Getting up at 5 am was more painful than ever, I guess last nights tough packing just wore me out :) I don't know why have hotels not thought of a packing service - so that they pack the suitcases for you :) ? Anyways, got up, showered, ate as much breakfast as possible as there was gonna be lots of food left behind and headed to the airport. Our first flight from Kahului to Honolulu went 5 minutes apart, me flying NW and others going on United. It was a short flight, just about 30 minutes in air. Once at the airport we rented a car and headed straight to Pearl Harbor.
As Pearl Harbor is still an active military base then the security is quite intense there - no bags or purses or camera bags are allowed in the area, had to check all that into luggage check. First stop was the movie theater where they gave an overview of what happened in Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December, year 1941 and why it all happened. From the theater we were taken to the memorial of Battleship Arizona across the bay. Memorial was built on top of the sunken ship called Arizona and it lay in the middle of the water, we went there by ferry. This was a bit depressing to say the least, we were instructed to keep our voices low as many lives were lost and they still lay beneath the surface.
Once back from the boat ride we wondered around in the museum. Now the museum was quite good, it was well documented and organized, had lots of detailed information and photo material as well as scale models of the ships and plans of attack routes. From the museum we decided to go to Battleship Missouri - we were taken there by shuttle as it was all the way on Ford Island where the base is situated. Now the battleship was enormous. I wonder how many marines actually got lost in there during their first weeks on the ship :)
Once we were done at the ship, it was after 3 and we were all dying of hunger by then. It was decided to head to Honolulu city center to find some nice place to eat. We ended up having one of the nicest meals yet by an enormous shopping center right next to Waikiki beach. After dinner we took a quick detour and walked to the beach for a bit. Then back tot he airport where we had good 4 hours to kill.
I liked it here in Hawaii a lot. loved it! It seems so entirely different from the rest of the US that it is even hard to believe it is part of this big country. History of Hawaii is so rich, the culture goes back centuries, they have their own native language, nature is gorgeous, people are friendly and most enjoyable of all - everybody is so relaxed and happy, hang loos' :) It is a wonderful place to be. Although I have to mention that it is a bit on a pricier side as a lot of it built up on tourism.
This was definitely one of the best holidays I've had. Mostly thanks to a great Spranget family. At the airport the inevitable had to take place - saying goodbyes. It is difficult to say farewell to people dear to you. Sometimes I wonder how have I gotten so lucky to have so many such special people in my life. And it is definitely amazing to reconnect with people who you were once inseparable from. I hope the future is good to me and I can keep in close contact with all those dear people even 30 years from now. I will do everything in my power to make it happen.
Showing posts with label hawaii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hawaii. Show all posts
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
19.02 Hawaii: Hana trip
Today's main (and only) activity was trip to Hana. The tour was organized this way that we departed from Kahului heliport around noon, helicopter took us all the way across Haleakala to Hana and from there we took a scenic road back to Kahului by 5 in the afternoon.
After watching the introduction of where the first aid kit is and how to evacuate the machine we took in line and boarded the helicopter. For seating we were distributed by our weight, computer did all the magic and allocated us as evenly as possible. I got to sit on the front seat! The ride was great of course :)
We started from Kahului, climbed all the way to the top of Haleakala, looked around the crater and then started to descend. On the way down we flew over the rain forests of Maui where it rains every day, this in turn creates lots of waterfalls throughout the valley. Saw many waterfalls, some as tall as 200 meters. It was great how the pilot flew by the waterfall and then made a sharp turn to fly by so that that the people on the other side could see the beautiful waterfall as well :) When approaching the city of Hana we were flying alongside the coastline - that was fabulous. Dark rocky coast, bright blue water and pure white waves crashing at the coast. After about 30 minutes we landed in Hana international airport and were guided to our next transportation vehicle - limo van.
Our van driver was a local guy who seemed to know everything about Hawaiian culture and history. He had many great stories to tell throughout the ride. First we ate lunch by a beach and then started our drive. Along the way we got to stop in many scenic locations and took tons of pictures. Scenic road means 50 km and 617 sharp turns, the speed limit was mostly about 15km/h :)
As it turned out the van driver had been to Tallinn just last year :) Although he was the 5th person to point out that I'm the first Estonian he has ever met at Hawaii. My surf instructor said the same thing and then added a note that us Estonians must not get out that much :D
At the end of the "scenic road" I started to feel sick of all the turning, luckily shortly after that the curves stopped and we were able to continue driving with 70km/h.
All in all the day was pretty much better than any of us could have expected. Once Gene picked us up at the heliport we heard that the road to Lahaina had been closed all day due to a big accident on the road, so he was stuck at Maalaea the whole day. While we tried to make our way back towards Lahaina we were still struggling in the traffic jams that still had not cleared up due to the closed road. It took us 2 hours to drive back.
Now I have all my stuff packed and I'm all ready to go to bed. Tomorrow morning we are taking an early fight to Honolulu and will spend a day at Oahu island, visiting Pearl Harbor. In the late evening we are all flying out to mainland US, me through Portland and others via Los Angeles. Then comes the most difficult part - 48 hours at airports and on flights. I'm not sure if I have any internet access in any of the airports to update my blog and upload the latest pictures. If so then you will see tomorrows news this week and if not then you have to wait a bit longer. Either way, lots of hugs to all of you!
