CatHouse Chat

Am I surprised at racism in Hawaii?

Celia Padron went on a Hawaiian vacation last year, lured by the prospect of beautiful beaches and friendly people. She, her husband and two teenage daughters enjoyed the black sand beach at Makena State Park on Maui. But a Hawaiian girl accosted her two teenage daughters, saying, "Go back to the mainland" and "Take your white ass off our beaches," says Padron, a pediatric gastroenterologist in New Jersey.

When her husband, 68 at the time, stepped between the girls, three young Hawaiian men slammed him against a vehicle, cutting his ear, and choked and punched him, Padron says. Police officers persuaded the Padrons not to press charges, saying it would be expensive for them to return for court appearances and a Hawaiian judge would side with the Hawaiian assailants, the doctor contends.

"There is no doubt in my mind [the attack] was racially motivated," she adds.

via www.splcenter.org

Surprised? No, not terribly so.

My husband and I were very blessed that when we lived on Oahu from 1990-95, we had no incidents like this directed at us, but even then, Mililani Trask was spouting her agenda. Even then, there were places a haole (white) were wise to avoid. Plus, it was pretty much an accepted fact that if you didn't have ohana (family), your large business or stellar career would have more *ahem* hindrances than if you did.

Please don't get me wrong - I love Hawaii, it's beauty and warm Aloha spirit. This incident, in my experience, is by far the exception rather than the rule.

But it doesn't surprise me at all.

Arrival at LAX

We still have two more flights - into Chicago and then Greensboro - plus driving home (about 90 min). But, we're back on the mainland...

Waaaaaaaaaah! Leaving Hawaii for another year

*sniff* Time to leave Hawaii and begin our trek home. We should be boarding in about an hour, and should arrive back at CatHouse Base in roughly 18 hours *sigh*

Found!

Earlier this year, in May, my Beloved's cousin came out here to the Big Island with his partner, and hid something for us to find when we came out. All Tom sent us was this picture, and a note that said it was within 20 miles of the resort area:

 

Well, my Beloved, being the genius that he is, enlisted the aid of our two nephews and the Darling Munchkin, and set out this morning to find the geocache. Of course, we had no actual coordinates, just the picture, but in a masterful display of deductive genius, they found the cache!

 

Wooot!

Meanwhile, my sister is halfway through her 90 minute massage, and then it's MY turn! ;-)

Last day in Hawaii for this year... It's been awesome!

FOOOOOOD! Must. Order. NOW!

Time to devour some lunch after HUGE fun with the dolphins...

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God is faithful - and He has His people EVERYWHERE

We had a nasty scare today: we accidentally left my Hilton Grand Vacations beach bag at A-Bay today, and when we returned for it -within about 20 minutes - it was gone. A nearby family said that a gentleman had asked them if it was theirs, so we went looking for him and didn't find him.

Up and down A-Bay beach we went, and I confess that I fretted quite a bit. That wasn't surprising, since it had BOTH our wallets, BOTH our cell phones *AND* my beautiful Canon Rebel XSi camera!

But before I went completely off the rails, God in His kindness and grace reminded me to focus on HIM and His plan. Whatever happened - whether the bag turned up untouched or whether we had to wade through the nightmare of identity fraud - whatever happened, He was watching over me and my family. He would take care of it one way or another, and EVERYTHING would work out to His glory and to encourage me in my faith and help me learn to walk closer to Him.

God gave me opportunity to give a small witness of confidence in Him to several people, and I pray that His name will be glorified by it.

And God does not leave His children floating in the abyss! He didn't have to, but He chose in His grace to reward my poor effort of active faith with the return of the bag - the Beloved Husband is picking it up at the Hilton hotel's lost and found right now. The gentleman who picked it up did not leave his name, but I firmly believe that he was one of God's "earthly angels" doing the work of service and encouragement.

God is good. He is kind. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He's watching over me.

Thank You, Lord!

Sailing the Kohala coast

A wonderful morning snorkle and sail with Ocean Sports out of ABay. Continental breakfast and lunch combined with great snorkling and aloha spirit make this money well spent. Highly recommended!

GOATS ON THE GOLF COURSE! (Is that as bad as "Snakes on the Plane"?)

I have NO IDEA what Waikoloa's golf pro thinks about all this... *grinz* However, feral goats and some feral donkeys are not that unusual a sight here in the Kona-Kohala area of the Big Island...

