We found a small, crowded beach nearby and did a bit of napping and snorkeling, and then I was hungry again, so we found  our way over to Bite Me Fish Market on Honokohau Harbor for some fish tacos, and to watch the fishermen haul in their catch of the day.  We saw a 60 pound ahi tuna, a spear fish, and a mahi mahi make it’s way up the dock.

We made it back to the Holualoa Inn by the afternoon, and lo and behold, they’d upgraded us to the Gardenia Suite!  We walked in to our private sitting room with a panoramic view of the ocean, only to discover this gorgeous bedroom beyond…

Once we’d settled in, Jack was so excited to find freshly baked cookies and house-squeezed tropical juices set out for our afternoon snack in the lobby.

Our first Big Island sunset, from our balcony.

The Holoalua Inn is set up on the hillside above Kona in the coffee belt, and they actually have a coffee plantation and roast their own beans!  A walk through the grounds found these coffee berries still growing on the trees.

In the afternoon, we went snorkeling again at Two Step, a beautiful Harbor with tidepools and big slats of volcanic rock instead of sand, which resemble two steps descending into the ocean.

The underwater life was spectacular, and I could have floated and swum with those fish all day.

A plover, making a rest stop during its annual migration.  I read that the lazier ones just end up vacationing in Hawaii the whole time.

By noon, we were back in our Jeep, headed down to South Point.  Since we had decided to upgrade our car rental to a four wheel drive vehicle in the off chance that we would need it to check out some hard to access beaches, Jack really wanted to go off-roading.  We decided to see if we could find the mythical sounding green sand beach, green from the olivine gem stone deposits that gather on shore from a volcano off the southern tip of the island.  The drive out to South Point was windy, and the landscape definitely looked it had it’s hair blowing in the breeze.

Once we got off the main roads, we followed the tire tracks in the lava rocks leading to the green sand beach.  Some scenes along the way…

We drove for almost 40 minutes and were just about to turn around when we started to notice that the ground looked… greenish.  Maybe we’re getting close?

We saw a few cars parked near a cliff edge, and peered over to find the green sand beach!

It’s hard to tell from these pictures how “green” the sand was, but it definitely had an olive tinge to it that was really pretty.  It sparkled in the sun light.

Here’s an example of one of the “roads” we drove on.  There were definitely some hairy moments, and at one point, as our car teetered precariously over sharp lava rocks, I actually thought, “This is how it ends!”

From green sand, we went on in search of black sand, and found Turtle Beach just as we rounded the Southern Tip of the Island.  No turtles on this day, but the sand was definitely black!

By this point, we starting to notice that the climate as well as the landscape was changing pretty dramatically.    Sweeping ocean vistas were giving way to more rainforest and volcanic geography.  Upon arriving at Volcanoes National Park, our first adventure was to spearhead our way through a crowd of Korean tourists and into the Thurston lava tube, once a channel for molten lava, oozing out of the volcano.

A hike down to the crater led us first through some dense rainforest…

…and then down to the barren rocky bottom of the crater.  It was like being on the moon.

The lava flow changes from day to day, depending on the mood of Pele, Goddess of Fire, and on this day, I guess she was feeling pretty mellow.  We were able to view some lava “glow” from afar, but no molten oozy hotness was to be seen.

On our last day, we spent the morning relaxing at the inn, enjoying the delicious breakfast, which started off with a tropical fruit plate, consisting of fresh produce grown on the grounds, and of course, the house roasted coffee.  The views from our private, rooftop pagoda were gorgeous.

Jack took a few dives in the turquoise pool…

When we finally peeled ourselves away from the inn, we headed up the coast to Mauna Kea to have lunch  with Kuni and Keola, who were on the island for their mini-honeymoon.  This is our, “Chen’s in the house!” pose.

After a slow, leisurely lunch of salad and grilled fish sandwiches, Jack and I bid my dear cousin and her new husband goodbye, and we headed up to the small town of Hawi to check out the small (tiny) artist community up there, before heading back down to Kona.  Driving through Keahou, the dark crags of the lava fields were decorated with white rocks and shells, spelling out special messages.

Our last Hawaiian sunset was found at the beach along the old airfield near Kona.  We parked on the runway, and trekked along the sandy expanse to hang out with a few local families, all of us gathered at the beach for the same reason.

In the evening, we headed back to Seattle, first from Kona to Honolulu, and then from Honolulu to San Francisco.  At this point, Delta’s late departure caused us to miss our connection.  Jack managed to get the only open seat left for a flight to Seattle that day from SFO, while I got rerouted through San Jose for later on in the afternoon.  For my troubles, they set me up in first class!  Another upgrade! The view of Crater Lake from my window was a friendly welcome back into the Pacific Northwest.

Mahalo Hawaii for the warm Alohas!

