For me, it was more like a scientific field trip than a vacation, since my three travel companions are all geologists.  Every trail and museum and scenic view was spent analyzing rocks and lava flows and tubes and steam vents.  I definitely learned a lot and would go back in an instant.  It really was nice to get away from the city for a while and just hang out in a great cottage with great people and God’s amazing creation all around us.

Goose Country will give any UH geology affiliates a discounted stay in her cottages.  Highly recommend.

Diamond Head is an amazing running spot.  I love it and hate it at the same time.  It’s just lucky that the view is so great for most of the way around, because if not for that, there’s no way I’d be able to finish.  And yesterday, for those of you interested in visiting the island in late winter, we saw a whale from the top of Diamond Head Road, near the lighthouse.  I desperately wanted to stop and just watch him, but seeing that was just extra motivation for me to keep going.  Inspiration.  Love it.

Saturday should have been a day of rest. However, we went out looking for something new. We’d seen the falls. The North Shore. The Leeward Side. The Windward Side. So we went driving around our own back yard: Mount Tantalus.

We are living on Punchbowl, so Tantalus is very close. We drove up Tantalus Drive, and the temperature went from about 80 or so to probably about 74 at the top of the mountain. Tantulus turns into Round Top Drive, and coming back down on the other side of that is Puu Uakalaa, where there is a panoramic view of Honolulu and Diamond Head. It’s breathtaking. We stayed for a few minutes, but we were really looking for the trails. So we jumped in the car and went searching some more.

We found a cluster of cars parked on Round Top, so we stopped there and took the trail going up: Manoa Cliffs Trail. It has a hazardous cliff sign, warning hikers that the ground may break off from underneath, injuring or killing hikers. We were not daunted. We walked, picking up several guavas (we saw hundreds and hundreds of beautiful, delicious, juicy guavas) and taking in the sights.
We were walking for some time, and not really sure where the path was leading, because we didn’t do our research very well before heading out. But we pressed on. Rounding one of the corners of the cliffs, we could see a cascade across the valley. I’m not sure, but I think it might have been Sacred Falls. (I haven’t ever seen it, nor have I been there, because it was closed after a tragic landslide took the lives of several people and injured dozens more in 1999.) There were two broken sides of that mountain that we could see, so it looked like there had been some fresh landslides over there, which made me a little nervous about our hike.

We entered into the watershed conservation area, and crossed over onto another trail, the Puu O’hia trail. We took that up to an electrical tower, where we had another pretty great panoramic view of the city from a little higher. Puu Uakalaa, for me, was still the better one, though.

We came back down and continued along the trail for another several minutes. A fellow hiker had given us directions and let us know we were pretty close to our parking area. A good thing, since it was about an hour until dusk.

We finally hit Round Top Drive, and found the same hiker still hanging around his truck. He asked if we needed a ride, but happily gave us further directions when we declined. We walked back down Round Top, picking up more guavas (and we even found two avocados! Score!) along the way, until we found the car.

It was a nice, relatively easy hike. It was a little longer than we anticipated, and there were not many signs telling mileage or connection points to other trails or roads. Water is recommended, and a snack, although you are sure to find a healthy supply of guavas if need be. Definitely put on the bug spray! I didn’t realize I was getting bit until after I was in the car, so at least I was comfortable during the walk itself, unlike Manoa Falls, where a swarm just hovered around me the entire time, completely ignoring the repellent.

All in all, our experience was good, and we plan to go back and check out the other trails!

So, Ale and I bought a Kelty kid carrier for Sebastian because I’m not so hot on the Snugli front carrier now that he’s getting bigger. Back strain. So our first outing with the Kelty was to Manoa Falls near Honolulu.

So if anyone is looking for cheap things to do in the Honolulu area, this is a good place to visit. If you park in the parking lot, you pay five bucks and the hike is less than a mile to the falls, and the climb is not a steep one at all.

I saw plenty of people try this hike in flip flops, and I guess they fared pretty well, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Sturdy shoes or hiking sandals would suffice, but the trail is very muddy. You’re in the rainforest, people. Think ahead a little bit.

So we only had a little issue with the mud. My biggest problem was the mosquitoes. We got a bug spray and I must have reapplied it every 15 minutes, and still came home full of welts where I was sucked dry by mosquitoes. So go prepared.

It was a really beautiful waterfall, though. Unfortunately, there was a landslide a few years back and the pool at the bottom of the falls is kind of blocked off, so there’s no swimming there. I guess there used to be, and it would have been a refreshing little dip, but no luck.

