Polynesian Cultural Center

Hangin' Loose at the Polynesian Cultural Center

The Canoe Pageant was beautiful,
and we were impressed with the dancers skills.

We enjoyed all the demonstrations
Top left: Making tapa cloth
Top right: Poi making
Bottom left: Making coconut oil
Bottom right: This guy demonstrated several things.
Here is was going to show us how to scrape the meat out of the coconut
by sitting on this stool with a serrated metal tip, but first he decided to have a little fun
and pretend that the stool was a big gun.

Different tattoos mean different things.
Our younger guys got chief tattoos, while the older two opted for warrior ink.
(I, of course, got the queen tattoo but have no picture to prove it.)

Polynesian Games

One of our favorite things was watching this guy
climb the coconut tree without any equipment.
On his way down, he stopped to entertain the crowd with a variety of poses.

Things we love about America

There are plenty of things to love about America. And, when you've been away for a while, you realize how much you appreciate things you once took for granted. Here are some things we love about this great country, without getting into anything too metaphysical:

• Internet!!!--We have been thoroughly enjoying consistent, unlimited, high-speed internet since we've been back in the States. That's definitely not the norm overseas, even in places you might think it would be. 
• Decent sized trash cans--I realize that we are an exceptionally trashy family, but many of the places we stayed overseas had household trash cans no bigger than a 2-quart pitcher.
• Amazon Prime videos and music--We were unable to access our Prime perks overseas, and we have been so happy to have that back in our lives.
• Not having to chase down someone to pay the check at a restaurant--Some might consider it a good thing to be left alone by the waiter, and to a certain extent that's true. But there were so many times when we had been finished with our meal for a very long time and could not find anyone to take our money so we could leave. In fact, many waiters seemed to avoid us completely when it was time for the check. We would literally have to hunt someone down and practically force them to take our money.
• Roomy showers with reasonably high water pressure and plenty of hot water--This needs no explanation. 
• Dishwashers and dryers are standard in most places--We do not consider either of these things necessities, but they are so nice to have and definitely make life a little easier. 
• Iced drinks--I'm not sure why ice hasn't really caught on overseas, but we like our drinks cold and appreciate the abundance of iced drinks here in the good ol' U.S.A.
• Large drinking cups--I don't know if we're just abnormally thirsty or if we just need more room for ice, but we like larger cups and glasses for drinking. For some reason, most of the cups and glasses overseas seem better suited for a doll's tea party. 
• Drip coffee makers--I guess the rest of the world just doesn't drink as much coffee as Americans do, but the one-cup stovetop percolators and French presses are just not very convenient or expedient for brewing multiple cups. Plus, they are messy and hard to use and don't make great coffee in my opinion. 
• Sturdy eggs--This seems like a funny one, but there was truly a difference in the quality of eggs overseas, whether store-bought or farm fresh. The shells and yolks in many of the places we visited were super fragile and really hard to work with. 
• Top sheets--To me, a bed just feels cozier with a top sheet between the covers and me. Plus, if it happens to be hot, you can be covered up without the bulk and heat of a blanket, comforter, or duvet. Most of the rest of the world does not see a need for the top sheet, which is just sad. 
• Window screens--It's so nice to let in a cooling breeze without sending out an open invitation for every bug within a 10-mile radius.

Explore Hong Kong Winner

You haven't been hearing much from me, because there truly hasn't been much to report. We spent the last few days lounging around the pool at the resort, and yesterday and today the oldest three kids were taking their annual grade-level SAT tests, while Jeff and I assisted with the administration of tests for other grades. My kids were just as thrilled as you might imagine to have to take standardized tests while we are visiting Hawaii. But there was just no way around it, since we couldn't find a place to have them tested overseas, and the testing season will be completely over by the time we get back to Texas. They were doubly thrilled because we have not been doing school on a regular basis for a while now. But, they survived and lived to see another Hawaiian sunset, this time on Oahu's North Shore.

But enough about what we've been up to. I have a book winner to announce.

Congratulations, Jhenisa!!

You are the winner of my lastest Geography Explorer book, Explore Hong Kong. Thank you so much for commenting and for following our travels! I will be mailing the book to you soon.

For the rest of you, you can find the book on Amazon, if you are interested, and you can get there quicker if you click on the picture of the book in the sidebar. Also, keep an eye out for Explore Thailand, which will be published soon.

Aloha!

The Hawaiian Experience

We spent most of the day hanging around the resort, taking advantage of many of the fun Hawaiian experiences offered like lei making, hula lessons, and ukulele lessons. This afternoon, we did take a little trip out to Pearl Harbor, which was interesting and touching, though we were a bit disappointed because the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial was closed for repairs, so we were unable to go inside. Our day also featured shopping for Hawaiian shirts, some pool time, fruity little drinks, a walk on the beach, and dinner on an outdoor patio. It was such a fun day!

