Day of Delirium #95 - Heaven on Earth - Day Two in Kauai

Today was the one day Mom and I went our separate ways on this trip. After spending 24/7 for the whole week, we chose to do different things on our last day on the cruise. Mom chose to sleep in, order room service and just relax on the boat. I chose to go on an excursion for horseback riding.

I am not even sure how to describe my excursion. Here are a few choice words: stupendous, phenomenal, life affirming, incredible, gorgeous, and exactly what I wanted from my Hawaiian vacation.

In case you don't know this about me, I love horses. I have loved horses since I can remember anything in my life. I don't get to ride very much but when the opportunity presents itself I try to take advantage. So when I saw this excursion, I knew I would be on it - even if it meant going without my Mom (there is no way she would ride).

I headed to the meeting area and it turned out there were 13 of us on the excursion - guesses on who the odd one out was?

I was immediately adopted by a woman who left her three kids to come on the cruise with her husband. She was feeling like being a Mom, so I let her. She was super sweet and I really enjoyed talking with her. I even accidentally ended up in her group for the ride - which I was very happy about as the group and the leader were much "better" than the other group and leader I found out later.

We all piled in the van and headed out for our 40 minute drive to the stables. It was a very nice drive and as we pulled into the stables I knew I made a great choice for my excursion. I was given a mare named Happa who I dubbed Happa, my Happy Hawaiian Horse. We were a great team and I was the only one who didn't lose their horse to the grasses for grazing at any point on the two hour ride. The leader basically told me that Happa likes to be talked to and she doesn't care if she loses the group. Well that works for me. I love to talk to my horses and I was more than happy to hang out in the back and just relax and enjoy the ride.

I want to point out that I cried many many times on this ride. The scenery was like nothing I have ever experienced anywhere. The peace and serenity of the ride was beyond belief. But the best part... the leader pretty much let us travel at our own pace and since I was last in line there were numerous times I was all by myself just riding my horse contemplating my life on earth.

With that said, I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

Happy Dangrdafne on Happa, my Happy Hawaiian Horse

 Happy Trails Happa

Leave only hoof prints in your heart and on the Earth

Next up: Last night on the ship

Day of Delirium #94 - Wings

We shouldn't abuse God's creatures.
You must reverse the haiku, not:

a dragonfly;
remove its wings-
pepper tree.

but:

a pepper tree;
add wings to it-
dragonfly.

-The Japanese Master Basho in response to Kikakou's poem

source

The destruction or healing of the world hinges on which way this thought unfolds. Whether we pull things apart or put things together makes all the difference. Indeed, Basho's small instruction reveals to us how human history has unfolded, with one pilgrim taking things apart and another putting them back together, and on and on.

As an example, let's look at two very different explorers who both shaped the world as we know it: Christopher Columbus and Carl Jung. While Columbus crossed the ocean with the intent of breaking things down and retrieving whatever treasures he could find, Jung crossed an interior ocean with the intent of putting together whatever he might find to make treasures of what he already had. We must ask what made one explorer step foot on a continent he'd never seen and proclaim, This is Mine!, and what made the other bow and utter in humility, I belong to this...

Perhaps the difference is that Columbus was searching outwardly with a predetermined sense of conquest when he reached the New World, and Carl Jung was searching inwardly with an undetermined sense of love when he reached the Unconscious. Both were clearly devoted to their search, but where Columbus was intent to separate and own, Jung, like Basho, was intent to unify and belong.

We must be watchful, for we suffer both the impulse to separate and own and the impulse to unify and belong. As our eyes shut and open repeatedly, we as builders take things apart and put them together repeatedly. Yet as wakefulness depends on keeping the eyes open, healing often depends on keeping things joined.

In love, in friendship, in seeking to learn and grow, in trying to understand ourselves, how often do we, like Kikakou, remove the wings of the thing before it has the chance to free us?

- Sit quietly and meditate on a quest you are currently involved in. It might be a quest for 
  self-understanding, for a deeper relationship, or for a home or better job.
- Look closely at how you are working at the quest.
- Are you taking things apart or putting things together?
- Are you trying to separate and own or to unify and belong?
- Are you removing wings or adding wings?

-- copied from The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo


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All I could hear in my head while reading this is why do we feel the need to reduce others?
Why do we bring others down?
Do we think we are raising ourselves up?
Do we want to reduce them to where we feel we are because that is all it can do?
As soon as a negative word is spoken of another you have not only reduced the person you are speaking about but also yourself. There is no way to raise up with negativity - there is a reason negativity is symbolized with a minus sign.

