Gummie Experiment

Vodka-soaked gummie bears?  This came up in conversation toward the end of a shift at the zoo not too long ago.  The keepers and other volunteers collected under the hau tree to escape the sun while waiting out the final 30 minutes until the lunch break.  Somehow the topic shifted to a news story about teenagers taking gummie bears to school to snack on, only these gummie bears deliver more than just a sugar high.  We were all astounded to hear that the tiny fruity candy could be a turned into an on-the-go jello shot.  I decided to investigate.

After a little searching on the Internet, I found many resources for how to go about intoxicating the gummies.  I bought a couple of brands of candy and used a variety of liquor, stuff we had in the fridge.  A common suggestion was to soak the gummies in liquor for 5 days to allow them time to fully saturate.  I chose to keep them submerged for a couple of days.

I layered the gummies in the bottom of the glasses before pouring in enough vodka or rum to cover them completely.  Then, I used cellophane and a rubber band to seal the glass.  I wrote on the rubber band to identify which liquor was in which.  After making room in the fridge, I let them sit overnight.

The following day I gave each glass a little shake and noticed that the bears were already growing, kind of like those little sponge pills that grow into a dinosaur when water is added to them.  I love those.

Just to determine how potent these little critters may be, I popped one into my mouth.  WHOA!  A handful of these would do a lot of damage.  The fumes alone are enough to make your eyes tear.  With a burning tongue, I put them back in the fridge.

Once ready, the bears take on a glassy look and are very swollen.

Jeff was willing to taste test, so I made some with Haribo, his favorite brand.  The looks he gave were priceless.

The flavor was not pleasing.  Neither was the burning sensation that lingered in the mouth.  Down the drain they went, though I took a few to pass out to the keepers at the zoo (to enjoy after hours, of course).  I can't imagine what they would taste like after 5 days bathing in the vodka.  I'll stick with a traditional jello shot in the future, or better yet, a good glass of wine.

Breadfruit Experiment

Next time you visit the Honolulu Zoo, be sure to stop in the Keiki Zoo.  Just to the left of the entrance, near the overstocked Koi pond that also has as few ducks milling about, is the breadfruit tree that all of the Samoan security guards lust over.  This tree has the tastiest breadfruit around, and I got to have some.  Twice.

I'd noticed the gigantic green orbs while raking the grass near the pond and asked about them during a casual conversation with Les, a kind zoo volunteer I've met recently.  I found myself involved in a new project.  Les couldn't believe that I'd never had breadfruit, deciding to take matters into his own hands immediately.  The final ninety minutes of the zoo shift finds the keepers and volunteers searching for odd jobs to do to stay busy, talking, or spending time on smartphones, so we were all in for a little action.  A small group of us followed Les to the massive tree, our interest instantly piqued when he came out of the shed with a huge fishing net.  It didn't look like he was interested in the low hanging fruit.

A breadfruit that's ready to be eaten will have white milky droppings all over it, appearing to have been recently pooped on by one of the feral pigeons.  It certainly doesn't look appealing at first glance.  After Les reached and tugged at a high, oozing breadfruit, we all heard a, "Dunk!" before a big splash startled the ducks.  The breadfruit had fallen into the pond.  Ick.  Les fished it out and handed it to me, sopping wet and sticky.  All I could do was smile and say thanks.

With fifteen minutes left of our shift, I held onto the giant ball, similar in size to a coconut, trying not to look awkward.  Several visitors asked me what I had, and why.  There were no real easy answers.  Les shared his methods for cooking the starch, but no one was sure about how to tell when it would be ripe enough to eat.  When the security guard came to relieve us (they keep watch of the petting areas while everyone takes lunch), I asked him for some tips, which he was happy to share.

The nice Samoan told me to keep my new prize on the counter at home for a couple of days to let it get a little soft, like an avocado.  In the meantime, I looked online to find recipes and suggestions for how to prepare it.  The security guard wasn't kidding when he told me to use an empty can to shave off its skin.  I found a YouTube video that did just that.  Well, since we're leasing a furnished condo, I decided to avoid ruining a knife trying to cut a can of beans in half, especially since I've broken 3 or 4 water glasses and two wine glasses in the past 5 months.  It's not me; they're super cheap.  And, I'm klutzy.  Mostly, they're super cheap.

Notice the poop-like white milky markings.  I'm not too sure what the dark spot are, but no one seemed alarmed.

