Aloha and Mahalo!

Aloha! I am no longer in Hawaii and that sucks! But my last few days were amazing. As I mentioned in my last post, we went to a luau on Thursday night. It was incredible. When we got there, we just followed people and went to the plantation train. We didn’t have tickets for it but the conductor let us on anyways because we were ohana (which means family). And the ride was awesome: we got to see the plantation with the hundreds of types of food and flowers that grow. We also saw fields of pigs and chickens. It was so cool. Then we went into the luau pavilion. Just as we walked in, Kaulana, the cruise’s Hawaiian ambassador invited us up to learn a hula. And of course I was not going to turn that down to I ran up on stage and performed “The Hukilau” hula dance. So much fun to perform in front of hundreds of strangers! Then we has dinned - the food was mostly traditional (kalua pig, poi, rice) with free drinks (yay for mai tai’s and blue hawaiian’s). But it was the show that was the best part. It was a theatrical presentation of the history of Hawaii. I think my favourite part was the fire dance – swinging a fiery baton around, tossing and catching it, lighting it with fire in his mouth. Unbelievable!!! All in all, it was a lot of fun.

So Friday morning, we were up early to go snorkelling for the day. We went to a beach close to Poipu beach on Kauai. When we first got there, I wasn’t sure this was a good idea as there were waves crashing into the shore. But once we got in the water, it was very peaceful. As long as you didn’t drift off. Which is kinda funny. We were told to stay with the group and just float. So I was hanging with our guide, Paul, when he said to stay put while he went to get 2 snorkellers who obviously thought they knew what they were doing, didn’t listen and who had drifted away from the group and were a minute away from getting caught out at sea. It was only once we were back on shore I found out those 2 snorkellers happened to be my parents. Yeesh! But for me, it was awesome. I saw a sea turtle right when I got in, saw Paul grab an octopus, swam through the ink, touched the octopus and saw dozens of types of fish and coral. It was a great 1.5 hours out in the wavy water. On our way back to the boat, we stopped to see some more turtles (this time from land) as well as some of the featured shots in Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones movies. What a beautiful island! Once we were back on board, I quickly ate so I could make the last hula class of the cruise. This was also our dry-run for our performance. At 3pm, we saw a few dances by Kaulana and Malu before we were invited up on stage to perform our 2 dances: "My Little Grass Shack" is about memories and "The Hukilau" is about a fishing party. It was so much fun and at the end, we received a “Masters” certificate in Hula. I feel so accomplished! The best part is we had a lot of people show up to support and cheer us on (thanks Daddy, Shannon, Lynn and Lyle!). After the dance and dinner, we went to the farewell show and then I caught the duets musical performance with Lynn and Lyle (thanks guys!). It was a long night by the time I got back and packed.

So this morning, we were up early again so we could eat and get off the boat. We rented a car for the day and drove out to the Dole Plantation where we completed the world’s largest maze (I finished in 37 minutes… well under the average 1 hour) then did the pineapple plantation train tour (did not know pineapples grew above ground on a bush). After we did some shopping and had our share of pineapple flavoured food, we drove out to the North Shore. From there we drove the beautifully scenic road along the coast from the North to the East and back south to Honolulu. What a gorgeous drive! Then we went to a couple of lookouts over the coast, saw some awesome waves, some great (and brave) surfers. But I think my favourite was the drive along Nu’uanu Pali road – it was through jungle and the views were just incredible. Definitely worth getting off the beaten path.

So now, I am home. Hawaii was incredible and I wish I didn’t have to come home. I could easily have stayed much longer (I mean much, much longer!). But I’m home and now ready to plan my next trip in Summer 2013!

Mahalo! Aloha!

Lisa

From Hawaii with love

Aloha!

Well, I am officially in love with Hawaii! I tried to play hard to get but it’s so difficult… everywhere you look, there is something beautiful to see, do or eat!

Tuesday, we headed out to Hilo on the east side of the Big Island for our helicopter ride over the Kilauea volcano eruption. It was awesome getting into the helicopter and taking off – quick and a little topsy-turvy! But it was incredible to see the lava fields as we approached the water: there were patches of land peeking through, sections of road that were surrounded by lava and destroyed homes. But then we got to the coast and saw the steam from the lava hitting the cold water – it was incredible! And then we saw hot magma erupting from the lava fields. What an incredible sight! A once in a lifetime experience and we felt so honoured to be able to see this activity as the lava field has been slow for a while but has picked up activity in the last month.