The attendant from the parking lot gave us a map with information and an outline of all the trails around the falls. We took another trail that was only another mile and a half up, but we made it about half way before we headed back. The mosquitoes got worse the further in we went, and it would have been dark anyway had we gone to the top.

If you’re not from Hawaii, you might not realize that even in the summer, the sun sets super early. It’s like 630 in the summer and about 550 or so in the winter. It works out pretty well if you’re from the mainland, since you’re likely to get up early here anyway because of the time difference. Take advantage of the beach in the mornings. It’s delicious!

Aloha!

The Hawaiian winter is upon us. It’s 1 October tomorrow. Where has this year gone? From here on out, I will be looking at Halloween costumes for Sebastian, planning something romantic for my second wedding anniversary, and deciding how I’ll spend my first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from my family. In a hot climate. In a new city. Where I know very few people. Yeah, it’s going to be really weird.

With the winter here also comes rain, I’ve noticed. Two days of pouring rain, which is kind of nice, but I’m wondering how many of these types of days we’ll see before Spring? The waves on Waikiki today were pretty impressive, too, so I can only imagine what the North Shore must look like this time of year.

Yesterday was a pretty big milestone for me. I’ve been vegetarian for at least 15 years now. I’ve lost count. But Ale is 110% carnivore. I never thought about how my children would be raised. It’s never been an issue until the pediatrician advised us on solids and that the best first foods are meats. At that point, I was dealing with an internal battle. Do I or do I not give him meat. Just because I don’t eat it doesn’t mean I should deprive him. I’ve gotten lots of advice here. People saying he needs it. Others saying he doesn’t. Others saying it will be his choice to give it up when he’s old enough.

The pediatrician said herself that he doesn’t actually need solids right now. Breastmilk still sustains him for the next 6 months, at least. It’s wise to introduce him to solids at this time strictly for the purpose of acclimating him to social functions. It includes him learning to eat from a spoon, learning manners and social cues.

Here’s where I’m going with all this: yesterday when Seba and I came home from my one-day-a-week babysitting job, Papa had a chicken dinner prepared for him. Gulp. He tried it, and didn’t care for it. But it wasn’t as bad for me as I’d thought. I realized I want him to experience everything for himself before I restrict him from anything. He will come to follow in my footsteps on his own. We tried the rest of the chicken again today, and his reaction was a little better, but he didn’t finish even half of it. With his veggies, he could eat two containers full.

So this weekend might be our first camping trip with our little rascal. We’re not sure if we plan on sleeping in the campsite or not. Maybe we’ll just spend the day there for the sake of everyone. I’d hate to be the reason the entire campground is up in the middle of the night, but that’s what a screaming baby will do to you. I’m hoping we’re over this middle of the night nonsense, though.

Since moving here, Sebastian has refused to sleep through the night. He used to do it perfectly. In bed by 10:30, up at 5 or 6. Now it’s more like he’s asleep by 8 or 9 and is up every morning at 3. Well, the other night when I went to his crib to get him, he just laughed at me. I knew then that he must be stopped. He wasn’t hungry. He just wanted to be up with Mommy. I wonder what he’d do if Papa went to his crib. We’ll never know the answer to that, I suppose. So last night, at exactly 3 he was whining. It took no more than 15 minutes before he was quiet. He was playing with his lovey, but soon he was asleep again, and didn’t wake up until nearly 6. God be with us tonight for another episode like that one. Better yet, let’s just hope he sleeps soundly throughout the night on the first time around!

Florida was rough. It was hot, sticky, and miserable, even at 830 or 9 in the evening.

I’m happy to say that even though I’m still a far cry from where I’d like to be, Honolulu is a much more agreeable place to train for my 10k. I started out 10 or 20 minutes for a few days here in Ala Moana Beach Park. It’s a nice wide sidewalk along the beach, with some nice breezes, but quite a bit of sun. Then Ale and I took Seba out for a jog the other morning, and I completed 37 minutes, so it was just over 3 miles for me, so I know I’m ready for another 5k.

That was so exciting, it inspired me to work a little harder last night. I researched running routes online and found one that follows Diamond Head Road. It goes up and around the crater with gorgeous views of the beach. I was so immersed in watching the surfers that by the time I took the first look at my watch, I was already 10 minutes in and feeling great. The incline wasn’t even that bad, but I didn’t have the stroller, so I guess it was easier on me. We kept going until we reached Fort Ruger Park, and at that point we turned back and went back up and (finally!) back down, back through Kapiolani Park, and by the time we got back to our car, we had gone exactly one hour. It was a glorious accomplishment for me. Still, it looks like we only went 4.4 miles, which means it was slow going, but hey, I’m getting there.

