October 27 - 31, 2012 - Ontario

Greetings All,

After arriving at Colleen and Mike's, just past midnight we hit the sack for some much needed sleep having been up for 48 hours.  We slept in.  Fred had set the alarm for 8:30 a.m. but did not change the time on the clock which was still on Maui time.  When I woke and saw a large clock that I missed last night it said 10:30 a.m.  I woke Fred and told him what the time was and that we should be leaving for Mississauga now, not just getting up.  I had a quick hello with Colleen and made a call to Fred's Aunt Doreen who we were to meet at 11:30 in Mississauga.  We hit the floor running to say the least. We had a great visit with Doreen and then headed over to visit Ellen and Amanda.  I did not call Ellen to let her know that we were running late and Ellen was a bit panicked as I am always on time.  Oh well day one is done and we have had a good visit with family.

I left what I thought were just a few boxes in my girlfriend's basement and boy did I get an eye opener.  Sixteen boxes in all and I am not absolutely sure what was in them so we dragged them out and opened all of them.  In the end we managed to get the number of boxes down to 10 and also we now have an itemized list of what remains.  We donated some stuff to goodwill, given stuff away and now have to decide which of the remaining boxes I really want to ship to the UK when we next visit Canada.

We had a very short visit with our best friends and managed to get some other personal things taken care of  as well.  A week was just not enough time to see all the family and friends we would have liked to see so I think a longer trip back maybe next year is in order.

We are now headed back to the UK and home with an overnight stay in London so I can take care of my passport renewal at the Canadian Consulate in preparation for our big trip in January.

Cheerio,

Sandy & Fred

October 25, 2012 - The Last Adventure in Maui

Aloha All,

As our flight to Vancouver was not until 10:45 p.m. and the boys did not want to check our bags or use a common room to clean up after a day on the beach so we decided to explore the  northwest part of the island.  The first part of our drive was easy and the roads were well paved and a good two lane highway, however, that was about to end.

We made a number of stops for photos.  The road quickly narrowed to a narrow single lane with two way traffic with barely enough pace to pass.  As we traveled the road seemed to get narrower and narrower.  We came across a wide cutoff with a food vender and pulled in as we decided whether to carry on or turn around.  While Fred was waiting to ask the vendor I asked a man who had just pulled in driving a large SUV how the road ahead was and whether it was as narrow as where we were.  He replied yes for about a hour.  We waited a while to see if the road back from where we came cleared.  It became apparent that it would be better to continue on as we would be going with the flow of traffic rather than against it as cars continue to come down the narrow winding road we have just traveled.

Fred made an executive decision and decided to carry on.  The scenery was breathtaking but the drive was a white knuckle scary one.  As stated earlier, the road was a single lane track with sheer cliff on one side and drops down to the ocean or to a valley with no guard rails on the other.  At times we had the cliff wall on our side of the road and thankfully it was under these circumstances when we meet most of the on coming cars.  We did have one very scary moment. A car came driving toward us faster than what we thought was safe for the road, we just hugged the cliff wall in time. Needless to say, the air in the car at that point was a bit blue.  We carried on, arriving safely although a little tense in Kahului.  We found a place for a late lunch before heading off to K-Mart as Jonathan wanted to pick up some rum that he had seen when in the store earlier in the week.  I scored myself a cheap Hawaiian shirt for $4.00 which will make a great coverup for our trip in January.

As we still had some time to kill before heading to the airport we headed to Paia, parked and walked around the town.  A lady I met at the pool said it was a great little village to visit and that they spent over 2 hours in it.  Well, we really wondered what the attraction was and were they would spend that much time in it.  We had seen it all in about 20 minutes.  The village was mostly boutique shops, of  which a lot were closed so it really was rather boring.  We drove a bit more along the coast, stopping at a lookout to take the last of our photos; surfers and views of Haleakala.  After taking photos we headed to the airport and drop off the car.

