Hawaii

Ah, Hawaii. I tend to not like to travel to places where "everyone" has been. Indeed, Hawaii was never a travel destination for me - I don't like "tropical paradises" and get bored by sitting on the beach, but the time of year, shortness of our trip, and my status as a baby incubator severely limited out travel options. Amazing the number of near-equatorial locations that have malaria risk... (Well, not actually so amazing...)

Our trip started with 3 flights - ugh. I thought the first would be the worst - dropping our 2-year-old Spawn off with the Grandparents - but it went off without a hitch. I didn't realize, however, that Hawaii was so far from our east coast home. While I didn't have any problem with Hong Kong or South Africa, by the time we landed in Honolulu, I was lucky not to be on the news as a "person of interest" in a major flight disruption. My mental preparation (for both the flight and the whole trip) was just not there.

After landing in Honolulu, we went to our hotel for a late dinner in Waikiki. The whole area was just too busy and commercial for me (although not in the cool way like London or Hong Kong), and I'm glad that we only stayed one night. The next day was our Pearl Harbor trek. It was humbling to see the Arizona memorial, and definitely cool to stand on the deck of the Missouri where the WWII peace treaty was signed. Both of my Grandfathers served in WWII (one Army, the other Navy), and I couldn't help but think that if assignments had gone differently, I wouldn't be here today. I strongly recommend a trip to Pearl Harbor for anyone with an appreciation for history.

We then fled Honolulu for Maui and checked into our resort in South Maui (Makena). The beach was beautiful and it was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of tourist activity. As parents of a toddler, it was relaxing to just get away (and be able to go out to eat without a babysitter). Of course, I'm not a relaxing kind of person, so we jumped into it almost immediately. We had a highly successful whale watching excursion - saw many Mom/Cub pairs, and snorkeled in both the Molokini crater (good visibility but poor coral and fish diversity) and in a "turtle town" where I had to swim rapidly to avoid being hit by a sea turtle. It was incredibly cool to hear the whale song with my own ears under the water while snorkeling. And we saw a shark in the reef - both frightening and exciting at the same time.

We also hiked along the Road to Hana. Warned of the harrowing drive, we left early, worried, with memories of Amalfi in the fronts of our minds. Turns in a road do not make a harrowing drive, and we actually found it quite fun and relaxing. The waterfalls were nice (we swam in the pool at the base of one), and I think our trekking was probably better because of the low numbers of people due to the rainy day. Unfortunately, our previous travel may have muted this experience a bit. The waterfalls were nice, but not spectacular, and the vegetation could hardly be called 'rainforest'. That being said, the near-road accessibility was definitely a bonus for this 5-month pregnant woman. Don't know that I could have finished a day-long rainforest trek... Even though things weren't new and wowing, we had a great time. Again, this may be partially due to the absent toddler, but I think Hawaii has the advantage of providing near-adventure experiences for those who aren't financially, mentally, or physically able to go to more exotic locals. I can see why my sister-in-law (who most often does resort vacations in Mexico) thought it was an incredible experience.

We topped of Maui with a Luau at Old Lahaina. Although I expected this to be some sort of tourist-trap show, it was actually quite nice. The dancing was well done and the story told of the mythology and history of the islands. The food (according to my husband) was incredible, and I even got enough to eat as a vegetarian. The other food experience I recommend on Maui is Mama's Fish House. Best tofu I've ever had (and it should be for the prices). My main criticism of the Maui restaurants is that they're all incredibly over-priced for the quality of food that you get. Captive audience I guess. If I'm going to pay $150-200 for a meal for 2, I want it to be exceptional and not just pretty good. I guess I've been spoiled by living in Chicago. I didn't appreciate the quality or diversity of the food there until I left.

After Maui, we headed to the Big Island on our quest to see lava. We've seen an active volcano before, but rock-like lava just doesn't fit the bill of flowing liquid rock. The Big Island was an unmitigated disappointment. The 'rustic' airport was actually quite nice (and not rustic at all). The roads were nicely paved (although speed limits were way too low). We tried our hands at sportfishing (at least my husband did - I've had my fill of animal slaughter), hoping for a big marlin. Only one bite on the boat on our half-day on the water - a wahoo pulled in by a Japanese woman who was not at all interested in fishing. The marlin would have to wait. We did manage to see dolphins, a turtle, whales, and a hammerhead shark though - so from my perspective it wasn't a total waste.

On our volcano hikes, we saw numerous plumes of noxious gasses, craters, and previous lava flows. Pretty cool actually, but we were on a mission to see lava. We also saw many signs for "Nene crossing". The Nene is apparently an endangered Hawaiian goose. At the end of Chain of Craters Road, there was a small sign indicating that we could only see lava if we left the park and drove an hour out of our way. We, the intrepid explorers, were not to be deterred by this setback, and drove on. After the purchase of a flashlight, and a short night hike across "lava flow" that felt warm on our feet and that had spurts of gasses like the Fire Swamp, I was quite excited. We approached the boundary only to find - nothing. Just more black rock. Apparently my "streaming flow of liquid rock crashing into the ocean" was just some extra warm rock. As my husband called it, we had gone on a "Wild Nene Chase."

Our last day in Hawaii, we just chilled, prepping for our flights (4 in a row) and missing our son. It was great to see him again (never had so many hugs), although the honeymoon period was over more quickly that I'd have liked. Overall I'd say the trip was a success - we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves, although we didn't really do anything new or exciting. Definitely not in the top 5 (or even 10) of vacations. Based on the cost (and traveling time), I recommend alternative, more exotic, locations if you're not pregnant. I doubt we'll ever go back (but who knows what lies in store with family-friendly travel with 2 Spawn in the future). Mahalo and Aloha!

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood - Howard Pyle

Interesting but not riveting. It's always intriguing to read one of the sources of legends that have become ingrained in modern culture. Of course, the stories came from legends that were already ingrained in older cultures, so there's a cyclical aspect as well. In this case, the Robin Hood stories (always one of my favorite characters) were actually pretty true to form with my pop culture exposure. No Maid Marion, and he wasn't a noble at the beginning, but I think that just adds to the legend. I like that he became an outlaw for an impetuous act of youth and wasn't just an innocent man stomped on by the powers-that-be. It adds complexity to his character, and promises redemption for those who make mistakes. Current pop culture always seems to emphasize the innocence of the downtrodden, letting you cheer for the underdog. Robin's accidental/impetuous killing of the woodsman in the beginning actually elevates him, by providing an escape from the bounds of society like that desired in Crime and Punishment. Robin realizes and always regrets his act, but embraces his new existence, developing his own concepts of morality and honor. As such, he provides a much stronger model for those of us who are less than perfect, allowing everyone a sense of redemption.

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift

Satire is sometimes a thing of beauty, although often satire is a way to take cheap shots without defense. I think Swift's novel is a bit of both. He uses comparisons with imaginary societies to critique governments and individuals without providing support. And yet, the critique is merited and, at the time of writing, difficult to put forth without fear of reprisal. The novel is rarely funny, although it tries to be in places, but it is thought-provoking and provides an outside "objective" perspective that is often difficult to achieve. Overall, I enjoyed it, although I wasn't sad to see it end.