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Hawai’i 2020
  • Betty Foidart

Hawai’i 2020

A 71-day adventure by Betty Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 8, 2020
    Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    Love the colours of Kauai
    1I signed JS up for a water fitness class :P

    A long day of travel

    January 8, 2020 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    A destination for our winter escape was decided when we received an invitation to Dani & Chris’s wedding that was to be held on the North Shore of Oahu. We knew this was an event not to be missed and we wanted to represent Dani’s Winnipeg family.

    We had a 6 a.m. flight to Vancouver, our only option, with a 4 a.m. taxi reservation. After a hectic Christmas season with visitors from the West, I decided to forgo sleep and spent the night doing housework and trip organizing. Sleepless and fighting off a 2 week long cold meant I wasn’t in the best shape for travel. Once on the plane a few short naps and drugs helped! After 3 flights and 16+ hours we arrived in Kauai. The warm, humid air felt wonderful in comparison to the dry, heated indoor air at home, not to mention the sub-zero temperatures outside.

    I had reserved a timeshare in Kapaa but we wouldn’t be able to check in for another 2 days so I used my MasterCard Rewards points to reserve a room at the Kauai Beach Resort. Hotels are very expensive in Hawai’i and this resort would have been an unaffordable $300/night. It was a relaxing 2 days and best of all I didn’t have to do any cooking.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    The view from our condo. JS relaxing at the pool.
    Kilauea LighthouseTaro fields - one of my favourite viewpointsNene family, an endangered speciesTrying to have a picnic we got rained out 3 timesI dislike wind :( And then it started to rain.

    It’s not beach weather

    January 10, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    On Day 3 we picked up our car rental, a boxy Kia Soul, and moved into a one bedroom timeshare condo at Kapaa Shores for the week. It’s modest but comfortable and since I had stayed here before I knew what to expect. It’s the only accommodation I have booked so far and we’ve been joking about having to sleep in the car! My deal-hunting skills are being mightily challenged in this peak-season, high-demand environment.

    For the next 3 days the Hawaiian islands were surrounded by two intense weather systems which continued to bring cloudy, wet conditions and 50 km winds. The Big Island got hit the worst with 30” of rain in one day causing flooding. On Kauai there was a land slide closing the highway near Hanalei. However, we were able to drive a half-hour north to Princeville stopping at our favourite sites along the way.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    Our favourite snorkelling spot is unsafe today
    Huge waves limited snorkelling to this protected areaA green sea turtleThe sweet interior resembles a grapeOnly $15 for this beautiful arrangementHawaiian music is soothing

    South to Po’ipu

    January 14, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Although Po’ipu is only 35 km from our condo traffic is heavy and slow on Kauai so it took us nearly an hour to get there. This has always been our favourite snorkelling beach but not this time. The strong trade winds created large waves at a beach already known for rip-tides. Snorkellers were confined to a small protected area and only a few surfers braved the waves. No snorkelling for us but we did see a green sea turtle on the beach.

    Just down the road was the weekly farmers market that is held at a small upscale shopping plaza. It’s always a good time as we get to see what is locally grown (including colourful tropical flowers!) and be entertained by local musicians.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    Modern & spacious with a great view
    JS sees a humpback whale in the distanceThese aren't endangered and provide early morning wake-up calls

    Moving down the street

    January 17, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Finally I was successful in finding another condo for the coming week. It is also in Kapaa just a few blocks south. This is a larger resort with several buildings and somehow we got lucky by being assigned a 2 bedroom, newly renovated ocean-front unit. It’s about 1200 sq ft and was a fantastic deal at $75/night :). I also stayed here during my last solo trip and the location is perfect as the paved beach walk is at the edge of the property. We both go for walks every day but at different times because we move at very different speeds and have learned this is the best way to keep the peace!

