Monday, March 31, 2014

March 2014 Scavenger Hunt ~ Honolulu


Aloha from Honolulu!
I feel a little guilty
enjoying the tropical sun,
when so many of my blogging friends
are still looking for spring!



Honolulu and Waikiki
(from the Top of Diamond Head)



What a difference for me ~
When I posted my scavenger hunt last month, I was enduring fog, spitting snow,
and a ground blizzard swirling and dancing.

Now I’m enjoying warm sun,
waving palms, and sparkly water.



Nothing Between Here and Australia
but Lots and Lots of Water!
(from the Top of Diamond Head)


I hope everyone had fun
hunting for photographs this month.
May my Hawaiian photos perk you up,
if you’re still waiting on a reluctant spring!



Sunny Hibiscus




March's List


1.  M is for ?
Mai Tai, of course!


We arrived in Honolulu 
on my birthday and celebrated 
at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
with umbrella drinks and 
pink coconut birthday cake.






Birthday Mai Tai at the Royal Hawaiian



2.   9 am
That's Me!


I came to Hawaii determined to
Stand Up Paddleboard
on Waikiki waves.
I had a lesson at 8 am, 
and was soloing by 9 am.


Stand Up Paddleboarding on Waikiki




3. Berries

There are Farmers Markets 
somewhere, almost every day,
along the streets near Waikiki Beach.
After a lot of searching, 
I found strawberries among 
the mangoes, pineapple, and papayas.

Farmers Market
King's Village Shopping Center
 



4.   Lit up
Sunset on Waikiki
3/29/2014


I kept looking for 
The Perfect "lit up" photo,
and last night 
I knew that I had found it!
The setting sun had lit up the sky.
In places it looked on fire.


Sunset on Waikiki 
3/29/2014



5. Grate

Grate in Diamond Head State Monument


Grate was a challenge!
There just weren't 
any beautiful grates to be found, 
even though I searched and searched.
Finally, I settled on a cool location ~
inside Diamond Head crater.
The grate is located to the left 
of  the entrance to 
the  Diamond Head State Monument.










The grate is to the far left of the 
visitors entrance.




Since I was asked by one tourist 
(who was standing 
in the middle of the crater) 
where the crater was, 
thought I'd post photos 
of what it looks like inside the crater.  



Two Views of Inside Diamond Head State Monument


The above left photo is the tunnel 
visitors walk or drive through 
to enter the crater.  
The rock wall in both photos 
is the wall of the crater.  
The crater floor looks benign, 
so it's hard to imagine 
it's explosive origin.


Diamond Head Crater
Source:  wikipedia ~ also geology






6.   Working
Hard at Work in Honolulu


These two were hard at work 
practicing their surfboard stunts 
at Sans Souci Beach in Honolulu.


7.   Brickwork
Dove on Brickwork

You don’t see a lot of bricks around here!
I finally found 
inlaid bricks in a sidewalk.




8.   Cutlery
Cutlery and Chopsticks

The cutlery comes 
from the same spot 
as the brickwork:  ME B-B-Q.
It's a little local Korean restaurant 
not far from our hotel.



Exploring small ethnic restaurants 
is part of the fun 
of visiting
a new place.




9.   Flowers

Makua and Kila




There are flowers everywhere in Honolulu.
Hawaiians decorate the many statues 
up and down Waikiki Beach 
with leis and other flowers.  
This statue of Makua and Kila 
has fresh flowers every time I see it.  
The statue is based on a children's story 
by Fred Van Dyke.  
Makua, a young surfer, 
befriends Kila, a Hawaiian monk seal.  
The statue honors Hawaiian values 
of love and respect for family and the ocean.


10.   Crisp
Crisp Tempura

A cook sets out freshly fried crisp tempura at Marukame Udon restaurant in Honolulu.



11.   Ticket

These are my plane tickets for my two flights to Honolulu, Hawaii!


12.  A colored door

Terry actually spotted this door in one of the shops on Kalakaua Avenue in Honolulu.

I couldn't resist adding one more picture taken this morning along the Ala Wai Canal.  
This little family was too cute!





April’s List:
A is for?,  11am,  Smooth,  Scale, Tile,  Logo, Scrap,  Match,  Path,  Layers,  Carry,  Truck


Thanks to Jill and her Made with Love blog 
for setting up the hunt.