After watching the introduction of where the first aid kit is and how to evacuate the machine we took in line and boarded the helicopter. For seating we were distributed by our weight, computer did all the magic and allocated us as evenly as possible. I got to sit on the front seat! The ride was great of course :)
We started from Kahului, climbed all the way to the top of Haleakala, looked around the crater and then started to descend. On the way down we flew over the rain forests of Maui where it rains every day, this in turn creates lots of waterfalls throughout the valley. Saw many waterfalls, some as tall as 200 meters. It was great how the pilot flew by the waterfall and then made a sharp turn to fly by so that that the people on the other side could see the beautiful waterfall as well :) When approaching the city of Hana we were flying alongside the coastline - that was fabulous. Dark rocky coast, bright blue water and pure white waves crashing at the coast. After about 30 minutes we landed in Hana international airport and were guided to our next transportation vehicle - limo van.
Our van driver was a local guy who seemed to know everything about Hawaiian culture and history. He had many great stories to tell throughout the ride. First we ate lunch by a beach and then started our drive. Along the way we got to stop in many scenic locations and took tons of pictures. Scenic road means 50 km and 617 sharp turns, the speed limit was mostly about 15km/h :)
As it turned out the van driver had been to Tallinn just last year :) Although he was the 5th person to point out that I'm the first Estonian he has ever met at Hawaii. My surf instructor said the same thing and then added a note that us Estonians must not get out that much :D
At the end of the "scenic road" I started to feel sick of all the turning, luckily shortly after that the curves stopped and we were able to continue driving with 70km/h.
All in all the day was pretty much better than any of us could have expected. Once Gene picked us up at the heliport we heard that the road to Lahaina had been closed all day due to a big accident on the road, so he was stuck at Maalaea the whole day. While we tried to make our way back towards Lahaina we were still struggling in the traffic jams that still had not cleared up due to the closed road. It took us 2 hours to drive back.
Now I have all my stuff packed and I'm all ready to go to bed. Tomorrow morning we are taking an early fight to Honolulu and will spend a day at Oahu island, visiting Pearl Harbor. In the late evening we are all flying out to mainland US, me through Portland and others via Los Angeles. Then comes the most difficult part - 48 hours at airports and on flights. I'm not sure if I have any internet access in any of the airports to update my blog and upload the latest pictures. If so then you will see tomorrows news this week and if not then you have to wait a bit longer. Either way, lots of hugs to all of you!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
18.02 Hawaii: Surfing, cocktail cruize and whale watching
Today had 2 highlihts: surfing and whales. In the morning we got to sleep in till 9, then got ready to head to Lahanai for early lunch.
My surfing lesson started at 12:30. This time I had a private instructor, no need to do the whole 30 minute instruction on the sand first and no need to stand around by the buoys waiting for your turn :) Also, this instructor got a bit different apprach on how to get up on the board - oh was I glad, as the last instructors guidelines were just so complicated that getting up on the board seemed impossible and took forever. Todays lesson was not about getting up on the board anymore, now it was all about getting up fast and manouvering. Oh it was great. I got so much background information on how the waves hit, how to time the glide, pointers on what I'm doing wrong, how do the rules go on catching a wave and so on and so on. During the breaks when we were waiting around for the waves we were just chit-chatting about life. It was great time, very informative, yet relaxed and fun. Also, the instructor, he was a real eye candy :) I wish I could sqeeze one more lesson in :D, but unfortunately our time is all booked and we are leaving the day after tomorrow already.
Mostly the experience is gathered by being in the water of course. Also each location is different, surges and drafts are different, waves form differently and so on. When surfing at a new location then the best bet is to follow the more experienced surfers and perhaps get somebody to explain the waters and help a bit with lineup. I guess the first time should be with an instructor if possible and then try to go out on your own couple of times.
In the afternoon we had scheduled a cocktail sunset cruize. Cruize was organized by Pacific Whale Foundation again. We got to see many many whales very close up, doing surges, flips, sprinkling water and going for deep dive. As the captain said we are swimming around in a whale soup :) There was a mommy teaching her calf how to jump out of the water, they did it couple of times - mommy first and then the baby followed, they were real close to the boat while jumping :) Then there was another one, little baby, who was clearly trying to do some sort of flip or go for deep diving, but did not manage and only had his tale stuck out of the water. Some people on the boat were joking that it is doing a head stand :)
Hawaiian language is great, they have all kinds of long and funny names. For one example is the state fish of Hawaii called "humuhumunukunukuapua'a" :) Street names and peoples names are funny like that as well.
My surfing lesson started at 12:30. This time I had a private instructor, no need to do the whole 30 minute instruction on the sand first and no need to stand around by the buoys waiting for your turn :) Also, this instructor got a bit different apprach on how to get up on the board - oh was I glad, as the last instructors guidelines were just so complicated that getting up on the board seemed impossible and took forever. Todays lesson was not about getting up on the board anymore, now it was all about getting up fast and manouvering. Oh it was great. I got so much background information on how the waves hit, how to time the glide, pointers on what I'm doing wrong, how do the rules go on catching a wave and so on and so on. During the breaks when we were waiting around for the waves we were just chit-chatting about life. It was great time, very informative, yet relaxed and fun. Also, the instructor, he was a real eye candy :) I wish I could sqeeze one more lesson in :D, but unfortunately our time is all booked and we are leaving the day after tomorrow already.
Mostly the experience is gathered by being in the water of course. Also each location is different, surges and drafts are different, waves form differently and so on. When surfing at a new location then the best bet is to follow the more experienced surfers and perhaps get somebody to explain the waters and help a bit with lineup. I guess the first time should be with an instructor if possible and then try to go out on your own couple of times.