    We had to return our rental car and pick up a different one for this week, a Chevy Cruz. We were supposed to get a compact car but got a free upgrade. The first week was a reasonable $210 but the price went up to $425 for this week. Yikes! The principle of supply and demand is the economic model well practiced in Hawaii!    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler

    The Grand Canyon of the Pacific

    January 21, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Waimea Canyon is one of our favourite sites on Kauai. The canyon stretches 22 km long, 1.6 km wide and more than 1 km deep. We have never seen much of a waterfall here but with all the rain we’ve had it was definitely flowing strong. When we arrived on Kauai we heard about a tourist helicopter that crashed into the side of a mountain in the Canyon, killing all 7 aboard. So sad to hear this but it’s fairly common in Kauai. Not our idea of a good time. We had perfect weather to view the Canyon as on some of our trips to the State Parks heavy clouds and rain moved in abruptly. Trails were very muddy though so we didn’t do any of the hikes but stopped at many of the viewpoints. We had such a great day!Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler

    A beach of glass!

    January 21, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    On our way back from Waimea I insisted on stopping at Glass Beach in Ele’ele as on prior trips I was unable to find this small beach hidden in an industrial area. I have never seen anything like it. Many years ago this was a dumping ground for glass bottles and auto glass. Apparently a geologic feature called the Swiss Cheese Shoreline with it’s hole-filled lava rocks smashed the glass and after 10-30 years created this glass beach. I knew I shouldn’t but I couldn’t resist taking a few larger pieces of sea glass to add to my collection from other beaches. The plan is to create something....some day!Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler

    A day at the beach

    January 22, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We haven’t exactly had beach weather since we got here so today we felt obliged to take advantage of the sunshine. A half-hour drive North took us to one of our favourite spots, Anini Beach. The water was warm, clear and had serious rip tides making it impossible to swim. I walked the 3+ km beach while JS enjoyed reading his book. It was a relaxing day and neither of us got sunburned, which must be a first for JS!Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    We noticed a familiar image at the table next to us!
    Fish & chips and fish tacos, both made with fresh swordfish :)The Banyan Harbor....our home for the next few daysOur view from the lanai is a drastic downgrade from last week's :(Our beach at Kalapaki Bay

    Time to move on

    January 24, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today we had to return our rental car to the airport and move down the road to our third timeshare condo. We weren’t renting a car for the coming week so I arranged a ride with the Avis shuttle that was going to the cruise terminal, a short distance from our condo. He kindly dropped us off at the resort entrance. Besides our luggage we had two boxes of food so we weren’t exactly travelling light! I knew there were no grocery stores nearby and without a car I had to stock up on food, wine and beer for the week. I checked-in with the front reception and was pleased that the move went smoothly, or so I thought. Then JS informed me that he had left his CPAP on the shuttle bus and was convinced it was gone forever. JS is irrational and very negative when these things happen. So back to the office I went and made arrangements to meet the Avis driver at the cruise port, a 10 minute walk. Within 15 minutes the same driver showed up, JS retrieved his CPAP and all was well in his world. We then splurged on a delicious lunch at a nearby oceanfront restaurant called Dukes.

    There is a beautiful, extensive Marriott Resort next door to Dukes but the beach is public. Our condo is a ten-minute walk from here on the other side of the tracks! We’re in a two-storey townhouse with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, at least 1200 sq ft. It’s a bit dated but very clean and was my best deal yet....$199 for the full week! Of course we got hit with Hawaii’s high accommodation tax and a resort fee, another $167, but still well within our budget. The other two condos were $550 and $475/week, a fraction of their regular cost. Finding these last-minute bargains in high-priced, high-demand Hawaii has been a challenge and it’s not for the faint of heart as I was never 100% confident that I would find us a home!    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    Not sure why there would be more sharks here.Fishing in shark infested waters.Housecleaning.....homelessness continues to be widespread on the islandsJS walked to the lighthouse but I stayed on higher ground to avoid rogue waves and golf balls!You can tell it's a slow week when I start taking flower photos!