It has been a long day and we are ready to head back to Vancouver, only we are about to find out just how long the day was going to be. We went to check-in our bags and were told by an agent behind the counter we were too early and that our flight has been delayed 3 hours.  In Maui airport there was nothing until you get past security, no air-conditioning or restaurants, only a Starbucks and a small souvenir store.  We waited for 3 hours before we could check in and Jonathan managed to get us checked in on-line using his phone.  After checking our luggage we were given a $20.00 voucher for food that can be used at any of the food outlets after we had cleared security.  The voucher had to be used in one go and not on alcohol.  We picked a restaurant that had seating and had a late supper.  By the time we finished all the stores were closed so we headed to the lounge.  The flight ended up being delayed 5 hours.  The lounge had people snoring and sleeping in crazy positions.  As none of us could sleep, we read or played games on our iPads or phones.  When the plane finally arrived the staff were good about getting us boarded quickly and the flight in the air.
The stress for Fred and I had not yet ended.  Originally we had a lot of time to connect with our flight to Ontario,  but with the delay we had about 80 minutes. When we arrived we said our goodbyes to Jonathan and Amy, picked up our bags, and I must say I have never hustled my butt through an airport that fast in a long long time.  As luck would have it, the flight to Toronto was delayed 40 minute so we ended up having plenty of time.

We hope you have enjoyed this portion of our blog and our family reunion in Maui.

Ta ra,

Sandy & Fred

Oct 24, 2012 - Makena State Park & Final Family Night

Aloha All,    

Today the kids and I headed off to Makena State Park to the Big Beach to snorkel or so we thought with Fred electing to stay around the pool.  A good 40 minute drive and we arrived at the Big Beach. It was quite a walk to reach the beach and did we get a big surprise. There will be no snorkeling or for that matter swimming as the waves are crashing on the beach.  The beach has two large lifeguard towers that are manned as well as a jeep that patrol along the beach. It was a busy beach and there were a number of surfers and bogie boarders.  The lifeguards announced that the waves are dangerous and not to enter the water if you were an inexperienced boarder or weak swimmer.  The wave pictured above on the right was at least an eight footer as it crashed on shore.  We walked a piece along the beach and found an area where the waves are not as high and people were in the water.  Christopher was the only one who actually braved getting into the water and on his return to shore was literately washed up on shore head over heel.

Even the Lab pictured on the left had the sense to stay out of the water while his owners braved the waves. He was rather comical as he did get splashed by a large wave and decided to make himself at home on a stranger's blanket.  I lied on my float on the beach in an area where I thought I was safe from the waves, however, one did catch me, washing over me and pulling me towards the water depositing sand in every crevasse of my body.  I finally righted myself and got up when two ladies asked whether I was okay.  I advised them I was and that I was not expecting what happened.  We decided to head back to the villa after washing what sand we could off ourselves and spent the balance of the day in calmer waters, namely the pool and the last bit of Maui sun we could get it.  We also got our laundry done so we could pack after our last family dinner.

Fred booked us into Longboards, a restaurant on the Marriott property, for our last family dinner together.  We had a great meal and discussed that we should do this again next time in Spain, and get a 3 bedroom villa so that no one has to have a pullout couch for a bed.

We all went for a final walk along the promenade and Fred and Christopher went out and enjoyed cigars that Christopher had bought earlier for all the guys.  Everyone was now all packed and Fred arranged an 11:00 a.m. checkout, the latest he could get. Christopher and Meaghan were the first to leave at 7:00 a.m. with Fred taking them to the airport.

Sandy & Fred

October 23, 2012 - Haleakala' National Park

Aloha All,

Today we were up handily to go to Haleakala' National Crater Park. We had the choice of leaving at 3:00 a.m. to see the sunrise but the majority of us did not want to get up that early.  The drive took just under 3 hours from our villa to the summit.  The roads were once again winding going up to the summit.  Haleakala' means "House of the Sun".  The park covers an area of 33,265 acres of which 19,270 is wilderness.  The picture on the upper left was taken from the Leleiwi Lookout (8800 feet) about 3/4s of the way to the summit.  At this point we were above the clouds.  We have driven through tropical rainforest, pasture land, dry forest and are now in subapline shrubland.  The views from here were spectacular with various colours from green to the reds of the volcanic earth.  We continued our drive to the summit (10,023 feet) with our ears popping a number of times.  The earth here was just red ciders and there were a few species of plants and animal life that have adapted to