I chose the easiest method: to just cut the thing open with a good ole fashioned knife, chop it up into cubes, then boil it for a few minutes.  I wasn't making this for a dinner party or anything, more because Les picked it for me.  I didn't expect to get Jeff to eat much and didn't want to take too much time preparing anything gourmet.  The thing did fall into a nasty pond for heaven's sake.  I guess Jamaican style would've been even easier, since after a couple of cuts, the whole thing goes in the oven to bake for an hour.  As previously stated, we're leasing a condo. 

I only used a quarter, not intending to ruin my dinner.  After 10 minutes in boiling water, I called it ready.  A tiny bit of butter, salt, and pepper, and it's done. 

Absolutely tasted like a potato with a hint of sweet at the finish.  Also, it's a touch stickier than potato.  I convinced Jeff to take a bite.  He made a face during the entire process, even while just picking up a fork to stab a chunk.  He didn't mind it but has preconceived notions about texture and sets himself up.  I don't expect that this will become a staple in our household.

The next week at the zoo, I told of my tasting and enjoyment of preparing the breadfruit.  One of the zoo volunteers is a successful chef who gloated about his amazing breadfruit dishes.  This spurred on the suggestion to hold a potluck lunch where Tony would make us a scrumptious dish using the breadfruit from the zoo.  He did not let us down.  I'm not sure what was in his mash besides butter, chives, salt, and pepper, but it was super good.  I even had seconds. 

Kaua'i Weekend - Part 2

Normally, I love waking up to the sound of rain.  By the last morning of our brief stay on Kaua'i, my cup had runneth over, quite literally, with the inches of precipitation that ruled our mini-vacation.  My mood was very melancholy while Jeff and I dressed to go out for breakfast.  With rain jackets and umbrellas, we walked a short way to a small cafe.  Just before getting inside, another drenching downpour began, so we rushed inside, thankful for an open table.

While waiting for our food, watching the raindrops streak the windowpanes, a semi-permanent scowl took over my face.  I was so disappointed that the rain would not let up and was sure that our flight to see the Napali Coast would be canceled.  Just prior to leaving the restaurant, the downpour grew in intensity, curtaining the road.  My phone rang at about the same time.  The tour company was calling to confirm our flight that was set to take off in two hours.  The kind lady on the phone comforted my fears by telling me that the radar reports the office had projected that the system was breaking up and should be moving off island within the hour.  I was hopeful.

On our way to the airport, Jeff and I stopped at a rushing waterfall that was easily accessible from the road and drove down a few country roads.  The clouds were, indeed, beginning to part.  By the time we pulled into the airport, most of the blue sky was visible, and the hot sun forced us to take off our jackets.

The Napali Coast must be seen from the air or a boat.  Since a bucket list item of mine was to see an active volcano from a helicopter, we chose to go the more cost effective route and take a small plane.  Wings Over Kaua'i garnered great reviews on TripAdvisor and was very easy to communicate with, so we booked through them.  From the first moments of our arrival to the final goodbye, the customer service was great.  The seating is computerized using each passenger's weight to properly balance the plane.  Jeff got to sit in the seat next to the pilot with me directly behind.  I was a little jealous but mostly really excited for him.

Jeff was put to work in the co-pilot's seat, going through the pre-flight check-list with the pilot.  I got a kick out of listening to the exchange on the headset.  Our pilot was nice enough and shared quite a lot of information throughout the flight.

The sight of the island from above is unique and highlightes the changing landscape, vibrant colors of the farms, and the picturesque coastline.  By far, the Napali Coast was the most scenic part of the tour and well worth the cost for the tour by air, which is a little pricier than a boat ride.  Photos can't do this amazing geologic wonder justice (especially with low level clouds nearby).  The cliffs rise thousands of feet vertically from the ocean, black and green against the surreal blue of the Pacific. 

 

Thanks to the rain I'd been cursing, dozens of new wispy waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs.  The scenery was so impressive.  Rounding the leeward coast on our way to the northern side, the mist over took the tops of the cliffs, giving it all a dreamlike feel. 

After our safe, smooth landing, Jeff and I were new people.  The fantastic tour cured our irritation with Mother Nature and set us up to make the most of our last hours on the island.  Driving counterclockwise up the coast, we made our way to the Kilauea Lighthouse, the northern most point in Hawaii (main islands).  The views were spectacular from this point.  While scanning the waters for whales, Jeff readied the camera. Being patient...and lucky...paid off.  We were thrilled to see fins flapping and water shooting from blow holes.  We saw at least three whales off the coast.  Though difficult to tell without zooming in, Jeff captured photographic evidence of a whale tail.  The day was just getting better and better.

