A picture of our new Christmas decoration collection
Left to right, tip to bottom.
Monterey, Vegas, Yosemite
Honolulu, LA, Honolulu II
Paia, Vegas, San Francisco
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Friday, 19 September 2014
O'ahu and Turtles!
We decided to hire a car for the last two days in O'ahu. This time we opted for the cheap option and selected a ford focus but instead was given a Nissan Ultima Saloon car which we dubbed Gordon after the character in Thomas the tank. Biggest car I have ever driven but managed ok.
So on the Thursday we got the car at midday and drove West on the Kamehamaha Hwy up to Turtle Bay in the north shore.
On the way we started to get a better reflection of O'ahu driving past pineapple plantations, mountainous terrain as seen in Jurassic Park and Lost as well as many, many terrific looking beaches. It was not quite the road to Hana but was still very enjoyable.
We arrived at Turtle Bay at about 2pm. It was another really nice beach which had very good facilities as a result of being next to the Turtle Bay Resort hotel (looks a very nice hotel if anyone is considering a trip after reading this blog).
I had my snorkling gear with me and decided to jump in and see if it lived up to the name. Unfortuantely it did not but it was not assisted by the lack of visibility. There was however a nice reef and saw plenty of colourful fish including the black and white one from Finding Nemo but I confess I was slightly disappointed not to see any turtles.
After grabbing a burger from the beach bar/resteraunt we headed back to Honolulu but stopped at Waimea beach for sunset. We spotted it on the way up and it was a very nice beach. A really deep beach in a cove. The waves were good fun as well
The following day was truely Oahu's redemption day. We drove East this time and the whole way around the island.
First stop was Halona Blow hole on the Eastern corner of the island. Conditions were very good with water consistently being thrown up.
Next we ate our breakfast at Waimanalo Beach Park. Great setting overlooking some terrific scenery. So good that we doubled back to the nearby Waimanalo Lookout. Stunning scenery.
We continuted our drive North at a very lesiury pace stopping occasionaly to admire the scenery. Eventually we got too hot and decided to stop for a break at Kailua Beach Park. The water was turquoise here and was calm enought for even Fiona to take a dip.
After this break we continued our drive north. A funny stop over was a place called Chinamans hat. Questionably racist but I can see where they are coming from
For lunch we stopped at yet another mexican called North Shore Taco's. We had done no research but again it turned out to be pretty good. Fiona once more had shrimp taco which sounds so wrong but apparently it works. Not sure how we can go back to Wahaca after all of this.
At about 3 we arrived at turtle bay intending to only use the bathroom. On the way out we decided to take a short walk around the cove but right at the very start we changed our plan. We spotted Turtles. There must have been at least 5 of them swimming around the same beach we were at yesterday. The beach is split into two with the swim but one side and the rocky bit the other. They were all hanging around the rocky side and we seemed to be the only ones to have spotted them. I dashed back to the car for the camera and snorkel gear and clicked away.
They came right up onto the beach. It was amazing and at this stage there was now a few people round watching. How close did I get when snorkelling? This close:
At around 4 we headed back to Waikiki and had a celebratory cocktail at Moana Surfrider. A brilliant day to end our honeymoon. Or so we thought it was the end....
So on the Thursday we got the car at midday and drove West on the Kamehamaha Hwy up to Turtle Bay in the north shore.
On the way we started to get a better reflection of O'ahu driving past pineapple plantations, mountainous terrain as seen in Jurassic Park and Lost as well as many, many terrific looking beaches. It was not quite the road to Hana but was still very enjoyable.
We arrived at Turtle Bay at about 2pm. It was another really nice beach which had very good facilities as a result of being next to the Turtle Bay Resort hotel (looks a very nice hotel if anyone is considering a trip after reading this blog).
After grabbing a burger from the beach bar/resteraunt we headed back to Honolulu but stopped at Waimea beach for sunset. We spotted it on the way up and it was a very nice beach. A really deep beach in a cove. The waves were good fun as well
First stop was Halona Blow hole on the Eastern corner of the island. Conditions were very good with water consistently being thrown up.
Next we ate our breakfast at Waimanalo Beach Park. Great setting overlooking some terrific scenery. So good that we doubled back to the nearby Waimanalo Lookout. Stunning scenery.
