Megan the Nautie Mermate
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A LADY SAILOR
My visit in Hilo was absolutely too short! I'm sitting at the airport once again...
Sitting here is of course bittersweet.
It gives me time to look through photos.
Like this one of a sweet lamb rubbing its head all over my legs...
Or of a totally awesome swell in Hilo Bay...
Lilikoi margaritas with lihingmui rims? Yes please...
Best yet? Christmas Eve dinner: kalua pig, lomi salmon, rice, poi and haupia...
MELE KALIKIMAKA!!
I hope your holidays are merry and bright!
I saw this posted on the fridge in my Church's Fellowship Hall. It was such a good reminder.
Shame to waste!
I've been filling up every second of my time in Hilo with as much absolute goodness as possible.
There have been 30x30 check offs - really, really good ones! There have been sunrise photo safaris. There have been wreaths. There have been visits with old friends.
MOTTAINAI!!!
Apparently, I turn into a lazy blogger when I'm tooling about and I'm not on my ship! So sorry! Here's what I've been up to in pretty much this order:
I'VE BEEN ENJOYING THE VIEW I realize this might sound a little sassy...but I think it might actually be true...the house in Hilo (as in my Mom's house) has the BEST view in town...for realsies...
I'VE BEEN BOXING UP MY "THINGS" I have had a storage unit full of stuff for the last year. I still own my home in Hilo and I. Rent it out fully furnished. There is a tiny studio apartment for me but its also rented out right now. The storage unit just doesn't make sense....and it's certainly ridiculous when you think how much it costs to keep things you're not even using. What's hilarious is looking at what I've kept...what's even more fun is to look at my labels. They've been cracking me up!
I'VE BEEN PICKING FOLIAGE AND MAKING CHRISTMAS WREATHS This is pretty self explanatory. I've been making wreaths. The only real difference is that in Hawaii a traditional wreath isn't made with Evergreens - we use native plants instead. If you ask me they're stunning. I'll show you my finished product soon!
WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
Back in Hilo. Aaaaah. It feels so good.
My first order of business was to take early morning photos in Keaukaha.
A little rain. A little pink. A little swell. A little reflection in the fish ponds. A little bit of heaven.
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Getting on the plane as we speak. I'm so flippin' EXCITED!!!!
I can already smell the sweet Hilo air!
I've always wanted to go to New Orleans. When we got to Baton Rouge, LA we were faced with a small decision. We could head East for a stop in New Orleans (NOLA) or we could head West towards our final destination of Houston.
I still hadn't received confirmation on whether or not the apartment I wanted would be available - or rather if my finances had been approved. This was making me mental. I was a little stress ball.
Since there was really no point in rushing to Houston without a solid place to land we figured we should enjoy ourselves and spend a day in New Orleans.
Enjoy ourselves we did.
We got in fairly late in the evening and immediately bunkered down in our hotel. This was mostly because I was driving and I had to pee really, really badly. So I flew into the first hotel parking lot I could find and raced to the bathrooms. No lie.
We woke up first thing in the morning with one thing on our minds. Beignets and Coffee at Cafe du Monde. We hauled butt into the middle of the city and sat down at the first available spot we could find on the terrace.
Here's the thing....I had really been dreaming of beignets at Cafe du Monde for a really long time and...my beignet experience just wasn't what I imagined. Don't get me wrong. The beignets were a treat. The coffee was delish. The people watching had potential for greatness. But...yes there's a but...
We were hustled right to our table. A very efficient Oriental waitress immediately brought beignets and coffee to our table. We had to pay right then. No one asked us if we wanted another.
So we wolfed down our beignets and chugged our coffee and left.
Like I said, it wasn't what I expected however; I'd go back again to wolf down beignets and chug some coffee!
Next stop? Signing up for a Double Decker Bus Ride. You know the dorky red ones that allow hop on hop off?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you're in a city for a day take the hop on hop off. You get to see so much more than you would on foot, it's a pay once mode of transportation (often times overseas you can use a credit card for the ticket which eliminates some need for foreign currency) and you get to learn a little history through headphones or a tour guide.
The only bummer about NOLA is that you can't go through The French Quarter - the streets are just too narrow. You get to see lots of other places / neighborhoods though....you even get to see Mardi Gras World where they build floats. I know you've been dying to go to Mardi Gras World (I really shouldn't joke. Some people probably are really excited about Mardi Gras World...)
Following our Bus Tour we did do a bit of walking on foot. We needed food. Badly. The hanger (you know...hunger induced anger) was quickly becoming an issue.
We settled on the Palace Cafe. Hallelujah. It was gooood. We started with a crabmeat cheesecake appetizer and then both dug into Poutine Po-Boys. It was scrumdiliumptious. For realsies.
A little more wandering around and we ended up back in the parking garage picking up our car. The ride to Houston was our crappiest drive of the trip. Pouring rain, lots of accidents and darkness...not ideal...
Sidenote: I really wish that I had added Eat a Beignet at Cafe du Monde to my 30x30 list.
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