fantastic were the storm clouds hanging off in the background. To make it even better, it was a black sand beach! I sat there for a quite a while and watched the 7-12 year old amazing boogie boarders. These kids had talent, a couple were doing flips on their boards. It was cool to watch. So that was my "today's find." Absolutely fabulous! Take care and enjoy! Lisa

2005-10-05T16:37:00.000-05:00

Today I am having a return visit to the Place of Refuge. I visited this sacred place on my last visit to the Big Island and it is one of my most favorite places in the world. It's right up there with the temple at the lake in Bali. I will send some pictures of my time here tomorrow now that I know they have wireless internet at this cafe and I can bring my laptop back and load pictures! I'm having a wonderful time and I wish you could all experience it! Aloha, Lisa

2005-10-05T16:29:00.000-05:00

My evening was interesting....that is said with laughter, it wasn't good but it was interesting. I went to get some groceries and basic things I needed like reef shoes. I went to Walmart, and let me say that at five pm in the evening it looked like a rush hour standstill of people and cars. I could not believe it. Of course if I think back to Guam and our delight at KMart's arrival I should not be at all surprised. It made me smile! A visit to Safeway was next.... oh was that amazing. I have NEVER seen so many people lined up to check out in my life. According to a local I talked to in line there are 2000 extra people in town preparing to participate in the Iron Man Triathalon that begins on Oct 15. The roads are filled with bicyclists and runners preparing! So I think they were all in Safeway buying supplies with me :) After I left safeway I started home to the B&B. Then the real fun started. My windshield was hit with a piece of fruit at the speed of a baseball being thrown in a game! I thought for sure the windshield would shatter. I'm sure it was some group of teens just randomly hitting cars as I was driving on quite a busy side road. Thankfully I was not in danger, just startled beyond imagination. Along with that the roads are windy, dark and up to my B&B quite steep. In some areas I have to drive in low gear to manage the hills. It is a beautiful drive by day, but more challenging at night. On top of which the Hawaiians KNOW the roads and drive faster and I am not familiar at all!! So suffice it to say I was happy to arrive home and relax!!

2005-10-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

Aloha! I'm having a wonderful time. God I can't even begin to describe what it feels like to be here again. It actually feels like I should've never left. To say this is paradise doesn't even describe it fully. Right now I am on the big island and this is by far my favorite island of those I've ever visited. This island reminds me the most of Guam with it's lush landscape and the multitude of flowers, palms and ferns. In the ten minute drive down the mountain from my B&B I can easily see at least 25 kinds of tropical flowers. How can anything be better than driving around and seeing the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other and feeling a sea breeze on your skin. I am in heaven, and I never want to leave. My B&B is heavenly. I cannot believe what a fantastic choice it has been. The decor, the attention to detail, the breakfast, the quietness of the area, along with the horses, dogs, cats, and donkeys they have are just delightful. One of the their cats has taken a liking to me, it's name is Mochi and it reminds me of Money cat. My cottage is what you see when you visit my Big Island B&B link. The cat in the picture is Mochi and he is one of three. When you are in my cottage there is a sliding door to the back patio. This patio is heavenly. I have my own private waterfall, koi pond and tropical paradise of plants, ferns, a banana tree, and gorgeous flowers. Each morning I have breakfast there. Its' incredible and the birds are everywhere. I love that!! Yesterday I spent exploring beaches. I visited three very different beaches. One completely deserted. That was a delight. It took me back in my memories of Guam and our boonie stomps to private beaches. One beach was a combination of coral and lava rock and lots of tall palms, (the deserted one). Another was a windswept beach that used to be a hawaiian royal area, with a Hawaiian fish pond, and narrated signs explaining the area and the grounds. That was enjoyable but very windy. The guide book said that the Waikaloa area was so windy that if the wind stopped blowing the cows would fall down! I believe the now!! The third beach was a golden sand beach with no coral or lava on the beach, so no worries of where to step. This beach also had nice waves and was a state park. I may revisit that beach to snorkel. I will post this and then keep adding more as I'm at a waterside internet cafe and when my time is up I will just lose my connection without warning, so I dont want to lose this post!!

2005-10-03T22:55:00.000-05:00

It's just as beautiful as I remembered! I've arrived in Honolulu and am awaiting my flight to the Big Island. It's so amazing to be here! It felt like coming home, coming back to a part of my life I loved. I miss living on an island so it is very special to be back. I've included a picture of one of the outdoor garden areas that I love, and one another person took of me, They didnt do a great job, but you can atleast see my lei greeting and probably my exhaustion! Aloha!

2005-10-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

Leaving Las Vegas.... I had forgotten what insanity this place is, especially the airport. Talk about polar opposites from Hawaii... Of course Hawaiian's LOVE Las Vegas. One of my Hawaiian friends had their family reunion here! Now that is crazy! Thus lots of flights to Hawaii come through here! Thankfully my return flight is not through here. This is a little much when you are desiring paradise! At least being here means I'm a step closer to Kona! Lisa :)

2005-09-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

I've added a link for my B&B on Maui. When you visit the site click on amenities and the Makai studio. I liked the island look of it, and it's right in Lahaina very close to the beach and the bars. Let's be realisitic.... This is an island vacation and island bars are all part of being on Island Time.

2005-09-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

Four days to go! Many of you may see that I've made alot of template (background) changes this week. I was having problems with spacing and columns sliding to the bottom of the page. It reminds me a lot of learning how to use power point in German. A real pain in the ass! Hopefully the problems are solved, after all this was meant to be FUN!

2005-09-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

Six days to go! I'm very excited! I made my reservation for the Mauna Kea Trip. You can see exactly where I'll be going by scrolling to Lisa's Links and clicking on the Mauna Kea Summit Tour. It will be a wonderful chance to experience the Big Island, and the Mauna Kea night sky.

2005-09-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

Hawaii Preparations

How did I forget that Teva's look

like tire tread on my feet? It would

seem after three years on Guam

and another three on Oahu I would

be able to wear these. ....Nah, it's

never going to happen I want

practical and pretty. Today I

found a new hiking sandal

that doesn't feel like I have inches

of tire tread on my feet! Now to get to

the Big Island where I can hike. I miss

the boonie hikes we took on Guam.

They were an adventure!