After this break we continued our drive north. A funny stop over was a place called Chinamans hat. Questionably racist but I can see where they are coming from
At about 3 we arrived at turtle bay intending to only use the bathroom. On the way out we decided to take a short walk around the cove but right at the very start we changed our plan. We spotted Turtles. There must have been at least 5 of them swimming around the same beach we were at yesterday. The beach is split into two with the swim but one side and the rocky bit the other. They were all hanging around the rocky side and we seemed to be the only ones to have spotted them. I dashed back to the car for the camera and snorkel gear and clicked away.
They came right up onto the beach. It was amazing and at this stage there was now a few people round watching. How close did I get when snorkelling? This close:
At around 4 we headed back to Waikiki and had a celebratory cocktail at Moana Surfrider. A brilliant day to end our honeymoon. Or so we thought it was the end....
Thursday, 18 September 2014
Honolulu - Waikiki beach
Honolulu was a bit of a shock after Maui. The biggest town on Maui we'd been to was Lahaina, and even it was just a few main streets and some hotels on the outskirts. Honolulu is a big,noisy city, sprawled over hills, with the beach lining a promenade of shops and high rise hotels. We thought four days was going to end up being too long to spend here when we first arrived, but that opinion changed towards the end.
Honolulu did have a good choice of different places to eat, and plenty of unique shops to explore. Gerard (egged on by me a bit) bought himself a second aloha shirt, though his choice of white leaves on a green background (note the choice of colours) was much more muted than the shirt he bought a couple of days earlier on Maui.
We also added some comical surfing and hula dancing Santa ornaments to our collection. We have bought a Christmas decoration from each place we've visited whilst we were away, all with something that represents the place it's from. Looking forward to putting them on our tree for years to come.
Walking about in the evenings there were free hula shows that we came across in two or three different locations, giving us a chance to hear some Hawaiian music and see some traditional dancing and costumes, which was good fun.
We spent a day on and around Waikiki beach. It was a great spot for people watching, but not much shade on offer.
Gerard did some research and discovered a car rental would be fairly cheap actually, and would have the added bonus of saving us a taxi fare back to the airport so we were in for a few days of doing what we do best on holiday and going exploring.
Honolulu did have a good choice of different places to eat, and plenty of unique shops to explore. Gerard (egged on by me a bit) bought himself a second aloha shirt, though his choice of white leaves on a green background (note the choice of colours) was much more muted than the shirt he bought a couple of days earlier on Maui.
We also added some comical surfing and hula dancing Santa ornaments to our collection. We have bought a Christmas decoration from each place we've visited whilst we were away, all with something that represents the place it's from. Looking forward to putting them on our tree for years to come.
Walking about in the evenings there were free hula shows that we came across in two or three different locations, giving us a chance to hear some Hawaiian music and see some traditional dancing and costumes, which was good fun.
We spent a day on and around Waikiki beach. It was a great spot for people watching, but not much shade on offer.
Gerard did some research and discovered a car rental would be fairly cheap actually, and would have the added bonus of saving us a taxi fare back to the airport so we were in for a few days of doing what we do best on holiday and going exploring.
Monday, 15 September 2014
Last couple days on Maui: Ono Tacos
On this trip we have developed quite an addiction to Mexican food. It's all cooked so nicely here and there's always something different on the menu to try. After the Fairmont we moved on to a self-catering apartment in Lahaina for a couple of days, with some time to enjoy a bit of home cooking. For lunch however we consulted trusty trip adviser and discovered that there was a nearby taco restaurant with rave reviews so we meandered along on Monday. The restaurant was called Ono Tacos. "Ono" is a Hawaiian word for "good to eat".
I was glad we had looked at trip adviser so we had been warned it was small. How small? It was pretty much a man cooking on a grill in his front garden with a couple of chairs in front and his wife taking orders. It was the sort of place you wouldn't normally look twice at, in fact you might actively avoid usually, but the food was delicious and lived up to the hype. The shrimp tacos were my favourite.
Needing to make some sort of effort to walk off lunch we went for a wander on the nearby beach and a splash in the waves. We almost lost our flip flops in one big wave that swept further up the sand than we dreamed of expecting. Thankfully the couple nearby warned us, and then offered to take our picture.
