Our tsunami adventure...

Well, today, Saturday, February 27th, is a day we will not soon forget – the day we survived a tsunami, even a mini one. We so appreciate the prayers and concern of our friends and family. It all started about 24 hours ago when we first learned of the earthquake in Chili and the possibility of a tsunami heading out over the Pacific waters. But we thought little of it and went to bed without giving it a second thought… Fast forward to the middle of the night when our cell phones started ringing and the alarms and announcements started here at the resort. By the time I became conscious and aware of what was going on, Craig was already gone – taking the car out of the basement parking lot and driving to the nearest gas station. He’d have bought any provisions that were left but stores were not opened at 5 am!

By 7 am we were all in action mode – contacting friends and family when we could get the cell phone signal to work (the circuits were jammed much of the time); filling bath tubs with water, charging up everything we could charge and preparing for any power loss and packing our “to-go” bags in case we had to flee in a hurry. With the initial wave due to hit after 11 am, they ordered us inside by 10 am; a walk of the property here before that time was both surreal and eerie. A beautiful sunny day, just like any other day here; folks milling about with nervous energy. The only hint that something was amiss was the extremely low tide in the lagoon where even the low tide line was exposed along with rocks in the ocean normally covered by surf. So we prayed, sat and waited here on the 5^th floor… as zero hour approached we headed up to the 16^th floor for a better view but after awhile, decided just to stick it out in our unit.

After time passed (or in some ways seemed to stand still), it became apparent that while there were certainly some effects in the waves all around each of the islands, there would not be a damaging water surge. So we all went to take naps since at this point we were exhausted from the drama of the past 8 hours. By 2 pm the “all clear” signal was given and folks were allowed to venture back outside.

We spent the afternoon/evening back at our favorite perch overlooking the ocean, near the pool, but not all was back to normal. Just as we arrived outside it was evident that the tides were still erratic and actually 911 had to be called for a swimmer who was pulled out to sea from the lagoon. We hope he was okay. You could see the water surge out and back in with such force that the authorities did not allow folks back in that water for the rest of the day; every time someone would try to go in, someone was there to order them out. So glad for all the precautions they took during this crisis. So while everything was sort of back to normal, it was clear that caution still ruled the day. We stayed outside past sunset, in order to take in every moment of beauty and wonder before our paths diverge later tonight; the Slacks fly back to New York at midnight and we fly over to Kauai at noon tomorrow for another week here.

A day to remember for sure…

Today's two pictures: the lagoon this morning with the unusually low tide... also so strange that all the beach chairs were removed and no one was allowed on the beach...

And... our dear friends, Matt & Siobhan who were on this adventure with us as they pack to go home...

Another day in paradise...

Today was just a carbon copy of yesterday so I thought I'd simply post some more pictures that can express the beauty of this place better than any words can...

A day of relaxation...

Today is Thursday 2/25 and the week seems to be going by too fast. Finally we spent a day here at the pool/ocean ALL DAY! Really – I think it amounted to 10 hours and no, we do not look like lobsters. A little pink maybe, but all survived. What fun to snorkel in the protected lagoon, lay on rafts, talk, read, nap, snack, listen to ipod music, enjoy the hot tub and just plain RELAX!

Pictures for today are some of my favorite that Matt Slack has taken so far on this trip – what a gifted photographer!

Special day for Siobhan

Today (Wednesday 2/24) was a very special day as it was Siobhan Slack’s birthday. So lots of our fun today was centered around Siobhan and things she loves to do. She was blessed for breakfast with a fruit plate from her husband, Matt. Now if you know Siobhan you know she LOVES fruit, especially pineapple. We then headed out in the late morning for the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet – where all kinds of vendors set up shop in the parking lot of Aloha Stadium 3 days a week and sell their wares. We had a great time shopping though it was very warm out and we were glad to be done. After a quick McDonalds lunch, we headed north through the mountains in the middle of the island and made a stop at the Macadamia Nut farm for some yummy samples. We spent a few hours in the afternoon at the home of our friend Kumu’s mom. She gave us several flowers from her yard which are now on display in our villa here at the resort. For dinner we drove back through Haleiwa and made a quick stop to our favorite place, Cholo’s. We timed it so we would be done in time for sunset where we drove to a local beach to capture the beauty. Then the drive back to Ko O’lina. We are all a bit tired tonight so the next few days are going to be spent here at the resort just relaxing at the pool & beach and eating up all our provisions! Enjoy the pictures that tell the story of our day…