    The week time stood still

    January 30, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    With no car we were limited to the immediate area as public transit has very limited service. Most days JS parked himself at the pool with his book while I did my usual exploration on foot. Our home cooked meals were pretty basic and repetitive but the wine was good! I spent many hours searching for a Waikiki condo for next week and at the final hour just settled for a one bedroom condo for the first night as we were unsure of our plans. Our timeshare company offers these units at $85/night when booked within 2 weeks of arrival and it includes free parking! Most Waikiki hotels are triple the cost with a $25-$35 parking fee plus a daily resort fee.Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    A typical Hawaiian breakfast at the Rainbow Drive-in, a favourite of the locals

    Waikiki...time to wake up

    January 31, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    There is always an adjustment to be made when travelling from sleepy Kauai to bustling Waikiki. After a 30 minute, $65 flight from Kauai we landed in Waikiki and took a taxi to our condo (at $42 the taxi cost almost as much as our flight!). Check-in time wasn’t until 4 pm so they stored our luggage while we made plans to pick up our rental car. I chose to walk the 3 km route while JS took the bus so we had agreed to meet at the bus loop by Ala Moana Mall as we were both familiar with this location. For some reason JS decided to wait for me in a different location believing that I would be walking right by him. Well I didn’t go that route and ended up waiting 45 minutes for him, worried that something had happened. I finally gave up and headed to the Enterprise location nearby. Coincidentally, JS also made that decision and we ended up running into each other at one of the mega mall entrances! What were the chances of that happening?! Not off to a great start! We were given a brand new Toyota Camry and after a quick stop at the condo to change clothes we were on our way to The Proud Peacock Restaurant at Waimea Falls on the North Shore of Oahu. Although it was less than 60 km it took us almost 1 1/2 hours to get there. Most of this route is a narrow two-lane, heavily travelled coastal road.

    Dani and Chris had invited all of the out-of-town wedding guests to this event. There were about 35 people there, a mix of friends, co-workers and relatives. Nancy’s group of 5 people got lost and arrived about an hour late. Nancy was navigating.....just saying! That afternoon most of this group had gone ATV/UTVing at a ranch where Jurassic Park was filmed. This was also a pre-wedding event but we had opted out. They all said it was a lot of fun except for how dirty they all got. The dinner was a typical Hawaiian meal of pork, sword fish, noodles, and vegetables, with an open bar of course.

    The drive back to Waikiki went smoothly until we hit the city. We got very lost and had to stop for directions in a not-so-nice area. It was a long day.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    At least it was a modern and clean port-a-potty!

    A Wedding Extravaganza

    February 1, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    The plan for today was to meet Nancy at the wedding venue on the North Shore and she was going to take us to the Turtle Bay condo that the bridal party was staying at. Dani had offered us the bedroom that she had occupied and wouldn’t need on her wedding night as they had a bridal suite at the resort. We were to be there around 1 pm. Without any discussion JS decided that he wanted to take the East coast route as it was a nice drive. Well we got lost getting out of the city, ran into construction with delays, got lost again, and encountered heavy rainfall. We didn’t arrive at the venue until 3:30! The wedding started at 4 so it was too late to go to the condo. I had to change into my dress in the port-a-potty!!! I was unable to fix my wind-blown hairstyle or apply any makeup. I was not impressed. End of rant.

    It had rained heavily on the way to the North Shore and I was feeling so concerned for Dani and Chris after all the effort they had put into planning this day. When we arrived the rain had slowed to a drizzle and just as the guests were arriving the black clouds broke and the sun came through. It was a blessing for sure.

    The wedding was even more than I had imagined. Dani was beautiful and Chris glowed. Dani’s dress was custom made by a Honolulu seamstress and she wore diamond jewelry that had been given to her by her Grandmother. The ceremony was a blend of traditional with vows of “till death do us part” and Hawaiian cultural practices. The venue was beyond beautiful. The delicious meal was served family style with bowls and platters of food placed on each table. No expense was spared.....a conch blower, a singer, hula dancers with lessons, a fresh flower table to make your own arrangement, a photo booth, and fire dancers. I felt I was at a personal luau! There was a wedding planner with 3 assistants, 2 videographers, 2 photographers, and 1 drone camera operator. Chris had about 25-30 family members present while Dani had 4, so I was very happy that we made the effort to attend. It was one of the most memorable experiences I have had.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    She made it!A rainbow over Honolulu

    The day after

    February 2, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    On Sunday Dani & Chris hosted a buffet breakfast at the Turtle Bay Resort. It was very relaxed and informal. The food once again was delicious and the ocean front setting in The Pavilion was gorgeous. There were rumours that late in the evening Chris imbibed in his favourite drink, bourbon, and had to be carried to the limousine that would take them back to the resort! Despite this he was still a gracious host at the breakfast. Most of the out-of-town guests were heading back to Canada on an afternoon flight, including Nancy and Rebecca.