I would like to make a small request of all of you:
Let us all try to add wings to others and not remove them. We all deserve the right to soar.

source

Day of Delirium #93 - Rest of Day One on Kauai

Mom and I had no other plans once my sister and BIL left us so we decided to walk back to the area where we took the pictures in the cove and just relax for a bit. Well that bit turned in to a few hours and I have to say it was a great decision. We did consider the paid trolley trip but in the end never made it. Next time.

We just sat at a picnic table and watched the people enjoying the cove. The weather was perfection and it was good to stop for a little after all our running around for most of the trip.

I love how the roosters just roam around.

I decided to test my iPhone and it's GPS capabilities and was shocked when it placed the pin directly on the spot we were sitting. Scary and cool all at the same time.

Then we decided to shop and get some shaved ice back at the Kalapaki Beach Hut - as is apparently the thing to do when in Hawaii. It was delicious. Pineapple, Strawberry and Banana flavors. So yummy and refreshing.

Then we headed back to the boat to get ready for our Luau we were going to that night. We showered and relaxed with our great view and then headed to the buses for our ride to the plantation.

We signed up for the train ride around the plantation before dinner and it was stunning. Lots of green and lots of animals. We learned about where their Luau food comes from and again we got to use the information we learned earlier in our trip to understand their farming here on Kauai.

We had great seats on a raised level right near the live music and we had a fun table. There was tons of food and the best part, it was all marked as to gluten free, vegetarian or dairy free. The absolute best part!! They had gluten free banana cream pie - my ultimate favorite! YUMMY

We enjoyed the show very much. They had male and female hula dancers and lots of fire. Basically it was a show that told the history of the Polynesians coming to Hawaii. It was a dramatic take on it but the music and dancing were wonderful. I don't think I would do the Luau again but Mom and I agreed that we are glad we attended as it is a very Hawaiian thing to do.

This is a picture of our picture from the Luau. We had a great time and the food was wonderful. We felt like we really were in Hawaii and the music and dancing were truly wonderful.

Next up: Heaven on Earth - Day Two in Kauai

Day of Delirium #92 - Bucket List Complete - Kauai

Thursday May 19, 2011 = the day I completed my bucket list.

Mom and I met my sister and brother-in-law in Kauai for breakfast at the Kalapaki Beach Hut. My bucket list item was to visit every state with my family. By meeting my sister in Kauai and bringing along my dad's ashes, I accomplished my goal. It was actually a very overwhelming feeling knowing I was accomplishing really the only thing I have ever wanted to accomplish.

I could not have asked for a better place to complete my list either. Kauai is gorgeous! I would definitely go back there and spend a week just exploring the island. Anyway, back to the day...

Mom and I got up and got ready as per our usual 5:30am and had a gorgeous view from our room.

We headed to the pier and realized we had no idea how to get to the Kalapaki Beach Hut lol! I had read that you could walk there but once on the pier we had no idea which way to turn or really how far/close it was. We luckily found a very nice woman who told us we could take the free trolley to the mall and then walk across the road to the Beach Hut. Mall? Cross a road?

Turns out the Mall is a small 2 story strip mall with about 15 stores and the road is a two lane semi-busy road BUT with a huge pedestrian cross walk that every one stops for when you step out into it. So no worries (as the Hawaiians would say). Also turns out you can take a paid trolley tour of the island too that you pick up at the mall. We also found Blue Hawaiian Helicopters had an office in the mall. Mom and I were very tempted to sign up for a ride over Kauai but we didn't since we wanted to be sure to have time with my sister and BIL. Next time we definitely will do it :)

We arrived at the Beach Hut but my sister and BIL were not there yet. We sat down out front and listened to the roosters crow and run around the place.

It was a gorgeous sunny day and the view from where we sat was lovely. Finally, about 20 minutes later my sister and BIL showed up. Hugs all around and then we went to eat. We all were starving.

The Kalapaki Beach Hut offers Hawaiian meals (?) meaning I had eggs, bacon and white rice for breakfast (which is perfection for me and my food allergies - no bread but white rice - woo hoo). We ordered tons of food and my BIL headed upstairs to save a table for us. Once we headed up, I found out why people love coming to the Beach Hut. The view was stupendous. You overlook the cove and it was just gorgeous. Tons of people on the beach and in the water but they were just far enough away that it was quiet. And the food was really really good. I loved it. I HIGHLY recommend Kalapaki Beach Hut!
We just sat, ate, talked, looked at our pictures from the start of our trip and just hung out for about 2 hours.

