Trees and the Hawaiian Shore – Still Walking Waikiki

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In real time we only stayed two nights near Waikiki. Being first timers to Hawaii, two flights from the middle of the mainland to Honolulu seemed daunting. We wanted to enjoy a warm up before boarding the cruise ship for the trip’s main act. A good decision – time to relax, see a bit of Oahu. And figure out just what time it really was – body clock or island time?

Strolling the shores of Waikiki, without any time constraints or places we had to be, was a joy. I spent most of my waking hours walking along the ocean, never tiring of the ceaseless surf, the wild cloud formations as the trade winds stirred the currents, water and sea.

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We do not have palm trees in Wisconsin, unless visiting one of the under a glass dome botanical gardens. I love trees of any kind. Palms took their rightful place on my ‘tree love list’. Love these palms, the trunks swaying like dancers, the leaves whistling as the winds slide through the foliage.

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Most of the coastlines I have walked consisted of long stretches of sandy dunes or rocky beach. Not trees. But on this stretch trees hugged the sandy shores.

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Kapiolani Park provided a variety of seating options. Grassy, sandy, or under a branch woven pavilion. Always a shady place for respite from the sun, if and when desired.

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Still, the city of Honolulu was never far from sight. A photo of a palm tree’s shadow leaning from sand to water also captured the city in the background.

I think I’m ready to move on, board the cruise ship and explore a few more islands. Amazing stuff coming up. Promise!

Visualize!

Coastal Dreaming © 2008 Bo Mackison

If you think you are cold, you are. If you think you are warm, you are warm. All you have to do is ask, and the world conspires to give you what you ask for. Right? Hmm.Maybe the world hasn’t been listening too well. I quit asking for cold and snow months ago, but I don’t think the world heard me. I’m still wearing long underwear 24/7 and I have developed a deep and personal relationship with my snowblower.

Anyone else feeling ignored out there in blog land? Rumor has it that the Leap Day Fairy is willing to leap tall buildings in order to bring joy into our days. When I called her on our behalf, however, she informed me, “No one, not even wonderful me, messes with Mother Nature.”

I knew that.

Avenue of the Palms

© 2008 Bo Mackison

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not finishing the journey, and not starting.” Buddha

Let’s take a walk.

Coconuts for Sale

Palm Trees © 2008 Bo Mackison

Palm trees offer such a magnificence of wonder: the horizontally striped bark; the giant fronds, dipping towards the earth; a peek-through of the sapphire sky through deep green slivers of windows; a shady spot to sip coconut milk from the real thing, if you’re lucky enough to find a guy willing to haggle a bit over the price of the coconut.

“Twenty bucks for a coconut? What? No way?” That’s more than half my spending money for the day, and I’m feeding two kids plus me. Then I feel guilty; I have so much. But at the same time, I sure didn’t have that much in my pocket. I found a boy selling his fruit for eight bucks which still seemed expensive, but a better deal nonetheless. I couldn’t resist the experience. And even if I did overpay, I still go home to luxury and money enough for what I need plus a lot more. Handing those dollars to this sweaty kid sure seemed like a good enough reason to drink the luscious milk of a just-picked coconut at least once in your life. Ah, the real thing was quite grand.

Photograph taken and coconut eaten at Tulum, Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. January 1, 2008.

Welcome to Florida

Palm © 2008 Bo Mackison

While I’ve been posting snowy photos the last week, I’ve been traveling in Florida, and then on the Carnival Glory cruise ship to Belize, Mexico and the Bahamas. Fun, though sad to say (for me) the weather in the Caribbean was reminiscent of a November in Wisconsin.

So here is my first taste of Florida when the temperatures were still in the 80s and the sun was shining.

Blackpoint Wildlife Drive near Cape Canaveral. Palm trees are a big treat for me, but these will be old hat to anyone who sees these lovely trees year round.