One week after the tsunami

Last Thursday night we were just getting settled for bed when the tsunami sirens sounded. We immediately got up to figure out what was going on. Although the sirens are tested each month, severe tsunamis are actually quite rare in Hawaii (the last one was in 1960). Ken turned on the television and I hopped online to check the USGS site and we quickly learned that the massive quake in Japan had caused a tsunami that was headed for the Hawaiian islands. The civil defense was recommending that all shoreline residents evacuate and move a half mile inland.

Luana Inn is not in the evacuation area. The evacuation area in our neighborhood runs along the shore at the bottom of Napo’opo’o Road, .8 mile away from us. The Inn is more than a safe distance away, and is located up a very steep hill on a cliff. In other words, we were in no danger here.

The tsunami was predicted to hit Hawaii at about three am, and apparently reached the Big Island at about five am. We watched the news for awhile, and then went to bed. The next morning, the reef was briefly visible in Kealakekua Bay, and there was some debris in the bay. On Saturday we drove up to Kailua and headed back down Alii Drive to survey damage. Although water did come up over the rock wall onto Alii Drive in town, there was surprisingly little visible damage. There was some sand on the road and part of the rock wall that runs along the shore had been broken, but there were tons of people out and about and it otherwise looked like a normal, bustling Saturday afternoon. Huggo’s, Lava Java, Bubba Gump Shrimp and the surrounding shopping area with Blue Water Fantasies Jewelry and Kaiso, and most of the shops on those portions of Alii Drive were open. The Kona Inn and the little shopping area that it is located in further north were closed. Kona Inn will re-open this weekend.

As we drove Alii Drive towards Keauhou and looked at the beaches and homes along the road it was clear that the water had risen and moved debris around. Rocks had been brought up onto Magic Sands Beach, but people were still out sunbathing and enjoying themselves. Homes looked fine. Some pole homes where lawn furniture or wood had been stored underneath clearly had had such items shifted around. Kahalu’u Beach in the Keauhou Resort area was closed and it looked like some rocks had been shifted there as well.

As far as the northeastern coast of the Big Island, we have learned that The Four Seasons Hualalai and the Kona Village have both endured damage.

The part of the island hardest hit was actually the Kealakekua Bay area down through Pu’uhonua O Honaunau. After surveying Alii Drive to Keauhou, we then drove to the Manini Beach area and discovered that Manini Beach has been transformed. Several homes on the water were severely damaged and the vacation rental right on Manini Beach was lifted off its foundation and washed out to sea. The DLNR and Coast Guard are still assessing damage and have put a plan into place to remove the house. A major neighborhood effort is being made to quickly clean up the area. We have seen a steady stream of kayak-tour traffic down our road and saw that kayaks were indeed still being rented as of Saturday. According to one of the most popular snorkel tour companies, the water had already cleared as of Saturday and it was business as usual. Parts of the City of Refuge National Park are closed temporarily for clean-up and damage assessment, but the Wednesday evening program is still on and the next one is set for March 23 at 6 pm and is called: “Coral Spawning this spring – the Life of the Reef”. Rangers plan to re-open the park completely within two weeks. We have heard that Two Step and Hookena are fine, but will post more information as we learn more.

We are extremely thankful that Hawaii endured such minimal damage. We never lost power, always had water and cable and phone service, no one was killed or seriously injured. Some homes did indeed experience severe damage, there are clearly businesses that have been effected in Kailua, and some of the natural shoreline has been visibly altered, but the major damage to the Big Island will be the drop in tourism if mainland people become fearful to travel here based on incorrect information.

People should not be afraid to come to Hawaii. Natural disasters can happen anywhere, and Hawaii is not an unusually dangerous place. The island is still breathtakingly beautiful, there are still amazing things to see here, the weather is perfect – none of this has changed. We are sitting here, in this stunning house, with its gorgeous guest rooms and glorious ocean view, the sun is shining, the ocean looks like blue satin, and the phone isn’t ringing. This is the most worrying thing in the aftermath of the tsunami for Hawaii.

We also need to turn our attention to Japan, which has endured major devastation. Hawaii has a very strong connection to Japan and it is to our Japanese brothers and sisters to whom we must now send our aid, or thoughts and our prayers. This is not a time to be fearful, but to move forward.

Our newest food-crush, Kaiso

Anyone for grilled meats? Juicy pork meatballs on a stick? Marinated chicken thighs? Pork belly ramen with a rich, homemade broth? Tofu salad with yuzu and local mesculun? Then welcome to Kaiso, our newest go-to spot in Kailua.