the harsh environment.  The crater itself is 6.99 miles across, 2 miles wide and 2600 feet deep.  It is not a caldera but was formed by erosion.  As we took in the view we could see the clouds rolling in below us.  On a clear day the Big Island of Hawaii is visible to the naked eye.  The summit is also home to the Haleakala Observatory and because of its location above the tropical inversion layer it has very clear sky's and excellent viewing conditions (fourth best in the world).  For over 40 years the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy has managed the site conducting astrophysical experiments that cannot be done elsewhere in the world.

The weather conditions have changed dramatically for our drive down. Much of the area is now covered with a dense fog so we drive even slower than the trip up.  We eventually came out of the fog and once again into the sun. We arrived back at the villa in time to catch the late afternoon sun.

Fred and I were on KP duty and took a walk along the promenade before preparing our last cooked supper.  The sunset looked like a biblical scene in a movie and the picture on the left does really not due it justice.  Supper was pork chops and ribs marinated in a teriayki sauce plus a mix of sweet and regular potatoes with onion,  all barbecued together with a salad.  We managed to use up all the meat we had purchased.

We did some laundry and had our usual walk before heading off to bed.  Our time together as a family was quickly coming to an end with one last day left in paradise.

Sandy & Fred

October 22, 2012 - Mama's Fish House

Aloha All,

Today we all did our own thing.  I headed off to the pool before breakfast to get a seat as the Marriott is now very busy.  The kids had breakfast then headed off to snorkel and Fred made me a bacon sandwich which he brought to the pool.  The women around the pool commented how did I rate such service to which I smiled and and said I'm special.

As I said the kids headed off to snorkel while I relaxed around the pool until it was time to get ready for our Christmas present from Christopher and Meaghan.  They booked a table for the six of us at Mama's Fish House rated the second best restaurant in Hawaii.  It is located on the beach in Paia.  Christopher arranged our seating time to be just before sunset as seen in the picture in the top right.  The restaurant was very busy and fully booked.  We over heared that people who did not have a booking had a wait of over two hours. We all had a cocktail and relaxed while looking over the menu. The menu changes daily as the fish provided is caught by local fisherman.  The location and who caught it was identified on the menu you can't get any fresher than that.  I had macadamia nut crab cakes and Fred had wasabi crusted calamari.  Christopher had a sashimi and I can't for the life of me  remember what the rest had. The rest of the family had various fish dinners while I had crispy Kaula duck.  I know; one of the top fish houses in all of Hawaii and I had duck.  Well I am not a fish lover and the duck was awesome. We had a very leisurely dinner and were not rushed given how busy the restaurant was.  Fred and I pass on dessert as the portions are large but I do have a specialty coffee along with Christopher.  The girls had dessert a Hana Banana Macadamia Nut Crisp and a Liliko 'i Creme Brulee .

What an awesome family night and great Christmas gift.  Everyone enjoyed their meal and then we headed back to the villa.


Sandy & Fred

October 21 - 22, 2012 - Relaxing Day then a Luau

Aloha All, 

After a day in the car yesterday we decided to have a day of relaxing with everyone doing their own thing.  The kids were off snorkeling, I relaxed in the pool with my float and Fred stayed in until later in the day when the sun was not as strong.  Fred and I were on kitchen duty and supper tonight was steak kabobs and baked potatoes.  Dessert was the last loaf of banana bread.  After supper we headed out for a stroll along the boardwalk before heading to bed.

Sunday and once again we all did our own thing during the day with most of us catching some rays. Jonathan and Amy were not going the Luau as they attended one in the past year.  Christopher Meaghan, Fred and myself opted for the Polynesian Luau which was a smaller venue of 150 people and you were served at your table rather than lining up at a buffet with 600 other people.  The meal consisted of food from Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa.  There were drinks recommended
for each course as well as any other drink you wanted.