    On our way back to Waikiki we stopped at Sunset Beach to watch the surfers. The waves weren’t huge but it was a nice afternoon for the beach. We also stopped at a botanical garden because I happened to see a small sign at the side of the road. For once we made it back to our condo in Waikiki without getting lost!    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler

    Aloha to John

    February 4, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    About. 2 months ago JS decided that he didn’t want to spend the winter in Hawaii so I had to change his Westjet ticket. His reason was that he didn’t want to be away from the grandbabies that long because they were all growing so quickly. So I guess that makes me a bad Grammy because as much as I love and miss those girls I had no intention of returning to Winnipeg in the middle of winter!

    His flight didn’t depart until midnight so we did one last beach walk together. The beach is narrow at the Diamond Head area so it is always crowded here with both tourists and locals. The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Centre has a garden where they feature different performers so he was able to catch one last show of Hawaiian slide guitar.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler

    Chinese New Year

    February 8, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    At the Royal Hawaiian Centre there was a special Chinese New Year celebration with a very entertaining show by a local club of young people performing both martial arts and the lion dance. It was an hour long and very well done given the young ages of the performers. At the end the lions, which are supposed to bring good luck and fortune, walked amongst the audience opening their large mouths to receive donations. The Asian tourists in the audience knew what to do and the rest of us just followed.Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    A nightly event preceeded by blowing of the conch.Royal KuhioBalcony view but the rainbow faded when I ran for my camera. Hawaii is the rainbow state.

    More Waikiki

    February 11, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    It always takes me a couple of days to readjust to being alone. I had planned to travel to Maui or the Big Island and although there were condos available I couldn’t get excited about the effort it would take to do the inter-island flight. Car rentals were also expensive, at least $450/week. So I decided to stay at the same place in Waikiki where I wouldn’t have to rent a car. The one bedroom condo at the Royal Kuhio was only $85/night so it was affordable and centrally located. What I hated about it was the creepy crawlers! Every night I would kill a bug or two, from tiny sugar ants to the fastest moving species that were likely cockroaches. I kept the kitchen spotless and all food in the fridge but I still found bugs on the counters, the floor and in the dishwasher (which I stopped using). I got maintenance to spray but it didn’t help so I kept the broom at my side ready for my attack!

    I didn’t enjoy Waikiki as much as on previous visits. It was very crowded, crime was up, and the sidewalks on some streets were in disrepair (a hazard for one who has a tripping history). The nightly news reported that crime was up 48% over last year, mainly with armed muggings of tourists and purse snatching from the elderly. On my walks I only carried ID and my cellphone in my pocket, no purse.

    Waikiki is spread along the coastline so there was a large area to choose a different route for my daily walks. A walk at sunset was my favourite time of day. My goal is to get rid of the excess belly fat that has mysteriously appeared over the last few months. Walking is the part I enjoy most on our winter breaks, especially when it is so scenic. My longest walk this week was 17,911 steps, or 12.5 km!    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    Waikiki is busy day and night. Nearly 10 million people visit Hawaii annually.

    Plan B

    February 12, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Since I had no preplanned accommodation reservations and was taking advantage of last-minute bookings, I always had in the back of my mind the need for a Plan B. During week 3 of our holiday I tired of the endless hours on the computer hoping to catch a deal for the next week, which were dwindling. I was also getting restless and bored. The predominant attraction of Hawaii is the beach and it doesn’t have the appeal that it once did. I used to be very naive about the ocean but this week a group of tiger sharks had been spotted near shore and a 20 year old Swedish tourist got swept out to sea while she was just standing at the water’s edge. Her body has never been found.