After the heli ride, we went shopping at Hilo Hattie’s, Hawaii’s main shop for everything Hawaiian. A girl could go broke walking in there… Then we made it back to the ship in time for departure. We had a wonderful dinner and for the first time since boarding, we were treated to the full cruise experience. Prior to our cruise, the norovirus broke out so the boat went into some serious preventative safety measures. Plastic wrap over all food areas, staff had to handle all food and beverages, disinfectant spray on the hands before and after every meal. They didn’t even put salt and pepper shakers on the tables. It wasn’t that bad but I really appreciated the dedication and work of the staff. They all had to pull double and even triple shifts so the ship could be disinfected repeatedly throughout the day. But because of the safety measures they implemented so early on, we are back to normal (with no outbreak on this week’s cruise!). Tuesday night, we danced to disco and ABBA on the pool deck and just had a great time.

Wednesday morning, I was up early so I could watch us pull into port in Kona on the west side of the Big Island (and see the sunrise). This also happens to be the best time to see whales and we were witness to a whale breaking the water and jumping clear out of the water. What a sight! We saw more whales while we ate breakfast. Then we were off to Kona. We went to the Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, a remarkable facility where learned about seahorses, preservation and conservation efforts and most amazingly, we got to hold a seahorse. Mine was a female named Sunshine and she was awesome! What a great place. After we got back to port, we had lunch along the beach front and then I had a few minutes to hop into the water to snorkel. Even in the small bay beside the pier, there were some amazing fish. After a few minutes in the water, we had to hustle to get to our next excursion. Now, Mom didn’t participate because we went parasailing! It was so incredibly awesome. Dad and I went up together and it was like we were kids all over again – we couldn’t stop giggling! It was a stunning 12 minute flight over the Kona coast: we saw a few whales in the distance and then a pod of around 50 dolphins right underneath us. And before we landed back on the boat, we dragged our feet in the water. It was so much fun!

Once back on board, we went to the third lei making class of the week. The first class was with kukui nuts, the second was with orchid flowers and the third was a weaving class. It was a lot of fun and now I have some leis to bring home with me (along with some mad skills). After our class, we went for dinner before we just chilled for a few hours. And then last night was the main event – the White Hot Party! Everyone is encouraged to wear white and the party lasts until the wee hours. It was a lot of fun – and I love to dance so I was out there for quite a bit. Later, after the cruise dancers left, I had the honour to lead a group in Gangnam Style. Now, I only know a few of the moves but because there wasn’t anybody else there who knew it, I got up front and led the party! Does this make me a full-blown celebrity!? (I’m kidding…. but it was a lot of fun!)

So this morning, despite a late night, we were up early (7am) so we could watch the boat come into port. We are now in Nawiliwili on the island of Kauai. The harbour in Nawiliwili is the second hardest port to navigate with a cruise ship in the world. It was designed for a 700ft ship but the Pride of America is over 900 feet. It involves coming into the far right of the harbour (along a lava rock cliff), a sharp turn to the left (90 degrees) and then another sharp turn to the right (back another 180 degrees). It takes some mad skills to navigate the cruise boat in and they did a perfect job this morning. And Kauai is so lush… mountains of green jungle. If you have seen Jurassic Park, you have seen Kauai (the movie was filmed here). So after breakfast on the lanai, I headed to the hula class before hopping into the saunas in the boat’s spa. I also had a wonderful pedicure and manicure and then relaxed pool side. And that is where I am now.

We are well into our week in paradise and I don’t want to think about leaving. Hawaii is so spectacular and I love everything about it. Tonight we are going to a luau which I am so excited for. And tomorrow is a full day of snorkelling before I perform my hula songs on stage.

Aloha from me and mahalo!

Lisa

Maui is sweet... now on to the Big Island!

Aloha!