Before leaving the north point, we walked around a wildlife refuge and saw thousands of birds and more gorgeous breaking surf.  About halfway back to the airport for our return trip home to Honolulu, we found a path along the coast to stroll.  Within easy walking distance was a shave ice stand, one of the best we've had even months later.  With ono shave ice in hand, we enjoyed our walk along Kaua'i's windward coast.  

The last day of our trip held my favorite moments of the entire time on Kaua'i.  I'm thankful that it wasn't a wash afterall.

Kaua'i Weekend - Part 1

A pretty wet day in Honolulu is reminding me of the soggy weekend we spent on Kaua'i in March.  The island is notorious for being wet, but "passing blessings" were not what we experienced.

Believing that we'd only have a couple of trips and a handful of weeks in Hawaii while Jeff was working here on a project, a long weekend to Kaua'i was booked.  It isn't far to the garden isle, just northwest by plane for less than a half an hour, and the amazing attractions are fewer than the larger islands.  Just in case we ended up back out to Hawaii for a longer vacation, we saved Maui and the Big Island for another time. The weekend was supposed to include a snorkeling trip, a plane ride to see the cliffs on the Napali Coast, a beautiful hike on the North Shore, scenic lookouts, a visit to the Waimea Canyon, swimming, and relaxing.  Unfortunately, torrential downpours cut our to-do list dramatically.

Rainy skies greeted us upon arrival on an early Friday morning that Jeff had "taken off" of work, though his trusty computer did not have much downtime.  Since it was so wet and chilly, the pool at the hotel was not enticing.  We decided to drive counterclockwise around the coast in hopes of taking in some of the magnificent scenery, having to reschedule our air tour of the Napali Coast. 

Too bad that much of the gorgeous cliffs around the island were hidden by thick clouds.  Several of the scenic lookouts left us imagining what we would have seen had the sky been clear.  Damp, grey, and long bouts of downpours left us crabby and uncomfortable, since we continued to try and experience the verdant island outside of the car.  A slow drive back to the hotel in heavy traffic lowered our morale even further.

Hot showers and long pants raised our spirits for dinner reservations Friday night.  Jeff offered, very kindly, to run and get the car while I waited in the lobby.  I was confused to see him exit the vehicle and hand the keys over to a valet.  Soaked pants up to the middle of his thighs was the first clue that it was raining too hard to make the trip out of the hotel.  He was so soaked through, even his rain jacket, that we had to go back to the room for a change of clothes.  Red wine with dinner did the trick to warm us up and turn our frowns upside down. 

Saturday morning started off wonderfully, though still soggy, with a trip to the southern tip and a highly recommended breakfast spot.  Jeff and I both loved Joe's on the Green.  I wasn't too hungry, so we ordered one meal to split.  With large portions of eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, and toast, leaving the restaurant hungry was impossible.  Strawberry pancakes were available, a new one for me, so we ordered one of those and a traditional pancake (Jeff has yet to find a taste for fruit).  The kitchen accidentally served us two dinner plate size strawberry pancakes.  The waitress realized the mistake and promised to rush out a fresh plane one for the fruit-a-phobe and also suggested that I try the coconut syrup.  A couple of forkfuls into the cakes, I was unimpressed.  Everything else was very delicious.  At this point, Jeff twists my arm and pours coconut syrup on my cakes.  Having absolutely no option, I try the new combination.  Suddenly, I realize that more than half of the plate is empty.  I'm sure the coconut syrup melted the pancakes away.  I probably should've asked for my money back.  

Our car accelerated a little slower after our glutenous breakfast and was probably relieved when we stopped a couple of times to walk around the coast on our way to Waimea Canyon.  The rain continued on and off, fairly heavy at times.  A benefit to so much precipitation is that the waterfalls gush and with so much water, new waterfalls pitch in to move the water down the high, steep peaks of the cliffs.  

Waimea Canyon is a sight to see.  The deep valleys seem endless.  At any moment, I half expected to see a pterodactyl swoop below us or the head of a brontosaurus pop out of the canopy.  We snapped lots of pictures, counted and recounted waterfalls (I'm remembering 28), and bounced around a few of the paths.  OK, one of us bounced around; the other one walked normally.

By the time we began our descent, the temperatures were finally rising enough that we could peel our jackets off.  The rain held off, allowing us a little light hiking at different elevations and view the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" from multiple vantage points.

A stop for some great tacos included a call to find that our flight to see the breathtaking, rugged coastline was canceled again.  Wings Over Kaua'i assured us that if the conditions were good to go out the next day, our third and final day, we would not be disappointed in having to reschedule.  This is the activity we were most looking forward to and is a must-do on Kaua'i.  I tried to stay optimistic.