Hunt:  http://suzzie43.blogspot.com/p/scaerngera.html


Tomorrow is my last day in Honolulu, followed by a long flight home, so I'll visit all your scavenger posts after I get home.  And I'll respond to any comments then also.


ALOHA!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Beware the Mai Tai!


A morning spent in a tropical paradise
can lull you into incaution.

Diamond Head from Fort DeRussy Beach, Honolulu


Relaxing under a beach umbrella
gives you a devil-may-care attitude.


The Good Life


Throw in some intense paddleboarding
under the hot sun,
and your baked brain is no longer
looking out for you.


Stand Up Paddleboarding
at Fort DeRussy Beach



The Ever-Patient Goes for It!



Suddenly, Happy Hour hops into your thoughts!
Seats at a breezy bar overlooking the surfer-filled waves.


Shore Bird Restaurant & Beach Bar, Honolulu



Surfer-Filled Waves, Honolulu


Something cool and tasty, 
festooned with tropical fruit and a cute umbrella.

You succumb to the seductive call of the mai tai.
Light rum with a float of dark, 
flavors of tart, bright lemon and lime,
sweet orange curacao.


Mai Tai
Source:  wikimedia



Three mai tais sliding so smoothly down your throat.


 Umbrellas from Emptied Mai Tai Glasses




BAD IDEA!

Good thing I got those beach chairs
propped up between the foot rail and the bar
before I started sipping, then slurping.

Good thing I was there with the E-P,
who gave me that LOOK 
when I ordered a third mai tai,
then sweetly let me hang myself. 

Good thing he was there
to escort me home,
after I failed miserably 
at untangling the beach chairs
from that tricky bar.





Source:  cheezburger.com



Source:  Food Clip Art



'Nuff said!  LOL

ALOHA!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Celebrating Prince Kūhiō's Birthday


On Wednesday, March 26, Hawaiians celebrated Prince Kūhiō Day.

Prince Kūhiō's Statue, Honolulu


Prince Kūhiō Day is an official holiday in the state of Hawaii.

One parade in his honor last Saturday
taught this mainlander that Prince Kūhiō
is remembered for his belief in civic duty,
his grassroots activism, 
and his work to improve the lives of native Hawaiians
and to preserve Hawaiian culture.  


Anthurium Flowers Grace the Statue 
of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi



Every March 26 Hawaiians celebrate the birth
of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi.

He was a prince of the House of Kalākaua
when the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in 1893
by international businessmen.

Prince Kūhiō went on 
to become a politician in the Territory of Hawaii
and to serve in the U. S. Congress.

He was the first native Hawaiian,
and the only royal person ever to do so.
Source:  Wikipedia

Prince Jonah Kūhiō
 Source:  Wikipedia


As luck would have it, 
I stumbled upon a celebration on his birthday 
at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Hotel.

Hyatt Regency employees participated in a show
to honor Prince Kūhiō on his birthday.
It was a wonderful display of Hawaiian music and dance.

Here are some photographs of the performances.



This Hawaiian woman provided 
much of the vocal and musical background
for the dancers.



One of the Graceful Female Dancers



A Young Girl Waits to Debut



Employees Waiting to Perform



Father and Daughter



Hyatt Regency Waikiki Employees Dance
to Honor Prince Kūhiō



What really impressed me about this show
was that the hotel employees donated their free time
to learn to dance for Prince Kūhiō's birthday celebration.

They were secretaries, chefs, and translators,
front desks personnel and engineers ~ 
some dancing in public for the first time.

And they were nervous, excited, graceful,
and AWESOME!
I wouldn't have missed this for anything!



Hula Dancer



Male Dancers




A Successful Debut
for a Lovely Young Dancer



Beauty and Grace




Graceful Hula



 Timeless Men




Colorful Dancers



Finale


I am grateful I had the chance to see
the moving performances 
by the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Hotel's employees.
It was truly a gift from their hearts.

I wasn't able to record the music at the hotel,
so I am adding a Brother Iz performance
of Green Rose Hula,
a song I have heard many times
on my trip to Hawaii,
including at the the Hyatt Regency.
Enjoy! 


 Brother Iz
Green Rose Hula
Source:  You Tube ~ Kokua Films Hawaii



  ALOHA!