Day 4 Hard Rock Cafe and Flying Off to Another Shore

Today was our last day in Oahu and to that I say yahoo!  We got to experience quite a bit of the island's offerings and stayed in a fantastic hotel, we really couldn't have asked for more.....but Honolulu is too crowded for our tastes.  I think 4 days was more than enough time to see the highlights of the island, without spending alot of money.  There was only one thing that we didn't get to do that we had hoped to, and that was a shark cage dive.  Oahu and Maui are the only islands that have shark cage dives and we didn't plan well, because reservations needed to be at least 1-2 months out.  Oh well, we still have an aquatic adventure up our sleeve sometime during the remainder of our time here. 

Our flight was scheduled for 5 pm, so we had an open day.  The beach was not an option....the thought of sitting all sandy and gritty on a flight was not appealing, at all.  The sand at the local beaches has the texture and consistency of coffee grounds and there is alot of it!  It doesn't seem like the kind of sand that you could build a sand castle with, but on the plus side, it also is not so fine that it blows like dust and gets in everything.  So what to do from the time of checkout til we needed to go to the airport?  We ended up sitting poolside and just relaxing and enjoying the day while the kids swam and had fun splashing around...kinda like being on vacation. 
We ate a late lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu.  Paul and I have been to a few of their locations, back in the early days, B.C., but I don't think the kids have ever been.  The restaurant was located on the second floor above the Hard Rock store and the stairwell wall and ceiling was paved with guitars.  There must have been 100 or more guitars of all shapes and sizes.  All I could think was our musician friend Brian would have been in guitar heaven had he been there with us.  There were others that were in Hard Rock heaven as well.  Apparently, there are people all over the country that collect Hard Rock pins.  Today, about 50 of them were having a reception and comparing their treasures.  These people were major collectors owning "books" of them.  If I had to guess, I would think that each book (which just consisted of a zipper outer cover and then pages for pins to be pinned to, kind of like a photo album) held a couple hundred pins and some of these people had several books.  Hard Rock pins cost about $12 so there was some serious money in collectibles in the room today.  One guy even won some kind of special award for owning a rare pin. I guess there's a hobby out there for everyone.  After lunch we then headed to the airport for our flight.

We were there with plenty of time before the flight and all was going well until we went through security.   As Lily's bag went through the x-ray, they stopped everything and asked Paul if that was his bag.  He said yes, it was part of our group and the guy pulled the bag aside and started searching it.  He was on high alert because obviously we look like a family of terrorists.  Lily was horrified that this man was digging through her clothing (she's our resident germaphobe) and I was getting a little panicked thinking we were going to the big house instead of the big island.  Turns out Lily packed her lotion and body spray in the bag.  I can't tell you how many times, before we left last Wednesday, I explained how we couldn't bring anything liquid in the carry-on, and this morning I even told the girls again to give me their lotions so that I could put them in the bag to be checked.  Lily obviously didn't think her stuff counted and so today she paid a high price and hopefully learned a lesson....always listen to your naggy mother.  Her $20 bottle of Hollister lotion (a birthday gift, I wouldn't spend $20 on a bottle of lotion) and some  bottle of Bath and Body spray got tossed in the big-red-toxic-could-be-weapons-of-mass-destruction bin with great fanfare as he, the TSA agent, reluctantly and with a hard and  suspicious glare, sent us on our way.  Lily was really upset, not for having ignored my warnings or even for what some might consider disobedience, no, she was upset because it was her Hollister lotion, her first and only ever Hollister anything.  Live and Learn Lil....painful lesson, but at least we aren't on the FBI's most wanted list.   The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful and when we arrived on Hawaii we got a little surprise...exiting the plane on the tarmac like in olden days.  
 