As each islands food was served we were entertained with a story of the island and cultural dances. Starters were dried banana and sweet potato chips with a tropical salsa ago seaweed and whatever drinks we desired.  Our Hawaiian menu was Pohole Fern, Asparagus and Heart of Palm salad, Seared Island Catch with Mango sauce, Kalu'a Pork and Poi.  The recommended drinks were a chardonnay and Bikini Blonde Lager.   I decided to try the Chardonnay but after a few sips give it to Fred and replaced it with a local red wine.  New Zealand was the next island up and the food from this island consisted of Upcountry Greens Duck and Poha Berry Vinaigrette, Harore Kumara (roasted mushrooms and sweet potato), Kuku patties (a fishcake of scallop, shrimp and fish).  The recommended drinks were a Sauvigon Blanc and a stein lager.  Tahiti came next and the food was E'iota (poisson cru), Baked Scallops, Fafa (steamed chicken and taro leaf in coconut milk).  The recommended drink for this was a chardonnay or Hinano Beer.  Last but not least on the menu was the food of Samoa.  Shrimp and Avocado with Passion Fruit, Palusami (young taro leaf and coconut milk with breadfruit) and Supasui (grilled steak).  Recommend drinks were a Pinot Noir or a Big Swell IPA.  The final service for the night was dessert, a caramel macadamia nut tart with Haupia , Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Truffles and Tropical Fruit served with a port wine.  The food was amazing and just the right amount for a decent taste for the four of us.  Dessert was decadent and very sweet so I did not finish it all but did taste everything.

We really enjoyed our night at the Luau.  Totally satisfied we all headed back to the villa to catch up with Jonathan and Amy.  They went to a fish and pasta place at Whalers Village.  Fred and I had our evening walk along the promenade to work off some of the food and drink before heading to bed.

Sandy & Fred

October 19, 2012 - Highway to Hana

Aloha All,

We were all up early and headed off to tour the Highway to Hana. Amy provided us with a CD and map from a friend that guided us on our way.  The Highway to Hana is 68 miles long and is a narrow and winding road. It has 620 curves and passes over 59 bridges of which 46 are one lane only.  The highway cuts through lush tropical forests and provides some stunning views of the coast.  Our first stop was Waikamoi Nature Trail.  The picture on the left is of the roots of the trees that were along the trail we hiked.  The view of the valley was amazing with the different shades of green that identify the different types of trees that grow here, from Bamboo to Pines.  Along the trail there are a number of fruit trees growing in the wild.  Guava seemed to be everywhere.

Our next stop along the road was the Garden of Eden an Arboretum and Botanical Garden.  This site was the creation of Alan Bradbury Maui's first certified arborist and landscape designer. The project began in 1991 and opened to the public in the fall of 1996.  There are 26 acres of trails which have been laid out to restore and promote  Hawaii's natural ecosystems as well as plants and trees of the South Pacific Region.  The picture on the right is of a tree that had these gorgeous coloured berries. Unfortunately the tree was not labeled so we have no idea what it was called.  We spent a good hour and a half exploring with all of us going our separate ways. We also had a great view of Keopuka Rock and Puohokamoa Valley which was used in the opening scene of Jurassic Park as seen below on the left.

We also got some great views and shots of Puohokama Falls in the valley below from the Garden.  It has been a very dry season and the rainy season doesn't start till late November so the waterfalls are somewhat disappointing.  Also along the route many waterfalls are on private property so you cannot get up close and personal to them.

Onward we headed with our next stop being on the coast of Keanae. The coast itself is rugged and home to a Hawaiian Village.  We did not explore the village but did stop to get pictures of the beautiful coast line.  The picture on the right is just a taste of what we see.  I have posted pictures to my Facebook page and Fred still has to post to our Flickr page.  Once everyone had completed their photo ops we headed on and stopped at the the half way mark a roadside stand that is reputed to sell the best banana bread in all of Maui. Meaghan, Jonathan and Amy bought shaved ice.  They were absolutely huge and Fred, Christopher and myself all helped Meaghan eat hers while Jon and Amy have no problem tackling theirs alone.  We purchased banana bread that was still warm from the oven to take back to the villa for dessert.  Christopher also purchased home made beef jerky which he shared with everyone in the car.  It was my first taste ever of jerky and it was quite pleasant, chewy and not at all salty.