After the beach we chilled out by the pool. While not as big as the Fairmont the shapes were all quite quirky and we could attempt to burn of some calories. Or instead take some silly photo's:
Given it was our last night and we had a bottle of cave and orange juice to use we decided to make our own mimosas. Pretty good:
Later that evening I was pleased to find the first episode of this year's Dancing With the Stars on TV (the US version of Strictly). It was fun to watch but Strictly is ten times better. There wasn't much banter going on with anyone and the dances are about half as long - not to mention the never-ending add breaks.
The following morning Gerard wanted to take our fruit we'd bought for breakfast out to another cove called Napili Bay which is known for being a good place to see turtles. We sat on a grassy bank because the tide was up quite far and sandy strawberries didn't sound too appealing either. Gerard was disappointed at first that the surf was going to be too high for him to snorkel but as we sat looking out to sea we began to spot a few shapes in the water, and they were indeed turtles, though sadly fairly far away. It made for an entertaining half hour with both of us trying to be the first to spot the next one.
We didn't have long though before we had to make our way over to the airport for our flight to Honolulu. We were sad to leave Maui - it is such an amazing island. We were somewhat (ok very) skeptical when we saw the plane that would be taking us onward - a small propeller plane. We felt every bump of that flight. Thank goodness it was only 30 minutes. We landed in Honolulu in what was the last leg of our trip. Four days left until the long journey home begins.
I was glad we had looked at trip adviser so we had been warned it was small. How small? It was pretty much a man cooking on a grill in his front garden with a couple of chairs in front and his wife taking orders. It was the sort of place you wouldn't normally look twice at, in fact you might actively avoid usually, but the food was delicious and lived up to the hype. The shrimp tacos were my favourite.
Needing to make some sort of effort to walk off lunch we went for a wander on the nearby beach and a splash in the waves. We almost lost our flip flops in one big wave that swept further up the sand than we dreamed of expecting. Thankfully the couple nearby warned us, and then offered to take our picture.
After the beach we chilled out by the pool. While not as big as the Fairmont the shapes were all quite quirky and we could attempt to burn of some calories. Or instead take some silly photo's:
Given it was our last night and we had a bottle of cave and orange juice to use we decided to make our own mimosas. Pretty good:
Later that evening I was pleased to find the first episode of this year's Dancing With the Stars on TV (the US version of Strictly). It was fun to watch but Strictly is ten times better. There wasn't much banter going on with anyone and the dances are about half as long - not to mention the never-ending add breaks.
The following morning Gerard wanted to take our fruit we'd bought for breakfast out to another cove called Napili Bay which is known for being a good place to see turtles. We sat on a grassy bank because the tide was up quite far and sandy strawberries didn't sound too appealing either. Gerard was disappointed at first that the surf was going to be too high for him to snorkel but as we sat looking out to sea we began to spot a few shapes in the water, and they were indeed turtles, though sadly fairly far away. It made for an entertaining half hour with both of us trying to be the first to spot the next one.
We didn't have long though before we had to make our way over to the airport for our flight to Honolulu. We were sad to leave Maui - it is such an amazing island. We were somewhat (ok very) skeptical when we saw the plane that would be taking us onward - a small propeller plane. We felt every bump of that flight. Thank goodness it was only 30 minutes. We landed in Honolulu in what was the last leg of our trip. Four days left until the long journey home begins.
Saturday, 13 September 2014
Relaxing at the Fairmont
We were greeted with a traditional Hawaiin welcome when we arrived at the Fairmont, each receiving a lei - mine made with fresh flowers and Gerard's with beads. Whilst mine is arguably prettier, at least Gerard's will stand the test of time (if I can ever convince him to wear it again).
Our three days at the Fairmont have sort of ran in to each other. We have enjoyed plenty of lounging around by the pool and Gerard has attempted some snorkelling. We have also made the most of our private lanai (balcony) every evening and enjoyed watching some stunning sunsets with a bottle of wine. The sun has been setting directly over the sea in the Horizon and, being so close to the equator, it doesn't take very long so we can actually see it moving lower in the sky.
Yesterday I woke up to the news that I had passed my final uni assignment. As a celebration we decided to enjoy the hotel's buffet breakfast - something we had said we would do on one of the days anyway. We had been booked in for a couple's massage the following day, but as the weather began to turn Gerard asked the spa if they could change the appointment to the same day. Luckily there was an appointment within the hour so we went inside to make use of the steam rooms and other facilities just as a tropical rainstorm began to pour. Ironically one of the facilities in the spa were three showers that mimicked the Hawaiin rain!