I have to admit that when we first peeked into this spot when it first opened I was suspicious. It has a weird entrance and didn't pull me in. It's right in downtown Kailua off Alii Drive, in the strange little shopping center that houses Bubba Gump Shrimp and Crazy Shirts and the outdoor jewelry vendor, Bluewater Fantasies (stellar jewelry, by the way). It's in the back of this space, so keep walking towards the back, past the jewelry, past the gallery and real estate office, past the espresso and ice cream stand (although stop back here for local-made ice cream on the way out). The restaurant has two doors, the first of which is locked and says, closed. But around the corner, you'll come to the second door. Bend under the Japanese noren and find yourself in a sweet little dining room with just a few tables, open to the outside with the sound of the waves in the background, cool jazz and the sizzle of meats on the grill in the foreground.

While Sushi Shiono is our favorite sushi place in Kailua town and provides an elegant, upscale dining experience, Kaiso provides an authentic Japanese pub experience. The food is fresh and excellent: it's high-calorie comfort/pub food that has been prepared with love and care. We have gone there several times now and have had a good experience each time. We have tried almost everything on the menu, too, from a variety of yakitori (grilled, skewered meat), to musubi, to salads, to agedashi tofu (one of my tests for Japanese restaurants), to Chinese-style fried eggplant to grilled veggies and steak...and it is all delicious. Even with two babies we feel at home in this lovely little space, so if it were just the two of us, on vacation, we would definitely enjoy it. This is a place to come and drink and listen to the waves and relax and sample multiple dishes. It will receive a definite five stars in our restaurant guide.

Vog Fog

If you’re ever out touring the island with your husband/wife/family/partner/friend and suddenly for no apparent reason find yourself bickering over something stupid like directions or the weather on an otherwise fantastic trip to Hawaii, blame the vog. Or if you find yourself staring into the refrigerator forgetting what you were looking for, or wandering around your room feeling confused, or just don’t have the energy to climb out of bed, blame the vog. You’re in a vog-fog, as we like to call it.

Vog is the word for the volcanic smog billowing out of Kilauea on a daily basis. It blows around the island pushed by the winds, and can settle anywhere. Of course it’s thickest closest to the Volcano itself, but can be blown as far north as Oahu. If you’re around Kona on a voggy day, you’ll see it settled along the coastline as you descend the hill into Kailua. If we get an ultra-pink sunset one night you can thank our “natural” pollution.

Luckily down here near the ocean we have a near-constant ocean wind blowing which keeps the vog at bay. You may see the vog lurking up the hill at higher altitudes, but down here the sky is almost always clear. During your visit it may not even be present. We’ve never had a guest be affected by it. Of course if you have asthma or allergies it’s best to be prepared when you go to visit the Volcano, but otherwise the island is safe. It won’t make you sick, but you may feel a little loopy.

Need to escape the Pacific Northwest?

As darkness presses down on the Pacific Northwest an escape to Hawaii can become necessary. The northwest is green and lush and gorgeous but the dark season can really get you down. (I know this for a fact because I grew up in northwest Washington.) Here's an alternative to workdays without sunlight and cold evenings spent sulking in front of the television with an alcoholic beverage in hand:

Alaska Airlines has begun new service between Bellingham, Washington and Honolulu. The Seattle-based carrier is offering introductory $149 one-way fares for tickets purchased by January 18 for flights taken between February 14 and June 9, and for travel from Honolulu to Bellingham between Monday and June 9.

The flight from Bellingham leaves at 5:20 pm and arrives at 9:40pm. The Honolulu leg to Bellingham leaves at 10:30 pm and arrives at 6:10 am. the next day. (Source: West Hawaii Today)

Storm Season

On Friday we had a fantastic storm.  It was my maid-service day (we alternate breakfast and maid service duties daily) so I took the boys out for a morning walk as usual.  At eight am it was already dark and balmy.  A warm wind whistled through the house and a soft rain began to fall.  There was an unusual quiet in the air: no birds, no insects, no ocean wind: an ominous sign of something moving towards us from the ocean. 

I absolutely love this weather.  I love the crazy winds, alternately warm and cold, the unusual cloud formations out over the ocean, the dark and cool.  It feels good to be cold, it feels cuddly to throw on a sweatshirt midday as the sky darkens.  We get so much sunshine (I know, poor us…) that a big rain or storm is a treat.

I took the boys out on our walk and watched clouds race across the sky, the morning sun shine enthusiastically, then quickly be swallowed by aggressive-looking storm clouds.  Huge sloppy warm rain drops fell now and then, as if the rain was warming up for a heavy fall – which indeed it was.  The uppermost branches of the breadfruit trees along the road swayed in the wind, their distinctive shape showing crisp and clean against the dark sky.  The eerie darkness that always resides under the thick old mac-nut trees was even darker than usual, a different perfume road the winds.

As soon as we returned home the rain began to fall in earnest.  It fell throughout the rest of the day, increasing and decreasing in tempo as the storm progressed.  The wind shifted from balmy to downright cold and darkness filled the house by noon.  We bundled up the boys and ate hot soup for lunch, enjoying a cold, dark winter day for once. 