Day two of our trip ended with a short visit to the pool before more rain forced us to take a nap.  Dinner that evening at another of the hotel's restaurants included two guests.  Jeff's coworker and his wife happened to be on the island for a long weekend and stayed at the same hotel.  Matt and Erin's company was thoroughly enjoyable.  We laughed, ate, and shared a decadent dessert before calling it a night.  We went to bed with visions of parting clouds, blue skies, and shave ice.

Hula - Learning Ka'iliauokekoa

I've been a "hula sister" for a little over two months now and am loving it.  I'm the only new addition to the Thursday morning beginner class in so many months, but a few visitors have joined for a class or two.  The other hula sisters in the class, sometimes three, sometimes up to 5 more, have all been dancing for at least a couple of years.  Kumu takes the liberty to use this class for the more experienced dancers to work on dances slated to be performed, like at a huaka'i (hula weekend workshop) on Lana'i (I couldn't make it) and now, an upcoming performance at the Waikiki Shell.  The dances I've been learning are not simple dances, which has been challenging and very enjoyable, with no time to get bored.

Figure skating and a little bit of dance combined with a general love for choreography and music have enabled me to excel quickly.  But, the body movements are very tricky.  Plus, though I try and try, I just don't have naturally bendy knees.  Bendy knees are important.  I think it's got something to do with my femur being longer than my shin bones and some physics.  Pretty sure. Yep.  So, though I pick up the movements, timing, and remember the dances very well from week to week, kumu still has much to teach me.

The start of class, our warm-up, is a series of basic hula steps that we go through while kumu keeps the beat on the ipu.  This is where my brain and my body don't always work together.  Shifting weight, arms, legs, feet, head, direction, combination steps...a whole lot of concentrating.  We are all pretty sweaty in the first ten minutes.

Apparently, I am supposed to set my foot down flat in our basic hula step, but according to kumu, I'm not doing that...I remember so many similar times while coaching my figure skaters...I'd repeat that the knee must be straightened or a toe turned out only have an exasperated, "I am straightening my knee/turning out my toe!"  What an onlooker can see and what the person feels she is doing can be very different things.  Kumu doesn't see my foot setting down flat, but that is exactly what I'm trying to do.  I have learned not to argue with her, of course.  It's not my natural tendency to do so, but I have witnessed other girls rebutting, only to be put in their places by our feisty, 76-year-old kumu.  We all chuckle a little on the inside, and respect what she's teaching us.

Something of note: I say "girls" because that's how we refer to each other, as does kumu, but the ages include a couple of us in our thirties, one or two mid-forties, mid-fifties, and a couple who are 60+.  Everyone moves pretty well, especially two girls nearing mid-life.  Wow, I want to move my hips like they do!  Granted, they've been dancing for more than 10 years, but still!

Recently, kumu informed me (she didn't ask) that the halau (school) will be performing at the Waikiki Shell during some big hula festival and that I was included.  I was the only one who hadn't heard the news yet, and I was ecstatic! I never expected to get to perform in front of people! Hooray!

Our halau only gets a specific chunk of time to work with, and I believe that there will be 5 or 6 different dances all together, one by the keiki, one by my class, two by the advanced class, and a solo or other advanced number. Twenty-three of us will be wearing a purple muu'muu with white flowers on it.  This dress has been worn for past performances, so there are only a few of us that need to get it.  I tried not to laugh out loud when kumu told us that she'd put a call in to "her lady at the swap meet" then get back to us.  Too funny that our dressmaker has a booth at the swap meet at Aloha Stadium.  

Sung by my kumu, Ka'iliauokekoa is a love story from Kaua'i.  Three verses down, and one to go, I have a lot of practicing to do between now and early November.  The song is about 4 minutes long and quite lovely.  Most of the other girls in my class know the dance, or did know it last year, so this is more of a refresher.  The choreography transitions smoothly and illustrates the story beautifully, except for the motion to express birds.  I look like an albatross.  Too bad the song is about a little bird and not an albatross.  I haven't given up but have little hope of improving, as my arm length is not flexible. 

Pretty soon, Kumu will have us rehearse in front of a small audience, and also have at least one dress rehearsal.  It all sounds ducky to me, but I wasn't exactly sure what I was signed up for until I googled it at home.  The 20th Annual World Invitational Hula Festival is a much bigger event than I was expecting.  Halau from all over the world come to participate.  I noticed on the site that the event has been moved from the shell to the concert hall.  I'm a little sad to get this news, though I didn't confirm it with kumu yet.  The shell would be so much neater, but honestly, it'll be a fantastic experience either way.