We flew out last Monday to attend my cousin Kuni’s wedding which was absolutely beautiful, but we also had plenty of time to chill and hang out with friends and family in Oahu.  For some reason, this trip was all about the upgrades.  I’d booked us the cheapest room at our hotel, the Modern Honolulu, but upon arrival, I asked the receptionist if they had any ocean facing rooms available.  ”Why yes we do,” she said, “and Id be happy to upgrade you for free!”  Score!

And so we woke the following morning to this view of the Ala Moana Harbor…

We loved the clean, sleek modernist lines, the elegant design, and the cool decor, like this wall of hanging ferns…

Our friends James and Aadra also happened to be in Honolulu at the same time, on their first vacation without their kid, so we were able to meet up a few times.  Jack hiked Diamondhead Crater with them one morning while I was at a bridal shower…

And then they spent the afternoon paddle-surfing.  Apparently, Aadra left the guys in the dust!

Connie and Paul were staying in a hotel down in Waikiki that had a pool the size of a bath tub, so they ended up coming over to our pool a few times, giving Elisa her first dip.  She really had an inordinate number of swim suits for a seven month old.

Since our time on Oahu was also a reunion of sorts, we had a nice meal over a Japanese grill with just my immediate family.

I didn’t realize it at the time that I booked our hotel, but it used to be a part of the Ilikai, a condo building immediately adjacent, where my grandparents used to own a one bedroom, ocean view flat.  We actually stayed at the Ilikai a few times when I was kid.  There was an interesting view of the Ilikai’s ocean facing elevator shaft from the pool of the Modern.

We took a morning walk along the beach, soaking in the sun and breathing in that fragrant scent of Hawaii- part ocean air, part suntan lotion, and part tropical flowers.

When we walked by the Honolulu Convention Center, I had to snap a picture- this building was a stand-in for the Sydney airport on LOST!

We asked around to our Hawaiian friends for a taste of Hawaii, and all unanimously agreed on one place.  We made our way to Zippy’s and ordered the Zippy pack- fried chicken, fried fish, two strips of grilled beef, served over rice with furikake!  Oh, and a side of macaroni salad.  What a breakfast!

Much time was spent poolside, and at one point, we were joined by my aunties and my parents for lunch and some frozen coconut mojitos… so. yummy.

I can never go to Hawaii without hunting down my beloved Dole whip, a tasty, pineapple-flavored frozen yogurt that I’ve romanticized since I was a kid.  We finally found it again at the International Marketplace, but upon first taste, there was sort of strange texture on the tongue… Connie nailed it when she said sadly, “It tastes a little bit like floor wax.”  Maybe some things are best left untouched after childhood.

Our last night in Honolulu was spent with James and Aadra at a cute little Taiwanese/Japanese tea shop, that also served shabu shabu.  We talked around hot tea and hot soup for almost three hours, before closing out our night patio-side with a few drinks at a late happy hour.  With the tiki torches burning late into the night, the taste of margarita still on my tongue, and evening air warm and comfortable even past midnight, I was one happy wahine on our last night in Oahu.

And still so much to look forward to… the next day, onward to the Big Island!

We started off the morning with breakfast at a cool cafe in town called the Laundromat, where we met up with Katie and her boyfriend Jesper, a composer.  It’s always interesting to see an old friend after so many years of not keeping in touch, but I love it when you get past the initial awkwardness of it all, asking questions like, “So, what have you been doing for the last 15 years?”, and then somehow finding yourself and your friend reverting back to the way you were when you first knew each other.  We had a really fantastic morning catching up, learning about her life in Reykjavik, gaining insight on their perspectives of the country, and talking about everything Icelandic, from language, to music to politics.

As we wrapped up our meal, Katie offered to give us a tour of the new concert hall, the Harpa, which had only recently opened this past spring.  On our walk to the hall, we passed by the weekend flea market, which sold everything from handicrafts, to woolen goods, to fermented shark meat…

The Harpa is a magnificent glass and steel structure, designed by Henning Larsen Architects, and it sits right on the edge of the harbor, offering amazing views of snowy Mt. Eysa across the water.

The exterior facade is paneled with interesting geometric shapes of blueish glass, placed at angles to form hexagonal patterns if you view them from underneath.

From the inside, I had the distinct impression of being inside a glass beehive.

Katie got us in backstage to check out the choir that was rehearsing for a holiday concert.

She is one of the few musicians in the orchestra who has her own practice room right in the concert hall.  Below, she shows us her electric harp.

Since she has been playing in the orchestra for 6 years now, I sort of wondered if the powers that be took her into account when they named the concert hall the Harpa?

The main gallery was impressive and open, while the clear glass walls offered amazing views of the natural splendor just outside.

We caught a glimpse of the sun, peaking out from the clouds.

