Get Here by Brenda Russell

This is a beautiful song that always reminds me of traveling.

The Wedding at Waikiki

The wedding was today. It was a quick 30 minute ceremony which to me seems short but it seems to be the average in America. I am used to the long traditional Filipino wedding that take over an hour to two hours. We couldn’t hear the preacher talk because of the noise of the waves overpowering him. There were also some “uninvited” guests at the ceremony, the beach goers who were curious. I saw one person take a picture but then I was like that person in Rome when I saw the wedding. No one can really resist a bride and a wedding! It invokes the sense of romance. The food was very good my uncle bought me a mai tai and I must stay it wasn’t too bad. I couldn’t refuse because that would insult him, but I think he did it on purpose J he was trying to get my dad to drink. LOL but knowing my uncle that is him being himself. The bride looked beautiful in an Alfredo Angelo dress that had the navy blue cloth. It was like the wedding dress of one of the actors on my favorite shows Mcleods Daughters. The groom was grinning and it had been well over a year since I saw him. He seemed very happy to see us and the grin never left his face. A true groom indeed he was!

The food at the reception was delicious! They had a buffet which included a salad, several different cheeses, mahi-mahi with this banana sauce, chicken with macademia nuts and a roast. Yum! The grooms cake was in the shape of a basketball and had chocolate covered strawberries painted with the LA Lakers logo. There was also a picture board that showed the groom through the years. I remember that picture of him in a little sailor outfit when he was about a year old and then right at the other corner was a picture of him in his Navy sailor suit. J We teased my aunt about that! There was a father daughter dance and then bride’s parents danced but that was all. My cousin, Jena, caught the bouquet and the only grooms man not related to us caught the garter. I didn’t stand in the single women pile! No way, no how!

Pearl Harbor

We woke up early this morning so we could be among the first people in line to Pearl Harbor. I had heard from some people that the lines are really long and you spend all day there but if you got there around 6:30 am you would be out by 11 am. We left the hotel around 6 o’clock and were in line by about 6:45am. There was a line already but we made it with about 30 people in front of us. The memorial park usually opens around 8 am but they opened the gates to get the ticket (which was free!) around 7:45 am. The ticket tells you what group you are in and we were fortunately in group one. Before you get on a boat that will take you to the USS Arizona memorial you have to see a movie in their theater that tells you all about Pearl Harbor. The video had clips from both USA and Japan side and collaborated together to form a very informative movie. I got goose bumps when they showed the film of the bombings and destruction. They even had clips of both Hitler and the Japanese Prime Minister together. Once you see the film you take a short boat ride across the harbor on to the memorial. There were 29 Marines from the USS Arizona that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and as they each die, they requested their ashes to be thrown out over the USS Arizona so that they could be with their fellow soldiers who died on board ship. It is very solemn walking around the Memorial, everyone is so quiet and it just makes you think. The sacrifices of those men buried below you so you could be free, the cost of that freedom and what it takes to keep it. It made me proud to be an American and to see those men in uniform so willing to serve their country. The war going on right now with all those people protesting against it makes me wonder. Do they not realize the fact that they can protest against the war is because men and women are serving our Armed Forces and sacrificing themselves to keep our freedom of speech? How insipid they seem! The fact that people i.e. Jay Leno, David Letterman, etc. can joke about the president without fear for their lives or their families is a gift that most people now a days take for granted. Okay, I could go on about this top but I will stop my digression.

After Pearl Harbor it was around 9:30 am, since Jeriah and I didn’t eat breakfast on our way to the restaurant where I wanted to eat lunch (Sam Choy’s) we pulled over to a McDonald’s. And yes, I try to avoid McDonald’s when I’m traveling abroad but technically Hawaii is part of the USA and so I wasn’t breaking my own self imposed rules. But they have Taro Pie here and let me just say that my mouth was in utopia this morning. Taro is a root vegetable that they cut into small bite size pieces with some sugar and then make it into a pie. It is so yummy! My brother kept moaning in delight with each piece. We found the restaurant, Sam Choy, which was recommended to me by a friend from work. When I looked it up in my “Oahu revealed” book and they gave it a good recommendation and mentioned a ship inside the restaurant. They do have a small fishing boat in the restaurant and plenty of tables. The food was pretty good, nothing spectacular and it came in a large size. I am a foodie and to me food isn’t just “food” it has to be an experience. You could have this little shack on the side of the road that serves you some good food and that in itself is an experience which beats out a fancy high priced restaurant with poor service and bad food. I have found that in most American food place they don’t know how to make the food look good. What I learned in Paris is that food doesn’t have to just be appealing to the taste buds but also to the eyes, the place adds the sense of hearing to your dining experience.