So, there is a baby. There was also a change of address. We’ve moved across the country. From Florida to Hawaii. Husband’s job brought us here. Since having Sebastian, I haven’t worked that much other than small odd-jobs here and there.

So I’m working on some small projects here in Honolulu now. From here on out I guess I’ll be writing about Sebastian’s latest feats and about my running progress. And whatever exciting things are happening in Hawaii.

So, we spent the day walking.  We walked around the center, and I had been wanting to get a closer look at the monastery, so we walked toward the volcano and up a street.  Really, we walked up and up and up.  Turns out it was the wrong street to the monastery, but it ran alongside it.  Instead, the street took us to a huge statue of Christ overlooking the city, with several rows of chapel benches.  I sat and watched Jesus for a while as I ate my green apple, and then I walked to see the city.  Just below us were three beautiful cemeteries.  I think it kind of freaks people out, but I really thought it was a very pretty sight.

We walked back through the town looking for something to eat, and when we couldnt find anything that pleased the both of us, we settled on Antu Mapu again.  You’ll remember it was the restaurant mentioned in one of my previous blogs.

After lunch we walked some more, and some more, and sat at the lake and walked some more and some more.  A few hours later, we went to a cafe for some coffee and kuchen, and when they didn’t have kuchen we asked for the raspberry torte.  It was delicious.  Then it started to get dark, so we left and walked a little more.

We stopped and asked directions for the bus station, and then went to get our backpacks from the cabin office.  I was so exhausted, so even though we had over three hours to wait, I suggested we go to the bus stop.  So we walked several blocks and I crashed, or tried to crash.  The station was cold, and Ale kept leaving to take walks and the station got a little busier, so I sat up and started reading the book I brought with me.

Ale came back with bread and cheese, and we made sandwiches, just in time for a dog to push her head through the station door and see us.  She sat wagging her tail, and we fed her little bits of sandwich, and Ale coaxed her outside with some salami.  She just came back a few minutes later.

The bus eventually came, and I slept quite well.  I woke up once every hour, but seeing the time, and being on a quiet bus, it didn’t take much to fall back asleep.  I was in the aisle, so I stretched my legs out and propped my feet on the chair in from of me.  I switched seats with Ale just before 6 am, and realized he must have been suffering.  This bus had traditional seating, so it was a little more cramped than our last ride, and the guy in front of him had his seat all the way back.  It was a tight squeeze.  So the last two hours he got to stretch a little.

We were served juice and cookies, and then we were back in Santiago, and I couldn’t have been happier.  I was ready to get back to the delicious food, back to our family, back to our nieces and nephews here.

Sunday and Monday we spent with our nieces and nephews, because Monday they all left for Egypt after weeks of being here.  Sunday we went to a big send-off barbecue for them, and the weather was perfect.  It was a very sad departure, because they are all amazing, and we spent so much time with them, so I am attached.  I will miss them.

This week we have a dinner, a doctor’s visit, and a birthday.  And possibly a tea time on Sunday afternoon.  Probably won’t make for good blogging, but keep your eyes open, just in case.

It was the first clear morning in days and we were finally able to see the volcano.  It fell below 0 degrees Celsius in the night, but it was at least sunny with the cold today.  We talked to different tour agencies about the Tour por la Zona (tour of the region), and chose one we were impressed with from a few days ago.  I was not excited about the idea of another hot spring–just the thought made me colder–but every worthwhile tour ended with a trip to one or another in the area.

So we got our things packed and decided on lunch at Antu Mapu, a typical Southern Chilean restaurant–(for cheap!)–a wood porch leading to an all-wood building with benches for sitting and displaying typical pottery with flowers.  Beams going across the ceiling, a Chilean flag, an ox plow harness, paintings of Andino scenes, Mapuche photos, Pablo Neruda memorials, and Andino music playing over a modern CD player, across speakers built in to the ceiling.  There is, like every building in Pucón, a wood-burning stove for heat.  The restaurant sits back off the road a little, with a sign and menu of the day displayed out on the street.  The first time we went, it was just us and another couple, clearly locals, and when they left, the owner’s dog, Chica, came in and ran to us.  Ale held her, and then me, and I just wished America could welcome dogs in restaurants!