Beginning this week, one hula sister, Luana, will be hosting an extra practice session at her house, so we can help each other learn and improve Ka'iliauokakoa.  Luana is a super sweet Southern belle who is probably more than six decades old.  She has definitely taken to living in the islands and with aloha.   

I cannot wait to get dressed up properly and perform with the halau.  In the meantime, my hips and feet have a lot of homework.

Sun, Sea Glass, & Frisbee

Jeff and I are not the spontaneous type, and that's okay.  We're both always making plans, lists, and doing far more research on just about everything than is necessary.  Our approaches are not the same, but nevertheless, we look before we leap.

Funny then, that we loaded up our beach bags and stocked the cooler, driving close to an hour (traffic) to our favorite beach on the windward side, Bellows, only to be greeted by thick clouds, a cool strong wind, and an angry looking horizon.  Not beach weather.  Even funnier is that we wasted two-plus hours in the middle of a Saturday doing this two different times.  I say funny because looking up surf cams here is one of the things kids learn before being potty trained.  Honestly, there are surf cams everywhere, since the surf on all coasts varies dramatically from each other and changes throughout the day.  The weather is extremely difficult to predict and also morphs from rainy, dreary morning to blue skies paradise and back again before ending with a breathtaking painting at sunset.  All we needed to do was look up a surf cam and save ourselves a trip and major disappointment.

Fool me once, shame on me.  Fool me twice...

So a couple of weekends ago we were really itching to go play in the waves at the most perfect beach I have ever been to.  While Jeff began gathering our frisbee, magazines, sunscreen, etc., I checked the surf cam.  Once Jeff saw the big grin on my face, he picked up the pace of packing.  After we'd both changed into our suits, we were off to take the Pali through the Ko'oloa Mountains.  This is an absolutely beautiful drive, especially when the cloud cover is minimal.  I take this route to Kailua every Thursday for hula, and never tire of the picturesque view from the tunnel overlooking the azure coastline.

Shot from a few miles south of Bellows.

Before making it to the beach, we paid a visit to the best plate lunch place around, Keneke's.  With styrofoam platter in hand, we made our way to the side of the road near the entrance to the park.  A short walk thorough a grove of trees leads to a most impressive beach.  Jeff staked the umbrella in the sand while I set up our short chairs and sheet.  Lunch was ono (good), a teri chicken, rice and mac salad plate with a fountain drink.  Super local.  The mac salad left me wanting.

Though this beach is gorgeous, soft white sand and all, it's rarely busy.  Today was like any other with a few families here and there, a college student or two, loads of dogs and toddlers.

While eating, we watched some nearby beach goers who were pulling something out of the ocean on a stick. Uh, oh.  I'd seen that trick before when a friend found and caught a Portuguese Man of War jelly several months ago.  The MoW out here are small, like the size of a golf ball or smaller, but that doesn't much change the fact that the sting hurts like the dickens (or so I've been told).

Since our lunch was finished, I wanted to walk a little and investigate.  Sure enough, they'd found a jelly, but it wasn't alone.  Thankfully they float, so spotting them in the water is pretty easy, if you're paying attention.  With several on the beach, I cautiously went into the water.  People joke about being afraid of sharks in the ocean.  Oddly, I've been snorkeling with a shark close by and didn't freak out, but the jellies are a whole different story to me.

Jeff and I splashed around and swam some, but I was completely distracted by looking for the jellies.  After about 15 minutes I spotted one in our vicinity.  A couple more dunks, and I was ready to get out of the danger zone.  Jeff and I made it back to the beach without incident and took a walk.  I saw probably 8 or 10 on our walk.  I found out later that the jellies are more frequent during tradewinds.  I'm guessing we'd been out there during Kona winds on most of our other trips, since we'd never seen so many jellies.  The 10-day-after-a-full-moon rule only applies to box jellies.  I'm more terrified of being stung by the box jellies sine they're much harder to see and don't float.  I've seen them in waters I wasn't planning to enter, which was really neat, but still a little creepy.

Something else we spotted while strolling in the sand was colored glass.  At first, we thought we'd stumbled upon a broken beer bottle.  There was too much glass and an array of colors to be a mess leftover from a party, plus it was frosty and had very rounded edges.  We'd found sea glass.  I filled my hands with brown, green, light blue, and clear pieces of beautiful sea glass.  This will be a nice addition to the sand and shells we like to collect from the beaches we visit.

Another quick dip to cool off was followed by a long game of frisbee before some lounging to cap off a fabulous Saturday.
 