Lei Making Class

Hula Girl

Pearl Harbor

Hawaiian Shirts

Ukulele Lesson

Hotel Sculptures

Diamond Head, from the beach

King Kamehameha Day, Etc.

Yesterday was King Kamehameha Day, and we were so fortunate to get to witness the parade in Kona before catching our flight to Honolulu, where we were able to visit to the famous monarch's lei encrusted statue.

Before seeing the statue, though, we picked up our rental car and loaded everything up, except for one teeny tiny bag that we overlooked and left sitting in the parking garage at the airport. It contained everything of any importance. We hadn't gone far when we realized our mistake, so we turned the car around and headed right back to the airport. Where we found absolutely nothing and neither had the security office, though they promised to call if the bag magically turned up. I didn't cry, and I didn't throw up, though I felt like doing both. Thankfully, a few hours later, the security office did call to tell us the bag (still bearing all its contents) had been found. And, luckily, we had had a somewhat difficult time canceling credit cards, so we had only canceled one by the time the bag was found. The relief we felt when we got that call was physical, like a huge lead weight had been lifted. When Jeff went to retrieve the bag this morning, he also picked up malasadas (Portuguese donuts that are very popular in Hawaii) and manapuas (Cantonese steamed buns, also popular in Hawaii) to celebrate.

Today we enjoyed the awesome pool at our lovely resort here on Waikiki. We spent about 8 hours down there, and then everyone came back to the room and crashed for a while before we headed out for dinner at Shorebird, a cook-your-own restaurant on the water that Jeff had visited a couple of times as a kid. He had shared his fond memories of the place and our kids couldn't wait to try it. It was a fun experience, and we all had a great time.

King Kamehameha Day Parade in Kona 

King Kamehameha heavily laden with leis

Hawaiian treats
(malasadas on the left, manapuas on the right)

A rainbow on a day when really needed to see a symbol of hope

The view from our balcony

Pool Time

Dinner at Shore Bird

Parasailing and a Luau

Yesterday was a big day. We had our first parasailing experience, which was really awesome! The three older kids went up together on a 1200-foot line. They got to simulate a free fall and had their feet dunked in the water, which they were thrilled about. Clay and I went up on an 800-foot line, and though I had planned on us skipping the foot dunking at the end, Clay had his heart set on it after seeing the big kids do it. I was afraid that by the time his feet reached the water, I would be half submerged, but I only got wet up to my knees, so it wasn't too bad. It was so fun to fly up above the water. The blue of the sea was amazing, and the silence we experienced at that height was divine.

After our parasailing experience, we spent some time in town, visiting the Donkey Balls store, shopping in the souvenir shops, and sipping drinks on a lanai overlooking the sea. It was a lovely afternoon!

Finally, it was time for our luau. When we checked in, we received fresh flower and kukui nut leis and then made our way to the open-air luau grounds. We got to see the kalua pig emerge from the imu (underground oven) and then spent the next couple of hours enjoying the spectacular buffet and the outstanding entertainment in a truly beautiful setting. Jeff and I have been to several luaus in the past, and this one was by far our favorite.

Ready to fly

These guys had so much fun on our parasailing adventure!

Big fun with my little guy

Donkey Balls (chocolate covered macadamia nuts)
are a Kona specialty, and we can't get enough of them!

The delectable kalua pig emerges from the imu

Luau Entertainment

Island Tats

Some of the delicious offerings of the luau

Dancing with my sweetie to the Hawaiian wedding song

The obligatory luau photo

Kahaluu Beach

We spent several hours at Kahaluu Beach today. It's a fantastic, shallow, natural cove with excellent snorkelling. We saw so many beautiful fish, in such vivid and breathtaking colors and patterns. We also got to see a couple of green sea turtles, which was a big thrill!

Kahaluu Beach, with it's natural rock barrier which keep the big waves out

We were so thrilled to spot a couple of green turtles!

We saw so many moorish idol fish.

The yellow tang fish were abundant and friendly.

Sea urchins were peeking out from every crevice.

Contrary to what this photo might have you believe,
Clay never stuck his face in the water.
He was interested in all the gear, but he kept to the rocks.

Max snorkeled on and off, but eventually gave up
because he didn't like the taste of the sea water.

Weston has been snorkeling two times in deep water,
and hasn't really enjoyed either outing.
But today, in the shallow water, he couldn't get enough of it. 

Ruth's favorite part of the day was seeing the turtle.