I enjoyed a lovely veggie plate of salad, carrots, pumpkin and papas the first time, but today I realized there was lentil soup, so I chose that, which included rice and pumpkin with a healthy addition of cilantro.  Yum!  And every place we go in Chile (almost) serves bread with pebre (pico de gallo to Americans).  It’s so much nicer than the traditional peanuts or nacho chips!  Trust me on this!  We had some tea after lunch and went for a walk near the lake.  There isn’t a sand beach, but a black, pebbly, ancient lava beach, which stays warm under the sun.  So I sat and defrosted for a few minutes, and then it was off for the tour.

Carlos, our guide, picked us up in a van from a different company, already half full.  Two more stops and off we went.  Carlos immediately took to me, making sure I understood everything he said, repeating slowly in Spanglish.  On our free time, he had little side conversations about my work and Ale’s, and about the States.  We stopped first at the Río Trancura, a river with a nice view of the volcanoes Villarrica and Mocho (?).

Stop #2 was the Parque los Saltos de Marimán (Marimán Cascades Park), where we walked through a muddy trail and stopped in a couple different observation areas.  I think we were at the top of the Trancura, which has higher than class 4 rapids.  There were some cascades and rough water, and of course in the background was Villarrica, fuming from its crater.

We got back on the road and drove to the Ojo de Caburgua, a point where two rivers spring up from the ground and flow toward each other, cascading on both sides to create a pool in the middle.  Further down was the Laguna Azul, or Blue Lagoon, another waterfall and waterhole.  Unfortunately, the light didn’t show the blue lagoon off any, but we could definitely tell it was blue.  The guide said in the morning it’s a sky blue color and crystal clear.  The trail merged into a stairway of tree roots, which brought us back to the top.  Then we went to Lago Caburgua (Spoon Lake), into which the rivers feed.

I didn’t spend much time looking at the lake.  I went to find the baño, and on the way back I noticed a bakery with empanadas and sopaipillas bigger than a sub sandwich, but I decided to try the berlin, a sweet roll with vanilla cream cheese in the middle.  It was a huge one for 300 pesos (about .75 cents), so that’s what I chose.  Ale likes them, but I’ve had two so far and don’t care much for them, although they look pretty in a bakery window.  The dogs sniffed me out and eventually I was surrounded.  The most persistent one, a little bigger than Dulce, for those of you who’ve met her, was a shaggy, dark-haired little guy with just three legs.  I couldn’t resist, so I gave him a piece of my pastry (he was practically walking on his hind legs).  The other piece went to the wire-haired copper terrier mix that was the timid one lagging behind.  Ale and I shared the rest, and then it was off to the Termas Quimey-co, the hot springs, for the final two hours.

There were at least 5 pools here that I could see, but I picked the three inside pools.  I didn’t bring a swimsuit, so I went in just a tanktop and shorts, and the girl at the desk told me I couldn’t go in the pool without a swimsuit, and I’d have to rent one.  Excuse me?  Yuck.  No way I was going to rent a swim suit someone else had worn.  She saw the stress on my face.  I was just thinking that I put damp clothes on in a freezing dressing room to stand outside in the freezing cold and not be allowed in a warm pool.  And here comes the Kentucky in me:  DANGIT!

I told the girl I just wanted to talk to my husband and that I wouldn’t swim, but that he had already gone in not knowing what was happening outside.  She told me I could pass.  I came back out a few minutes later to change, and she stopped me and told me I could go in as long as the man in black didn’t see me because he was her boss.  No problem.  I never saw the guy.

The water was only a little warm, so I was kind of disappointed.  there were two jacuzzi-sized tubs that were a little warmer and had jets under the water.  We went to them, and spent some time and then decided we were done.  I was freezing, but got my clothes back on despite all the trembling.  The guide said the place was “un ambiental”, a very clean environment, and so cold that microbes don’t exist or something.  In other words, we didn’t have to worry about getting sick from being wet in the cold.  And I didn’t, thankfully.

We had a hot chocolate in the café and came back to Pucón in the dark quiet van.  On the way, Carlos asked me if I was asleep.  No, I told him, I wasn’t.  Then he told me to listen:  ”4 de Julio, 1776,” he said.  I said, yes that’s our independence day.  Then suddenly he begins reciting the Constitution of the United States, in Spanish.  I recognized it immediately, though, and he went on for several minutes and he knew a heck of a lot more than I ever did!  He learned it in his English classes, and he said his mother would help him learn a little every night before bed.  He also studied the Brasilian Constitution, among others, because he thinks it’s nice for the tourists.  He said he would love to go to a faraway country and have someone talking to him about Chilean politics and reciting the national hymn or Constitution.