In the afternoon we had scheduled a cocktail sunset cruize. Cruize was organized by Pacific Whale Foundation again. We got to see many many whales very close up, doing surges, flips, sprinkling water and going for deep dive. As the captain said we are swimming around in a whale soup :) There was a mommy teaching her calf how to jump out of the water, they did it couple of times - mommy first and then the baby followed, they were real close to the boat while jumping :) Then there was another one, little baby, who was clearly trying to do some sort of flip or go for deep diving, but did not manage and only had his tale stuck out of the water. Some people on the boat were joking that it is doing a head stand :)
Hawaiian language is great, they have all kinds of long and funny names. For one example is the state fish of Hawaii called "humuhumunukunukuapua'a" :) Street names and peoples names are funny like that as well.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
17.02 Hawaii: Molokini and Turtle Arches, Wytni's birthday with Luau
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROOMIE!!! It was first week of January year 2008 when we moved in together in Fulton dorm :) That was a looong time ago - 11 years! Oh I feel old :)
Unfortunately we had a very early morning today, got up at 4:30 to get to Ma'alaea where our tour started from. Got boarding passes and initial introduction at the Pacific Whale Foundation office. Next we were guided to the ferry, handed out fins-masks-snorkels and the tour started. First stop was Molokini crater that is an extinct crater and is now designated as a State Marine Life and Bird Conservation District. Ride over there was quite rough and lasted about 40 minutes. Apparently there have been very strong winds for the past few days and they have not even been able to do the tour. Winds eased down later on and by the time we headed back there were barely any waves at all.
Snorkeling by Molokini was amazing. I jumped in from the boat, stuck my head under water and got scared the hell out by a little brave fish that was right in front of my nose :) I also got a digital underwater camera to take pics of the sea life - that was a good choice, it was great to click away at the little fish down there.
As I mentioned this time of the year is the peak time for Humpback Whales mating season. Whales come to Hawaiian islands for the winter to mate and then swim all the way back to Alaska for the summer time only to be back here the next year again. There were quite many of them jumping and flapping their tales in the distance. At the end we got to see some great jumps quite close up as well.
From Molokini we were taken to another snorkeling location by Turtle Arches. While the guide was talking I kept peeking underwater and noticed a turtle chilling on the bottom of the water, I freely let the guide know and soon he was down there pointing at the turtle so that the rest of the group would notice it as well :) Turtle was just chilling there, later we saw another one at the surface. Turtles can hold their breath for about 40 minutes and then they need to come to the surface to breathe. The way they move is amazing, they just flap their legs once and then glide :)
Our guide also suggested to dive under water in order to hear the singing of the whales, I was the only one to do it - the song was beautiful. Later on the boat they were able to drop a underwater microphone into the water and we heard singing of the whales over the loudspeakers as well. As they said they usually don't do it on the snorkeling trips, one has to be on the whale watching trip to get to hear them, but they figured to give us a bonus :) If any of you would like to hear them, go to this address, you will get live whale singing from the very same bay area.
At the boat they were telling us all sorts of information about the fish and the marine life. For an example, you are not suppose to feed the fish since they eat the seaweed off the reef and keep it clean, if you feed them, then the reef would get covered with seaweed and simply die out. Also there is a type of small fish that other fish don't eat since they are providing the bigger fish a service - they clean their skin :) Apparently at times the bigger fish form a line like in the car wash to get the skin cleaned by the small fish :D, cute huh?
In the evening we had Luau scheduled. The show was great - lots of dancing, humor and eating. Each dance told a story, they were danced to authentic music and by local people. Just like traditional shows everywhere. It was done quite well and show was definitely good.
Another thing I wanted to write about was the flower in the hair tradition, at the Tropical Plantation our guide explained the following:
- behind the right ear if you are married/taken
- behind the left ear if you are free
- on top of your head if you are clueless :)
- behind your head if you should be followed no questions asked ;)
Unfortunately we had a very early morning today, got up at 4:30 to get to Ma'alaea where our tour started from. Got boarding passes and initial introduction at the Pacific Whale Foundation office. Next we were guided to the ferry, handed out fins-masks-snorkels and the tour started. First stop was Molokini crater that is an extinct crater and is now designated as a State Marine Life and Bird Conservation District. Ride over there was quite rough and lasted about 40 minutes. Apparently there have been very strong winds for the past few days and they have not even been able to do the tour. Winds eased down later on and by the time we headed back there were barely any waves at all.
Snorkeling by Molokini was amazing. I jumped in from the boat, stuck my head under water and got scared the hell out by a little brave fish that was right in front of my nose :) I also got a digital underwater camera to take pics of the sea life - that was a good choice, it was great to click away at the little fish down there.
As I mentioned this time of the year is the peak time for Humpback Whales mating season. Whales come to Hawaiian islands for the winter to mate and then swim all the way back to Alaska for the summer time only to be back here the next year again. There were quite many of them jumping and flapping their tales in the distance. At the end we got to see some great jumps quite close up as well.
From Molokini we were taken to another snorkeling location by Turtle Arches. While the guide was talking I kept peeking underwater and noticed a turtle chilling on the bottom of the water, I freely let the guide know and soon he was down there pointing at the turtle so that the rest of the group would notice it as well :) Turtle was just chilling there, later we saw another one at the surface. Turtles can hold their breath for about 40 minutes and then they need to come to the surface to breathe. The way they move is amazing, they just flap their legs once and then glide :)
Our guide also suggested to dive under water in order to hear the singing of the whales, I was the only one to do it - the song was beautiful. Later on the boat they were able to drop a underwater microphone into the water and we heard singing of the whales over the loudspeakers as well. As they said they usually don't do it on the snorkeling trips, one has to be on the whale watching trip to get to hear them, but they figured to give us a bonus :) If any of you would like to hear them, go to this address, you will get live whale singing from the very same bay area.
