Here in Hawaii

Finally....posting to my blog! While Susan was here the computer room was less available so I didn't get into the habit of posting here which I had totally planned to do. I wish I'd brought my airport so I could be wireless here. It's comical to watch me unhooking Marie's cable to plug into mine....the cable is very hard to reach so I do a lot of contortions to hook up. Mostly I can keep up with email and facebook on my phone but i prefer to do internet things on the computer.

Anyway, that's kinda boring. On to better stuffs. Here I am in Hawaii and I think I'd rather read about that any day. Well, so far I've done most of what I intended to do so it's been quite successful. While Susan was here I did lots of touristy things and showed her my childhood home, schools, etc. That was great. When she left (on the 15th) I lazed around Marie's and read for a couple of days, did laundry and tidied up. Now I'm visiting with old friends.

Loretta took me out to breakfast at the Moana Hotel which is a very old and beautiful Hawaiian hotel on Waikiki. Our table was at the window facing the beach and we were so close that we felt like we could reach our toes out into the water. It was a perfect sunny morning, the buffet was amazing, Loretta's stories uplifting. She was my neighbor and classmate when I was in high school. We just seem to pick up where we left off. Oh, and she really liked my facebook pictures of Hawaii, said I was an ambassador so she gave me a kukui nut lei, explaining that it represents enlightenment and that the nut has many healing qualities. I was honored. She is quite involved in the Hawaiian community and Hawaiian healing teachings.

I of course did the obligatory ride up to the Pali and then my childhood home. That gets the roots back in the ground for me. Had shave ice at Matsumoto's in Haleiwa. Saw our old beach house in Haleiwa. Did a quick drive-through at Hanauma Bay. They only let a certain number of people down there at a time, so there was a LONG line of people waiting to get in. No way was I going to do that, it seemed sacreligeous. Thomas Wolfe: "You can't go home again." That has many meanings, but for me it means that no matter how much I'd like things to be the same as they were when I was 5, that's just not going to happen.

Bishop Museum actually was exactly as I remembered plus more. It was fabulous. In fact, I became a member because I was so happy with how they've kept up the museum. They still have the feather capes that I loved so much. A lava-making demonstration. A pool where you can create tidal waves by pressing a button. A grass sleeping house that was 100 years old when it was moved from Kaua'i to Honolulu in 1902. It's still beautiful!

More: Ala Moana Beach, Liliha Bakery, walked the entire length of Waikiki, 2 nights at the Outrigger Reef, and Makapuu Beach.

But the highlight has to be the hike to Manoa Falls. It definitely has changed. When I last went there the hike was more like a walk. Now it's a muddy, slippery rock scramble. Between not being in hiking shape and having a heavy backpack, I managed to fall backwards while trying to get up a steep step. I looked OK on the front but my back and jeans were completely muddy. There was no hiding it. Then, once up there, it didn't impress me. The falls were meager and the pool was pretty much invisible. There was a big landslide there in 2002, dumping a ton of rocks into the pool, thus shrinking it in size and rending it mostly out of view.

I'm sure I've left out lots. Actually, like staying with my cousin, Marie. What a blast it's been. I'll post pictures of her place on another day. Amazing spot.