At 3pm, we bid Katie and Jesper farewell, vowing to call them up again when we returned someday to Iceland.  Jack and I made our way over to the small pond in the center of town, where ducks, swans, pigeons, and geese were having an all out battle for waterfront property.  Check out this noisy video of them fighting…

Next, we headed uphill towards the cathedral, and passed this newspaper display, featuring Bjork and the Harpa concert hall.

The cathedral sits on top of a small hill in the center of town.

From the top of the steeple, you could see some beautiful views of the city, the harbor, and the mountains.

Not many shops were open on Sunday, so we spent another hour or so roaming the streets, checking out store windows and street art.

By late afternoon, we were freezing, so we popped into this quirky little cafe to warm up, and chatted a bit with the British owner.

With the sun fully set by 4pm, the evening chill hit us as soon as we left the cafe, so we went straight to this funny little bar to warm up again!  We stepped inside of Truno’s and were pretty much assaulted by Christmas lights, ornaments and decorations everywhere, but they had a great happy hour, and after reading some tips on Foursquare, we learned that it was apparently a pretty happening gay bar on most nights.  Most of the folks inside on this particular afternoon happened to be other tourists, also trying to warm up.

We had a great time at the bar, talking about some of the sights we’d seen, and processing a lot of the things that we love about this beautiful little country.  At 6pm, we headed back to the hotel to meet Jack’s mom and sister for dinner at the hotel restaurant Vox, which is apparently one of the best restaurants in town.  Only the bistro side was open on Sundays, but fortunately, I still got to try Icelandic lamb, which I’ve seen advertised at Whole Foods Market here in Seattle, so I figured that it must be pretty good.  Very flavorful and tender!

The following morning, we used the spa credit that was included in our vacation package, and went down to the Nordic Spa (inside our hotel) to sit in the multiple hot baths.  It was pretty awesome, especially because while you’re sitting in the tub, massage therapists will come up to you and offer to give you a neck and shoulder massage!  What a wonderful concept!

Soon enough, it was time for us to check out and take the shuttle to the airport.  The trip back on the plane was smooth, though eventful, especially when the drunk guy a few rows in front of us started poking the guy across the aisle from him, causing everybody sitting around him to start punching their overhead call buttons, which lead the flight attendant to come over and say to him, “Sir, you are very inebriated,” moments before he threw up into a barf bag, and then passed out for the rest of the flight.  Sigh.  I was just glad for the girl sitting next to him, who got moved up to first class.

In the end, our impressions of Iceland overwhelmingly exceeded all of our highest expectations.  We loved the snow-swept winter landscapes, the dramatic sunlight at all times of the day, the warm and friendly people, the quaint small-village feel of town, the fresh and delicious food, and all of the creative ways that the people have learned to make use of their natural geothermal resources.  Even the language, which is confusing and jumbled sounding when you first hear it, turned out to be sonorous and rhythmic upon second listen, once we got past all of the syllables.  I don’t think I’ll ever pronounce  Eyjafjallajökull correctly, although after a few days of trying, Jack got pretty good at it.

What made this trip particularly special was that we had the chance to travel with Jack’s mom and his sister Caroline.  It was the first time that the four of us have spent so much time together so intensely, and especially since it was Thanksgiving, I was particularly thankful that we were able to see that spectacular sunset on the glacier together, and to spend an afternoon soaking in the hot springs while rubbing minerals on our faces and posing for funny pictures.   Travel is always made so much more meaningful when you are able to share it with people that you love.

Filed under: 2011 Iceland, Uncategorized ]]> http://lavjaktravels.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/iceland-day-3-finding-an-old-friend-in-reykjavik/feed/ 3 012 mellocello 001 002 003 lav and harpa 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 017 018 019 020 21 022 023 024 025 http://lavjaktravels.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/iceland-day-2-the-road-to-solheimajokull/ http://lavjaktravels.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/iceland-day-2-the-road-to-solheimajokull/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:40:17 +0000 mellocello http://lavjaktravels.wordpress.com/?p=1331 Continue reading »]]> After a restful night in the comfortable and cozy Hilton Nordica, I swept the curtains open the next morning at 9 am to discover… darkness.  Slowly, and gradually, the sun began to creep it’s way into day, and by 10:30 am, we finally saw “daybreak.”

I took a walk around the hotel while the rest of the family slept in, and came back with water, pringles, and some pastries and sandwiches from the bakery around the corner.  At 11:30, we were picked up from our hotel for our glacier hiking excursion to the Sólheimajökull ice fields.  When we were packing for our trip, we opted to leave our big camera at home, since our main activities would be sitting in hot springs, and trekking through snow on crampons.  It was nice not to have to lug around the big gun, but at the same time, I kind of missed it.  Oh well, the little guy takes some pretty great landscape pictures.  Most of the following were taken through the window of our moving bus!

