Headed South: Headed West....Really West

Where to Start...

This was a jam packed trip involving multiple stops, the international dateline, various ceremonies, trying not to offend other cultures and intense jet lag -- but God it was fun. So, it all started when John Matthew (Michael's family) and Eva decided to get married in Hawaii. We figured if we are in Hawaii we might as well go to Japan since we would be halfway there -- pure, simple logic si?

Because the trip was so long to Japan (and worse coming back) we decided to cash in miles and go for the gold -- First Class flights. I have always rebelled at the concept of first class since it seems ridiculous to pay 3x coach to fly in the same plane with lowly economy passengers. For 3X the dollars you should get your OWN plane. But I digress. It only took us 18 hours of intricate math to figure out how we could patch our various mileage programs into something that looked remotely like an itinerary but we did it. I was never that confused until I encountered a Japanese toilet but that's further along in the story.

We started our adventure with a five hour layover in Salt Lake City (hey, we were using miles). While normally that would infuriate me I was actually thrilled because we could meet up with our college roommate Patty who we hadn't seen in over 30 years and her husband Mark. A great time -- like we'd seen each other yesterday -- but too short. Hopefully they will hit Ajijic in the near future.
Then on to L.A. to see elder son Justin, his new roommate and two new cat roommates. All of them were sweet and we also managed to catch up with our college pal Al for a lunch. Then off to the Aloha State.

Please Let It Be Better Than Last Time

The last time we were in Hawaii was 33 years ago when I was pregnant with Justin.We were there for 14 days and it rained torrentially (tropical storm/s) for 11 and 1/2 days. There is little indoor recreation in Maui or Kauai unless you consider drinking indoor recreation -- which Michael did. As he swigged Long Island Ice Teas I, being pregnant, binged on fruit juice until my lips were paralyzed into a permanent pucker. It was tragic. However we had high hopes for this journey and it didn't disappoint.

A Little Preview Peak of Japan

Our first stop on our one day circular tour of Oahu was Byodo-In Temple. It was built in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese in Hawaii. It is a smaller scale replica of the Byodo-In temple in Uji, Japan which we also saw a couple of weeks later. The Buddha which is covered entirely in gold leaf and is huge. There is also a huge bell that you can smack with a swinging log which makes a very satisfying sound. From there it was on to Turtle Beach where one very large turtle was beachside surrounded by about 75 tourists avidly snapping away.

A photo of the temple...

and the Amida Buddha which represents the infinite life and the light surrounding all beings.

This black swan was in the pond on the temple property...

along with many colorful koi in the pond.

The turtle posing for the turtle paparazzi at Turtle Beach...

while this surfer at Turtle Beach was busy levitating above the water.

We got to Oahu a bit before everyone else and drove the island, ate lunch at the famous Giovanni's Shrimp truck, and snorkeled. I must say that snorkeling at Hanauma Bay was the standout event (well except for the wedding of course). It is a nature reserve and the fish have NO FEAR of humans. They'll come up to your mask and look you in the eye. They're over you, under you and almost smacking into you. I was paddling along, eyes focused downward on fish, when I heard a strange sound. I said to myself "that sounds like a seal bark". Huh, that's odd. I looked up and looked into the eyes of a VERY LARGE seal about 15 feet away. I backed off rather quickly and he glided by me, headed to the beach, hauled himself out amidst all the people and practically laid on our beach towel. Volunteers sprang into action and erected a pylon and rope enclosure (designed to isolate people not the seal) and the seal fell peacefully asleep. Apparently all the seals know that they are safe there along with the fish and quite often share the beach with the snorkelers. I'll let Michael's photos tell the tale.

The lines to both order & pick up the food were quite extensive. At first we were in the pick up line until someone in the know set us straight.

To say that Giovanni's truck was covered with graffiti is an understatement.

Some pictures of the colorful fish at Hanauma Bay...

with one picture of an octopus trying to blend into its environment (the eye is the giveaway).

The seal Deirdre encountered in the water now taking a nap on the beach. He was larger than he looks in the photo.

The Main Event

Day by day more family and friends arrived on island. Parties, brunches, field trips ensued and the main event took place. The wedding was held in Waikiki in a church that looked like you were inside a whale. I know that sounds weird but it's like the whale rib bones are the support structure of the roof. There is a similar church where I grew up in Connecticut. Jonah and the Whale? Both towns have whaling histories? Don't know but very cool. Bride and groom were adorable (see pics). The reception was held in this marvelous field which happened to be featured in Jurassic Park. Very few Velociraptors attended the event at hand. Wonderful food, copious drinks, lots of music and a beautiful Hawaiian night -- not a bad way to start a marriage. After the wedding people went their separate ways-- home, to Maui, Kauai or the Big Island or, in our case, Japan. There is much to say and show about Japan -- probably 2 or 3 blogs worth-- but it may be a while until we get to them. In a few days we are off to the Copper Canyon for about 10 days and then, finally, we will settle in to Ajijic for at least a few months. Happy fall to you all.