The traditional Hawaiin Lomi Lomi massage was blissful. It really helped work out the knots in my neck, which had been acting up only last week.
Today (Saturday) we decided to venture back to Paia, the tiny town where we had spent our first night in Maui, and had quickly fallen in love with. Maui is full of micro-climates, caused by the two big volcanoes on the Island. The cloud came over in Wailea at about lunch time so we headed North again where the sun was out in full force- Gerard learned quite how full when he got back later on and took a look in the mirror - ouch! After some time on the beach we returned to an awesome little cafe where we had had breakfast a few days earlier and ordered the chicken fajitas to share - something one of the locals had recommended to us, and it was worth it. I also felt it was only right to visit the local Gelato shop as well before we left.
Our three days at the Fairmont have sort of ran in to each other. We have enjoyed plenty of lounging around by the pool and Gerard has attempted some snorkelling. We have also made the most of our private lanai (balcony) every evening and enjoyed watching some stunning sunsets with a bottle of wine. The sun has been setting directly over the sea in the Horizon and, being so close to the equator, it doesn't take very long so we can actually see it moving lower in the sky.
To signal the approaching sunset every night one of the employees runs around the grounds lighting torches and blowing a conch shell. He has had a lot of the children staying here following him around. It provides a lot of atmosphere, indicating it is time for wine!
Yesterday I woke up to the news that I had passed my final uni assignment. As a celebration we decided to enjoy the hotel's buffet breakfast - something we had said we would do on one of the days anyway. We had been booked in for a couple's massage the following day, but as the weather began to turn Gerard asked the spa if they could change the appointment to the same day. Luckily there was an appointment within the hour so we went inside to make use of the steam rooms and other facilities just as a tropical rainstorm began to pour. Ironically one of the facilities in the spa were three showers that mimicked the Hawaiin rain!
The traditional Hawaiin Lomi Lomi massage was blissful. It really helped work out the knots in my neck, which had been acting up only last week.
Today (Saturday) we decided to venture back to Paia, the tiny town where we had spent our first night in Maui, and had quickly fallen in love with. Maui is full of micro-climates, caused by the two big volcanoes on the Island. The cloud came over in Wailea at about lunch time so we headed North again where the sun was out in full force- Gerard learned quite how full when he got back later on and took a look in the mirror - ouch! After some time on the beach we returned to an awesome little cafe where we had had breakfast a few days earlier and ordered the chicken fajitas to share - something one of the locals had recommended to us, and it was worth it. I also felt it was only right to visit the local Gelato shop as well before we left.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Road trip: Road away from Hana
The next morning we decided to head south from Hana to a white beach for breakfast where we had strawberries and pineapple that was leftover from last night.
After the beach we continued further south for an explore and found an amazing waterfall and at its base another dipping point. As it was early Fiona did not fancy it but it did not stop me.
A video of me jumping in!
After the waterfall we returned to Hana to pack our things and make our way back on the same road we came. Our destination was the Fairmont in Wailea which was south of Paia.
On the way we decided to stop at Waianapanapa state park which was the main stop we missed yesterday. It was very photogenic with freshwater caves (another dip) and the "glistening" beach which turned out to be a black beach which was very fine granules of black rock. Fiona at this stage was overheating and loved the dip in the sea.
It was hot and sunny and we were both overheating. At mile market 17 we decided to stop at Ching's Pond once again. It was just as good as last time.
At about 2pm we reached Paia and decided to be a bit naughty and have another pizza in Flatbread. It really is a cool place to eat. Great vibe.
About 30 minutes south we arrived at the Fairmont for our 3 day chill-out after some long but amazing dives.
After the beach we continued further south for an explore and found an amazing waterfall and at its base another dipping point. As it was early Fiona did not fancy it but it did not stop me.
After the waterfall we returned to Hana to pack our things and make our way back on the same road we came. Our destination was the Fairmont in Wailea which was south of Paia.
On the way we decided to stop at Waianapanapa state park which was the main stop we missed yesterday. It was very photogenic with freshwater caves (another dip) and the "glistening" beach which turned out to be a black beach which was very fine granules of black rock. Fiona at this stage was overheating and loved the dip in the sea.
It was hot and sunny and we were both overheating. At mile market 17 we decided to stop at Ching's Pond once again. It was just as good as last time.
About 30 minutes south we arrived at the Fairmont for our 3 day chill-out after some long but amazing dives.
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