Aloha from the Hula Brandts

Immediately it was apparent that we were on a different island.  Even the airport felt more Hawaiianish, as I had imagined.  It was small with a big open courtyard and  polynesian influenced architecture.  The drive to Waikoloa,  about 30 miles from Kona and  where we will be spending the next week, was desolate and through lava fields.  It was dark, but out in the distance you could see the lights of the next town.  I already feel more relaxed.  My hope was that since we are staying at a condo, we would be saving money on our food bill...um maybe not.  We went to the local grocery store to pick up a few things and were hit with a little sticker shock.  A gallon of whole milk was $7.99! A box of cereal was $8! A case of some run of the mill water was $12.69, thankfully, the clerk steered us to a brand that was on sale, it was only about $6.  Errr did I say we would be saving money???  
So another day down, and I'm beat, but excited about what tomorrow will bring.....

p.s.  Notice John in the pic above.  He really was having fun doing the hula, but he was impersonating one of his favorite comedians....Mr Bean.  The inspiration for the hula dancing came from the sculpture behind them, it was a beautiful cast of hula dancers...somehow my hula-ers don't convey the same feeling as the original piece of art.

Day 3 A Rodeo, A Garden, and A Splash in the Sea

Today we did not have a set agenda and spent a little time talking to the concierge.  He told us that this was a 3 day holiday weekend...Columbus Day, so the area would be crazy.  He then told us that the Oahu population is about 1,000,000 people, and 800,000 live in Honolulu.  After experiencing the traffic today, I believe him!  We decided to head up to the North Shore area, thinking that we might go to the Waimea Valley Park.  There is a trail that leads to a waterfall with a pool that everyone swims in.  That sounded like a very Hawaiianish thing to do and lots of fun.  We also thought we might check out the Kualoa Ranch located on the eastern side of Oahu about mid island.  It's a working horse ranch and also where Jurassic Park, the new Hawaii 5-0, and a couple other movies have been filmed.  The other day when we drove the area, I thought it looked like Jurassic Park and now I know why.  There are several beaches up that way so we figured we might give one of those a try if time permitted.  The first order of business however, was to find a WalMart to buy the kids snorkeling gear.  Right in downtown Honolulu, there is a WalMart and Sam's attached to a 3 story parking garage.  And just in case you are wondering, a Hawaiian WalMart has it's share of WalMartians too.   Also, although it's wares are pretty much like any other WalMart, there is one item I never expected to see....surfboards! So after picking up our items, we headed out of town.  We actually drove along the eastern coast and came upon Kualoa Ranch first. 

Mtn backdrop to Kualoa Ranch

 It just so happened that today was the County fair, and there were food vendors, as well as other vendors, but the highlight was the all girl rodeo.  When we arrived and found some seats, the current rodeo event was hog-tying goats.  The cowgirl would break out into a full on gallop from one end of the rodeo ring or corral to the other (I would guess the corral was about 50 yards long and 20 yards wide), where a goat was tied and waiting.  When she got close to the goat she jumped off the horse and then wrestled the little goat to the ground and sat on it while hog tying it's legs together.  If the goat did not stand up and break free of the rope, the time was counted.  The winning cowgirl performed the whole manuever in a little less than 18 seconds.  I have to say that I felt sorry for the goat though.  They all really manhandled the critter and body slammed it to the ground.  It was released after the time was recorded and for the most part  seemed to be ok, but it sure looked like it was getting a beating.  I'm convinced being a rodeo billy goat's gRuff.....that was baaaaad. :)  The next event was calf wrestling.  That was similar to the goat tying, except it was done in teams.  The cowgirl on the horse would take off and lasso the calf while her partner would run from the side and then would then wrestle the thing to the ground and tie it as well.  Those little bull calves gave the gals a run for their money.  Still I guess I'm just too citified 'cause both events seemed really rough on the animals.