My mom wanted to go visit the International Market and get some souvenirs before dinner. I wanted to go find where “Duke’s” Restaurant is so we split up. Dukes is located right at the beach! And that was when Jeriah and I first stepped onto Waikiki beach. I must say that the only thing that impressed me about that beach was the fact that there were so many people on it. A mass of humanity! But the view of Diamond Head was gorgeous. Then we found my parents in the Market bargaining. It was rather amusing to see. But they got some touristy t-shirts and some Hawaiian print shirts. Dinner was room service out on our balcony with a view of the Ocean. J

Mom and I went for a walk after dinner to check out the Waikiki night scene. So many people around! There were various entertainers around and plenty of places to spend your money. Word of advice here, carry cash and keep the credit cards locked up in the safe. Otherwise you would be spending a lot of money and not realize it until you get back home and receive your bills! I thought I learned my lesson last time but I guess I didn’t. Oh well. The day of shopping was exhausting!

Thursday

Today we left the North Shore. I was sad to leave Turtle Bay; the North Shore was so peaceful and calm. Just the kind of vacation I had in mind when I planned this, calm and relaxation first before the hustle and bustle of city life. We went down the highway on the Windward side (East) of the island. I planned to visit the Valley of the Temple, which has a replica of an old Japanese temple built in the 900’s and without using any nails. The place is situated at the foot of the mountains and you could still see some clouds from the Morning’s rain lingering around. It was very picturesque. After the Valley of Temples we stopped at Foster's Botanical Garden. My mom grows orchids and enjoys gardening. This stop was for her. We saw various flora that grow in the tropical climate of Hawaii.

We stayed at the Sheraton Princess Kiualani. I had requested a deluxe ocean view room and I must say that our view was spectacular! We had a view of the ocean and the beach was just across the street from us. The room was spacious but it was on the top floor of the old wing. We met up with the rest of the family in front of the King Kamehameha statue right across from the Ioalani Palace.

What people say about Waikiki is all true. It is busy and full of life, lots of noise and very expensive. There are name brand stores around here but then there is the ABC store, which is a local chain and just about everywhere in the city. I like that store it is cheap and full of kitschy stuff. But tomorrow is a busy day; we have Pearl Harbor and then shopping. I need to get brown sandals and a pink shawl for the wedding.

Explaination

During the last half of our vacation we moved from the North Shore to Waikiki and the hotel we were staying in didn't have a free wi-fi connection. I wasn't going to pay an exorbitant amount of money just to use the internet! As they say in the guide books, there are plenty of places where you could spend your money. So I apologize for the delay but I hope you enjoy the rest of the vacation.

Hook, line and sinker

Have you ever wondered what a fish felt like just after it bit the bait and got stuck on a hook? Well I could imagine what that fish felt like after this morning's unexpected purchase. I had talked to my friend, Juvy, online and found out that she lives on the island so we decided to meet up today before she went to work. We left the hotel around 10am and slowly wandered our way through the North Shore on Kamehameha Hwy. We had to stop at Waimea Bay because during winter this is where the surf gets really high and you cane see 20-foot waves. If you get here early enough there is parking space but come later on and you might just have to park on the highway. There is a jumping rock at Waimea Bay and you could see people sitting on top of the rock waiting for their turn to jump off the cliff. On the way down to Juvy's place we passed the town of Hale'iwa where they have a beach park. You could see some sailboats on shore as well as in the water. It is definitely one of those post-card picture beach.

