Resolutions are for the weak

So my intention this year was to try to do things to take better care of myself both mentally and physically. Since we have been home from Hawaii I have yet to make it to the gym, nor have I tried out all of those healthy meals I promised myself I would attempt. I have not even begun to "spring clean" my house and it has taken everything in me to try to get out of bed before 10:00am. On the bright side, I have caught up with some great friends over lunch, dinner and drinks. I have spent time with my family and have selected paint colors for the house and Dennis kindly assisted me in creating a picture wall of family pics. We have also booked a weekend away to Las Vegas in February and are working on our future travel plans as we speak (if you have any favorite suggestions drops us a line). With February fast approaching, I think it is time to get on the fast track to a proper schedule to ensure I can get everything accomplished that I wanted to this year before 2012 draws to a close.

With that in mind I met my great friend Nancy for dinner and Margarita's this evening to talk about our plans for kick starting our new workout regimen. (Did I fail to mention we were actually scheduled to go to the gym but instead decided it was prudent we discuss it first over Mexican?) After many great laughs I am happy to announce that Nancy will soon be making a guest appearance on this blog with an excerpt from her new book "The Kijiji Khronicles". Stay tuned as I promise it will have you in stitches....

We are off next week to the rockin' hamlet of Kerrobert Saskatchwan to visit Dennis' mom and if all goes according to plan, we will be returning Thursday at which point I will be launching "Operation "GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER"". I plan to start by cleaning out my fridge, designing a meal plan and buying groceries accordingly. I will then attempt to make it through my first hot yoga class followed by 3 days a week at the gym. I will try to drink more water and eat less sugar and carbs, and I promise to start doing the laundry and cleaning the house...hahaha I kill myself! Seriously if I did the last part what would poor Dennis do with his time?

Until we meet again...

It has been amazing 5 weeks with many adventures and many great memories! Here are a few of the highlights for any of you that may be heading over this way in the future:

"The Big Island is without question the best kept  secret in all of the Hawaiian Islands."

It is twice as large as all of the other islands combined, and if this is your first trip, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. You don’t even think you are on an island, it is that large and there is so much to see and experience. Getting bored here is really not an option. There is simply too much to see and do. Even if you spent a month here, you would see less then 10% of what the Big Island has to offer. Of the 13 major climate zones in the world, 11 of them are found on the Big Island. The rainfall varies 7 inches to more than 250 inches. The terrain, topography, and micro climates vary tremendously and incredibly all within short distances from each other. Take your choice, from barren deserts, lush valleys, cactus fields, moonscapes, pine forests, prairies, jungles,rolling hills, lush pastures, misty meadows, arid steppes, cascading waterfalls, flowing lava fields, jagged cliffs, wild orchids, rugged coastlines, crescent white sand beaches, palm lined black sand beaches, green sand beaches, you name it, it is here.

We highly recommended that you buy the travel book,"Hawaii, Big Island Revealed". It is by far the best travel book on the Big Island with great color photos & descriptions. You can pick this up at any store over there for around $16.00.

Recommended place to stay: Waikoloa Beach Villas

Costco is by far the cheapest for gas on the island ($3.99/gal as compared to 4.26 to 4.49). I would also recommend buying your steak, fruit and bread at Costco. Groceries are not cheap on the island and we found Safeway to be the most expensive.

Things to do, places to go:

There is a great fish market in Kawaihae harbor 10 miles north of Waikoloa. Once you enter Kawaihae (very small town) the road veers off to the right. You will pass a 76 gas station on your left then a little strip mall. Right across from the strip mall is a little shack, that is the fish market. If you catch it right between noon and say 3:00 pm, you can watch them fillet the fish and then just ask for “that piece please”. Great mahi mahi, ahi and scallops. Ask for ice in the bag with the fish too.

Anaeho’omalu Bay also known as "A" Bay is great for spotting turtles. You can either walk (5-10 min) or drive as there is a small parking lot. Walk down to the beach and then turn left and just keep walking looking for turtles. We spotted turtles on the beach every day we went. It is lined with palm trees and has great sunsets. Snorkeling is good in the early mornings. It is a favorite place to launch outrigger canoes. Feel free to use the beach lounge chairs on the beach in front of the hotel.