Barrel racing and yep, that's the ocean across the street

  It was cool to see the horses in action though, and there was barrel racing, which was fun to watch.  Of course this had to be one of the most picturesque rodeo venues.  To the east about 1000ft was the ocean, in plain view and to the west was a huge mountain.  The kids were hungry so we found some food vendors.  Paul and I had some poppers which were pretty good.  A popper looks alot like a crab rangoon except with other fillings.  We tried the spinach artichoke, which was good, but rich and the turkey, jalepeno, cheddar.  I liked that one the best....the ingredients were all blended and looked about like a ravioli filling and the flavors mingled well with the right amount of kick. (Yeah, notice how I start a blog and now I'm a food critic...the future is opening up for me). By the way, the kids' culinary experience was standard fair fare, hotdogs and chips.   After walking around the ranch and looking through the gift shop, we decided to head over to the Waimea Valley.  The road is a two lane highway which hugs the coast, and I mean hugs....at some points it is only a guardrail that separates the road from lava rock shoreline.  

Typical beachfront house

There are beach shacks that dot the shore interspersed with beach side parks, some of them being campgrounds.  It looked like some kind of family reunion at every beach area/park, as they were overflowing with locals.  The concierge had remarked that the locals all set up tents, go fishing for what they need to eat for the day, and that's how they spend their free time.  It was nice to see so many people out enjoying the day and there was definitely a different vibe to it all. It seems so different than other beach communities on the mainland. Anyway, we pulled into the Waimea Valley Garden area (which has also been the site of many movies including George of the Jungle) and found out that it was at one time a sacred religious site, back 2,000 years ago when the area was settled.  In the 60's and 70's it was a ranch and stable, which offered 75 cent stagecoach rides and put on cowboy and indian shows.  They also had cliff diving  and hula shows and a 150-acre arboretum and botanical garden.  Eventually, it fell on hard times and was sold to a developer who turned it into an an adventure park and ATV destination.  That operation went under and the developer tried to set it up for private residences.  When that fell through and he put it in bankruptcy, where the city and county of Honolulu acquired it and hired the National Audubon Society to manage it. It is now being restored to it's cultural significance for future generations to enjoy.  Now, it stands to reason that if a city and county government acquires a resource such as this through bankruptcy, it's probably not going to be free.  It turns out it costs $15 bucks a person to get in, so we decided to wait and find a free waterfall and swimming hole.  Surely, they have those somewhere...


Waimea Valley Park

After feeling a little disappointed, I think the boys had visions of vine swinging and cliff diving, we headed down the coast and stopped at a beach. The surf is so big, that surfing is an obvious activity and here in these waters, board is optional.  When we have been to the ocean on the mainland, I would hear people talking about body surfing or boogie boarding, but I never found it that thrilling.  The waves were just never that powerful and it seemed a lot of work for not much payback. These waves however, are something to be reckoned with.  The ocean here is so deceiving...it's colors are truly breath-taking and if you were to just sit and soak in its rythmic, calming song you would never know the sheer power that it holds.  Out in the distance it is the most blue blue...kind of royal and indigo all in one, and along its way in toward the shore, as its waves start to form and curl, it turns into a translucent sea glass green, and suddenly it turns in to a roiling, foaming, brilliant white, and finally a crystal clear for just a second as it draws back on itself in it's retreat.  After watching a while we decided to splash around.  As we were standing there at the edge, a wave washed in and physcially knocked us down and pulled us out before we knew what hit us.  The game became who could remain standing as the waves broke onto shore.   The shore was steep and within a few feet of entering the water, we were in over our heads and the swells were easily 5 ft high.  We began surfing them in and having a great time.  Olivia and I were resting and just bobbing along and the next thing I knew I was out quite far and was caught in a rip current.  At first I didn't realize what was going on and about the time I recognized my plight, the lifeguard had already mounted his ATV and was at the shore talking to Paul.  I remember that you are supposed to swim parallel to the shore, but it seemed I was making no headway and just as I was about to call for help, I broke free from it and got back to shore.  It was pretty scary how fast that happened and a lesson for all of us.  The kids are always worried about shark attacks, obviously they've seen too many Discovery Shark Weeks (ever notice how those shows are on in the height of vacation season?), but the real danger is the force and power of the ocean itself.  In an instant things can go bad.  It must have been a day for danger because later on a rescue copter flew overhead with a litter hanging and a victim strapped in it.  Then about a half hour later it flew back to where it came from and shortly there after, it flew over with 2 people sitting in a harness type seat.  Don't know what was going on, but someone had some trouble.  Besides playing around, we watched part of a surf competition that was going on at the other end of the beach.  All in all it was a pretty fun afternoon.   We wrapped things up and headed back to the hotel. 