At the boat they were telling us all sorts of information about the fish and the marine life. For an example, you are not suppose to feed the fish since they eat the seaweed off the reef and keep it clean, if you feed them, then the reef would get covered with seaweed and simply die out. Also there is a type of small fish that other fish don't eat since they are providing the bigger fish a service - they clean their skin :) Apparently at times the bigger fish form a line like in the car wash to get the skin cleaned by the small fish :D, cute huh?
In the evening we had Luau scheduled. The show was great - lots of dancing, humor and eating. Each dance told a story, they were danced to authentic music and by local people. Just like traditional shows everywhere. It was done quite well and show was definitely good.
Another thing I wanted to write about was the flower in the hair tradition, at the Tropical Plantation our guide explained the following:
- behind the right ear if you are married/taken
- behind the left ear if you are free
- on top of your head if you are clueless :)
- behind your head if you should be followed no questions asked ;)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
16.02 Hawaii: day full of sports
After a loong looong time, well after 3 very long days and sleepless nights, I finally got to sleep in. And guess what? I was up a bit after 7 :D So ironic. Also this was the first morning when I had time to go running on the beach! Oh it was great. All the way down the beach and back was exactly a 30 minute jog. Next time I will have a chance to go running on Wednesday I think, then I will try to go all the way down and back one way and then the other way as well, that should come to at least 45-55 minute run.
The whole time I was running I stared at the water trying to spot some whales. At the time there is whales mating season. For them it goes this way that the females pick the males so males are jumping and wagging their tales and doing all sorts of tricks to impress the females. I did not see any in the morning, but in the evening when the sun was setting we were playing with the waves on the beach by our hotel and then we saw quite many whales cruising by and sprinkling water up in the air. Some of them jumped all the way out of the water and flapped their tail as well. Hopefully on Wednesday we will see them up close from the boat when we will be on the cocktail cruise.
Allright, back the day. So after running we got ready to head over to Lahaina where we had scheduled a surfing lesson to start at 12:30. We were divided into groups and each instructor got from 4 to 6 people. We were provided with special shoes and shirts. Headed over to the beach, each got to carry their own board from the car down to the beach. Apparently the bigger the board the easier it is to surf, makes sense to me only up to a point. I get it that it is more stable, but isn't it also more difficult to maneuver it? Anyhoo, each got a board and carried it over to the sand. Whole course lasted 2 hours. First 30 minutes we spent on the sand going over the moves, rules and theory. All sounded quite simple, not too many rules and all sounded pretty logical. To the water we go. First we paddled to an assigned spot by the buoys where our instructor got us one by one and headed out the sea to catch the waves. As you might guess the theory is lost quick when trying to do it in practice. Well but we all got up from the board and glided almost like pro's (some more and some less :D ). I absolutely loved it, although my balance is horrible on my two feet :)
Since there were 4 of us and only one instructor we had to stand (or I should say glide) around in the water quite a bit. We were in the water about 1 hour and 15 minutes I'm guessing and we got to ride the waves 4 times. Rest of the time we just paddled around and watched others. Since I absolutely loved the whole thing, being in the water in general and of course riding the waves, I arranged another lesson for Wednesday. This time it is going to be only me and the instructor. Today the instructor chose the waves for us and sometimes gave our board some speed by pushing, he would also shout of when we would have to push back on the board and get up on our feet. I'm hoping that next time when I have the lesson I'm gonna learn to choose and catch the waves all by myself, so that in the future I don't need any more assistance and can just rent a board and head out the ocean :) Wish me luck!
In the afternoon we just had nice late lunch, did some shopping and then headed back to the hotel. Spent some time on the beach, in a hot water Jacuzzi by the hotel pool and that was it. Nothing more for today :)
Tomorrow is Wytni's 30th birthday! In the morning we are scheduled for some snorkeling and watching turtles as well as visiting couple of places by the boat. Activities start at 6:15 in the morning and are over by 13:00. In the evening we are going to Hawaiian luau. Paarrrtyyyy!!!
The whole time I was running I stared at the water trying to spot some whales. At the time there is whales mating season. For them it goes this way that the females pick the males so males are jumping and wagging their tales and doing all sorts of tricks to impress the females. I did not see any in the morning, but in the evening when the sun was setting we were playing with the waves on the beach by our hotel and then we saw quite many whales cruising by and sprinkling water up in the air. Some of them jumped all the way out of the water and flapped their tail as well. Hopefully on Wednesday we will see them up close from the boat when we will be on the cocktail cruise.
