Oct 10, 2009

Project 365...Hawai'i Post


So last May/early June we had the incredible opportunity to go to Hawai'i to do a job. Technically, the DH got the opportunity to do a job, I got to tag along. But considering it only cost us my plane ticket and my food, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to do something of this magnitude this affordably!

We got to stay at a very nice, rather fancy hotel on Waikiki Beach, which is on the island of Oahu near Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Much to our dismay, we did not get to make it to Pearl Harbor. We decided that would be the thing that would draw us back next time.

[Sidebar: The hotel resort was very nice, but next time I want an open-air bungalow on a virtually uninhabited beach on Kauai! The locals told me that's where I can find "old Hawai'i." Sounds like the place for me!]

So here are just a few selected pics taken from our trip:



This was taken at one of the Luau's we went to. Good times.



One of my favorite things we made a habit of doing was walking along the beach at night. DH snapped this picture while I was putting my sandals back on after said walk. This was the night of the Luau in the above picture.



It fascinates me that clouds like this seem to hover over the island like this.


Sunset on Waikiki Beach



I've never seen so many different types of beautiful flowers. EV.ERY.WHERE.



Sands of Waikiki



Eyes of complete bliss! This was taken at Ted's Bakery, which is apparently a locally famous spot for eating chocolate haupia (coconut pudding) pies.
Oh. My. Word. Watch the video at the end of the post to see more!



Waikiki at night.
Our hotel is on the left with the rainbow on it.




I think this is some kind of ginger blossom.



Flamingos. At the hotel. Yep.
It was almost like a built in zoo at the hotel: parrots, wrens, flamingos, PENGUINS (?!), ducks, etc.



I'm not sure if this is some kind of Bird of Paradise or not. But it's pretty!



This, of course, is the hibiscus, the State Flower of Hawai'i



I could bore you to TEARS with all the sunset pictures I could've put on here.



These trees were AMAZING. See the colors painted on them? That's their natural bark color! Yellows, reds, oranges, and lime greens striped all the way up these towering trees. Just beautiful.



Dole Plantation



Heaven...I'm in heaven...and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...come on, sing it with me!



Fields and fields of cocoa plants!
This picture makes me teary eyed.
Seriously.



Pineapple Row
World's BEST pineapples. Hands down.



DH on one of the beaches on the North Shore



See that big dark thing just to the left of me? Can you guess what that is?!



It's a Honu...a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle!
That previous picture was the closest I was allowed to get to her as they are carefully protected animals there. They have volunteers that stay at that beach (a honu feeding and basking area) for 4-hour intervals 24-hours a day.



Surfer on the North Shore.



This is the view from the same beach. Just breathtaking!



Mountains along the central part of the island of Oahu.



Pineapple fields forever....



Learning a hula
at the Polynesian Cultural Center
(which, if you ever get the chance...you MUST go there!)



Our tour guide at the Polynesian Cultural Center was from Tahiti, and she taught us how to make these childhood toys from palm leaves. It's a fish!



This was an Aussie named Bobbie (say it with the Australian accent!)
We met for the first time at the bottom of Diamond Head, so we decided to climb it together. She was visiting Hawai'i from Sydney all by herself!



The view looking back on the trail we were climbing to get to the top of the volcano crater.



There were tunnels to go through...



...and 282 VERY steep steps to climb...


...and an equally steep spiral staircase to climb...



This view is about half way up.



This is from the edge of the crater looking over the town behind.



This is inside the filled-in crater and also the place we started. We're not to the top yet!



THIS is from the top! View of Honolulu.



More of the same, but pulling the zoom back a little...



...and this is the actual view with no zoom from my camera. Absolutely no words.



Closer shot of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head.



Notice the curvature of the earth in the horizon. Wow.




This is an historic lighthouse at the base of the Diamond Head crater.


As promised, here's a little video of Ted's Bakery. You should watch at least the first minute or two if you'd like a good laugh.



Hope you enjoyed a walk through paradise on earth. I know I did. :-) Thanks again to Sara at Make Music from Your Heart to the Lord for hosting this awesome meme. Go check out what others have been up to! Have a great week! Aloha!

10 comments:

sara said...

wow, where to start on your pictures....each one was breathtaking.

If all the sunsets looked like that last one, you would not bore me with them...beautiful!!

I went to Hawaii when I was in 9th grade....I would love to go back b/c I don't have the memories of those sites!!

What a great trip! I'd love to see more!

Amy said...

thanks for sharing!!
those pics form the top of diamond head are amazing!!! i love the one where you can see the curve of the earth. so cool!

have a great week!

Dena said...

Chel, I can honestly say I have never had much of a desire to visit Hawaii, because I prefer to go to places that are not traditional "touristy" areas, ya know? But, I do have to say that your pictures have made me reconsider that. Oh my goodness, breathtaking! However, I probably wouldn't do the whole Diamond Head trip, since I can barely climb onto a chair without getting light-headed. LOL Thanks for sharing those pictures. I keep telling DH that I'm tired of the cold and with him being a farmer, raising sugar cane and pineapples can't be that much different (although I'm now having him switch one of those to "cacao". :)

Edie said...

Oh girl I am so jealous! LOL! What fantastic pictures. I love the sunsets and that turtle! I love turtles. Everything is so beautiful. Including my friend learning to hula. Do we have that on video? :D

Greg C said...

Wow Chel what an awesome opportunity. It looked like you had a great trip. Sorry for not visiting you but you are still blocked from work. Ever since school started my boys corner the use of the computer at home so I never get on and can't visit you. I decided that no matter what it cost, I was going to visit today. I hope you are doing well. I am. God is good to me.

Anonymous said...

amazing pictures ms. chel..I wish i have the money to go there..:D

i can see you had an amazing time..the views are great.:D

Lisa said...

Absolutely beautiful! What a great opportunity for you. Thanks for all the amazing pictures....I'm sure it was very tough to go through them and pick. Your dress is really cute.

Tracy said...

You're got some awesome pictures here. So many beautiful scenes. Good for you that you had this opportunity.

Kim said...

What a fun trip! Amazing scenery, good times. Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos! I've never really had a huge desire to go to Hawaii but these could make me change my mind :-) Especially if I could go to Ted's every day. lol

riTa Koch said...

Thank you for taking us with you to HW!
Your photography is outstanding, and you had such exquisite material to work with!
So glad you could enjoy that corner of God's creation!
Blessings!