Then we took the highway into Central Oahu and found the Dole plantation. They have a maze there where you could get lost, but the view from the top of this hedged maze shows a pineapple design in the middle. There is also a train that goes around the plantation and explains how a pineapple is born. We didn't do either activity, instead we just entered the shop. Bathrooms are located in the large store and you found all sorts of pineapple related items for sale. I saw pineapple flavored tea, dried fruits, pineapple candies with chocolate, the usual t-shirts, magnets, and key chains. They even had shirts for stuffed animals, of course I had to get Sebastien a shirt! =) Now while my brother and I were browsing we passed by this jewelry display they had in the children's section. Before I knew it I was baited, hooked and about ready to be fried. The sales lady was very shrewd and read people well because she sure read me! One minute I'm walking around the store and the next I'm pulling out a piece of paper from this lotto ball mixer thing that read "40% off a pearl from an oyster" and pulling out an oyster from a container which had a pearl in it. As soon as the sales lady started pulling out jewelry settings to put that pearl it, I knew I was baited. I felt like it is only in Hawaii that I buy real jewelry for myself and it is never done purposely. Oh well, I had intended to buy a right hand ring for myself this trip, just not there at the Dole plantation! Well, now I can relate a little bit to that fish who was just swimming along happily minding its own business when a twitch from the side view caused it to jump right on the hook and be fried.

After that whole discomfiture at the Dole plant, I thought the rest of the day should go smoothly as planned. I was going to pick up Juvy, drop my parents off for lunch with their friends, hang out with Juvy and then pick up my parents, drop off Juvy and go back to the hotel where my scheduled massage at the spa would finish off the day. Boy was I in for some more unexpected events. First I got lost going to Juvy's house, went on the wrong highway and completely missed her exit so I had to call her up and get the directions again. This happened twice! What should have taken me only 10 minutes to get to Juvy's place from the Plantation ended up being about 40 minutes instead. (Those of you who know me and have ridden with me, I can see your eyes rolling now! =) But eventually we ended up making our way to Juvy's house and picking her up. Then when we got to the Mall where my parents were meeting their friends, we got invited to join them. So we ended up eating at this buffet place where there was plenty of good food, including a crepe making station and a chocolate fountain [sorry no picture of the chocolate fountain] The meal was good by buffet standards but the conversation was fun. Juvy and I reminisced about our college days and gave my brother some advice on how to survive his freshman year in college.

After lunch Juvy took us to get some real Hawaiian Shaved Ice. Where better place to get it than Matsumoto's of course! I had seen this place raved about on Travel Channel and read about it in my "Oahu Revealed" guide book. The book mentioned that this place is so good, they have lines forming out the door and down the road. Fortunately when we got there the line was only out the door.
I got their Rainbow combination with beans at the bottom instead of ice cream. Yummy! The ice didn't melt so fast and the flavor stuck around so you weren't just sipping the stuff from your cup, you could actually scoop the ice out.

Juvy had to go to work so we dropped her home and headed back to our hotel. We had a picnic lunch consisting of sandwiches and pie from Ted's bakery. Then I headed to my spa appointment, where my muscles were pulled, pushed,
and pinched until they relaxed. It was a nice ending to the day.

The Horizon's show

This was fantastic. The pictures cannot do justice to actually being there and seeing this show live in person. But I hope that the pictures give you a sampling of the show.

Polynesian Cultural Center

I had intended to wake up and see the sunrise, but instead my parents were the ones who got to see it. I slept in and woke up around 9am. The plan was to head to Turtle Beach and see if we could swim with some green turtles. But we didn't see anything other than some pale backed creatures. =)

Lunch was at one of the Shrimp Shacks around the North Shore. I had read that Romy's Shrimp Shack catches their shrimp in the morning so it is really fresh. They gave us three different sauces to use with the fresh steamed shrimp there was garlic butter, soyu and cocktail sauce. All delicious and yummy! Then we went to see a naturally made blow hole on Lai'ane point. The hole was created by a tsunami in the 1970's, of course Sebastien came along with us.

Then it was off to the Polynesian Cultural center. We had a great time. Our guide, Melissa, was from Australia and she had this accent which was fun to hear. There was so many things to see at P.C.C that I will just have to let the pictures talk for me. The dinner was delicious, it was buffet and I stuffed myself before realizing that I didn't take any pictures of the food. So you will just have to take my word that it was good! =) The show after dinner in the Auditorium was fantastic! It was the Horizon's show and I can now see why this luau was voted by Travel Channel as the "best luau" in Hawaii. The fire show in the end was awesome! Enjoy the pictures.
[ I will upload the Horizon show tomorrow]

Ohau day 1

My dad almost changed his mind this morning due to pre-flight jitters. But we made it to the airport and through boarding with very little drama. I did see a co-worker who was supposed to be on the flight after me but she was able to get on my flight as well. We flew Hawaiian airlines and I must say that there isn't much space in the economy class for you "normal" sized big people, fortunately I am so small that it was ok. My parents and brother sat two rows ahead of me and on the other side of the plane. Which was a good thing cause my mom apparently was camera happy and caught my brother sleeping. =) I tried to catch up on some sleep but to no avail, it was cat naps all the way. I had arranged for a lei greeting with my travel agent when we arrived at the airport and it was so worth looking touristy. =)