Allright, back the day. So after running we got ready to head over to Lahaina where we had scheduled a surfing lesson to start at 12:30. We were divided into groups and each instructor got from 4 to 6 people. We were provided with special shoes and shirts. Headed over to the beach, each got to carry their own board from the car down to the beach. Apparently the bigger the board the easier it is to surf, makes sense to me only up to a point. I get it that it is more stable, but isn't it also more difficult to maneuver it? Anyhoo, each got a board and carried it over to the sand. Whole course lasted 2 hours. First 30 minutes we spent on the sand going over the moves, rules and theory. All sounded quite simple, not too many rules and all sounded pretty logical. To the water we go. First we paddled to an assigned spot by the buoys where our instructor got us one by one and headed out the sea to catch the waves. As you might guess the theory is lost quick when trying to do it in practice. Well but we all got up from the board and glided almost like pro's (some more and some less :D ). I absolutely loved it, although my balance is horrible on my two feet :)
Since there were 4 of us and only one instructor we had to stand (or I should say glide) around in the water quite a bit. We were in the water about 1 hour and 15 minutes I'm guessing and we got to ride the waves 4 times. Rest of the time we just paddled around and watched others. Since I absolutely loved the whole thing, being in the water in general and of course riding the waves, I arranged another lesson for Wednesday. This time it is going to be only me and the instructor. Today the instructor chose the waves for us and sometimes gave our board some speed by pushing, he would also shout of when we would have to push back on the board and get up on our feet. I'm hoping that next time when I have the lesson I'm gonna learn to choose and catch the waves all by myself, so that in the future I don't need any more assistance and can just rent a board and head out the ocean :) Wish me luck!
In the afternoon we just had nice late lunch, did some shopping and then headed back to the hotel. Spent some time on the beach, in a hot water Jacuzzi by the hotel pool and that was it. Nothing more for today :)
Tomorrow is Wytni's 30th birthday! In the morning we are scheduled for some snorkeling and watching turtles as well as visiting couple of places by the boat. Activities start at 6:15 in the morning and are over by 13:00. In the evening we are going to Hawaiian luau. Paarrrtyyyy!!!
Monday, February 16, 2009
15.02 Hawaii: Haleakala, Tropical Plantation and Iao Park
Hawaii - Aloha state :) That is what is written on car license plates here. So Aloha then! And another word you hear a lot here is 'mahalo' :)
First event of the day was watching sunrise at Haleakala summit and then ride down from halfway of the mountain on bikes - I was booked on Haleakala sunrise and biking tour (others decided to sleep in). So my day started at 2:30 this morning :D Tour bus picked me up at 2:45 from the lobby. By 3:15 we had all the needed people picked up from the hotels and we headed over to the breakfast area somewhere by Haiku. From there we still had about 70 minutes to go until we reached the summit of Haleakala volcano crater (which actually does not qualify as a crater at all as we were informed). We were at 3055m above the sea level.
Sun was going to rise at 6:49, we got to the summit an hour in advance. It was absolutely freezing there, also the wind was so strong that it was difficult to stand up straight. Temperature was -8C accounting wind speed as well - juuust freezing! Luckily there was a viewing platform in a building as well which was heated. Wait was long and it was basically impossible to take photos as the wind was so strong. Of course the colors that formed in the sky were absolutely beautiful and sun rise was magnificent. It was described as watching the sun rise from up above and that it really was. There was the crater in front of us as a dark dark hole, around the crater was soft cloud carpet and on the horizon there were intense red and yellow colors. At 6:49 a bright dot appeared on the horizon, it grew with every second and soon the whole golden ring of fire was visible :) Yeap it was great.
Next we drove half way down the mountainside and put on our biking gear. Now, just look at the pictures and try not to laugh. We got very robust and extremely heavy bikes that were fixed at the first gear. The brakes were weak on purpose so that you had to press both levels fully down to come to a complete stop. We were given wind proof jackets, motorcycle helmets and gloves. Good thing about the ride was that throughout the 45km ride we needed to pedal only for about 100m total :D The rest of the way we just tried to slow down and keep the distance between the person in front. We were given very strict rules of not looking behind us, not passing, not getting too close, not breaking with first break only and so on and so on. But the ride itself was fabulous! Bikes were a bit difficult to control, but after a bit I got used to the behaviour and rolled down the windy road merrily :) We stopped on the way quite many times to take pictures, let the cars pass or have a lunch break. Wonderful part of the track was passing through eucalyptus tree forest - bit of aroma therapy :) The whole ride on the bikes down the steep and narrow road was a real adrenaline kick!
I was back at the hotel by 11:30. As Wytni and Diane had gone for a walk on the beach I decided to lay out in the sun for a bit. This was the first time during the trip that I was tanning outside - oh that felt good, to roast myself in the sun.
For afternoon activity we were heading over to Maui Tropical Plantation. First we had lunch at Ma'alaea Grill and enjoyed wonderful views to the marina. At the plantation they offered a tram ride that would cover the whole area as a guided tour. We learned how the sugar is made of sugar cane, that pineapples take 2 years to grow, how to crack open a coconut, what are the 3 different stages of coconut and how to recognize if coconut is eatable or not, that macadamia nuts are self harvesting, how banana trees work and how bananas grow, how does coffee harvesting work and so on and so on. It was very interesting and now I can't wait to get my hands on coconut to test out the tricks shown on opening the thing :)
Before heading back to the hotel we drove up to Iao National Park. This is a very scenic location that apparently is the most photographed location in the whole Hawaiian islands. Opening scene of Jurassic Park was apparently filmed here as well, the rest was filmed on another island (can't remember which one). Anyhoo, the views were gorgeous as promised.
First event of the day was watching sunrise at Haleakala summit and then ride down from halfway of the mountain on bikes - I was booked on Haleakala sunrise and biking tour (others decided to sleep in). So my day started at 2:30 this morning :D Tour bus picked me up at 2:45 from the lobby. By 3:15 we had all the needed people picked up from the hotels and we headed over to the breakfast area somewhere by Haiku. From there we still had about 70 minutes to go until we reached the summit of Haleakala volcano crater (which actually does not qualify as a crater at all as we were informed). We were at 3055m above the sea level.