Hawaiian dancers at hotel

Our little routine has been to get back in time for the complimentary cocktail hour.  For 2 hours in the evening, the hotel provides free snacks and sodas and they usually have a band playing music.  It's a fun way to wind down.  Tonight not only was there a band but Hawaiian dancers as well. 
 
Tomorrow is our last day here on Oahu as we head over to the Big Island. It'll be interesting to see what adventures that island holds for us.

Day 2 Over, Under, and Through

I love anything dealing with WWII.  I know it had to be one of the most difficult and scary times in modern history, but that era is filled with examples of the American strength and spirit.  That generation went on to protect the freedoms offered by our Constitution, even when they had lived through times of despair and destitution during the depression and dustbowl.  The desire to preserve our nation's freedom from tyranny was not lost with the loss of wealth, but only strengthened. So today, we started our day with a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial. The memorial offers a museum and movie that gives the history of the "day that will live in infamy".  We learned that the Arizona was one of seven battleships moored along Ford Island just across the harbor.  The Arizona was launched in 1915 and because it was an oil burner and there was a fuel shortage, it served during WWI as a gunnery training vessel in it's Norfolk, VA home port.  Then in 1930 was modernized and as the Japanese became more and more agressive in the Pacific, it was sent to Pearl Harbor, along with the other battleships.   On December 7, 1941 the Japanese planned their sneak attack, with the goal of completely debilitating and destroying the American presence in the Pacific, in hopes of ultimately allowing them free reign.  Besides sending in all those bombers, they also sent in several minisubs.  On that Sunday morning a few minutes before the bombers arrived, the USS Ward intercepted one of the minisubs and made the announcement.  Just a short time later a soldier monitoring radar saw an advancing blip on the screen and when he made the notification he was told not to worry about it because it was assumed that it was an expected arrival of B-17's from the mainland.  I wonder what the outcome of that day would have been had he decided to investigate further or if he had been made aware of the minisub incident?  However, that was not to be and we now know that those were not B-17's, but Japanese bombers on a mission.   Although the battleships' decks were armor cladded, the Japanese had developed and used and armor piercing bomb.  It pierced the front deck exploding the ammunition cache below.  She exploded at about 8:10 am and in less than 9 minutes sank, taking 1,177 soldiers with her.  After getting the backstory and setting the mood, a Navy boat took our tour group across the harbor to the memorial.  Once at the memorial, the mood became even more solemn.




It's a sobering experience to see the size of the ship, see the gnarled, jagged, and twisted iron skeleton, and to see the names of every soldier who lost their life serving his country.  As I stood there on deck, thinking of the entombed soldiers under my feet, with the smell of diesel fuel thick in the air.....for fuel still bleeds from that 61 year old wound....a thought occurred to me.  The ship is a metaphor for a life of faith and an example of Romans 8:28.  For Romans tells us... ^"we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".  The Japanese thought they destroyed the battleship and from all appearances that day, it seemed true.  However, when the smoke cleared our soldiers pulled together, used what parts they could salvage from the ship and began a rapid defense and plan of attack and in the end good defeated evil.  The Japanese had not removed the American presence and the loss of life only strengthened the resolve of our men.  The ship while appearing lost was worked for good and not only ended up saving lives then, it is now covered with living coral in a renewed purpose.  So just as we may not understand our situation or things seem irreversibly damaged and lost, even if we still bear the scars, we must remember that if we remain faithful, God will work his purpose through our circumstances for the good. 

After we finished our tour, we decided to have lunch at a little pizza place called Z Pizza, back in Waikiki.  The food was excellent and ironically, even though the interior design was contemporary in nature, they were playing the light and happy dance tunes from the 40's.  Our moods were lifted.  From there we decided to hike Diamond Head.