 

 

Of course, this poor plumeria tree got the worst of things - several of the goats stopped o give themselves a good scratch!

Introducing, with great pride, the Hilton Grand Vacations new King's Land resort!

We bought into this particular resort perhaps about 20 months ago; we've been Hilton Grand Vacations Club® owners since 2006. We've been extremely happy with HGV, and have really used the resort stays. Combined with our Hilton HHonors points, we've really been able to leverage our resort ownership into some wonderful travel benefits!

As I say in the video, I've been quite frustrated that I could only find very basic information online, so now that we're here for our first "home resort" stay, I want to show the world how beautiful and luxurious these resorts are, and how wonderfully well Hilton builds, furnishes and manages them.

I haven't taken any video of the little pool they currently have open. It's the precursor to the large pool, which I think should be done, along with the other buildings, by October of 2009. But I do have pictures! It's a salt water pool, and I think it's quite charming (click to embiggen, of course!):

   

We are in building Five at the moment, which is a few buildings to the left (as you face it) of the Club House complex (still under construction). From the mock up in the Member Services Office, the main pool will be behind the Club House, and will be quite an elaborate affair. Last year, the manager, Phil, implied that the water slide here at King's Land might be bigger and better than the one at the (hotel) Hilton Waikoloa Village! Of course, I don't know for sure, and last year Phil wasn't either - but there's a bit of friendly competition going on, that's for sure!

 

My pictures of the mockup don't really do it justice, and it only includes the Club House and a building on either side.

Here are some of the other pictures I took, interior and exterior:

 

Beautiful Anaeho'omalu Bay

I forgot that I didn't upload some pictures of A-Bay here to CHC! When we visited the other day, I took a lot of neat pictures, but then got caught up in finding a Flickr uploader that would work with my Ubuntu operating system. I did find one, and although it took a few tweaks, and has one or two small quirks, it's working like a champion! So don't forget that you can see all my Hawaii photos from this year in my Hawaii 2009 set.

One wonderful thing about my little photographic excursion along the Bay was this handome little fellow (he was about 2 feet from lead-edge-to-end-edge of his shell) -

 

I don't believe I've ever seen a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle so close to shore. They are a protected species, so they're supposed to be able to come and go as they like without people chasing them around.

Here are some more pictures of A-Bay for you to enjoy. As always, click to embiggen!

Sansei at Waikoloa, redux

Well, now that I've had a night's sleep and digested some of that delicious sushi from last night, I can post some pictures for you.

I cannot say how yummy it was! Sansei did a wonderful job, and my only quibble (and only a quibble) was that the fit was rather tight at the sushi bar. However, the place was packed - and was the whole time we were there, with people waiting when we left at about 8p - and I do need to lose some weight, so... ;-)

 

This restaurant is located in the Queen's Market, which opened last year (2008). I was delighted that almost all of the storefronts were occupied when wee returned this year, and that the Market was bustling with activity.

We went in and were seated, as I said, at the sushi bar...

And we ordered Agedashi tofu...

 

... the hamachi kama (which is the "collar" of a yellowtail fish - the area around the front fins and gills)...

 

... and the Kohala Crunch roll...

 

It was all absolutely delicious, and you can go read my full write-up at Yelp...

Crazy-busy day today...

... but we had to do something to blast ourselves (particularly the Munchkin) out of our we're-on-vacation-so-we-can-be-slugs-and-do-absolutely-nothing mentality. So, we got rolling at about 9am and ran a couple errands - checking on an upgrade to our car for next week, getting some books to read on the beach, swinging through WalMart to get some supplies - and then went down to Kealakekua Bay (Wikipedia also has some good info), where Captain Cook landed in Hawaii so many years ago.

If you check out the map at that link, we launched the Diveyak at the boat landing near Napo'opo'o Beach, and paddled across the bay to the Captain Cook monument. We only had the little water-resistant Olympus camera with us, so please forgive some of the fuzziness in the photos (caused by water on the lens).

 

Actually, the Beloved and I think it makes for some pretty cool pictures! And it's kind of fun to use his camera - then *I* get some pictures of me on vacation, LOL

This one was taken right near the Cook monument, which is the white monolith you can see in tee photo above. This is just down and to the left of the monument from that photo's perspective. And you can see our wonderful, tough, and versatile Diveyak there with me - it's DEFINITELY been worth the price paid for it!