Sun was going to rise at 6:49, we got to the summit an hour in advance. It was absolutely freezing there, also the wind was so strong that it was difficult to stand up straight. Temperature was -8C accounting wind speed as well - juuust freezing! Luckily there was a viewing platform in a building as well which was heated. Wait was long and it was basically impossible to take photos as the wind was so strong. Of course the colors that formed in the sky were absolutely beautiful and sun rise was magnificent. It was described as watching the sun rise from up above and that it really was. There was the crater in front of us as a dark dark hole, around the crater was soft cloud carpet and on the horizon there were intense red and yellow colors. At 6:49 a bright dot appeared on the horizon, it grew with every second and soon the whole golden ring of fire was visible :) Yeap it was great.
Next we drove half way down the mountainside and put on our biking gear. Now, just look at the pictures and try not to laugh. We got very robust and extremely heavy bikes that were fixed at the first gear. The brakes were weak on purpose so that you had to press both levels fully down to come to a complete stop. We were given wind proof jackets, motorcycle helmets and gloves. Good thing about the ride was that throughout the 45km ride we needed to pedal only for about 100m total :D The rest of the way we just tried to slow down and keep the distance between the person in front. We were given very strict rules of not looking behind us, not passing, not getting too close, not breaking with first break only and so on and so on. But the ride itself was fabulous! Bikes were a bit difficult to control, but after a bit I got used to the behaviour and rolled down the windy road merrily :) We stopped on the way quite many times to take pictures, let the cars pass or have a lunch break. Wonderful part of the track was passing through eucalyptus tree forest - bit of aroma therapy :) The whole ride on the bikes down the steep and narrow road was a real adrenaline kick!
I was back at the hotel by 11:30. As Wytni and Diane had gone for a walk on the beach I decided to lay out in the sun for a bit. This was the first time during the trip that I was tanning outside - oh that felt good, to roast myself in the sun.
For afternoon activity we were heading over to Maui Tropical Plantation. First we had lunch at Ma'alaea Grill and enjoyed wonderful views to the marina. At the plantation they offered a tram ride that would cover the whole area as a guided tour. We learned how the sugar is made of sugar cane, that pineapples take 2 years to grow, how to crack open a coconut, what are the 3 different stages of coconut and how to recognize if coconut is eatable or not, that macadamia nuts are self harvesting, how banana trees work and how bananas grow, how does coffee harvesting work and so on and so on. It was very interesting and now I can't wait to get my hands on coconut to test out the tricks shown on opening the thing :)
Before heading back to the hotel we drove up to Iao National Park. This is a very scenic location that apparently is the most photographed location in the whole Hawaiian islands. Opening scene of Jurassic Park was apparently filmed here as well, the rest was filmed on another island (can't remember which one). Anyhoo, the views were gorgeous as promised.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
14.02 Hawaii: Kaanapali and Lahaina
HAPPY VALENTINE'S TO ALL OF YOU!
Valentines day in Hawaii :) Will be best Valentines day yet!
First thing in the morning we went to activities and tours overview session held at the housing premises. We are staying at Mahana resort in Kaanapali area. They gave a wonderful overview of all possible activities - the lady presenting the information was very lively and funny. After an hour we realized that there is simply too much to do in one week :) Initial schedule looks promising though! Here is a glimpse of planned activities:
-Sunday- watch sunrise at Haleakala volcano which is 3055m above the sea level and later bike down 45 kilometers, apparently there won't be whole lot of pedaling :)
-Sunday- visit to pineapple plantation
-Monday- surfing lessons, they promised us that we will be standing up on the board by the end of the lesson! can't wait to see that :)
-Tuesday- snorkeling in Molokini and Turtle Arches to see the underwater sea life
-Tuesday- famous Hawaiian Luau party
-Wednesday- sunset cocktail cruise to see the wonderful sunset on water as well as do some whale watching
-Thursday- helicopter flight over Haleakala Crater and view of dramatic waterfalls, landing in Hana, luxurious limo-van trip back to Kahului
I guess we'll see how the schedule will work out, but that is the initial plan. On Friday we will be taking an early flight to Oahu island to spend a day at Pearl Harbour and fly out a bit before midnight.
Today, after the activities briefing, we put together our schedule, took a 40 minutes walk on the beach and then headed over to Lahaina. On weekends there is a local craftsmen fair under the largest Banyan tree in US - so we headed there after wonderful lunch and drinks at Kimo's. Banyan tree was once brought over from India and it just keeps growing more and more branches and expands like mad :) Crafts fair was great, many artists presented their paintings, jewelery, ceramics, cosmetics goods and other sorts of hand made decorations. Later we wondered around the numerous shops on the main street. By 6 in the evening our feet refused to move and our stomachs were requesting to be filled with food. Quick stop at the grocery store, quick stop at the mall and bookstore and then we were ready to head back. Dinner consisted of wonderful pepperoni pizza and then back to the hotel.
The ocean, oh, it is marvellous! All hues of green and blue are present in the brightest ways possible. In the distance there are couple of islands rising out of the water and in between the sailboats cruise slowly by. Air is warm and sun is bright - everything is perfect. Locals are very laid back, reggae music is everywhere, food is delicious and drinks are strong. At night time the stars shine brightly and ocean waves crash the shore with measured out hum.
But now I gotta go and get some sleep as I will be picked up at 2:45 at night to drive up to the summit of Haleakala volcano to see the sunrise :)
Valentines day in Hawaii :) Will be best Valentines day yet!