Diamond Head

Waikiki Beach

 Diamond Head is an extinct volcanic crater southeast of Waikiki.  It is an iconic landmark that was, from 1906-1976, a restricted military installation and in 1910, used as a Fire Control Station.  In 1976 a portion was opened to the public and now has a steep, 1.5 mile hiking trail to the summit.  Diamond head got it's name when British sailors spyed the calcite crystals sparkling in the sun and thought they had found diamonds.   The trail started off paved and not too bad, but by the time we hobbled along the rocky trail on the steeper portions and arrived at the mountain of steps, I wasn't sure my old knees were going to make it up and over the peak to the outlook.  Of course, my loving children encouraged me with uplifting cheers like, "come on, you're not that old are ya?  Surely, you can get up this little hill, granny.  Wanna race us up these stairs....it's fun!"  Yeah, it was fun, fun like that root canal I had last year!  But I sure couldn't let them know the extent of my misery, so on I soldiered up and on.  And am I glad I did, the view from top is breathtaking and well worth the climb!  Of course, going down was alot quicker and easier and we had worked up quite a sweat and hankering for one of those Hawaiian Ices.  Our final destination, after eating a monsterous Hawaiian Ice, at least as big as anything ever to come out of Texas, was a scenic drive along hwy 72 to watch the hoardes of surfers and to the Halona Blowhole Lookout.   There we took in the powerful waves dashing against the lava formations.  As the waves battered the sides a mist, like a wisp of breath, would drift out of the blowhole, kind of like a lumbering whale.  And as the waves became more and more forceful, a geyser of water shot up through the blowhole and showered the rock.  From there made our way home to plan another day of adventure.

It was a great day spent hiking over a mountain, reflecting on those entombed under the sea, and marveling at the power of the ocean as it carved it way through ancient lava cliffs.

Day 1 History and Fun

 

We are spending 4 days here on Oahu, before heading to the island of Hawaii. Last night we arrived at our hotel, the Embassy Suites in Waikiki, about 7pm. We were all tired, having been up and at 'em since early morning, and after getting settled in, it was now 8:30 Hawaiian time (1:30 am St Louis time), and we were looking for some grub. The area is a compact, bustling metropolis rivaling any large city on the mainland. I was shocked at the number of people milling about. The shops and restaurants were overflowing with activity, like ants pouring out of an unattended picnic basket. Oh and these shops are nothing to sneeze at, not little tourist trap souvenir shops, no it's more like Rodeo Drive! Chanel, Faragamo, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc. I wouldn't even want to guess the value of merchandise lined up in the window displays. It's very cosmopolitan, and the architecture of this area is more Asian inspired than Polynesian. It's also a mecca for Japanese tourists. I felt like I'd actually stepped into Tokyo or even Vancouver, British Columbia rather than the Hawaii of the 1960's Hawaii Five-O, or Elvis' Blue Hawaii.  Their are hoardes of young, 20-something Japanese with tons of money to burn and they are dressed in the lastest fashions parading along the sidewalks as if they were models on a catwalk. They reminded me of people who are out to see and be seen. And of course, like any large city, less than 1 mile away there is a park filled with homeless and the down and out, claiming their little patch of shelter under an eery Banyan tree. I guess things are universal no matter where you go. After our little foray for food, we finally got to bed around 10 pm and it didn't take too long to fall asleep, despite all the noise as the traffic and city sounds echoed through the canyon of high rises. 