A MUST! Pololu Black Sand Beach is located at the north end of the Island where the road ends. From the lookout, it is about a 20 minute hike down into the valley to the beach. This whole area in the lush jungle is stunningly beautiful, but the surf and tides are quite strong here and swimming, body boarding, and snorkeling are not advised. We did not make it here this trip as it is quite a hike and mom couldn't do it with her bad knee, but we will definitely go here again! This is one of my favorite spots!

Hapuna Beach, located 6 miles north of Waikoloa, is a long white sand beach with strong waves ideal for body boarding (unless you are there on a day like we were - see blog). This beach is always rated near the top of all the beaches in Hawaii. It can be a bit crowded during holidays and weekends as locals from the east side of the Island come here. If the surf is up, boogie boarding can be dangerous due to the shallow bottom.
Another must! The road is really bumpy but well worth the drive.

Mahai’ula Beach is one of our favorites beaches just north of the airport between 91 and 90 mile marker. Take the Kekaha Kai State Park road to the beach. This 15 minute rough ride is through the lava and is slow going but worth it. Park at the rough parking lot then take the 5-10 minute trail north. The beach is not crowed and great sand. You should have water shoes as the bottom is a bit rough til you get deep enough for swimming.You will see turtles there as well as watch for the flying fish just off the beach.

Waipio Valley Black Sand Beach is located at the north end of the Hamakua Coast. A very strenuous hike or 4X4 vehicle is required to get to this beach. The sheer beauty of this tropical paradise is breathtaking.

You should also try snorkeling at the Kahalu’u Beach Park at the South end of Kona.

Kilauea Volcana is well worth the drive. Kilauea, located in the south east part of the island is the most active volcano in the world, erupting continuously for the past 25 years. The entire area is very interesting and well worth visiting, but because it is a three and a half hour drive from Waikoloa, it really is best to leave early in the morning around 8:00 or spend a night to really see it all. Favorites sites are the Visitor Centre, Thurston Lava Tube, Jaggar Museum and multiple viewpoints of the Kilauea Iki Crater.. There are plenty of Bed & Breakfast choices and the restaurant at the Kilauea Lodge (Vicki’s favorite) Zagat rated is worth the visit. Also, at the current time, some of the best viewing of the volcanic activity is at the end of highway #130 near Puna.

South Point is one of Dennis’ favorites, located between mile marker 69 and 70 in the most southern part of the United States, this is a wind-blown area with strong currents and even a green sand beach accessible by 4 wheel drive or a long hike. Take the fort in the road to the right to see the broken road and boat hoists. We saw whales here right off the cliffs. It is quite desolate here but an interesting area to visit if you have the time.

Favorite places to eat, drink and be merry ( in no particular order):

Tommy Bahamas Restaurant & Tropical Bar in the Mauna Lani Shops has greattropical drinks, live music, wonderful island atmosphere and surprising sunset views.Try the crab bisque and I would recommend the shrimp and scallop curry dish. Desserts here are to die for!

Sansei Restaurant In the new Queen’s Market Place Shops specializes in a wide variety of seafood and sushi. Make sure you try the shrimp cakes. It is one of their specialties and has won awards. YUM!!!

Teshima’sJapanese Restaurant – south of Kona just past the highway 11 and 180 junction beside the Shell station. Great local Japanese restaurant. Specialty is their tempura and ahi sashimi. Google it to get this interesting history. Like an old diner you would find in small town Saskatchewan.

Kiluea LodgeRestaurant near the world famous volcano is certainly one of the best restaurants on the east side of the Big Island. It is Zagat rated and has a very interesting selection of wild game and other exotic choices. It has a very cozy atmosphere on a chilly evening complete with a fireplace.

Huggos’ On the Rocks is a must! Located on Alii drive in Kona they have happy hour between 3-6 and they have live entertainment that starts around 5. Good food and drinks and inexpensive. Entertainment is excellent and you get to sit in the sand right by the ocean.

Kona Brewery – great pizza and very relaxed atmosphere. Good music.

And if all else fails and you are not sure where to start, you can always do what Dennis does...take a walk, hide in the trees and take pictures....