Here's the monument

 

And here's a view of the Bay looking out from the monument and towards shore

 

And here's a whole bunch of thumbnails (as always, click to embiggen) so I can get them uploaded here and then take some Tylenol and go to sleep - all that paddling REALLY tired my shoulders out, and I'll be paying for it tomorrow!

   

Anyway, it was one of the most beautiful snorkling spots I've ever seen, and it's too bad that the pictures look rather gray; it was a little overcast, but nowhere near as dismal as is seems. But then, I suppose it does add a bit of "mood" to the pictures...

One last shot, and then I'm going to bed:

 

AIIIIGH! ;-)

And on that note, good night!

More food-from-Hawaii blogging....

Well, I took pictures from Merriman's Cafe yesterday, so I really ought to post them, don't you think?

First of all, the delicious white wine sangria -

 

While the Beloved and I were sipping our sangria, the Munchkin enjoyed her virgin lava flow and messed around with her cell phone. You know, the one that's never charged - or, if it is, isn't turned ON...!

When it came time to order, the Munchkin decided to go traditional and get the French fries. But, Merriman's makes their own ketchup and also serves a tasty mustardy mayonnaise on the side...

 

My Beloved and I, however, decided to indulge our love of Mediterranean food and got some olives and some grilled flatbread with onions and tzatziki sauce

   

But the soups special also caught our attention, so we ordered a cup of the curried broccoli soup

 

Everything was delicious, which is why we keep coming back year after year!

Sansei at the Queen's Marketplace Waikoloa

... gotta feed my addiction! We've ordered a hamachi kama, which is the "collar" from a yellowtail. Also some agedashi tofu, and a Kohala Krunch roll which is a house specialty. I've got pix, so I'll post 'em when I get back to the room! Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Merriman's Market Cafe

... at the King's Shopping Center here in Waikoloa. We stop by here regularly for the cheerful service and yummy Mediterranean-style food. Today with our pupus (that's Hawaiian for appetizers), we're going to have some white sangria. The Munchkin, of course, will be having a virgin Lava Flow ;-)

Another slice of Paradise

This is Anaeho'omalu Bay, or "A-Bay" as the local folks call it, and it's one of the loveliest beaches on the island. If I recall correctly, it was "kapu," and reserved for royalty alone back in the day.

I'm planning on taking a lot of photos here in between swimming and sunning, so I hope to have some uploaded (to Facebook, at least - anyone know a good Flickr uploader compatible with Linux?) tonight.

Back by popular demand: the annual waterslide picture! (with bonus video!)

You demanded it... (well, some of you did!) You got it!

 

And now your bonus video!

Yeah, yeah, and now you greedy-guts are gonna demand both from now on, right? ;-)

UPDATE: Oh, and for those of you who are new here, the annual photos are here, here, and here.

But then again for all its faults Paradise DOESN'T SUCK!

Truly, I am blessed beyond all measure! And for my blog family, not only will you be blessed with the traditional waterslide pic, but the Beloved Husband also took a video. So, when I get it uploaded, you will get live action of me making a fool out of myself!

At the pool at the Hilton Waikoloa Village

... and planning to try and get my annual Kat-makes-a-fool-of-herself-on-the-waterslide picture. Of course, my cell phone camera won't be able to take it properly, so y'all will have to wait until I post it - most likely in the middle of the night, your time...

It may be Paradise but it ain't perfect...

... Milk at $7+ a gallon. SKIM milk, at that. I pay something like $3 a gallon at home.

So Hawaii may be Paradise, but even Paradise can be terribly expensive!

The remains of a Thai dinner

Just waiting for my mango sticky rice for dessert... Yummmmmm!

Ahi poke - mmmmmmmm!

I'm not certain that marlin is a type of tuna, but I'm pretty sure... This is a dish that's a standard in Hawaii, and it's simply delicious! Everyone has their own mix, but it always starts with the freshest of fish - uncooked. Um, well, unless it's tako poke (octopus)...

Oh, and it's pronounced "poh-kay" or "poh-keh."

Aloha from the beautiful Kona coast of Hawaii!

And, really, what better way to start a day in Paradise than with Mimosas on the lanai?

Successful arrival in Kona!