First thing in the morning we went to activities and tours overview session held at the housing premises. We are staying at Mahana resort in Kaanapali area. They gave a wonderful overview of all possible activities - the lady presenting the information was very lively and funny. After an hour we realized that there is simply too much to do in one week :) Initial schedule looks promising though! Here is a glimpse of planned activities:
-Sunday- watch sunrise at Haleakala volcano which is 3055m above the sea level and later bike down 45 kilometers, apparently there won't be whole lot of pedaling :)
-Sunday- visit to pineapple plantation
-Monday- surfing lessons, they promised us that we will be standing up on the board by the end of the lesson! can't wait to see that :)
-Tuesday- snorkeling in Molokini and Turtle Arches to see the underwater sea life
-Tuesday- famous Hawaiian Luau party
-Wednesday- sunset cocktail cruise to see the wonderful sunset on water as well as do some whale watching
-Thursday- helicopter flight over Haleakala Crater and view of dramatic waterfalls, landing in Hana, luxurious limo-van trip back to Kahului
I guess we'll see how the schedule will work out, but that is the initial plan. On Friday we will be taking an early flight to Oahu island to spend a day at Pearl Harbour and fly out a bit before midnight.
Today, after the activities briefing, we put together our schedule, took a 40 minutes walk on the beach and then headed over to Lahaina. On weekends there is a local craftsmen fair under the largest Banyan tree in US - so we headed there after wonderful lunch and drinks at Kimo's. Banyan tree was once brought over from India and it just keeps growing more and more branches and expands like mad :) Crafts fair was great, many artists presented their paintings, jewelery, ceramics, cosmetics goods and other sorts of hand made decorations. Later we wondered around the numerous shops on the main street. By 6 in the evening our feet refused to move and our stomachs were requesting to be filled with food. Quick stop at the grocery store, quick stop at the mall and bookstore and then we were ready to head back. Dinner consisted of wonderful pepperoni pizza and then back to the hotel.
The ocean, oh, it is marvellous! All hues of green and blue are present in the brightest ways possible. In the distance there are couple of islands rising out of the water and in between the sailboats cruise slowly by. Air is warm and sun is bright - everything is perfect. Locals are very laid back, reggae music is everywhere, food is delicious and drinks are strong. At night time the stars shine brightly and ocean waves crash the shore with measured out hum.
But now I gotta go and get some sleep as I will be picked up at 2:45 at night to drive up to the summit of Haleakala volcano to see the sunrise :)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
13.02 traveling from Minnesota to Hawaii
Friday the 13th was not a good day. It started off just fine: got up at 4:30 and took a quick shower. Kids were gonna come with us so we got them woken up and ready to go. Older boy was so qute - he was tired but he kept telling that I will go to the airport and will fly on a plane. I guess he really did not understand that this means I'm flying away. We headed out at 5 to drive to Duluth airport. Roads were fine and we got there quarter after 6, farewells followed. Colten was left sitting in the car with the most confused face when I said that I'll be leaving now and I'll be back in couple of years - he fell all silent.
At the ticket counter the lady could not figure out all the flights I will be taking. I asked her to book me all the way through, but she was unable to do it, claiming that she sees me only on one flight?!?! Finally we got so far that she checked my luggage all the way at least.
So I get to Minneapolis just fine. At the check-in they announce that as they are overbooked they are looking for volunteers to change flights. I was suppose to fly from Minneapolis to Honolulu and from there to Maui. Now they were offering to go directly to Maui via Seattle - I understood that in Seattle I don't even need to get off the plane, great I thought, so I decided to switch the flights. Now that was a big mistake. They did give me a voucher that I can't most likely use up within a year though. Anyhoo, but what they did was that they only got me a seat up till Seattle and then they did not book me on the next flight. This I found out only in Seattle of course :( So I was about to get stuck in Seattle because the flight to Maui was overbooked! Argh I was so upset. They had also messed up bookings for one family where 2 people out of 4 had seats, so those 2 came off the flight and I got on. I got to Maui just fine, flight was awfully bumpy though. Wytni found me at the airport and even my luggage made it!
By the time we had gotten the rental car and got the the condominium we were all dead tired and headed straight to bed.
At the ticket counter the lady could not figure out all the flights I will be taking. I asked her to book me all the way through, but she was unable to do it, claiming that she sees me only on one flight?!?! Finally we got so far that she checked my luggage all the way at least.
So I get to Minneapolis just fine. At the check-in they announce that as they are overbooked they are looking for volunteers to change flights. I was suppose to fly from Minneapolis to Honolulu and from there to Maui. Now they were offering to go directly to Maui via Seattle - I understood that in Seattle I don't even need to get off the plane, great I thought, so I decided to switch the flights. Now that was a big mistake. They did give me a voucher that I can't most likely use up within a year though. Anyhoo, but what they did was that they only got me a seat up till Seattle and then they did not book me on the next flight. This I found out only in Seattle of course :( So I was about to get stuck in Seattle because the flight to Maui was overbooked! Argh I was so upset. They had also messed up bookings for one family where 2 people out of 4 had seats, so those 2 came off the flight and I got on. I got to Maui just fine, flight was awfully bumpy though. Wytni found me at the airport and even my luggage made it!
By the time we had gotten the rental car and got the the condominium we were all dead tired and headed straight to bed.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Travel plans
I noticed that I have not given an overview of the travel plans. Here it is:
7.02 - St.Paul Minnesota - leaving Tallinn early morning and arriving in the cities at noon, will spend the day with Mare
8.02 - arriving in Duluth - leaving the Cities and arriving in Duluth, visiting with Nikki in Virginia Minnesota for 5 days
13.02 - leaving from Duluth, arriving in Kahului - spending the next 6 days in Hawaii, island of Maui
17.02 - luau :) - celebrating my friends birthday the Hawaiian way!