Pineapple and the Pipeline

Today (Tuesday 2/23) we enjoyed a fun filled day getting out and about. We left in the late morning for our trip up to the North Shore. First stop was at the Dole Plantation where we took lots of pineapple pictures and enjoyed some yummy ice cream. Next to the historic small town of Haleiwa where we introduced the Slacks to one of our favorite little restaurants – Mexican cuisine called Cholo’s. The local chickens though that normally roam through the place were absent today. I enjoyed fish tacos; okay might sound weird but very good; it’s their specialty. Then our travels took us up to Sunset Beach and an area known as the pipeline for its huge waves. We got out our towels and stayed for awhile with many others to be to spectators, watching the surfers and anyone else brave enough to venture out. Then we headed back into Haleiwa again to another favorite spot – Matsumoto’s for their shaved ice with ice cream and azuki beans. If you can’t tell already, we are eating out way through Hawaii! We think those of you who know us will just be glad we went a whole day without a Costco meal! We ended the day back at Ko O’lina at the pool and hot tub enjoying the gorgeous sunset. We were all so full from our day of eating we passed on dinner. We just finished playing games and watching the Olympics and are ready to call it a day.
Tomorrow we head over to another part of the island to visit a friend’s mom and take in the local swap meet in Honolulu; hoping for some great deals!

Hawaii 2010 - The trip begins...

Time for Hawaii blogging! Thank you for reading about our 2010 trip as it unfolds.
We arrived yesterday after a 10 ½ hour flight from Charlotte to Honolulu – direct! But we can’t complain as we were able to fly first class this year cashing in some frequent flyer miles. The time passed quickly and they fed us like kings (I was full and content after just the first course of salad with artichoke hearts and also a plate of melon wrapped with prosciutto…and that was just the beginning). We both caught a few naps in our seats that fully reclined but it was wonderful to finally land and stretch our legs and bask in warm, tropical breezes, especially after the winter we have had in the Mid-Atlantic. We met up with our friends, Matt & Siobhan Slack who were waiting for us and our adventure began. On our way to the Marriott resort at Ko O’lina here on Oahu.
First stop for us on every Hawaii trip is an excursion to the local Costco/Sam’s Club for provisions. You should have seen the car loaded with all of our luggage and a week’s worth of food for 4! It was comical to say the least. We spent the evening unpacking, enjoying a pizza and having some hot tub time to rest our weary bones. Craig & I managed to stay up til 10 pm which meant we had been up for nearly 24 hours straight. Nothing like the drastic measure to force your body into making a 5 time zone adjustment as soon as possible.
We were all up by 7 am in time to view the sunrise from our balcony. Craig spent the morning hours connected to work and the rest of us just enjoyed relaxing. By noon we headed out for lunch and whatever adventure awaited us…
Imagine our (well Craig’s especially) to find a new Costco in a shopping area just 5 minutes from this part of the island. After a trip to Target to pick up a few essentials we headed over to Costco for a hot dog lunch (yes, I know our culinary style lacks some imagination) and to pick up some meat for grilling for dinner. Once back at the resort, we headed out for an afternoon at the beach and more hot tubbing (our favorite hot tub here is in a secluded grotto with cascading waterfalls above us – we love it!) The guys took a walk and even spied and photographed a whale out in the ocean. We spent sunset watching Matt grill some incredible steaks (and fish for Siobhan) and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner complete with mashed potatoes and a greek salad. We are all sitting around now watching the Olympics and trying to recover from a food coma!
Tomorrow we will head out to the North Shore to watch the surfers and huge waves, visit the Dole Plantation and take the Slacks to some of our favorite places in Haleiwa, a small town with lots of atmosphere and the best shaved ice around. So, we are having a wonderful time of course, enjoying this incredible weather and beauty of God’s creation.