A sacrifice for the gods

Whittington Park

Headed out to Kilauea Volcano to offer a virgin sacrifice to the gods, but they spit mom back when they found out she was far from it! So we are still stuck with her. Got up early to head out to ensure we were not driving back in the dark. Made several stops along the way the first of which was Whittington Park. A beautiful little stop where we managed to capture some great pictures with the help of our new found photography skills from the course we managed to sneak in before we left to start our adventures.

We also happened upon a wild animal/coffee plantation around mile marker 87 we saw a couple of buffalo, Texas steers and a zebra right by the highway on the ocean side. There is also a small white sign advertising coffee beans. Just a few yards off the highway is a little farm building to the right where a fifth generation Portuguese farmer sells coffee beans under a tent, but also has free running multi colored chickens, peacocks and wild pigs in the yard. OK I know I am all the way in Hawaii and there are many great things to see but this was one of my favourites!

Dennis picking up chicks

Our next stop was the Kilauea Visitor Centre and then out to Jagger Museum. The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum is located along Crater Rim Drive, 3 miles from the Kilauea Visitor Center. Here you can enjoy spectacular views of the caldera and the main crater Halema`uma`u from this view point.

While here we also went through the Thurston Lava Tube. It is a short drive, about a 1/2 mile from the Kīlauea Iki Overlook. This is a 20 minute 1/3 mile walk through a tree fern forest and lighted prehistoric cavelike lava tube awaits you.As you walk through the tube you consider that several hundred years ago a river of red lava rushed through. And that lava currently travels from Pu'u O'o to the ocean in a labyrinth of lava tubes much like Thurston Lava Tube. You have to watch your head in the tube as there are some spots with a low ceiling.

We finished our day back in Kona at the Kona Island Brewery. Good beer and great pizza!

Just another day in paradise...

Drove to Waipi,o Valley today. This valley never fails to impress. The instant you arrive at the lookout above the valley you realize why this place was so special to the Hawaiians. At one time thousands of people lived here but these days Waipi'o is populated with a colorful assortment of characters, many of whom have turned their backs on society. Those who live in the valley have no power,water, sewage, phones, cell or TV coverage. Visitors and residents alike are drawn to this place as they are enthralled with the scenery. Unfortunately we were unable to hike to the valley floor due to mom's knee but Dennis and I will be sure to do so when we return.

Stopped for ice cream on the way back on a small side road out of the valley and returned in time for dinner with the neigbours. Met a great couple - Josh and Patty and their friend Janice - in our complex and they invited us for drinks and appetizers. Ends up that Josh and Janice are gourmet cooks so we were invited to stay for dinner which turned into more drinks and a late night. Mom bailed early (as soon as the scotch bottle ran dry) and Dennis and I followed not far behind swaggering our way home. Many laughs and new friends (even though my husband hates people - yeah right).

Swimming with the fishes

Next stop - snorkeling at Kahalu'u Beach Park. This is one of the nicer snorkeling spots on the island. As mom had never snorkeled before, Dennis offered to take her out in an effort to ensure we maintained a healthy mother/daughter relationship. There was no yelling or arguing and Dennis was kind enough to push her wrinkles out of the way to ensure she had a good seal on her face mask. He then held her hands and she put her face in the water. She got so excited by a big yellow fish that she stated to yell "wow" and sucked in a mouth full of water. She did however have a great time after she got the hang of it and by the end it didn't look like we had taken our handicapped friend out on a day pass to the ocean!

Body Slamming at Hapuna

First stop - Hapuna Beach for body surfing. The waves were quite spectacular which should have been our first clue as to how they day would turn out. One man broke his nose and they had to carry another young man out on a back board to an ambulance. Our second clue should have been the the surf rushing the shore line and the life guard in a loud megaphone assisted voice telling anyone that was not familiar with the surf to get out of the water. This however did not stop mom and I from wading out into the water to provide mom with a condensed version of body surfing. Not only did we stay near to shore to avoid the violent waves rolling in, but mom of course has a bad knee so I needed to hold her hands to assist her in getting up if and when she fell. After getting knocked about a few times and being dragged across the ocean bottom with my hands entwined with mom's I decided it was time to cut her loose. As we were wading back to this shore a big wave caught us and as buoyant as mom is she rode the wave face first into shore and came up laughing.