I hope to make it back to Bellows a few more times before our stay in Hawaii comes to an end.  Typically this is my favorite place to body board, but the jellies' presence kept us from enjoying the waves.  All in all, it was still a very fun day at the beach and another perk of living in Honolulu. 

  Shot taken on a different day in late summer.  Super fun for all ages.

Happy to have enjoyed the beach without getting
up close and personal with a jelly.  

On to Waiola Shave ice!

Sip in Paradise

While walking around Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, Jeff and I stopped into a touristy info stand to peruse the flyers and posters.  Naturally, Jeff started a conversation with the lady at the desk, who turned out to be interesting, truthful-seeming, and funny.  Her relocation-to-Hawaii story was one of the most unique I've heard.  She was a talent agent in NYC when she was laid off.  Having a chunk of money to burn (In this economy?) she did a bunch of traveling.  One of those places was the Big Island with some friends.  Of course, she fell in love with it.  After a bit more time situating herself in NYC, she packed up and changed her address to the Orchid Isle.  Wow, the Big Island is WAY, WAY slower than NYC.  Two years later, she's still thoroughly pleased with the decision. No kidding.

Once we'd asked her a couple of dozen questions about things to do on the island and with whom, best company for this...best place to grab a...had she been to...etc, Jeff wanted to know one of her favorite places to grab a drink and watch the sunset.  Her recommendation was the Four Seasons, roughly 15 minutes up the road.  At 5:30 and with messy beach hair, we valeted the car and checked out the grounds a bit at the Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai.  Holy mackerel!

Since sunset was nearing, we made our way to Beach Tree and were immediately impressed by its "barefoot elegance" and glorious views of the ocean.  I was so glad that there was an open table near the perimeter, so we would have an unobstructed view of the Pacific and sunset.  Jeff described our seating arrangement this way: "It's like we walked into a Pottery Barn catalog."  He was so right.  The beautiful wood patio furniture, blue and white cushions, dark metal lanterns, umbrellas, good-looking people all around...exactly like a full page spread in a catalog.  Funny enough, there is a picture of the beach, patio seating, and tree on the opening page of the Four Seasons' website that is either the table we sat at or one over from it.

Refocusing on choosing a drink to enjoy while the sky shifted colors, we glanced through the menu.  I'd recently discovered that I really like a classic daiquiri, not the typical frozen concoction, but a martini-style drink.  Since nothing on the Four Seasons menu screamed, "Drink Me," I went with what JFK and Hemingway ordered regularly, a classic daiquiri.  Jeff decided on his typical rum and Diet.  While waiting for our drinks, we stared at the pristine sand, long row of Adirondack chairs, and a tree (koa?) that appeared to have been expertly painted into the setting by an artist.  Nearby, kids in cute dresses and bows ran around, tumbling on the green lawn.  Several people posed for pictures and strolled by. We sipped.  We smiled.  We kicked back and took it all in.

Along with the tasty drinks came a bowl of mixed nuts, which I really enjoyed.  We talked about people sitting around us, trying to figure out what they did for a living and other random things.  It also came up, more than once, how amazing this and other experiences we've had in the past year have been.  I still think I see fairy dust on my shoulders sometimes.  I'm astounded that we've had far more than one once-in-a-lifetime experience in so many months.  Ridiculous.  Glorious.

Drained our glasses, took in the sights, including a breathtaking sunset of purples and pinks.  After dusk, we copied other folks we'd seen and strolled around the grounds, finding that the pools and lodging mimicked the feel of a magazine photo shoot, to say the least.  I was delighted to stumble upon a hammock, a must-have for our future house.  I mentioned to Jeff that I'd recently read an article about how to successfully and easily get onto a hammock.  Then, I proceeded to tip off, landing under the rope canopy, hard on my duff.  At least we got a good laugh out of the show, and I was thankful I was wearing a bathing suit instead of flashing my underwear.

Walking back toward the lobby and our car, we strayed off the path to the cool sand.  Lights from the bar reflected off the waves just a little bit.  The beach was empty.

Slow dancing on the sand to the sound of an ukulele in the distance and twinkling stars overhead was the highlight of the day.

Sweet Tooth, USA

Hilo, HI is a quaint, somewhat forgotten about town.  Before I ventured to the Big Island, I asked people around O'ahu what to be sure and check out while visiting, mentioning that I was going to have time to explore both sides of the island.  I am surprised, even more now having been there, that the impression of Hilo is so lukewarm.  First off, it was much larger than I anticipated, since everyone talks about and recommends the Kona side.  I figured the Kona area would be more bustling. It's not.  Also, the county seat of Hawaii County is on a calm, quiet bay (one of those rock walls protrudes a ways out to calm the waters for cruise ships and such) and is easily unnoticed when walking the streets checking out shops.

