And we thought we were TOO young for Hawaii
Past Travel Story Nov-January 2019-2020
OK, sometimes (well quite a bit of the time) it is a cheap flight opportunity that lands us in destinations that may not have been on our list. Hawaii for sure was one of those situations. We had been in Indonesia, Sir Lanka, and the Maldives for the past couple of months and we were ready for a bit of USA comforts. We had the chance to hop a flight from Sir Lanka to Oahu, for the both of us for less than 350 USD. We booked an Air B and B for a week on the Big Island to start our Hawaiian excursion which ended up being nearly 3 months.
Hawaii baby, The Big Island. After our 48-hour flight from Sir Lanka to South Korea we ended up in Oahu, Hawaii. We will be back for an extended stay on Oahu, but for now, we are headed to The Big Island for the week of beautiful black rocky beaches.
THE KONA EFFECT
Insightful Theory or Fact?
Kona coffee, when you hear about the town of Kona you think of only one thing, coffee. When we were coffee roasters we didn't get the opportunity to roast it because it wasn't organic or fair trade certified. We heard A LOT about it and enjoyed drinking it while on the island. No doubt it was a nice cup of coffee but.........was it just what we termed "The Kona Effect"
The Pack Mules have a lot of extra time to fill when we travel, and we often come up with some insightful theories. When someone is on vacation and something is sooooooo goooooood, whether it is your coffee, the sunset, fresh avocados, or the jerk chicken, we wonder if it has "The Kona Effect" You love something and feel it is superior and delicious because of where you are rather than the merits of what the item or experience is. We try to keep it in check to make sure it just isn't "The Kona Effect" before we comment on THE BEST whatever we have, do, or see.
Beautiful black volcanic rock beaches. Wide open roads with not a lot of people is what we loved about the Big Island. Sweet greeting at the tiny open-air airport.
We found these cool familiar faces. We had so much fun touring hidden beaches with Mark and Kim, whom we got to know while living on the island of Roatan. They have been living and working on the Big Island and so willingly took the day off to explore with us. A highlight was a night swim finding Mata Rays. I don't have any photos, but I highly recommend this excursion if you get to the Big Island. island.https://www.aquaticlifedivers.com/diving-with-manta-rays/
The beaches are not wide open expansive sandy oasis on The Big Island. Rather, they are smaller cove-type areas with beautiful black volcanic rock. At several beaches, you had to wear tough shoes to cross the black rock fields before entering the beach. They had a ton of natural beauty and we were able to throw on our snorkel and masks everywhere we went.
Sorry, the sad news is you don't get these beautiful live orchid Lei when you arrive at the airport. (At least these Pack Mules did not qualify as dignitaries) The good news is you can buy them everywhere from Walmart to local stands at the airport. Yes, lei's from Walmart.......kinda blows that Hawaiian image.
Thanks, Big Island, you are beautiful, and uncrowded, with wide open spaces, lava fields, and manta rays. Looking forward to our next stop......Maui.
The Road to Hana-- Two Weeks in Maui
After our intro to Hawaii on the Big Island, we took a quick flight on Hawaiian Air to Maui. We rented a car and a condo in South Maui for the next few weeks. We enjoyed Maui, but it for sure was our least favorite of the three in our experience.
This photo was taken in West Maui where all the high-rise high-dollar hotels are. Certainly, you can see all the manicured trees, paths, and upkeep that keep people coming back. Obvious why the week-long vacation worriers love this island, this is what a lot of tourists see when they come here for the week.
Our condo complex had some palm tree trimming going on which was our morning entertainment. One of the rocky beaches in Maui. They had a lot of diversity in the types of beaches. Lots of hiking and waterfalls to fill our time.
HUGE SEA TURTLES
If there is one thing we enjoyed most about Maui it was the huge sea turtles that you found everywhere. When you put your snorkel on and hopped in the water you were likely to see turtles. We jumped on several random beaches and almost always found them.
Rainbow Trees. Actually, native to the Philippines, Rainbow eucalyptus trees are beautiful and plentiful on Maui. Look closely at the bark---it doesn't look real.
Yes, I really did find a pirate sword washed up on the beach.
Brett is all about the stand-in photo. I don't think he will cut it as a cutout hula girl.