Well, I am well on my way to being in love with Hawaii. Since my last post, I have become a bit of a big thing on the ship. I would venture to say, moderately famous. On Sunday night, we went to the Polynesian Evening. Our host began by calling up a volunteer – a male. When no one volunteered, I put my hand up and said I would do it. I was called up on stage to help crack a coconut. Now, let me tell you – this was quite the experience. I started out on my knees with my right leg up. Then I had to hold a sharp spear at a 30 degree angle. Now this was fine when that was all I had to do. But then the very muscular Hawaiian man proceeded to smash the coconut on the spear to remove the husk. He was strong, I was nervous so the stick was flailing. But I managed not to impale him and we got the husk off! (and I may or may not have had a view up his sarong to the tattoos that covered his legs).

After that, he showed everyone how to crack open the coconut with two taps of a rock. And then I was invited back up to drink the coconut water. And let me tell you – it was delicious! Not overpowering, but so fresh and refreshing.

Now normally, this would have been awesome. But in the 2 days since, I have had quite a few people come up to me and ask if I was Lisa, the coconut girl from Edmonton. I feel moderately famous – should I be offering autographs? (just kidding… but everybody has been so great!). We finished our evening with dinner in the Skyline Restaurant. It was delish!

So, on Monday, we were in Maui for our second day. We were up before the crack of dawn – actually up at 3am so we could be on the bus for our journey up to Haleakala Crater for sunrise. We made it up to the crater with an hour and a half before sunrise. Now, because we are so far up (10,000 feet) and above the clouds, it was windy and cold. But in order to have a great spot for the sunrise, we had to stand by the railing in the wind for 1.5 hours. Thankfully, I had my toque, mitts and hoodie and I had brought my beach stuff so my Dad could wrap the towel around his head.

But before the sun rose, we got to see Venus rise along the horizon. Now that was cool! But once the sun peeked over the horizon, wow! What a sight. The sunlight danced off the clouds and cast amazing shadows inside the crater. It was a great view (and very quickly, I forgot about my numb toes). So glad we made the trek that early to witness a clear sunrise (often, it is so cloudy that you don’t see the sun rise).

The rest of the day was spent on the boat. We tried to get a rental car to go back to Lahaina but alas, no rentals available with an hour notice. So I lounged poolside, working on my burn and just having a great time. I danced to the 50s and 60s music, ate pizza, drank a pina colada and relaxed. It was a great afternoon. When my burn (even after sunscreen, what gives?) was a little tender, I went inside and did a hula class. We learned two dances that I can perform on Friday for the ship. It was fun and really easy! Then I did a lei making class: we made kukui nut leis. Very cool.

Last night, we ate dinner in the Cadillac diner while we pulled out of port in Maui and headed to the Big Island, Hawai’i. (This is also where I met quite a few of my “fans”). After a very long day (without a nap), we called it a day at 10pm.

So today, we were up for sunrise at 6.58am to watch the sun come up on the Big Island and Mauna Kea. We even saw some blasts of water from some whales. Then, while we ate breakfast on the lanai, we watched hundreds of whales blast water, come to the surface and have a good time! So beautiful! Today, we are heading to the volcanoes for our helicopter ride. This should be a highlight of the trip! And I’ll post about it later!

Aloha and Mahalo for reading!

Love, Lisa

Is it too soon to say I'm in love?

Aloha! It's been 3 days so far and I am not sure it it's too soon to say I am in love. To be honest, I actually hadn't even touched down on Hawaiian soil before I felt in love.

We left Edmonton on Friday morning at 7.30am and flew over the mountains to Vancouver. This was the first time for me where it was clear enough to actually see the mountains. Stunning!

Vancouver airport... convoluted and not my favourite airport. But we were only there briefly before we got on our plane to Honolulu, Hawaii. And what can I say, the approach to Oahu was one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. Simply stunning. And to approach the airport in Honolulu, you fly right along Waikiki so there were spectacular views of Koko Head, Diamond Head, Waikiki and Honolulu. Made me giddy and so in love.

Once we got off the plane and through the airport, we got in our car and I drove into Waikiki. Beautiful. Got my first experience of Honolulu traffic but it wasn't too bad.

We were staying at the Waikiki Beach Marriott and it was spectacular. In all the reviews and books I read before coming here, everyone said Waikiki is over-crowded and tacky. Well, I disagree. It wasn't too bad and the views just can't be beat (including buff surfer boys!). The hotel was amazing and the walk along Waikiki was great.