Besides some great restaurants (we loved Cafe Pesto), charming art shops, and interesting goods, there is the best candy shop I've ever been in.  I've probably loaded up small paper bags and the like in a half dozen or so candy shops.  OK, probably closer to a dozen.  Nonetheless, I do have some previous experiences to draw upon and put the Sugar Coast Candy shop at the top of the podium.

What colors!  Oh my, to be greeted by lollipops when opening the fire engine red door and then seeing the Oompa Loompa-size barrels of taffy lined up in the center of the store!  Though there were no actual kids in this candy store at the time, I am sure that all who pass under the door frame must lose at least a few decades when presented with nearly every kind of penny candy, individual chocolates, rock candy, taffy, and dried fruit along with cute cellophane bags and shiny twisty-ties to tote them in.  Strolling down the aisles on a black and white checkered floor was the icing on the cake...er, comic strip inside the Bazooka gum?

For those who will visit a candy store such as this in the future, a few tips:

         1. Walk slowly and look carefully.
         2. Scout out the offerings prior to touching anything.
         3. Look both ways when rounding corners, as the selection will look different from multiple
             vantage points.
         4. Avoid anything you can get at a local grocery store, as some of the magic is in the rarity of
             the pieces.
         5. Never mix chocolate and fruity pieces.  The same rule applies when mint is involved.  Keep
             like flavors together and separated from others.
         6. Shop with other people who find joy in such simple pleasures, so as not to be rushed.

I took my time scouting out the scene and taking pictures.  Jeff tried not to rush me, but it's somewhat in his nature.  He'd already picked a few favorites and a couple new things to try, such as chocolate dipped peanuts, white chocolate covered pretzels, and a couple of Tootsie Pops by the time I'd finished taking photos.  I grabbed a few pieces of dried papaya and pineapple, some licorice wheels, and dark chocolate cranberry clusters.  Amazing.

On our way back to the Kona side of the island, we sampled some of the picks and were not disappointed.  The only let down is that a return trip is incredibly difficult.  I will be sure to share my high opinion of Hilo when the opportunity arises, since it is definitely worth a few hours' visit and a stop in at the Sugar Coast Candy shop at the very least.

Underwater Adventure

At the top of Jeff's Hawaii Bucket List was SCUBA diving, since he received certification during undergrad but had never gone diving outside of the cold, dark Michigan lakes.  I've had somewhat of an interest, mainly because I hope to dive at the Great Barrier Reef someday.  I have some sense of adventure, so when Jeff suggested going out on a Saturday, we picked a SCUBA shop and set a reservation.  Then, anxiousness ensued.

Thankfully, one of my good friends recently went diving for the first time and had many of the same concerns that I did: worry about clearing ears properly/ear pain, getting freaked out 35 feet down and not having the option to just swim right back up, being cold.  After a 15 minute conversation, she pretty much calmed all of my fears and explained the whole process she went through, raving about the experience.

I'm sure this is done anywhere diving is prevalent, but a short program is offered to non-certified divers that consists of a very short class and skill practice before being allowed to get in the deep ocean.  Jeff and I both attended the pool class, actually I had taken it once before as an experiment to find out if I'd really freak or not, but Jeff only took it as a refresher.  The pool class was no big deal, unless you count the small children and adults who don't seem to care that you are at the bottom of the pool beneath them.  I got kicked and jumped on and was probably more afraid of the 3 year olds kicking my mask off or my reg out of my mouth than anything else.  Hmmm, maybe that's part of the class as a forced distraction.

Since we had a car and knew of a delicious ice cream place (Bubbies) near the harbor, we drove ourselves over to Koko Head Marina in Hawaii Kai.  Apparently, a new boat captain and high winds caused us to sit tight for a while, a long while.  After almost ninety minutes of waiting, we got on the boat to head out for our first of two dives.  Eek, I had had time to get nervous and was quite fidgety.  Chit chatting with the 6 other people on the tour helped some but not entirely.  On the boat ride out, the head diver began describing some of what we should expect to see under the sea.  I actually began to get excited.

