Hawaii -- Three Days (Oahu, Hawaii, Maui)

We arrived in the tropics finally.  Our first port, Honolulu, was on Tuesday the 29^th.   We got off the boat and rented a car to drive part of the island. We took the Pali highway to see the historic battle from the outlook.  It was a spectacular view of that part of the island.  The southeast side of the island is where we drove and it was a nice drive. 

 

We ended up on a beach for two hours on a quiet end of Waikiki.  There was  a lovely lagoon where a few locals were relaxing.  It wasn’t too crazy just a nice relaxing day to swim and lay on the beach.

 

Afterwards we went shopping and then took the car in and went to eat at Don Hos by the harbor.  I had a platter of Hawaiian food where I had the BEST pulled pork and had a VERY fresh poki poki.  I have had nothing like it.  The fish is so good here.

 

The next day we arrived in Hilo, Hawaii.  Our plans for that day was to go and visit the volcanoes, Kilauea Caldera to be precise.  Forrest was so excited he was beside himself. The volcano and the sheer dimensions were breathtaking.  The fact we were so close was pretty cool too. We drove up and around and did a few short hikes.  The day was warm as was the volcano.  We went and walked the lava tubes and then found a short walk through the area of jungle that had been scorched on one side of the trail and virtually untouched on the other.  I don’t need to tell you how eerie it felt, the sheer contrast.  But amidst it all life pushed through and carried on as new plants sprung forth out of the lava rock or trees that miraculously survived were lone islands in the porous, hard and harsh terrain. 

 

You could feel the turbulence beneath your feet and the buildings had a constant shaking going on.  All around there was an energy that pervaded everything through the air, the ground the water.  Of all three islands we visited it was the one that felt the most alive and vibrant, as if you were visiting Nature’s home itself.  It was a struggle at first because of all of it, but by the end of the day I enjoyed the island and had a great respect for it.  To say it had effected all of us was an understatement.

 

The next day was Lahaina and the island of Maui.   By far the favorite of all of ours.  We rented a jeep, took the top down and began the drive on the Road to Hana.  Everyone told us it would be impossible or a push to get to the Seven Pools on the opposite end of the island but we must have had a lucky day.  Though the road was winding and curvy along steep cliffs and two way roads at best one and three-quarters wide we made it there in an hour and a half.  We enjoyed swimming and jumping into the pools (after literally climbing to the higher one where no one else was) and swimming and playing under waterfalls.  It was a rejuvenating place for us all.  We had the running water, the deep pools, the warmth of the water and the  six pools down where the sea met the stream the waves crashing into the coast.  There was such good energy here.  We had a great time and we sunned on the rocks near the pools.  Afterwards we climbed to an outcropping and one at a time we jumped from the high rock into the pool below (20 ft down).  The first of us was passed our stuff and took pictures of the other two.  IT took some courage (there were out cropping of rock out of sight just below the cliff but the area of the pond we were jumping into was the deepest.  Jumping from that far not one of us ever touched bottom.  Those pools were deep.  We had been watching others when we first arrived and so knew where we needed to jump and how far we needed to push away from the rock at the top to clear the crags below.

 

Forrest seemed to do really well.  The warmth and the tropical breeze and the sheer relaxing beautiful scenery of the pools were very therapeutic for all of us but I could tell it did a world of good for him.  The fact he felt well enough to pull himself up to the pool with his hands and how long he stayed in the water and the sun smiling away was evidence enough.

 

The ride back was enjoyable and Forrest seemed to really enjoy the jeep.  We were all a little more red from the experience but because it was a good day, none of us minded.  When we got back we turned the car in and then walked to the waterfront and ate at Nikos where I had some more Poki Poki.  I am going to be spoiled by the fish here.  I love that it is soaked in sesame seed oil too. 

 

To let everyone know please email or post to this Blog we love to hear from you and look forward to any and all messages telling us how you are doing.  We are keeping this blog not to create envy but to keep connected.  Our way of creating virtual Ohana. 

 

Also,  I know I keep promising pictures and as soon as we hit Samoa in five days I should have the pictures in a place to upload.  There really haven’t been any great to share until Hawaii. 

 

Much love and Mahalo to all of you for keeping up with our adventures.   Samoa is promising to be a very cool port.