Sunrise in the city

At this point, I was kind of feeling overwhelmed (and maybe homesick), wondering how we would ever have fun in this crazy, busy place, but I think my opinion was clouded by my exhaustion. I woke up at 6 am feeling refreshed, stepped out on our balcony and saw the majestic mountains covered with billowing clouds and mist, just as the sun began to illuminate the day.  We had an awesome breakfast here at the hotel.  They have a buffet and omelets cooked to order, for free, so we loaded up and made our way out to get some culture.  I mentioned in an earlier post that we have been studying Hawaiian history.  I found a really great Hawaiian history textbook at the library and we have learned all about King Kamehameha, Queen Liliuokalani, the struggles between keeping the Hawaiian royal rule and the annexing and eventual statehood of Hawaii, and the sugar and pineapple plantations.  But, the first order of business was to get the kids' picture in front of the capitol building.  Honolulu is the 38th capital we have visited now.  The capitol building is one of the oddest, most modern, and un-capitol-like that we've seen.  It is a very modern structure and not all that attractive at first glance.  I guessed it was probably built late '50's, early '60's and we read it was built in 1969.  However, after exploring a little more, it is actually a pretty cool structure.  Each side had a reflecting pool along the length of the building and the center of the interior, the rotunda area was open air, like a courtyard.

State Capitol Building - Honolulu, Hawaii

 

Hawaii State Capitol with reflecting pool



 



Iolani Palace

The capitol is right behind Hawaii's Royal Palace called the Iolani Palace, built by King Kalakaua around 1880.  It is the only palace that ever housed ruling royalty in America.  It is in the American Florentine syle and very ornate, and one that I'd like to spend some time in.  It had electricity four years before the White House.  After King Kalakaua's death, his sister Queen Liliuokalani lived there.  She was the last monarch of Hawaii and her story is very interesting and worth studying.
Next it was on to the King Kamehameha 1 statue (dedicated in 1883) in front of the Aliiolani Hale government building. That is a landmark that I've seen in pictures and movies and it is clearly a symbol of Hawaii itself.

King Kamehameha I

There were other chapels and churches in the area, so many amazing buildings with different architectural appeal.  I was in heaven with all the history, but I was alone, as the rest of my family dragged their feet, rolled their eyes, and  August, the baseball obsessed, found several round nut-like fruit that fell all over the grounds of the palace and began pitching to his dad.  I tried to convince them of their good fortune in experiencing these historic places where 132 year old ghosts of politicos past, echoed through the breeze, but they were having none of it.  Next time I'll just make them read the dry text and give them a test.  It would certainly be cheaper!  Maybe some day when they get ancient like me, they will think back on this experience.  More likely they will daydream about the time they were in the courtyard of the government building swinging from the banyan tree root vines like monkeys!  Que sera sera.  


Monkey in the Banyan Tree

Next stop on our agenda was  Pearl Harbor to pick up our tickets for Friday's tour, and then tour the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Wahiawa, with a jaunt to the North Shore to round out the day.  The North Shore announcement was a hit...they were really excited about seeing the surfers and maybe even a shark or two, since everyone knows sharks like to eat surfers. ha  We arrived at the the Dole Plantation, which is a working plantation and very touristy.  Think Grant's Farm meets Cracker Barrel.  We visited the gift shop filled with the t-shirts, jewelry, dolls, pearl hawkers (you know, spend $50 bucks and find an oyster with your very own pearl in it),  and any and everything Dole....Dole hats, shirts, can openers, dried pineapple, plates, etc.  Then there were the artisan tables, and these people were artists!  Watches, rings, necklaces, and bracelets other jewelry carved, sanded, and polished to a sheen like the sea glass on the beach, the likes I have never seen before.  Also artists specializing in alabaster shell sun catchers and earrings.  They looked as beautiful as any stained glass piece.  There was a nice cafe that was not terribly expensive and  had really good food.  I got the teriyaki chicken plate, which I enjoyed and was feeling quite satisfied, that is until I noticed the free range chickens roaming the grounds.  Then I kind of wondered if I ate someone's brother or cousin.  By the way, chickens roam everywhere, it's alot like Guatemala  in that respect.  We boarded

The Pineapple Express

 the narrated train that took us out through the pineapple fields.  They still plant and harvest by hand and it takes a good planter one day to plant a half an acre, which equals 10,000 plants!  We saw pineapple fields, cocoa, coffee, banana, and breadfruit trees.  We capped off the tour with a dish of pineapple whip (which is pineapple soft serve on a bed of pineapple chunks).  Very exotic, very good, very pineappley!  
Finally, we made our way through the interior of the island to the North Shore.  The town of Haleiwa is a quaint little town full of souvenir shops and surf shacks. There is also the Liliuokalani Protestant Church and graveyard, est 1883

Lililuokalani Protestant Church

and a really interesting concrete arched bridge built in 1921.  I loved it there.  