Beloved Hubby has gone to get the car, and we'll make a stop at WalMart to stock up on staple foods... Then it's time for a glass of wine and VACATION!

Caught in the act!

My beloved catches me blogging avidly from my cell phone

Where in the world...? Denver International!

It's 1035am, and we're having some brews from the New Belgium Brewing Co., and an orange creame soda for the Munchkin(tastes like orange Pepto Bismol - ew). The beer is crisp and cold, and vacation has begun! Still have the Denver-Kona flight, though. Seven hours - yikes!

Went SCUBA diving this morning

- and it was lovely! Mauna Kea and Hualalai were clear and standing in a cornflower blue sky, with Mauna Loa looming in the background. Kohala had already gathered her drape of clouds, so we couldn't see her, unfortunately.

We went to Anaeho'omalu Bay (Ah-nye-ho-oh-mah-loo or "A-bay") and paddled out to a mooring in the Diveyak the Beloved Husband bought a couple of years ago. I confess that I was initially a bit skeptical, but it's a wonderful product. There's room for two people and all their scuba gear, it's tough and maneuverable while remaining light and transportable.

As a matter of fact, it's so transportable that we can get it in one of the old flight bags my husband has and the airlines will accept it as luggage, since it's under 50 pounds. Well, it's just under, but that counts! We've decided that it will definitely be worth paying extra baggage costs, if necessary, in the future when we return to Hawai'i. It certainly saves us a HUGE amount in dive-boat money, because a two tank dive off of one of the dive shops' boats can be $150 a person *gasp!*

Anyway, we had a lovely time, although I didn't see any of my beloved Domino Damsels (or, "three-spot dascyllus")- but only the mature version was present. My favorite guys have three very distinct spots and are the juvenile form. As they get older, it's almost like the spots enlarge until their sides are pretty much all white. Nevertheless, I love 'em - they remind me of Trojan Horses, with their "manes" all roached and crested... Here are some more good images for you to check out.

So, although my Beloved had to go up and get the camera he'd forgotten on the Diveyak, we do have some pictures of me underwater. Of course, I'm only going to post the most flattering.... *snicker*

OK, finally - the dreaded Hawaii slide pic!

Yeah, yeah, but it's a (first year) tradition (second year), and I have one fan who would be gravely disappointed if I didn't post it (yep, he's pretty weird... BWAHAHA!)

Calling friends to taunt them that we're still here (we bad) BWAHAHAHA!

UPDATE: The Beloved Husband calls our friends who had to return home this past Saturday - just to remind them that we're still here in Paradise... He's pointing out to the gorgeous sunset we had tonight, as he describes it to our buddy.

Yeah, we're evil.

Your point would be...?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The gorgeous end to another day in paradise...

UPDATE: *sigh* And the picture cannot do the sunset justice, of course...

Indeed,

The heavens declare the glory of God;
         And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
         And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
         Where their voice is not heard.
 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
         And their words to the end of the world.

God is, indeed, GOOD!

Dinner anyone?

UPDATE: Oh, yeah! Grilled swordfish, brown rice, and a salad (the lime slice - heck, the whole LIME! - was a bust; too dry) paired with a "chillable red" box wine from Franzia.

*sigh*

It's life in Paradise, folks - I'm just here to endure all this on your behalf *snicker*

Grilling swordfish tonight - YUMMAY!

UPDATE: Decided to go simple tonight - the spice is a Caribbean Jerk mix, with some olive oil to help it sink in and to make sure it doesn't stick. We'll have a simple salad and some brown rice with it.

Speaking of brown rice, I got a whole bag of some short-grain brown rice that is just YUMMY!!! I'm going to quit getting the long grain brown rice, I think... But that means more trips to the organic store - oh, darn! [/sarc]

Rare disappearing pool monster

UPDATE: The Munchkin has definitely gone into the major-aversion-to-being-photographed phase - my Beloved said that her expression when she realized I was going to take a picture was priceless... Unfortunately, the camera on my phone has a delay in the shutter [pout]

But right here, she was well on her way to a hasty exit-stage-left!!!

Traditional waterslide pic day - prepare yourselves!

UPDATE: OK, the eloved Husband got a picture with his camera, and I'm waiting for him to shoot me a copy, but, yes, Brendan, there will be the proper "OMG, Kat's on the slide!" pic... ;-)

*snicker*

Feeding the fishies!