The storm lashed the house and grounds through the night, but had moved on by daybreak the next day.  Our normal, sunny-bright weather had returned and the day was perfect: filled with sun and birdsong and our normal gentle ocean breezes.  The storm had cleaned the air and earth and the ocean was a pristine-blue, the horizon a hard, sharp line.  The sunset last night was fantastic, culminating in a burst of bright yellows, pinks, and blues burning clearly against the fresh sky. 

Summer is hurricane season in Hawaii, winter is thunderstorm season.  Kealakekua Bay is on the protected side of the Big Island in a generally very temperate location.  Storms blow down from Kauai, hitting that island first, or up and across from the windward side of the Big Island, hitting Hilo first. We don’t have to worry too much about being hit hard by storms.  Instead, we can enjoy them.

Autumn is here

There are really only two seasons in Hawaii, a wet season and a dry season.  The wet season generally includes spring and summer, and the dry includes fall and winter.  Of course there are variations depending on where in the state you are.  For us, down here by the water in South Kona, the transition from wet to dry is accompanied by many familiar shifts. 

We’ve been smelling coffee roasting next door at the big mill, and the fragrant smoke from the macadamia nut hulls that are burned to roast the beans.  It is a familiar, beautiful scent that reminds us coffee processing season has arrived.  The days are hotter and dryer, the ocean gets rougher, and the Trade winds pick up.  The red cardinals move down from the hills, and the citrus trees and some varieties of avocado begin to blossom.  Beautiful athletes descend upon Kailua to acclimate before the Iron Man triathlon.  Crowds amass and excitement crescendos as the race day draws near.

There will be a slight dip in tourism in November around Thanksgiving time, when many mainland people travel to family homes rather than to Hawaii, crowds are down and ticket prices drop temporarily to reflect this.  The days are hot and clear and bright, and the gentle rains that arrived so diligently each evening over the summer will subside.  We may be gifted with a thunder storm now and again, and watch with excitement as dark tropical clouds rush ominously over the ocean.  The ocean water will be colder, the whales will come.  It is a beautiful time of year, but then, it is always beautiful here.

The art of doing nothing

I was recently watching the second Sex and the City movie and a comment Miranda made stayed with me.  Their first morning in Abu Dhabi, Miranda announces at breakfast something to the effect that, due to her type-A, controlling, over-organized personality she’s scheduled a complete day of fun.  (Incidentally, their day does look pretty interesting, involving camel-back riding, lunch in the desert, and karaoke that night.)  But what struck me is the oxymoronic “planned fun”. 

Now of course when it comes to travel lots of planning IS involved.  It would be a waste of time, for instance, not to book a room Christmas week in Hawaii and then have to spend one of your precious vacation days driving around trying desperately to find a place to stay the night (this happens more frequently than you’d think).  Or, to travel to say, Abu Dhabi, and strut down the middle of the public market with revealing clothing (as Samantha does) because you didn’t do your homework and understand this to be highly disrespectful.  It’s important to crack a map open and get a feel for where you’re going, understand something about the local culture, weather, and sites, etc. 

This said, it’s also important to allow yourself the freedom to relax and have some unstructured/unorganized/unplanned time – especially in a place like Hawaii, which is so incredibly laid-back.   It’s hard to accept this for many travelers, especially mainland travelers who are used to living pretty faced-paced lives.  Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand this.  Before moving here when we came to visit, it took me several days to slow down, relax, realize my work-world wouldn’t come crashing down without me and that it was actually perfectly okay to turn off my phone and not sneak furtive glances at email.  We’ve had guests actually admit to us that they would feel guilty if they spent a day just lounging around on the lanai – even if they wanted to – because there’s so much pressure – from friends/family/guidebooks/so-called experts, etc. – to squeeze certain things into a visit to Hawaii. 

We had some guests earlier this year finally put a name to the guilt-free experience of relaxation: La dolce far niente.  Translation: the art of doing nothing.  Apparently there’s no shame in this in Italy, and we think this is fantastic and admirable.  So as you plan your visit to the Big Island, make sure you allow for some freedom and rest.  It’s the slow days, after all, that really are the most fun.  Here are our favorite – and our guests’ favorite – non-doing things to do:

• Sunbathing on the lanai
• Reading a book in the shade on the lanai
• Drinking beer and reading in the sun on the lanai
• Floating in the pool
• Sitting in the hot tub
• Spending the afternoon under a tree at Manini Beach reading and snacking
• Eating BBQ from Big Jake’s and sunbathing at Hookena
• Spending the day sunbathing and body-surfing at Kua Bay
• Pub-crawling Kailua (we suggest Kaiso and Bistro Yokohama)
• BBQ’ing on the lanai and watching the sun set
• Having an outdoor massage after a morning at the beach