Since Jeff is certified and confident, he got to go in the water first with me following behind.  Basically, they had us hold our mask and take a giant step off the boat. Then, down we went.  After a few feet down the rope, I finally figured out how to really clear my ears well.  It was funny to hear my left ear squeak each time.  Going down the rope was not too big of a deal except that there were strong currents pushing us around.  Upon reaching the bottom, Jeff looked at me expectantly, like "Are you going to panic?"  But, I didn't.  I was uncomfortable since the amateur divers are not allowed to touch any of the gauges or the buoyancy control device.  I had to roll around on the ocean floor waiting for my diver to come over and help me float a little.  I was jealous of Jeff who could control his own BC.  This proved to be a source of aggravation during both dives, as the currents would drag me to the bottom or lift me toward the surface, and I would have to wait patiently until my diver could get to me and level me out. 

One of the coolest parts of being 35' down happened almost immediately.  The diver picked up a sea urchin and placed it on my hand.  She had me turn my hand over to show that it had sucked to my palm!  It was amazing!  I wanted to exclaim but the reg prevented me from doing anything but awkwardly smiling.

We swam around for a while on the bottom, but there really wasn't much to see.  Jeff and I traded the camera back and forth.  Best use of the underwater case yet!  Some colorful fish swam by, I did my best to dodge the spiny sea urchins as I dipped toward the floor, and here and there was coral.  Finally, it was time to go back up.

Dive two was tremendously better than the first with weaker currents, better visibility, and an eagle ray siting before we were even off the rope!  Also during our decent, we saw a couple of sea turtles (honu) swimming around.  They couldn't have cared less that we were there.  So fantastic.  During the tour, I saw far more brightly colored fish, a couple of eels, and several honu.  Time went by so quickly!  A few times, I held my reg in my mouth with my hand to give my jaw a break.  I'm sure I was clenching.  Clearing my ears was needed every few minutes, something, I imagine, would taper off with more time in the water.

Being so near the honu was simply amazing.  I couldn't get enough and wanted to follow them...but I wasn't really supposed to venture away from the group.  Jeff took almost all of the pictures since he had more freedom than me.  He did such a wonderful job.

I look forward to going on another underwater adventure.  Jeff loved it and had no trouble getting back in the groove after 8 years of distance between dives.  We were both thrilled with the chance to explore a different part of Hawaii.  What a blast!

Farmers' Market at Kapi'olani Community College

Can't pass up a good farmers' market.  Not only did we hear that the Saturday morning Farmers' Market held at the Kapiolani Community College brought amazing island food and produce options together for easy shopping, but we had also heard that there was some amazing, fresh pizza also.  Jeff's coworker, Matt, and his wife, Erin, were in town and planning to go, so we decided to carpool for a fun start to the weekend.

With tote bags in hand, we arrived mid-morning to a crowded market.  So many people, smells, and colors.  The heat and sun didn't deter me or anyone else from slowly parading through the rows of tents.  Within the first five minutes of walking, we'd already purchased a baguette and some fresh sweet corn.  In between the typical US farmer booths (greens, carrots, corn, radishes), exotic flowers, fruits, and Island fusion food options were plentiful.  It was so neat!

Interesting observation...the longest line I noticed was at the Fried Green Tomato booth.  The plates that drifted by me did look delicious, but I'll wait until I get back to Nashville for some fried green tomatoes and instead spend my calories on fresh seafood and Asian dishes that are superior here.  We saw a booth selling live abalone and many other plate lunch choices.  Along with fresh salsa and chips, we grabbed fresh romaine from the Big Island - the crispiest lettuce I've ever had. 

Just before calling it a morning, we returned to the pizza tent to get a piece of margarita pizza, all fresh, local ingredients.  I wasn't very hungry after a filling breakfast and couple of handfuls of kettle popcorn (will have to go back next Saturday to buy a bag), so Jeff just got one piece to try.  Matt and Erin also got a piece.  It smelled divine!  Jeff had a couple of bites before passing it to me.  The look on Jeff's face was not becoming.  He told me that his mouth was feeling odd as well as his throat. 

Now, we are aware of one tree nut allergy to walnuts, and suspect another one to almonds, but he's had pesto before without trouble.  Poor guy was a trooper as we made it back to the car, drinking a whole bottle of water while part of his lip swelled up.  We all kept a conversation going, while I watched to see if Jeff's symptoms worsened (they didn't).  After grabbing another bottle of water, we dropped Erin and Matt off at their hotel.  I began to do my thing - Google.  Since the only thing on the pizza besides tomato, cheese, and crust was the pesto, I searched for info on allergies to pine nuts.  Apparently, people can be allergic to just certain types of pine nutst.  We figured out that Jeff is allergic to whatever one is growing in Hawaii.

Thankfully, after a little snack and more water, Jeff's symptoms diminished.  We were both super relieved.  I have my fingers crossed that a return trip to get more salsa and some of that kettle popcorn will be much less problematic.