UPDATE: THis guy was eating croutons out of the Munchkin's hand five minutes later - it was VERY cool! I've got video, and I'll put it up ASAP...

Hilton Waikoloa lagoon-side

UPDATE: Gah, I hate cleaning up the garbage Verizon sends with the moblog... *sigh*

Snorkeling wasn't great in the lagoon, but there were about FIVE sea turtles hanging out under those falls you see!!! That's more in one place than I've seen out in the ocean, I think!

Still MORE Hawaii video!

Well, the luau was Wednesday night (the 9th), and on Thursday night, we went diving. Well, as I said, I actually only snorkeled (drat this cough!), but then I've never been a real fan of night dives. However, the video footage my Beloved brought back make me VERY tempted to try this again this week (assuming my cough clears up).

Now, for you to enjoy the Aloha goodness of video and pictures, you're going to have to go below the fold...

Hey, look! Hawaii video!

I've been having issues with uploading stuff from the room's internet connection (GMail in particular is being pissy), but I finally managed to get this video mashup onto YouTube:

I've also got some AWESOME video from Thursday night's Manta Ray dive, but the Beloved Husband's camera recorded them in QuickTime format, and I've been using Windows Movie Maker - and we all know how much Windows loves Apple [rolls eyes]! Can any one give me some suggestions?

Luau time!

Oh, we're goin' to a hukilau...

Pics will be up later. I think.... *snicker*

American Express ROCKS!

I don't use my AmEx much - mainly when I'm traveling, and I haven't been on the go that much. However, we're here in Hawaii at the moment, so of course I'm having a bit of fun and using my card. The other day, I charged several items (new earrings for the Munchkin, now that her "training earrings" have done their job), so AmEx notices that "Hm. We know she doesn't live in Hawaii..." and puts a possible fraud caution on my account.

Yesterday, when I was flitting about in ecstacy at Mounatin Thunder Coffee - which is sublime, I tell you! I didn't use cream, and only put in one sugar - AmEx wasn't allowing the charge to go through, because they were concerned someone had grabbed my card. Not a problem; I switched to another card and went away, happy as a clam.

This morning (well, afternoon for y'all on the East Coast), I called them up to let them know that everything was copacetic, and got a lovely lady who took care of everything and went out of her way to wish us a "happy vacation." Very good customer service, and in this day and age of rampant fraud, I am very glad that they're doing their best to protect their customers!

BTW, Mountain Thunder Coffee is Worth. Every. Penny! As I said, I only used one sugar - and normally my coffee is very pale and sweet. It's smooth with no bitterness, and doesn't have that almost-burned aftertaste which so many coffees do. They serve the Kona Private Reserve (Vienna Roast) at their shop, which is what I would reccommend for you to try. They roast their beans very close to their shipping date, and package them in nitrogen (? I think that's what they said) so they stay beautifully fresh.

I'm sure, if you follow Dirty Jobs, that you saw the segment Mike Rowe did on them - and believe me, the coffee is DEFINITELY worth all the work he did!

Merrie Monarch Festival enters its 40th year

Well, one good thing to come out of Aloha's closing is that it reminded me of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaii. This year, the Festival begins today, and runs through April 5th. The best hula in all the world will be showcased at the Festival - wahine and kane (women's and men's divisions - pronounced "vah-hee-nay" and "kah-nay") and two different styles: kahiko (traditional style "kah-hee-koh") and auana (modern"ow-ah-nah").

To get a glimpse of some of this beautiful style of dancing, start here on YouTube... But there's something about the kane kahiko...

UPDATE: You will note that it's very similar to a Tahitian haka - which isn't odd, since the Hawaiians came in to Hawaii from that general area, and certainly brought those traditions along with them. However, it is my undertanding (and I could be VERY wrong), that hula tells a story, but the haka is more of a formal threat display, or a war chant... Again, I could be wrong ;-)

Aloha Airlines bankrupt?!

Wow. For some weird reason, I always thought it would be Hawaiian Airlines that would fold first... Of course, that's an impression from about 15 years ago, when we still lived in the Islands.

But Aloha's last day flying will be tomorrow.

That is very sad.

Save Rizana From Beheading!

Petition and additional information HERE.

[Thanks to Mark Alexander for alerting me to this story.  His commentary states the following:

It high time for the Saudis to come into the civilized world! It is also high time that the Western world shun Saudi Arabia until they do so, regardless of the cost. Some things are more important than money, profit, or oil!]