I found another "Carmen" at the Starbucks drive-thru that we walked up the drive-through for some reason.
The Road to Hanna
We spent a day doing the gratuitous Hanna Highway which is about a 60-mile trip of Hawaii routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului to the town of Hanna in way east Maui. It was a beautiful drive which we started well before dawn in hopes of beating the bumper-to-bumper traffic. Our early bird theory worked until early afternoon when indeed it turned.
It was an outrageously scenic drive which was about the journey, not the destination. Cliffs, curves, one-lane bridges, gardens, coastlines, waterfalls, and stops along the way kept us entertained all day. The amazing thing is this breathtaking scenery took a million or so years to create, and we got to take it all in during a day trip.
We downloaded an app that narrated our trip, that was SO cool. We highly recommend guided help. There are so many stops you can take, so many that have clumps of people gathered and you wonder what they are looking at. When you take your trusty guide which is navigated by your GPS it will tell you exactly what you are looking at and you decide it you want to stop or not.
And So It Goes: Maui
Two wonderful weeks. It was time to turn the car in and catch a Hawaiian Air flight to our 3rd and final island for this trip. The Road to...... the Western shores of Oahu.
No, It Isn't Even Close To Waikiki
Our last, longest, and favorite stop was Oahu. We had a month and a half experience that few visitors would consider. We rented a condo in a very private bay in Waianae, on the leeward side of the island. This is a very, very local community not yet overtaken by tourists. There are only a couple of complex units that rent to visitors. It is about as far and different from the eastern side of Waikiki as you can get. The beaches are outstanding, hikes close by, it is quiet and untouched. Everything here was pretty genuine and “real” as far as life goes for local Hawaiians.
When I spoke to my cousin Josh, who went to college on Oahu over 20 years ago, he was skeptical about considering the Waianae area for a holiday, but he is open-minded and said that was over 20 years ago. Things may have changed, maybe not.
Oahu is the most populated of all the islands and comes with city realities. All of them suffer from extreme poverty, theft issues, and homelessness. It is even more evident in Oahu. We found it curious that no one who visits Hawaii ever mentions the severe homeless problem, but in Maui for example they are not as evident and definitely not in the tourist areas.
Makaha Beach Cabanas was our home for the next couple months. We took this photo after a short hike on a near by outcropping. These are the only two major rental units on Makaha Beach. There are a few air B and B's and you can see a big complex in the background under the big mountain. The population is well over 95 percent locals.
The sunsets were unreal, seriously the best we have ever experienced. (Not the Kona effect)
This photo was taken from our Lanai on the 6th floor.
Waianae, Makaha Beach
We were fortunate to get to know another So Dak girl, Patti. She lives in the condos for part of the year. She helped us extend our stay, ran errands with us, and had play dates. She is a total gem and we are thankful for her kindness and friendship.
Patti has been on the island seasonally for a long time and is well-connected with lots of tourists and islanders. She was thoughtful enough to invite us to Christmas dinner with a huge local Hawaiian family with an out-of-this-world feast. The hospitality we received was an understatement. They took us in and let us soak in the holiday with all their crazy, loud loving Hawaiian extended family and friends.
Ahh two Dakota girls enjoying some professional golf at the Sony Open. Such a fun day. There were very few in the fan department so we were able to see a lot of golf up close.
Billabong Pipe Masters Surf Competition on the North Shore. Kelly Slater, 11-time Champ killed it but the Brizillan Eeeetaalo took the cup. It is a super fun spectator sport. There is no admission, bring your chair/beer and snacks and you are set. The wave conditions have to be just right for them to compete. We got up at 4 am and drove to the N Shore several days in a row, got a seat and the competition would be called off for the day. Our persistence paid off, we were able to see all the action when it eventually did happen.
The North Shore is known for its heavy sharp breaks, home to some of the most experienced surfers. We drag a little Cincinnati Bengal's (and Bengal Jim) wherever we go. So cool to catch all the surf action right before your eyes.
Our Condo complex had some die-hard evening rituals by gringo gray hairs. They blow the ceremonial conch shell at sunset to be thankful for the day. They also were in search of the "green flash" We are still not quite sure if the green flash is a real thing. What do you think?