I must say that I was rather surprised at the long wait for a rental car. We waited over 30 minutes before a car was available and then to drive through the Honolulu highway was an adventure itself. They have very small merge lanes, it is like immediately you merge on the freeway, there is no smoothness or flow. My brother was intrigued with the names of streets and I know I butchered saying them. The drive to our hotel was pretty and we got to see some of the various sides to Oahu. I had heard of the Pali look out and since it was on the way to the Windward side of the Island, so we had to make a stop. Of course Sebastien was not just going
sit in the car. The wind was really blowing but you got a great view of the South-West side of Oahu.

Our hotel is very, very nice! It is just like the pictures. Our room faces the pool side with a view of the ocean. They have a nice cove area where you can swim and plenty of kids running around. This is definitely a family friendly resort! Instead of eating at one of the restaurants on property, we opted to just have room service so we could sleep afterwards. I asked my brother what he wanted for dinner and he saw that they served lamb, which he had never tasted before, so that is what we ordered. My parents didn't want anything heavy so they opted for some soup and baked clams. I saw that they had tiramisu, so that was our dessert. The food was delicious! The lamb was crusted with some guava and had a nice dark sauce along with some baby carrots and asparagus. The baked clams had this nice white sauce with just the right amount of spiciness to it. Dessert was just divine!

Family vacation

Last time I went on a family vacation was two years ago when I took my family to the Philippines to celebrate my parent's 25th wedding anniversary. I didn't think that we would take another family vacation until my parents' 30th anniversary. But in a few hours all four members of my family will be on a plane to Hawaii. Originally it was supposed to be my brother, mother and I but last week my dad changed his mind and decided he wanted to come along too. So my fabulous travel agent was able to work her magic and get him on the same flight as us. (She so deserves some chocolate covered macademia candy!) Last time on our family vacation my dad had every day planned and for three weeks in the Philippines. We covered plenty of territory; we were able to hit all three major island and see plenty of little brown people who all knew about my brother and me and were friends or related to my parents. But the "relaxing" trip was even too much for someone like me, I felt like I was going on a rocket and just barely holding on. So this time for this family vacation I am in charge. :-)

I found that my Paris formula of creating a very flexible itinerary works. I have an activity for the morning and one for the afternoon planned but that leaves plenty of room to be flexible or just relax depending on the family. Also having a rental car in Oahu means that we can cover more ground. The fact that the two hotels we will be staying at has internet access allows me to keep in touch with friend and this blog.

So the bags are packed (only two bags to check in this time! a first I've seen with my family), Sebastien (my teddy bear and traveling companion) is strapped on to Jeriah's backpack and dressed in his snazzy golfing outfit, the tickets are confirmed and transportation is set up. Lord willing, this time tomorrow I will be at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu.

Here's the website of where we'll be staying so you can check it out: http://turtlebayresort.com/

Tell me what is a traveler?

I've looked online trying to find articles that describe what a traveler is. The dictionary makes it seem so simple.

trav·el·er trævlər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[trav-uh-ler, trav-ler] –noun

1.	a person or thing that travels.

2.	a person who travels or has traveled in distant places or foreign lands.

But a traveler is more than that. However through my search I did find an article that TJ Tom wrote on his website. www.thebigwelcom.net which helps describe what a traveler is when he wrote about the "traveler's glow". Here is an excerpt from it:

Travelers possess a confidence, serenity, a focus and a passion. Their glow radiates from their soul and their heart, and those around them can sense it. They carry with them, almost tangibly, their experiences and discoveries, and the ways in which they’ve learned from them.

Travelers are strong and durable from carrying their lives on their backs, yet their walls are down and they approach life with open hearts and minds. Their quest is one of discovery and immersion. They understand something new about the human experience and recognize their place in the world. “They (travelers) are the lucky ones-to have taken the time to truly experience what the world has to offer. It isn’t for everyone, and some do not have the opportunity, but a combination of opportunity and willingness puts them in a sacred group with some responsibility, I believe, to humanity.”

Isn't that beautiful? I want to be like that! I want to be a traveler.