20.02 - Honolulu - spending the day in Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, leaving close to midnight to head back home
20.02-22.02 - spending couple of days on planes and airports on my way back home, arriving in Tallinn in the evening
:)
7.02 - St.Paul Minnesota - leaving Tallinn early morning and arriving in the cities at noon, will spend the day with Mare
8.02 - arriving in Duluth - leaving the Cities and arriving in Duluth, visiting with Nikki in Virginia Minnesota for 5 days
13.02 - leaving from Duluth, arriving in Kahului - spending the next 6 days in Hawaii, island of Maui
17.02 - luau :) - celebrating my friends birthday the Hawaiian way!
20.02 - Honolulu - spending the day in Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, leaving close to midnight to head back home
20.02-22.02 - spending couple of days on planes and airports on my way back home, arriving in Tallinn in the evening
:)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Taking off in a week
I have made no progress with anything basically :-P This just seems like such a relaxed trip, going mostly to familiar places and meeting with familiar people. This will be all so great - just an easy and relaxed get-away :)
Now I mentioned the weather, here is the proof:
....... brrrr?
vs.
Many of my friends have left the country, either for longer or shorter time. This in turn makes me itch for the airports :) Although it would be so much easier if I would not have to pack though, just drive to the airport and take off - maybe someday I'll be able to travel like that as well.
Now I mentioned the weather, here is the proof:
....... brrrr?
vs.
Many of my friends have left the country, either for longer or shorter time. This in turn makes me itch for the airports :) Although it would be so much easier if I would not have to pack though, just drive to the airport and take off - maybe someday I'll be able to travel like that as well.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
US trip 2009 - in less than a month
Next travel planning has started already some time ago :)
This time the road will lead to Hawaii ... well actually the plane will take ;) Full story behind the short winter vacation is that my freshman year roommate from UND came to visit me in Tallinn in May 2008. We hadn't seen/talked/written to each other for about 7 years or so. And suddenly she informs me in the beginning of the year that she will be in Sweden and would it be fine if she would stop in Tallinn as well. So she came to visit me for 5 days. Oh it was great, I had really nice time while she was here.
Some background information is needed: we both have our birthdays in February, hers is 17th and mine is 5 days later, we are same age. So she was saying of how an important and round birthday will take place next year and that her parents will organize a trip to Hawaii for her as a birthday present - she invited me to join them. My first reaction was: oh sure, like I could do that. After giving it some thought once I returned from my Asia trip I started to look for options of how I could join her in Hawaii. Finally I got the plane tickets right before Christmas :D
As my friend&co already had their flights arranged I just tried to get matching ones - I'll arrive in Hawaii on the 13th and will leave on the 20th. So just a week on the spot. Since I'm going to that side of the globe anyways it is a must that I stop by to see my friend Nikki and her family. I'll be arriving in Minneapolis on the 7th of February :) Will hopefully meet other people while visiting at the cities as well. Will see.
This time there are not many preparations to be made other than the flights and travel insurance (both done already). Of course I need to arrange the logistics and meeting people in the Cities but that is just peanuts to space (as Douglas Adams would say ;) ) It will be just traveling this time... not gonna be a backpacking trip as the few last ones have been - and that is totally fine by me :) It will be a great trip to spend some time with my dear friends on the other side of the globe - I can't wait.
Oh, the packing will be fun this time :) I'm going to Minnesota for a week where it is probably like -20C and then to Hawaii for a week where it is about +25C :D :D So I take my warmest jacket and then bikinis :D - that should do right?
This time the road will lead to Hawaii ... well actually the plane will take ;) Full story behind the short winter vacation is that my freshman year roommate from UND came to visit me in Tallinn in May 2008. We hadn't seen/talked/written to each other for about 7 years or so. And suddenly she informs me in the beginning of the year that she will be in Sweden and would it be fine if she would stop in Tallinn as well. So she came to visit me for 5 days. Oh it was great, I had really nice time while she was here.
Some background information is needed: we both have our birthdays in February, hers is 17th and mine is 5 days later, we are same age. So she was saying of how an important and round birthday will take place next year and that her parents will organize a trip to Hawaii for her as a birthday present - she invited me to join them. My first reaction was: oh sure, like I could do that. After giving it some thought once I returned from my Asia trip I started to look for options of how I could join her in Hawaii. Finally I got the plane tickets right before Christmas :D
As my friend&co already had their flights arranged I just tried to get matching ones - I'll arrive in Hawaii on the 13th and will leave on the 20th. So just a week on the spot. Since I'm going to that side of the globe anyways it is a must that I stop by to see my friend Nikki and her family. I'll be arriving in Minneapolis on the 7th of February :) Will hopefully meet other people while visiting at the cities as well. Will see.
This time there are not many preparations to be made other than the flights and travel insurance (both done already). Of course I need to arrange the logistics and meeting people in the Cities but that is just peanuts to space (as Douglas Adams would say ;) ) It will be just traveling this time... not gonna be a backpacking trip as the few last ones have been - and that is totally fine by me :) It will be a great trip to spend some time with my dear friends on the other side of the globe - I can't wait.
Oh, the packing will be fun this time :) I'm going to Minnesota for a week where it is probably like -20C and then to Hawaii for a week where it is about +25C :D :D So I take my warmest jacket and then bikinis :D - that should do right?
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