Dennis and I didn't fare quite as well. We decide to venture out with our boogie boards ( I mean come on just because the locals are scared of the high surf doesn't mean stupid tourists should be) I got tossed badly and slammed under onto my right side where I hit my hip hard on the bottom got spun around ever which. My tow line almost pulled my arm out of the socket and my board hit her quite hard on the head. I really got my bell rung, and when mom came to help me out of the water I was disoriented and shaking. Dennis also got slammed a few times and has quite a pretty bruise on his right knee. After speaking with a local I was told we were lucky to get out of there alright as it is a spot known for people breaking their necks with the shore breaking tides.

Offering to the Hawaiian gods for an uneventful 2012!

When I decided to blog our new found adventures for the first year of retirement, I don't think today's events were quite what I had in mind. We thought it would be nice to take mom on a little sightseeing adventure to Mo'Okini Heiau. Although the guide book believes this location today conveys a peaceful setting ( I beg to differ after today's events ) in ancient times it was a place of dread. Thousands of lives were sacrificed here to the Hawaiian gods and today they reared their ugly heads in an effort to devour three more... Near the 20 mile marker you follow a sign taking you to Upolo Airport. This road leads to the northern most tip of the island. You turn left when you reach the quiet airport and are greeted by an unpaved road for which the county does a terrible job of maintenance.

The first omen we should haves heeded was the one whereby you are encouraged to attempt with the minimum of a 4 wheel drive. Hail the Chevy Traverse! Mocking the gods, the Traverse tried to traverse a puddle large enough to have spawned its own unique ecosystem. Dennis gave his finger to the higher beings and floored the heavy Chevy. In return, King Kamehameha the Great (better known as the "lonely one") decided he wanted our company. After coming to a muddy halt, we crawled from the vehicle and set out to determine how long we were destined to visit. Several nice folks stopped by on their way to wish us well while Dennis searched for rocks to use as offerings for our high centered vehicle. While Dennis searched and mom tried to find a private place to leave her own "offering" of this mornings breakfast, I walked back to a house in search of assistance. I was kindly greeted by Cujo whom I realized was rather friendly once he released my arm from his mouth. After yelling for the gentleman who was sitting in an armchair nearby, I was able to acquire a shovel and a lesson in horticulture. I soon returned to the scene of the potential crime (more to follow as the story progresses) with said shovel and new found optimism.

At this point, Mom had returned and Dennis had propped up the truck like my own little McGyver. After several more rounds of mud wrestling with the gods, Dennis agreed to let us try OnStar for help. After hunting tirelessly for the manual to figure out how it worked (and finding it in the trunk with the spare tire)I proceed with pushing the magic button only to find out that this service had not been activated by the car rental company. Hawaiian gods 2, the Chen's 0. As this year is all about finding the silver lining in everything, we could at least find solace in the fact that the car company would not know that we were actually stranded in their vehicle in a restricted zone. Moving along we decided to have lunch and rethink our strategy. After much debate we decided it would be better to consult with the locals on how to outsmart the gods. Little did we know the locals would out smart the Chen's. A call was placed to a towing company in nearby Hawi and our saviors promised to rescue us from our muddy death in a mere 25 mins.

We waited patiently by taking pictures and whale watching. This day might turn out not to be a total loss after all. The aptly named "Kartow" towing gentlemen swiftly pulled up, attached a chain and pulled us to safety all for the cost of a small automobile. Dennis tried to barter the tow company down which seemed to anger the gods as well as the dentally challenged gentleman who strongly offered to accompany us back to the ATM machine in town right from the comfort of our clay covered vehicle. It was a lovely trip with much talk of all the blessings 2011 has thrust upon us and the promise of guns and bullets firing to ring in the new year. On the bright side mom almost got us an invite to a new years eve party that we are incidentally funding, by telling the large man squished into the back seat with her about her affinity for expensive scotch. Probably a little late to say long story short but in the end we decided collectively that one day we will look back on this day and laugh. Hawaiian gods zero, tow truck drivers undisclosed amount and the Chen's just happy to be alive! Here's to a less eventful, less expensive, safe 2012!