A trip to the beach wouldn't have been complete
without a Hawaiian shave ice!

Coffee, Green Sand, and Volcanoes

Today was full but so much fun! Our first stop was the Greenwell Coffee Farm, because you can't very well visit Kona without checking out the coffee offerings. It was a beautiful little farm overlooking the sea. We got to try several different coffees as well as some honey. We also got to participate in an educational and entertaining tour of the farm. The tour guide was knowable not only of the history of the plantation and of coffee production but also of most of the other plants growing on the property. And, she was so sweet with the younger boys and involved them in every step of the tour.

From there, we made our way to Papakolea Beach, which is one of only four green sand beaches in the world. This particular one also happens to be at the southernmost tip of the U.S. so we got to have two cool experiences for the price of one. I don't even want to tell you how we got out to the beach, because I'm not sure all of it was entirely legal. It was definitely an adventure, and so much fun. The beach is absolutely gorgeous, and we are so glad we made the effort to get out to it. 

Our final stop was the Volcanoes National Park. There are several volcanoes in the park, but the main attraction is Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes. In 1490, the summit collapsed, leaving an enormous crater (caldera) and an almost flat shield volcano behind. But that hasn't dampened the spirit of this feisty mountain, which last erupted in 1983 and continues to actively produce lava. We got to look into the crater, see the volcano's many steam vents, and even see the glow of the lava within the newer, smaller summit caldera. It was an amazing experience! While we were in the park, we also caught a glimpse of the endangered Nene bird. It was such a great day, and we made so many fantastic memories!

Greenwell Coffee Farm
The farm operated for many years without a single coffee plant.
However, Mr. Greenwell shrewdly invested in a roaster and encouraged
all the local farmers to bring their crops to him, so he could provide it to a global market.
The catch is that only roasters get to put their name on the final product, so Greenwell Coffee was born.
The first coffee plants, which are now over 100 years old (bottom right pic), were planted by
Mrs. Greenwell after her husband's death, because she wanted the complete experience.

Papakolea Beach
We really loved this beautiful beach, and while we were there,
we saw a man catch a yellowfin surgeonfish, which was very exciting!

Volcanoes National Park
From left to right, starting at the top:
A large topographical map of Hawaii, with Kilauea at left-center; steam vents;
a 6-ton, Max-sized boulder the volcano spit out when the summit collapsed;
the newer caldera hidden by all the steam; the rare nene bird; our junior ranger;
just crater as far as the eye can see; lava inside the  summit caldera

Fun all across the island

This morning we hopped up and headed over to the other side of the island, near Hilo, to visit Botanical World Adventures. We got to see a gorgeous waterfall, wander through the beautiful gardens, and find our way out of a hedge maze. The kids and I also did the zipline tour, which allowed us the opportunity to experience the tropical forest in a more intimate and exciting way. We zipped down seven lines, through the trees and over a lovely stream. It was so much fun and really beautiful!

When we left the park, we drove along the Saddleback Road, which took us right by the Mauna Kea volcano, which is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from its true base under the sea. It was very foggy, but it was still awesome to behold the hulking mountain through the clouds.

Once we arrived back in Kona, we decided we really needed (wink, wink) to sip fruity little drinks while watching the sunset over the ocean. We had staked out a place yesterday when we were in town, so it was an easy choice. Fate was on our side, too, because we got a table as close to the water as you could get. It was such a lovely evening and a great end to a wonderful day!

Kamea Falls

Ready to Zip

Zipline Course

Botanical World Adventures Garden

Dinner at On the Rocks

As we were driving to Hilo, Ruth mentioned that Hawaii reminded her of Hong Kong, which reminds me: You still have time to leave a comment on my post from a few days ago for a chance to win a copy of my new geography workbook for kids about, you guessed it, Hong Kong.

Kailua-Kona

Our apartment is just outside the little town of Kailua-Kona, so this morning, we walked into town to hit the farmer's market and see the sights. I just want to tell you, in case you haven't been able to surmise this for yourself: I love Hawaii! My heart is full of "Aloha," and just being here makes me happy. This is our first time to visit the Big Island, and, so far, and to exactly no one's surprise, we love it. I cannot get enough of the gorgeous flowers, amazing beach vistas, fantastic fruits, and perfect temperatures.

The view from our balcony

Kona Sunset

One of my favorite stalls at the farmer's market

Pretty macaws posing for visitors

Hawaii's oldest church

Aloha from Hawaii

Clay and I had fun spotting crabs on the lava rocks beside the shore

There are beautiful flowers everywhere!

See what I mean?!

The view from the pool, where we've been spending some quality time

Don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's post for a chance to win a copy of my new book about another tropical location, Hong Kong!