Then it was time to go get some pictures on the beach. Mom had brought a small jar of my Dad's ashes and she wanted to release them on the beach. Let me add that my Dad has always hated the beach, I mean hated the beach! I told my BIL that he was in charge of pictures and he was ready to go. We got to the beach and Mom took the jar and without warning opened it and threw the ashes to the ocean waves... anyone want to guess what happened?

The wind picked up and blew him all back at my Mom, my sister and myself. This picture captures that exact moment:

and every time I look at it I get tears in my eyes (and not just remembering the ashes that were in them lol). My father had one last go at us. How dare Mom release him on the beach, into the ocean. So he got the wind to pick up and had him wrap himself around us instead. My BIL was devastated. He thought my Mom was going to do a speech and he would have time to set up pictures. What he didn't know at the time though was he captured that exact picture above and who could ask for more than that? Thank you John for capturing an amazing moment in our lives and for sharing in our day.

Then we set up to take some "formal" pictures and Dad had one good last laugh... he soaked our feet real good as the waves came crashing into the cove and right where we were standing. Lots and lots of laughter was released. I love my Dad.

Then it was time to say good bye to my sister and BIL. It was a wonderful morning and I wish we had had more time but I am forever grateful that they took time our of their vacation to spend a morning with us and allow me to complete my bucket list. I love you Susan and John and thank you.

Next: Rest of Day One on Kauai

Day of Delirium #91 - Kicking it in Kona

Wednesday took us to the other side of the Big Island to Kona. We had to dock out in the ocean and use tenders (in this case a set of lifeboats) to get back and forth between the boat and land. I had heard that this is not the easiest part of the trip in that you have to go to the one bar, get a numbered ticket and wait for your number to be called to then go down to the tenders. We got there a little later hoping most of the crowd would be gone. We were wrong. It was very crowded and 40 minutes later we were finally sitting on a tender and heading to Kona.

When we arrived I was confused. As I looked at the dock it was above my head...even when I stood up. We all wondered how in the world we were going to out of the boats and up on the dock. Well we quickly found out... thank goodness the attendants work out - they lifted each and every person off the boat and onto the dock. I was impressed to say the least. Thank goodness when we went back the tide was in and we went straight onto the tenders (phew).

As we walked down the dock, I knew I was already going to like Kona. I could see all the little shops and eateries and the road running right along the beach wall. There was not a bad view line from any of the places we went to. It was gorgeous.

 
I loved the shops and there was even the Farmer's Market (which I highly recommend) that is only on Wednesday's. Mom and I literally walked the whole "strip" and just shopped and looked around. There were lots of good picture taking stops including having the ship out in the port for some good pictures.

It was a cloudy day but we were grateful for it as there isn't much shade as you walk the road. My favorite part, besides going into not just one but TWO Crazy Shirt stores, was the church we stopped in at the end of the walk. It was beautiful and lucky for us, empty when we went in. It was quiet and cool and a lovely way to end our walk.

And stopping at the church led me to taking one of my favorite pictures on the trip.

Then it was time for our excursion. We chose a Glass Bottom Boat cruise and while it was very nice and a cool way to carrying on what we learned at the aquarium, I wish we had done the submarine version or something else (if anything else - I would have been happy to just hang out in Kona proper longer). The woman who narrated the cruise was so knowledgeable and she always had a story to share. She truly was amazing and the highlight of the excursion.

What I remember of glass bottom boats, though, is that the whole bottom is glass and you walk on beams across the bottom. On this boat, there were 6 openings that had a glass bottom and you sat on benches and placed your torso over the edge to look down. A few people got sea sick and a few even threw up once we were back on shore. Thank goodness not Mom or I but we both certainly felt odd both during and after the trip.

It was neat to see the fish from the aquarium in the natural habitat and to remember what they were when we saw them. The coral was very interesting but it was very hard to see it all. In fact if someone in one area saw something, the likelihood of anyone in another area seeing it was slim. So my recommendation is choose the submarine version, do something else or just make this a shopping day!

Then it was back to the ship for the night to learn how to make ribbon leis. I loved this class. Making the ribbon lei was so meditative and calming. I want to keep making them.

Next: Bucket List Complete - Kauai