He was right.  It did make me feel welcome.  And I guess it’s true that no matter where you are, home is never that far away.

Today we found a cabalgatas (horse riding) tour, which transferred us to the horses, down the trail, and to the waterfall Salto el Claro.

So, I saddled up on Rayito, a brown horse with a white patch on his nose, and Ale rode Florencia, a solid white horse, a much calmer girl compared with my wild boy, or so it seemed.  I spent nearly three hours (the length of the tour) terrified–I’m afraid of horses–and looking down at the ground.

It started out badly.  We had to go into the street before we got to our trail.  I tried pulling the reins to the left and then the right, but Rayito wasn’t responding.  I heard the guide behind me, but I couldn’t follow his accent, adn Ale was ahead trying to scream to me to tell me what I already knew about leading the horse.  The guide continued shouting orders at either me or the horse, I couldn’t tell, and he started grunting and mumbling to himself, while Rayito took me into the middle of the street into oncoming traffic.  At least he knew where he was going, and then the guide coaxed him back to the sidewalk.

We finally left the street and headed down a side street, not cement but very close to it, and then Rayito started trotting, which sent me into panic, but I finally got him to slow up a little when I pulled his bit back.  Still, he was listening to the guide behind us, so I just tried to enjoy the ride.  I think the guide was poking Rayito in the butt so he’d take off and make the dumb gringa cry out in horror, because that happened more than once.  I didn’t feel very secure in the saddle and stirrups and thought that at any point I was going to fall off the horse.  I was almost in tears, and that was only the beginning.

We left the side street finally, which made us happy because we were looking for a real horse ride over the Chilean countryside.  That’s what we got.

The horses automatically started up a path carved out by their repeated trips up this way.  Rayito was desperate to lead the group, but I kept holding him back, poor guy.  He’d just flinch and take off all of a sudden, but I kept talking to him trying to tell him to carry me slowly because he was scaring me.  But I’m not Dr.-freakin-Dolittle, that’s for sure!  It started to snow and the ground was already muddy from the crazy rain the night before.  I was watching Florencia’s every move ahead of us.  She was doing great, but she slid and stumbled a few times, and Rayito the same behind her, and I hated myself for exploiting them.  We arrived to a clearing, flat and green, and the horses stopped automatically.  The guide jumped down and offered to take pictures of us.

For the first time since mounting the horse, I looked around me and realized that this really is a beautiful place!  We were so high up and the mountains were all around us with Lake Villarrica at the base spanning out around the entire city.  It was gorgeous.

We continued up again, and further and further until we came to the walking point in the tour.  We parked the horses and descended toward the sound of the water.  The guide was an old horseman, and really fast, and he was frustrated with me for taking my time through the mud and roots and slippery points.  Finally he grabbed my hand and said the secret is to stop being afraid.  I think he’d had enough of me by that point.  But, we reached point one of the cascade, some 80-plus meters high.  We were near the bottom, and looking up, there were walls of bright green vegetation, even in this winter weather.  The Salto el Claro was a thin but heavy stream of cascade falling into a clear pool at the bottom, with cold mist rising up around us.  I didn’t expect something that nice, honestly.  We kept descending until we reached the pool and savored the view.  We spent some time there and then decided to get back to the horses.

The guide was off again, practically running up the almost 80-degree incline, around the mud and roots and loose rocks.  We stopped a few times on the way up to catch our breath, and then it was back to the horses.  I always have a harder time going down than going up, so of course it was that much worse from atop the horse.  I was sliding forward in the saddle and I’m sure Rayito had more control than I thought, but to me it felt as if we were slipping and sliding all over the place.  Then he’d try taking off to get around Florencia and I’d scream out, trying not to freak him out but letting him know that I was not happy with him.

We finally made it back to the not-cement side street, where I let him get to a trot for a while, but the saddle was not soft, so I’d pull him back to a slow crawl every now and again.  But I figured the faster we get back, the faster I can get off this thing and be on my way.

We made it back safe and sound, and we said goodbye to our horses as two other girls climbed on board and took them back up the mountain to the cascade.  I felt really sorry for them, but they did look like they were well fed, and hopefully well taken care of.  Horses are made for this sort of thing, are they not?  They probably love to work, but I think it will be a long while before I take a ride like that again, but what an incredible experience!