The dog days are over

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  So cliche, but so very true too (unless I opt to move to paradise...).  The flight home was uneventful, albeit my window seat on the HI to LAX leg (I hate feeling so confined; aisle, please!).  Oh, and then we almost missed our flight to Denver before I noticed we were at the completely wrong gate.

We had an early AM go at the beach; the waves were killer, dude.  It was nice to float boogie board style further out to sea, but I did manage to almost kill myself twice.  Twice, you ask?  The first time I took Mom's advice and tried to swim under the wave before it came full force, but I must've been too late because I was hit the moment I tried.  It knocked me down, kept me down, kicked me around; several long seconds went by before I washed ashore.  I've never been so close to.... drowning.  And then I had the pleasure one more time as I tried (unsuccessfully) to outrun it (because you can't run in sand, silly).  This time I washed up with my bikini top twisted every which way but on.  I imagine nice old Mrs. Smith jabbed Mr. Smith to cover his eyes...  Mom took a turn too; her suit stayed put, but the snorkel set floated away, only to be saved by a nice surfer boy (but not a babelicious Hawaiian type, this one was just a White boy from Chicago...).  A nice, dark boy then informed me it was calmer the other direction, where most (local) people were... doh!

Okay, try to imagine me (with top on, of course...!) tossing about in a wave like this... and shooting out on calmer grounds.  Oye!   

Java fix @ Kona Joe Coffee for a mug of 100% pure Kona coffee.  We lounged on a Lanai with fabulous views of the Pacific, tucked in a tropical garden.  Gorgeous setting, terrible coffee...  But then we sampled the dark roast in the gift shop and ate a few chocolate coffee beans, which together, tasted very nice.  

   

But my biggest regret from the Big Island?  Not enough Basik!  My favorite Island fare was the Acai Bowl from this treehouse'esque wholefoods cafe.  The Banyan Bowl was scrumptious:  fruit blend with cashew milk, granola, bananas and peanut butter.  It was just a semi-crush had on half of the 2 man crew; I made 3 stops during my stay, but had I sampled one of everything, I might've left with more than just a fond food memory... 

Mom and I drove North to 'A Bay' for one last long walk on the beach.  The waves here were way more girl-friendly. 

Mr. Emmerich Grosch, the 1-man act behind Kona coffee supplier Captain Cook Trading Co..  If you want gourmet Kona coffee, he's your man. Plus, the $13/lb price tag is a very sweet deal.  

Fact: Dark roast has less caffeine than light or medium roast!

My skin was extra silky and smooth in that Hawaiian Tropic air.    

Today I'm a bit Rocky Mountain dry...

And my dear Hawai'i... Mahalo for being such a wonderful hostess.  You've created quite a love affair.  I bid you Adieu until we meet again (or until I turn into a single, white woman desperately seeking a man at Costco or the boy at Basik or one of those guys cruising to the beach with board in tow...).

So long palm trees, hello Colorado!  This morning I hiked with a group from Church.  Red Rocks was our destination and I quickly remembered why my state isn't so bad, either.  No bee stings today, but I did slip on loose gravel (twice).    

And a great Saturday to recover... and watch football!  This photo op (and Ohio State visor) was taken for my friend, Dave, but I'm actually watching the Nebraska v. Washington game, sans visor...

Go Big Red!

Through the lens

New life in mother nature.

A taste of Aloha in my mouth: Kalua pork and cabbage; teriyaki chicken.

Found objects in the sand.

Kona yoga

I adore new places and experiences and cultures and people, and frankly,  I'm just not sure what I have waiting on the Mainland excites me very much...  Not that I'll be packing my bags to Hawaii anytime soon, but, I'm feeling a bit stale in Denver, regardless of how busy my schedule...
I'm single and young and my job makes me cringe...
Don't get me wrong- I do enjoy my real world; perhaps I'm just grumpy because I didn't fall in love with a surfer...
Nah- get me home and I'll be okay.  (There are surfer types in CO, afterall...)

On a travel note, I did my 2nd session at Bikram Kona Yoga tonight.  90-minutes of pure sweaty goodness.  Mark, the owner, is from Maryland, and not at all yoga'ish, which I prefer given some instructors can be a bit pretentious.  Plus, he wore Hawaiian board shorts and spoke with an East coast accent.  Good yoga.  Fun yoga.  For the non-serious yoga types who like good yoga...