    So I started looking at other options for my remaining time in Hawaii. If I had to pay top dollar for accommodation in Hawaii then I wanted more bang for my buck. I decided I was going to take a 2 week cruise of New Zealand and booked a flight to Sydney, returning from Auckland. I asked JS if he was interested in joining me. He thought about it for one minute and then declined. It was 39 years ago that JS and I took our first trip together to AU and NZ but he still didn’t take the bait. Plan B didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. Since I had to pay the full fare for 2 passengers on the cruise (no discounts for solo travellers), I waited to see if there would be a drop in price, which never materialized. Then there was the daily news of the deadly Coronavirus and how it was impacting the cruise industry. The final straw was weather reports of a cyclone that was expected to make landfall near Sydney with warnings of high seas on the day the cruise would be departing. My gut was telling me not to go on the cruise although this was the simplest plan. Back to the drawing board....it was time for Plan C and time was running out!    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler

    Plan C

    February 13, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    My flight to Sydney was just 2 days away and I still hadn’t come up with a game plan. Although our dollar is stronger than the AU $ I quickly learned that Sydney was an expensive city. I spent hours searching for a reasonably priced hotel in a safe, convenient neighbourhood. With just hours to go I was able to find a studio apartment through AirBnB. Then I learned that when I applied for my NZ travel visa I made the stupid mistake of using a fake website that linked me to a third party site. I got billed $144 for what should have cost $44 (a $100 processing fee)!! I consider myself a pretty savvy traveller and I had read about this scam but it all looked so official. At least I did receive the visa while apparently some don’t. I now have to worry about the security of my credit card information and passport as I have no idea who this third party is. Not a smart move on my part :(

    When I arrived at the Honolulu airport Hawaiian Airlines refused to check me in for the flight because the Australian government requires that you have proof that you are leaving the country. I didn’t have a definite plan so I had to get on the wifi and figure out when and where I was going. Fortunately Virgin Australia had a seat sale and I had arrived at the airport 3 1/2 hours early just in case there were issues. JS will be shocked by that! While in the security lineup an attractive Hawaiian woman in her mid-30’s came up behind me, said she was having an anxiety attack and collapsed on the floor, which was unusual behaviour for someone having a panic attack. I was glad that security personnel came to assess her only to discover that she was as drunk as a skunk! When she couldn’t stand up independently in the body scanner they determined her unfit to fly.

    I am writing this enroute to Sydney, a 10 hour flight. The 2 passengers across from me have been coughing constantly. There is an empty seat beside me so that has been helpful. I watched the movie Parasite. I highly recommend it but don’t nod off like I did because I had to rewind a couple of times in order to read the subtitles I had missed!

    Time for another movie.    Read more

  • Betty FoidartHawai’i 2020Traveler
    I'm surrounded by skyscrapers. Tired.Comfy and luxurious sheets too!Compact but well equipped with good quality stuff.

    Sydney....a rocky start

    February 14, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    On arrival in Sydney the flight attendants had to use insecticidal spray in all of the overhead bins, a requirement of the Australian Department of Agriculture. The immigration process was very streamlined as it was all self-serve and everyone was processed quickly. I bought an Opal card at one of the shops as I had read that these could be used for all forms of transportation in Sydney....bus, light rail and ferry. I found my way to the light rail service and figured out which train I had to take and got off at the right station. Then my troubles began. The AirBnB host had given me instructions to find a lock box he had attached to a street pole. I found the pole but couldn’t see anything but a bicycle chained to said pole. I also realized I didn’t copy down the code to open the box that contained the condo key. So I walked down the block and found a young security guard sitting at a desk in the lobby of a very nice building. I explained my problem and asked if there was anyplace where I could access wifi to review the host’s instructions. After some thought he offered to share his data from his iPhone. While I was waiting for him to do this, I realized I was in the Church of Scientology! I was able to confirm the instructions and get the lockbox code. On my second attempt I did find the grey steel lockbox at the base of the pole behind the bicycle but it was difficult to find it as it was now dark out. This was a very unusual procedure for getting the keys. I was pretty exhausted but relieved to be in the comfort of the condo. The rental was $135 CAD/night which is nearly half the cost of most hotels here.

    My home for the next few days is a studio on the 27th floor of what was once the tallest building in Sydney with 45 floors. I hope the fire alarm doesn’t go off, real or otherwise! Although it’s older, it is immaculate and furnished with modern IKEA-type items. It’s very small at about 500 sq ft but I think this is typical for downtown Sydney. The view is amazing.    Read more

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