Our next stops were Wailua Overlook that looked down on the coast and into a taro plantation and small village and Pua'a Ka'a Wayside Park which is home to a waterfall.  However, due to the dry season it was merely a trickle and the pool that you are supposed to be able to swim in looks very uninviting.

Our last stop before Hana was Wa'anapanapa State Park.  This park has the only black sand beach outside of the big island of Hawaii.  There was also a lava tube and beautiful rugged shores.  While we were there Jonathan spotted a sea turtle.  He is becoming the King of spotting turtles and I keep missing them.  We also saw I a teenaged boy and girl climbing the cliff and jumping into the ocean, then swimming out to other smaller islands or rock formations, climbing up and jumping in.  They must have been from the area as they seemed to know what was safe as the water was somewhat rough but they did end up safely on the beach.

Our last stop was Hana.  A very small town which basically has nothing. We were hungry but wanted something light.  Jonathan and Amy got a lunchable snack from the small grocery store while Fred, Meaghan, Christopher and I bought lunch from the take-away side of what appears to be the only restaurant in town.  We decided to head back to the villa rather than stop at the last sight on the route, which was another nine miles away.  The road back to the villa was the same one we have traveled out to Hana on and if the traffic was busy the ride back will be a couple of hours without any stops.  The last picture was of the sites we saw on the way back and was taken from the car as we travelled.

We made a short stop at the local Safeway in Lahaina to stock up on a few things.  Once back at the villa Fred, Jonathan, Amy and myself headed down to Blackrock Beach to see if we could get pictures of the Sea Turtle.  Once again people prove what total idiots they are.  The turtle was there but was surrounded by people on floats.  One mother gives her kid which was about 3 yrs old greenery that was attached to rocks to feed the turtle.  Unbelievable as the turtle could bite off her hand quite easily.  Jonathan and Amy were on kitchen duty and we had a great supper of roast chicken, roast potatoes and roast carrots.  We enjoyed our purchase of banana bread for dessert and  I must admit it was delicious and rivals the one I make.

We have had a great day in Paradise as a family and I am loving every minute of it.

Sandy & Fred

October 18, 2012 - Kahekill Beach

Aloha All,

Today we were up and at em in good time and headed off as a family to Kahekill Beach to snorkel.  The kids headed out while I took pictures and Fred settled himself under a nice big tree for shade.  The kids spent a good time out in the ocean and got quite a distance out.  Jonathan saw some barracuda and sea turtles resting on the ocean floor as well.  I snorkeled and tried to take pictures with an underwater camera I purchased but found I was really missing my fins and struggled, tiring very quickly.  LOL either my age is catching up with me but I would like to think it is because I don't have fins that help propel you through the water.  I retired to the beach to lay on my floaty and had the water occasionally wash over me.  Fred stayed out of the water and in the shade, but still managed to turn a nice shade of pink.  The beach itself is nice, has a good reef with a long sandy beach with little shade that we managed to find.

The picture on the left is of the beach.  We spent a good 3 hours plus on the beach before heading back to the villa.

Once back we freshened up and changed for a late lunch.  Meaghan, Christopher, Fred and myself headed off along the beach from our villa to Hula Bar and Grill to have lunch while Jonathan and Amy went off to do their own thing.  This time everyone remembered to take their ID with them so no worries buying drinks. Meaghan ordered a Pina Colada with strawberry and it looked so amazing. We had two starters; coconut calamari and crab and macadamia nut wontons.  I had a Hula Cheeseburger which was massive, Fred and Christopher had Kapulu Joe which was a pork sandwich and Meaghan had a foccacia chicken sandwich another massive portion.  At this rate I told Fred there was no way that I could eat supper.  The food portions were just too large, plus we had a late lunch.  Thankfully, everyone felt the same way including Jonathan and Amy who had gone off and did what they wanted to do.  So it was decide that snacks would be the order of the day for supper; cheese, crackers, pate and whatever drinks each wanted.
Another great day day in paradise  with the family.

Sandy & Fred