Surf shack

We saw a few surfers, but not like the kids had hoped, since it's not quite big wave season.  No sharks or shark attacks either, but there is always another day for that.  The shore is lined with quite a bit of lava rock with beaches scattered in and around.  Those lava rock beds form little tidal pools.  John, of course, found a miniature hermit crab and a very tiny regular (for lack of the proper term) crab, both of which crawled around and explored every inch of his hand.  Paul found a strange looking starfish creature that actually looks like a purple sand dollar with anenome-like underside (I need to research and find out what they are....hmm that sounds like a research essay assignment for the students at Brandt Academy) . 

Sand dollar thingy

Aha, I finally found out what it is....a helmet urchin.  They are tough little suckers (literally, and hard to pry off of the rock). 

North Shore treasures


 
 
 
 
 
 
   
It was an awesome day! No longer feeling homesick, but still overwhelmed by the shear majesty of this land.  The mountains are exotic and breathtaking as they reach up into the clouds and down into the ocean.  They are covered with a mist and lush greenery and surely must  look like the elusive, mythical Shangri la. 

Shangri La????

I will say, that while the natural geographical imprints are stunning, I can't say the same for the human imprints.  I have never seen a beach community, or any community that resembles ghetto like it does here.  Everywhere we drove, whether it be in the urban areas outside of the Waikiki beach area, or along the coastal highways, the homes are derelict little shacks.  While it was refreshing not to find McMansions blocking the view and vying for envy from the passersby, it was a little disconcerting.  If I squint my eyes, the romantic in me could call it quaint, bohemian, and an exercise in non-matertialism, but the cynic in me could say it was a case of the underprivileged, working class who eek out their living by serving the tourists similar to Mexico, the Carribean, and other impoverished exotic tourist destinations.  But honestly, I think I'm going to go with my romantic view and believe that these folks know that the real beauty and worth is found in their outside surroundings and not what they own.  Also, if today is the norm, they are the most friendly and kind group of people, who speak with an accent that has it's own melody. 
Tomorrow is another day filled with adventure....I can't wait to see what it holds.

Off They Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder....

Aloha from Hawaii

 

5:30!  The alarm wildly rang
And up from our beds we all sprang.
Loaded the van, to the airport we drove
While plans and dreams in laughter we wove.
Bags were checked and all of us too
As the agents then waved us on through.
Across the terminal to our appointed gate
Where we watched the people during our wait.
Flight to Dallas had no delays
As for Honolulu, well it could be days!
"We must find you another plane
Seems there's a problem we can't maintain.
Go to D Concourse a way over thar"
Wow!  Who knew we would travel so far...
Hours gliding through the vast expanse
Like birds on the wind, performing their dance.
Time flew yet slowed all in one
But soon enough we would be havin' fun.
Finally, in paradise did our plane safely land
Delivered here safely by God's own hand!


Over Land

Over Sea

So they packed up their bag and flew to Hawaii

 