For Sonnabend

From Hawaii 2007

... Because he keeps twitting me about last year's photo, and I figured I'd give him more ammo...

The ONLY way to enjoy coconut!

(Oops, I forgot to post this! However, it's never too late to publish something from my "drafts" folder...)

Well, all right, I'll make the exceptions for Thai cuisine... but don't make me eat coconut cream pie, or sugary coconut fluff-balls or whatever, OK?

But coconut fresh from the shell?

Bring. It. ON!!!!

NUMMY!

Technorati Tags: food, coconut, fresh

The Last Supper - Hawaiian style

All y'all know that the Beloved Husband indulges me outrageously, right? Well, tonight is our last night in Hawaii, the last night of our vacation. Most likely, it will be another year [sob, sob] before we can escape out here again...

But the Husband knows what a "foodie" I am, and knows that our small town and it's close neighbors can't satisfy (generally) my love of really good food, prepared extremely well and served with style and awesome service... So, even after we'd gone to Roy's Waikoloa last Saturday with the Munchkin's godparents, he allowed me (*wink, wink*) to go there again tonight...

Roy's gave us an opener of some edamame (soy beans), which were tossed in some sort of a lightly spicy toasted sesame seed oil.

Of course, I had a glass of wine (um, er... several...! LOL) - a lovely, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, which went well with every course I ordered (well... maybe not the chocolate soufflé...)

The Munchkin ordered from the kids' menu, and therefore got a couple of slices of a cheese quesadilla, and then some apples and carrots with a ranch dressing dip.

Then the main dishes started arriving...

I started with the seared ahi (tuna), which is a Roy's signature dish. It's something I always enjoy, and if there's nothing on the appetizer menu which is completely novel and intriguing, it's my standard pick. The Beloved Husband chose it as one of three appetizers he had for his dinner.

There's a mustard sauce (the darker brown), which is fairly spicy, and a lighter sauce which is very flavorful as well.

Roy's is very accommodating - when I go to their location in Orlando with my parents, Mom wants the ahi without the searing spices, and with just wasabi and soy sauce. The staff has never failed to prepare the fish as she's asked, and always with a cheerful, "can do!" attitude.

Our other appetizers were the Szechwan Pot-Stickers (oh, yeah, THEY went quick!)  

and the spring rolls:

I didn't taste the spring rolls, but the Husband devoured them and I LOVED the taste he gave me from the potstickers... Nummy!

While the Husband had the same ahi appetizer for his "main course," the Munchkin had a lovely pasta with tomato sauce for her dinner... and she left very little behind when she was done!

She's been quite shy recently about having good photos taken of her, so this is the best I could manage for dinner.

Me, I had the Lemongrass Scallops in a coconut sauce, and it was DE.LISCIOUS! I've got the last third of my serving in the 'fridge for tomorrow's breakfast. It was very hard to leave some on the plate so that I had room for another Roy's standard I always order:

The chocolate soufflé!!!

*sigh* *satisfied groan* *sigh*

*ahem* Excuse me while I loosen my belt...

So, now we're at our time-share condo, packing up the last bits of stuff in preparation for our departure tomorrow... And I'm still drifting along on a very happy chocolate high, thanks to Roy's!!!

If you're in a location which has a Roy's, I would encourage you to try them out. *PLEASE* do NOT expect a quiet, candle-lit and romantic atmosphere: Roy's is a very boisterous and active venue. The service and the food, however, have always given a wonderful bang for the buck. I always love to go to a Roy's, because I know I'll have good food, prepared beautifully, with cheerful and enthusiastic service.

Technorati Tags: Roy's restaurants, cuisine, pacific rim, chocolate souffle

A guest for dinner - well, for "tapas," anyway

The Beloved Husband and I went over to Merriman's Waikoloa Beach location the other night to enjoy some tapas and wine, and we had an unexpected visitor:

This little guy - and his comrades - were quite persistent, until we finally gave in and let them have what they wanted.

But, then, we were protecting our tapas....

From the top, that's a raw fish carpaccio (did I get that right? well, it's a Mediterranean version of sashimi), then a roasted red onion with pine nuts and blue cheese, and finally a warm onion flatbread with tsatsiki sauce on top. We had a yummy Pinot Blanc to drink, and generally had a lovely time!