Most of the vegetables in Iceland are grown in hydroponic greenhouses such as these, which we spotted when we passed through a small village.

Caught this shot of a quaint town church as we rounded a corner.  There is no separation of church and state in the country, where most people belong to the Lutheran church, which means that the church also benefits greatly from the income taxes of residents.  However, you can apparently declare yourself an atheist and then elect to have your tax contributions allotted to the education system instead.

At 1 pm, the sun sits as high in the sky as it’s going to get.

Passed these grazing Icelandic horses!  Apart from being extra furry and quite squat, these guys also have an extra gait… they can walk like camels, where both of their legs on one side of their body will move together, and then the other side.

It started to snow when we were almost at the glacier, but that didn’t stop our bus driver from doing a bit of off-roading in the snow!

Once at Sólheimajökull, we got fitted for crampons, and ice axes.

Though most of the landscape was covered with fresh snow, some of the crevasses revealed the dazzling blue ice of the glacier underneath.

This snowy white dome and the blue archway of the ice cave actually reminds me of a similar picture I took in Greece a few years ago… except instead of glacier and ice, it was the white-washed walls of a domed cathedral, and the quintessential blue door so common through the Greek Isles.

Our awesome guide Jonar.

At 3:30 pm, we were treated to an amazing sunset!  The weather didn’t hold up for us to catch any of the Northern Lights on this trip, but this sunset on the glacier more than makes up for that!

After a few hours on the glacier, we made our way slowly down the icy slopes in the dusky darkness.  To warm us up, our guides dropped us off at a “famous seafood restaurant,” where we were treated to a lobster bisque.

The last part of our excursion included a “hunt for the Aurora Borealis,” but after an hour and a half of hunting, we saw only a faint green glow on the horizon, before the clouds covered over and it began to snow.  We made it back to Reykjavik by midnight, at which point, Jack, Caroline and I decided to go check out the night life in town.  It was Saturday night, after all, and Reykjavik is reputed to have one of the craziest party scenes in Scandinavia.  At 1am, there were still plenty of folks roaming the streets, many already inebriated, bar hopping in mini skirts and stiletto heels, as I tried to keep from slipping on the icy sidewalks in my snow boots.  As we were walking on the sidewalk, one guy slipped, did a little spin, caught himself, and gracefully landed on his feet again, as a flurry of Icelandic words came out of his mouth, a smile, a wave, and then he was on his way.  I’m so curious as to what he could have said in what sounded like at least 20 syllables.

We were kind of hungry, and though most restaurants were open, they were only serving drinks, no food.  At least we found the world famous hot dog stand in the town square, with hot dogs made out of lamb, and covered in grilled onions and a sweet mustard gravy.

We walked by this cool piece of wall art…

…spotted these mini snowmen…

…and then capped off the night with a cinnamon sugar waffle from this waffle truck!

We headed back to our hotel, with techno beats blaring behind us into the night, as locals and tourists alike partied on till morning.

We began with a small turkey and sticky rice meal, that Jack’s mom brought up with her from California, and we ate it in the hour and a half that we had at home with her and Caroline before we had to head back to the airport to catch our flight to Reykjavik.

We were all pretty giddy as we awaited our flight.

The flight from Seattle was easy- only 7 hours on Iceland Air, which passed by easily with plenty of movies, reading, and catnaps.  As soon as we had checked into our hotel, we also bought tickets to take a shuttle bus out to the Blue Lagoon, about a 45 minute ride from Reykjavik.  Along the way, we passed by some austere looking lava fields, which would have made a for a dark and foreboding landscape except for the heavy blanket of Iceland’s first snow, which had only fallen a few days earlier.

One of the coolest things about Iceland at this time of year is that the amount of daylight is minimal- the sun rises at 10:30 in the morning, and then sets again at 4pm!  As such, the light seems to always be in a state of flux, transitioning between sunrise and sunset, which results in some truly dramatic vistas.

The Blue Lagoon is a small, geothermal lake filled with glacial minerals and deposits, which has been built out to accomodate spa goers of all shapes and sizes.

You can wade up to the bar set in the middle of the lake, and order drinks, or procure a small ball of minerals and give yourself a facial.

We learned that except for gas, Iceland is pretty much completely energy independent, using natural geothermal activity to heat homes, generate electricity, and power just about everything.  They even use heated waste water underneath the streets to melt the snow and ice in the winter time.  From the Blue Lagoon, we had a great view of a geothermal power plant.

Just having some fun…

For dinner on our first night in Iceland, we visited a restaurant called Dill, which served up some beautiful Icelandic dishes, including a tender white fish called plaice, and featuring a main course of big-footed goose.  The food was delicious, although after 7 courses, we were ready to burst.

After a full day of flying, an entire afternoon sitting in thermal hot springs, and then an inventive and delicious dinner, we were pretty excited about all that Iceland had to offer.