Sunday, January 14, 2007
Winter Vacation in Paradise
So the winter school break from December 21st to January 7th found me on my way to Hawaii. I flew from Dalian to Seoul, Korea on December 21st, leaving a t2:30 in the afternoon and arrived in Hawaii at 8:30 a.m. on December 21st. Wrap your mind around that one! I had a hard time doing that and also found myself in culture shock as I spoke English and was understood!
I rented a car at the Honolulu airport and after five months of not driving experienced another round of culture shock. Each car stays in its own lane. So three lanes of traffic are really only three lanes. Lo and behold huge trucks, buses and vans do not turn in front of you. In awe and wonder I drove to Kailua on the eastern side of the island of Oahu. The drive was gorgeous and the views that I had of the ocean with its multiple colors of blues was breathtaking. I was fortunate enough to stay in the apartment of a friend of Tanya's who was on the mainland!
After settling into Kailua, I called David Stodden and Elisa and Joanna who were staying with David's brother, Bob on Oahu. Well, guess what? It turns out that they were at Waimanela which was about 6 miles away from where I was staying. I immediately drove over and spent a glorious afternoon and evening playing in the ocean and eating hamburgers with them. David's brother, Bob and his family have a home right on the beach at Waimanela. Can you say beautiful, idyllic, paradise? What a treat to spend time with these dear friends and to bear witness to their continued courage and determination to carry on as a strong family unit. What a tribute Mary and Susanna.
Reid arrived on December 22nd and he and I played drove all over the island exploring beaches, snorkeling, eating local mixed plates, going to a rather tacky luau, strolling along Waikiki, getting sunburned and generally being good Hawaian tourists! We were able to spend another great afternoon and evening with David, Elisa nd Joanna. Reid and I had a grand few days together and I cannot express how fortunate I am to have children with whom it is so much fun to play. We missed Tanya, but know that she was with us in spirit and cheering us on in our adventures. We all hope to travel together this summer in China.
On the 27th, I flew to the big island of Hawaii and spent a glorious week there adventuring with Roger. We stayed in a funky, but sweet place in Hilo and then drove to the northern part of the island to stay for several days in Ka'apu and Hawi. I was able to spend time with my dear friend, Robyn Skudlarek and to finally meet her sweetie, Clark. They live in a beautiful home surrounded by jungle. It is an amazing setting and it was great to visit and catch up with Robyn.
Roger and I hiked, lay on beautiful beaches and drove around to see the variety of climes of the area. We also had humpback whale sightings everyday. We were even able to see them breaching.... what amazing creatures!
The last days that we were on the island we drove to the volcano and did much touring there. We stayed in a beautiful lodge for New Years. It was very elegant and made for an exceptionally special way to welcome 2007.
We saw a great deal of the volcano and the areas that have had lava flows in the last several years. We hiked for quite a way to where the lava is spilling into the ocean, but did not make it all the way as the hiking on the lava is arduous and we were concerned that we did not have the right gear for hiking out in the dark.
It was a grand week with Roger and while we barely made a dent in all there is to see and explore on the big island, I feel like we did alright for ourselves and enjoyed each other's company. Life is good!
While I was on vacation I heard that there had been an earthquake in Taiwan and that fiber optic cables had been damaged crippling the internet connections between Asia and the United States. Upon arriving back in Dalian, I have found this to be true. I am not able to access my email very often and Skype connections are almost impossible to make to all my loved ones' phones. Reports are that it may take until the end of January and possibly into Febraury for all to be fixed! So know that I am thinking of family and friends and will try to post although blogspot is very hard to access too. Wish me luck and send me energy. Love to all.
I rented a car at the Honolulu airport and after five months of not driving experienced another round of culture shock. Each car stays in its own lane. So three lanes of traffic are really only three lanes. Lo and behold huge trucks, buses and vans do not turn in front of you. In awe and wonder I drove to Kailua on the eastern side of the island of Oahu. The drive was gorgeous and the views that I had of the ocean with its multiple colors of blues was breathtaking. I was fortunate enough to stay in the apartment of a friend of Tanya's who was on the mainland!
After settling into Kailua, I called David Stodden and Elisa and Joanna who were staying with David's brother, Bob on Oahu. Well, guess what? It turns out that they were at Waimanela which was about 6 miles away from where I was staying. I immediately drove over and spent a glorious afternoon and evening playing in the ocean and eating hamburgers with them. David's brother, Bob and his family have a home right on the beach at Waimanela. Can you say beautiful, idyllic, paradise? What a treat to spend time with these dear friends and to bear witness to their continued courage and determination to carry on as a strong family unit. What a tribute Mary and Susanna.
Reid arrived on December 22nd and he and I played drove all over the island exploring beaches, snorkeling, eating local mixed plates, going to a rather tacky luau, strolling along Waikiki, getting sunburned and generally being good Hawaian tourists! We were able to spend another great afternoon and evening with David, Elisa nd Joanna. Reid and I had a grand few days together and I cannot express how fortunate I am to have children with whom it is so much fun to play. We missed Tanya, but know that she was with us in spirit and cheering us on in our adventures. We all hope to travel together this summer in China.
On the 27th, I flew to the big island of Hawaii and spent a glorious week there adventuring with Roger. We stayed in a funky, but sweet place in Hilo and then drove to the northern part of the island to stay for several days in Ka'apu and Hawi. I was able to spend time with my dear friend, Robyn Skudlarek and to finally meet her sweetie, Clark. They live in a beautiful home surrounded by jungle. It is an amazing setting and it was great to visit and catch up with Robyn.
Roger and I hiked, lay on beautiful beaches and drove around to see the variety of climes of the area. We also had humpback whale sightings everyday. We were even able to see them breaching.... what amazing creatures!
The last days that we were on the island we drove to the volcano and did much touring there. We stayed in a beautiful lodge for New Years. It was very elegant and made for an exceptionally special way to welcome 2007.
We saw a great deal of the volcano and the areas that have had lava flows in the last several years. We hiked for quite a way to where the lava is spilling into the ocean, but did not make it all the way as the hiking on the lava is arduous and we were concerned that we did not have the right gear for hiking out in the dark.
It was a grand week with Roger and while we barely made a dent in all there is to see and explore on the big island, I feel like we did alright for ourselves and enjoyed each other's company. Life is good!
While I was on vacation I heard that there had been an earthquake in Taiwan and that fiber optic cables had been damaged crippling the internet connections between Asia and the United States. Upon arriving back in Dalian, I have found this to be true. I am not able to access my email very often and Skype connections are almost impossible to make to all my loved ones' phones. Reports are that it may take until the end of January and possibly into Febraury for all to be fixed! So know that I am thinking of family and friends and will try to post although blogspot is very hard to access too. Wish me luck and send me energy. Love to all.
# posted by Sidney @ 3:31 PM 