Saturday farmers market Pretty great locally grown veggies every Saturday
We found these two lover tourists on a walk and thought their matching skirts and shirts were pretty cute.
Brett and I purchased these two MATCHING shirts at the thrift store and we had a master plan to use them at the airport when we picked up our guests. Stay tuned.
HIGHLIGHTS DURING OUR STAY on OAHU
1. Watching Pipe Masters-Kelly Slater killing it
2. Watching the Whales from our Lanai
3. Attending the Sony Open
4. Makaha Experience, getting to know the residents
5. Saturday Farmer's Market-Fresh Grown Veggies
6. Hosting my Brother and Sister in Law, Chad and Sherry for Christmas week
We get Visitors at the Condo
December 25, Christmas in Oahu brings my brother,Chad and wife Sherry to the Island! Brett and I decided we would be the welcome wagon so we got some pretty cool Hawaiian shirts and leis complete with signs to welcome them at the airport. It was fun seeing their expression, but even more fun having everyone at the airport thinking we worked there. We answered so many Q & A's it was awesome.
We had a jam-packed week and loved entertaining while they were visiting. Chartered a sailboat for the day, drove from tip to tip all around the island and even splurged and spent 2 nights on Waikiki Beach for New Year's. We all decided we had eaten and drank too much so we did a 2 month weight challenge. We weighed in at our gym at the Mariott just after midnight. I will spare everyone from the ugly fat photo. Yes, Chad did end up winning the weight challenge.
OK, kids, this is a TOTAL splurge, and truth be told, if we wouldn't have been "kicked out" of our condo rental early, we would not have been staying at the Hilton for 2 nights. We enjoyed some dining out, lots of road trips to beaches all over the island, and tons and tons of laughs while swimming on one of the best beaches. The view from our condo to our beach was fab. I can't even begin to imagine how many countless hours we spent there snorkeling, swimming, and socializing. Sherry and I were feeling fancy on NYE, making it look as if we were part of the group at the Hilton. Not sure if we fit in? Possibly some drinking may have contributed?
Pearl Harbour Day
December 7, 1941
Brett and I had the humbling experience of being at the Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony at Pearl Harbour on December 7, 2019. It was a moving experience. There were 2 95 plus-year-old Veterans there as guests of honor.
If you get to Oahu, don't miss out on remembering this very important piece of US History. One Pack Mule tip. Don't try and go on New Year's Day because it is closed. It was the one misplanning we had when Chad and Sherry were visiting. It was disappointing when we pulled up and the gates were locked.
Our Lani. This is where we spent a lot of time and enjoyed what is the best of Hawaii, really. The sun, sand, whales, waves, and beauty. The quiet western side of Oahu was perfect for us.
Our week with Chad and Sherry couldn't have been more jam-packed with awesomeness. Hiking, road tripping and jumping out at "secret" snorkeling spots looking for dolphins and turtles, day sailing with our friends, hanging in Makaha in our fab condo, experiencing the 'rich people" problems of Waikiki beach, 5 zillion beers and just being together uninterrupted for a full week was total bliss. Most of the time Chad and Sherry are hosting the Pack Mules in their home in South Dakota which we consider our "SD home base" so it was joyful to be able to give back to them.
It was time to Pack Mule our way out of our three-month Hawaii adventure. We loved so many things about all three islands. No bugs or sand flees, rainbows, no rain, no obnoxious humidity. Most activists are nature-focused so they are totally free. Yes, things are more expensive if you live like a tourist, but if you get the fortunate chance to hang here for extended amounts of time you figure out how to localize your experience and make it affordable. It was fun to watch American football on real TV and shopping at grocery stores with familiar foods.
The only downer was the horrible traffic the risk of theft. The reality is that Hawaii has some of the highest poverty and homelessness in all of America. Most people who visit have no idea. Homelessness was some of the worst we have seen in all of the places we visited on this trip, including 3rd world nations.
Keeping an open mind when you travel is important. If we hadn't gotten the cheap flights to the Islands, the US state of Hawaii may not have been on our list. We officially debunked our theory that "Hawaii is for old people" and enjoyed our experience with an open mind and a heck of a lot of Pack Mule effort.
Comments