Day IV

A coconut bowl of Kava, a drink from the Kava root known for its sedative and relaxation properties.  It made our lips numb.  And tasted horrible...

We followed our failed Kava attempt with massages...

 

And a pair of pedis...

And a sunset along Ali'i Drive.

I look a bit like I drank Kava... had a massage... and soaked my toes in a foot bath... what I really need is a looooong run.  

And now... Juno on TV!  For some reason I am no longer embarrassed to watch movies about unwed, pregnant high schoolers alongside my mother...  Awww, the joys of 2010...

Tomorrow... we'll hop in the convertible and wind our way south to Kilauea Volcano!

(Still) hanging loose

A (I should preface with silly) text message conversation with my friend, Garrett, following a picture I sent from my beach towel:

G: ...You'll have no problem landing yourself a respectable surfer!
R: In fact, a nice surfer just sat by us...
G: There ya go!  But if he doesn't have a six-pack I wouldn't even waste your time!
R: Doh!  And there's his girlfriend...
G: Haha! Bummer man.  That's why you have to bring the man with you on a trip like that!

I've already mentally planned my Maui honeymoon just in case I happen to score the man.  I won't start packing quite yet...  But I will start working on my six-pack.
Okay, I am totally just kidding...

The perfect post-beach treat: Shave Ice at the Ali'i Marketplace.  I ordered the "Jill": watermelon, coconut, and banana flavorings.  

Although the $3 fish tacos smelled so yummy, we skipped the urge in favor of grilling our own mahi-mahi dinner instead.  Tomorrow, it's ON because fish tacos are MY FAVORITE! 

Of course, I was quick to find this national landmark.  And, of course, I did my due-diligence and supported the cause...

Paradise paraphrased

The first Broncos game of the season didn't make it to any Hawaiian networks, so we hurried home from an early service at Living Stones Church so mom could at least follow play-by-play action via the www.

Notice Mom's TOMS... so stylie!

And of course, where there's football, there's gotta be food, so she made a big pot of Kona coffee and a very Hawaiian breakfast.

Greek yogurt

Pineapple

Mango

Papaya

Banana 

Almonds

Tropical granola with mac-nuts!

The tan is a work in progress.... Oooh, I loved the white sand and clear water at our little beach.  And those Hawaiian boys doing tricks on their boogie boards.  I almost asked for a lesson on my board, but thought I should probably just use it as a floating device instead... plus, I didn't want any bikini mishaps...

We drove north to Kohala and found a lovely roadside sandwich hut.  The owner was from Switzerland, and delighted in making us an uberhot pot of French Press (he admitted his smoothies were better than his coffee, and his milk went sour so I drank mine black... ).  

While waiting, I attempted to work the self-timer function... next, I will aim for better lighting...

A HUGE banana!  Perhaps that's why it cost me a buck.  Note: a bunch of asparagus was $7.99!

Boys in bulk

Mom and I spent Friday evening in perhaps a most curious place, given our current tropical location: Costco.  We stopped in for water and left with wine, seaweed salad (my fave!), smoked Gouda, cherry tomatoes, and a reason to return: the fine looking selection of male clientele (and Kalamata olives).  If I were single and local I would probably spend many Friday nights shopping for jars of almond butter and bananas by the bunch...  Tonight was a mixbag of Island boys, Jack Johnson surfer'esq types, and a few vacationers still in their swim shorts.   Luckily, I was wearing my new straw Fedora, which may, or may not have concealed my wandering eyes.  And although it'd be quite lovely to strike up a conversation on the health benefits of carrot juice, I cannot think of a single time in Denver that I've been a repeat customer because of the plethora of potential.  Errr, besides my neighborhood Whole Foods, but the majority of those guys wear skinnier jeans than I do.
Or maybe this is what happens on vacation when the faces are new and different (and Hawaiian); tomorrow after yoga I'm stopping at Basik Acai for breakfast.  Because today's smoothie was quite delicious and the service was extra nice.  To look at. ;)

Hawaii!

That dang bee...  And then I turned my ankle as I was running down Alii Drive this AM...  Double whammy.  Now my shoes don't fit.

Only in paradise.

Lunch.  Island style.  Local bananas and pineapple; apples and grapes from another exotic locale...