To celebrate my 29th birthday, we went to Halekulani Hotel for drinks and dinner. We started out at "House without a key", a beach side bar with a local band and hula dancer. It was stunning. I had 2 mai tai's that probably had about a bottle's worth of rum in them... my kind of drink! We saw a group from a tiny island in Japan do a hula dance and then enjoyed the locals. Very relaxing and a spectacular place to watch the sunset.

Then we went across the grass to "Orchids" for dinner. Orchids is voted one of the best places to eat in Honolulu and I was not disappointed. I had Ohana "Orchids Style" and it was amazing. And to finish off, I had my birthday cake - a coconut cake that was like eating a coconut cloud! Unbelieveably light and tasty! Heavenly!

To finish off my birthday, we walked along Waikiki beach back to the hotel with the tide coming in and splashing us. Fun and wet (and all the booze made me very giddy!)

All in all, a great way to celebrate my birthday!

The next day we went to Pearl Harbor and I have to say, they have done a wonderful job displaying information in a respectful way. My favourite part would have been going out to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was so powerful to be out there and to honor those lost. Very emotional.

Then we went back to the hotel for our transfer to the cruise boat. It took a while to checkin but once we were on board, we were ready to relax. I spent the evening dancing to the band (and I was the only one... I hope that doesn't continue each night!).

Our first full day on the boat we docked in Kahalui, Maui. We got off in the morning for our shuttle to Lahaina where we did the Atlantis Submarine tour. What an incredible way to experience the reefs without getting into dive gear. And our captain was hilarious and entertaining. Overall, I highly recommend doing this. Then we went to "Kimo's" for lunch - I had fish tacos and we shared a Hula Pie, what Lahaina and Kimo's is famous for. Delicious and the view looking out over the ocean, cannot be beat! I also bought a black and white pearl ring and pendant - my big splurge!

And now, I sit poolside with a bottle of wine (just for me!), soaking up the sun and coming to terms with being in love! It feels like I may be rushing into things but I have to follow my heart. I love Hawaii: the people are so friendly, the scenery is jaw-dropping and you can't beat the weather! It feels great knowing that I have another 6 days in Hawaii! I am one lucky girl!

Aloha and Mahalo! - Love, Lisa

Has it really only been 18 days?

It feels like only yesterday I was flying home from a week in sunny Florida. I was relaxed and ready to jump right into 2013.

Florida was a great trip: awesome weather, lots to see and experience, and lots of time to relax (something I don't usually do when I travel).

But now, I am packing my bags again (really, I just washed everything from Florida and put it all back in the suitcase). Passport is in hand and I am on my way to Hawaii!!! I have never been to Hawaii and I am (obviously) very excited. But more importantly, this trip is a celebration.

Last year, to celebrate my parents 30th anniversary, we planned a trip for July 2012 to Hawaii. Unfortunately, shortly after booking the 2 week trip, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. We thought we might still be able to go (with a little juggling of chemo schedules) but the oncologist was very quick to squash our dreams. No Hawaii while she fights the cancer. It is an understatement to say we were disappointed. But then we decided it wasn't meant to be for 2012 but that didn't mean we couldn't go in 2013! So we rescheduled out flights and bookings for January 2013... after Mom's chemo and radiation treatments were finished.

And to be honest, I am so happy to be going now. My mom kicked cancer's ass: she is stronger and happier now. And we are ready to celebrate! So this trip is the culmination of a year of battles (physically for her, emotionally for all of us) and celebrations: tears and cheers.

So, in 12 hours, we will be on the plane to paradise. Celebrations will commence for my parents' anniversary (both 30th and 31st) and Mom's successful battle with cancer.

And to make things even better, I will be celebrating my 29th birthday in paradise! That's right, it's my birthday tomorrow and I couldn't think of anywhere else I 'd rather be than with family and friends in sunny, beautiful Honolulu (okay, I could think of a lot of places to be but I'm over the moon to be going to Hawaii!).

There will be 4 of us making the trip: obviously me, my mother, myfFather and my friend Shannon. A small group but a group ready to relax and have a good time. We will be cruising for a week visiting 4 islands. Should be a great introduction to the islands (and great incentive to return in the future).

I'll be blogging along the way so check back! The next 10 days will be awesome!

Love always, Lisa