Dolphins!

Yes! Finally I'm getting the pictures up!

So, on Tuesday, while all y'all were snarking and fisking all the idiots who are screwing up our country, the Darling Munchkin and I got up close and personal with some of God's most glorious creatures: dolphins.

Dolphin Quest has a facility inside the Hilton Waikoloa Village, and we made reservations ahead of time - I think they allow up to 60 or 90 days in advance (check out their website).

These are Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins, not the Pacific Spinner dolphins, which are a deep water creature, and therefore unsuitable for this environment. All of these dolphins were born in captivity, so this life is all they know.

They are beautiful, BEAUTIFUL animals, and if I believed in reincarnation, I would like to either come back as one of my own (terribly spoiled) cats, or as a dolphin

The Dolphin Quest staff are obviously devoted to their charges, and full of information as to their habits, needs and behaviors. One thing which the Beloved Husband learned was that the staff actually feeds the dolphins water. In the wild, dolphins get all the water they need from their prey, but that's not the case in captivity. So, the trainers deliver water via a sort of gastro-IV line which they snake down the dolphin's throat. Also, each dolphin has its own dental cleaning kit(yep - it's a toothbrush!), because they aren't using their teeth to catch their prey as they would in the wild.

This guy's name is Lono, and he's the only mature male in the Hawaii pod. He's a real sweetie and very patient will all these strange people making a fuss over him. Here he is, waiting for the Munchkin to give him a kiss:

We also got to meet one of the ladies, who is pregnant and due in September... I want to say that her name is Kona, but I might be mistaken.

Their skin feels like a very, very smooth cool rubber - actually, Madeleine L'Engle put it better in A Ring of Endless Light: she describes a dolphin's skin as "resilient pewter.

Anyway, it was wonderful, and if there's a Dolphin Quest near where you take your next vacation, I highly recommend that you try to participate in one of their "encounters."

Technorati Tags: dolphins, Dolphin Quest

Playing peek-a-boo

Finally I'm getting around to posting the pictures of the little mongoose I saw down at South Point last week. He was so cute!

I was carefully making my way over some lava boulders to get a little closer to the surf, when I head a squeak and caught sight of a little tan tail disappearing into a crack in the lava.

After waiting quietly for a couple of minutes, I was treated to a glimpse of a button nose and bright black eyes peeking out at me -

Oh, wait, he's not in that one... Can you find him in this one?

There he is! Wait a minute, he disappeared again... Where did he go?

Peek-a-boo!

Mongeese are an introduced species to Hawaii - I believe they were brought in to eradicate the rat population (and it didn't work, apparently). So, they're not really welcome, but they are still very cute...

First dive in TWELVE years!

We're going on a 2 tank boat dive tomorrow, and when I let the shop know I hadn't been diving in a fair while, they weren't terribly concerned. That's probably because a) we're going out with people on intro-dives and qualification dives, and b) I was very up front with them and let them know my normal dive style (very laid back, slow paced and mellow).

So, the Beloved Husband (brilliant and wonderful guy that he is) suggested that we do a shore/boat dive together this morning before the Munchkin and I went to swim with the dolphins at Hilton Waikoloa Village.

May I present: 

ME!!!!

On my first dive in twelve years!

I also got to admire my favorite fish, the domino damsel -

I've always loved these little guys. When the Husband and I were here from 1987 through 1995, I remember one dive where I spent a half hour watching and playing with a little, teeny-tiny damsel fish guarding his wee coral castle from the monster (me) who was thousands of times his size. It was adorable!

At any rate, the dive this morning was GREAT! I was a bit unbalanced with the weights, and had to cut the dive short because I started to get a little cols (yeah, even in Hawaii you need a basic wetsuit), but otherwise it was like I'd never stopped. I was using air at a nice, easy rate (I was also using a 63 cu. ft. tank, versus the typical 80 - I like them better anyway, since they're smaller and better suited to my size), I had no trouble with buoyancy control and felt relaxed and comfortable from the start.

Hooray for me! Tomorrow's boat dives ought to be a breeze!

Anyway, we're off to the Hilton Village now, and I'll post more later. After all, I still owe you some pictures of the mongoose I played with last Monday down at South Point.

So, "see" y'all later, and hopefully with lots of dolphin pics!