If you are familiar with my travel stories of old, you will recall me referring to my dearly beloved as the "Travel Nazi" and true to form, this trip is no different, Herr Brandt is at it again.  He's not a bad man, and he has shown me the world and surpassed my traveling dreams, but he does have tendancies that make our trips challenging, this one not-withstanding.  Did you know that the airlines are looking for new and more inventive ways to make money?  Now, not only do you get to pay a ridiculous sum for your ticket, which includes the privilege of getting strip searched at the gate, squeezing into a seat like a sardine, a peanut or two for a mid-flight snack, and the opportunity to watch your neighbors for hints of shoe bombs and such, but now you have to pay extra for any checked luggage.  That's right pay for luggage, errr isn't that kind of like going to the restaurant, ordering your soup and then having to pay for a spoon to eat said soup?  Anyway, that's how the whole challenge began, Paul, in his ever so non-chalant way said...it went something like this, (think Mission Impossible music) "As you know we have 6 people flying on this trip and at $25/bag that adds another $150 to the tab, your mission Deanna, should you decide to accept, will be to provide clothing, shoes, toiletries, swim stuff, cameras, laptop, math books, surfboards, and snorkeling gear in one carry-on per person." Huh????, 6 people, 15 days, 1 carry-on per person?   After complaining, stewing, bargaining, getting him to drop the surfboard requirement, and allowing one suitcase and a large duffel to be checked; and armed with a secret weapon, I accepted the challenge with the utmost confidence.  What is the secret weapon you ask?  Well my good friend Angela M. gave it to me, when she suggested I put everything in a space bag (you've seen those late night infomercials where you put your clothes in a giant ziplock bag and then vacuum out the air so your stuff only takes up half the space) and  put it in the carry-on.  And voila', the challenge was met, one carry-on per person, we are only out $50 bucks for the checked luggage, and everyone is happy.  But wait, we have learned that if you want to sit next to your children then you have to pay extra (double HUH????).  The question is....what size space bag do you think Olivia, Lily, John and August will fit in???? Hmmmmm......

Coffee, Tea, or Space Bag????

 

 

The not so Impossible Dream

 

 

All kidding aside, even with all the irritations and inconveniences, what a time to be alive...to have the ability to board an airplane, fly over 4000 miles to a tropical island, and be in a completely different mindset, all in about 8 hours.  Pretty cool......

Come fly with me

Come fly with me.....those words are suppose to evoke feelings of excitement, dreams of adventures to be had, and most of all....freedom!  There have been many a song sung about flying and all that it brings, yet those words cause nothing but fear and trembling for me.   I know, I know, I have a better chance of dying in a car accident than an airplane, but by golly at least I can pretend I'm in control as I'm slamming on the brakes and steering wildly.  And you know, somehow those many seconds of freefalling from 10,000 feet just seem like they would take way longer than that same amount of seconds trying to avert disaster on a roadway somewhere.  So why am I pondering such morbid thoughts anyway, because flying is just what we are going to do in 2 short days.  The Brandt's are going to Hawaii!  We've been planning this trip for a few years now and it's finally happening.

Our first attempt was 2 years ago.  We were going to take the kids to Hawaii and show them where we were  "Just Maui'd" on the island of Maui (I know very not punny), for our 20th anniversary.  We scrimped and saved and came up with the bucks to buy the airfare, which was a ridiculous sum....one could say it was enough to buy a whole new furnace/AC system for a house. Too bad one said that, because that is just what we had to do.....buy a whole new furnace/AC.  There went our plan, our trip to the tropics, and looking through the glass half-empty, we could've been a little disappointed.  However, looking through the glass half-full, it was a miracle that we had the money to get a new AC during the height of summer.  God is good and His timing is better.  Can you tell which glass I'm lookin' at?  As it turns out, we find ourselves in October 2012, having saved enough to make that trip.  We won't be going to Maui, but we will be spending time on Oahu and the "Big Island".  And rather than celebrating an anniversary, we will be celebrating Paul's 50th birthday.  Also, having spent the last 2 months of our school year studying Marine Biology and Hawaiian History, we will get to put our new found knowledge to the test and live and breathe it for 15 days.  There will be tours, tales of daring-do amongst the sea creatures, and another state capital to add to our "been there, saw that" list.  But the highlight has to be the chance to be in Kona to watch and experience the excitement of the Ironman World Championships!  I think in the end, this will be a greater experience than what we had hoped and planned back in 2010.

So come along and enjoy this diary of our trip.  It's written to share our experiences and the wonders of God's creation, as well as keeping my memories for me, because well, my brain is getting as bad as my eyesight.