Interestingly enough, it exists! An insanely large maze, in the shape of a pineapple, designed to torment anyone brave enough to venture into its eerie depths. Okay, maybe it's not that ominous, but I still didn't want to attempt to navigate it. My luck is, I would either pass out from heat stroke 5 feet from the exit or simply never come out - my sense (or lack of) direction is kind of infamous in these parts, LOL. Which is why Isaiah ended up trapped inside of it with Johnny, while the parents and I munched on pineapple themed goodies and shopped inside the Dole Plantation store. Here is a picture (of a picture, since my ability to fly over tall buildings wasn't functioning that day) of the maze:
The Dole Plantation's claim to fame, besides being the producers of Dole Pineapples, is the fact that this maze was listed as holding the world record for being the largest one in the world. On the other hand, that was back in 2001 so I am sure that somebody, somewhere, has taken it upon themself to commission a ridiculously larger maze just to beat a somewhat lame record in a book. I mean, really, when was the last time YOU looked in the Guinness Book of World Records for entertainment? : )Eventually, Isaiah and Johnny emerged from the maze, so we celebrated by treating ourselves to some fantastic pineapple ice cream at the snack bar. After feeding the fishies in the pond, I entertained myself by stalking everyone with my camera:
Isa the barbarian...she likes to bench press me at home for fun : )
Once we tired of prancing throughout pineapple fields, we got back into the car and cruised down the road to check out the rest of the North Shore. There are pros and cons to rolling around this part of the island. One of the cons - at least for a Jersey girl like me who prefers to get wherever she is going as fast as possible - is that the road in this rural area is only 2 lanes (one coming, one going) with a max speed limit of 35 miles per hour. However, one of the pros FAR outweighs the cons. What, you wonder, could make a speeder like me slow down? See below:
No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. This is indeed a graffiti-covered, RV-style vehicle located on the side of the road. If I drove past it in the evening hours back home I would lock my doors and keep on truckin'. However, it is home to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, a North Shore tradition and providers of the absolute BEST shrimp ever. And believe that everyone knows about it here, whether you are a local or a tourist. They have spicy shrimp, lemon butter shrimp, garlic shrimp...am I am starting to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump?
Anyway, we got in line with a ton of other people and each ordered a garlic shrimp plate, which is served scampi-style with rice. Ohhhh, my.....all I can say is that we were in heaven. Garlic-breath and all.
Once we ate our food (I admit it, I licked the plate), the men appeared to be in need of a serious nap. Funny how this tends to happen after an especially good meal...and also when the word "shopping" is brought up! So, the ladies (Mom, Isa, and I) took the men (Dad, Isaiah, and Johnny) home and went right back out to scour the shops for some retail therapy. Oh, and if you are wondering where Amir was, he spent what he described as an "awesome" weekend out camping with his Sunday School class....coincidentally located at the North Shore!
And that's all for now. In a few short days, Mom and Dad will be returning to NJ, and our time together will be drawing to an end. I am trying not to think about it too much - denial is my friend at the moment. And since there are still some more stories to share, we won't focus on that sad fact quite yet. So - stay tuned for the next installment, for I will regale you with tales of spear-throwing natives, fire dancers, and strolls through seven authentic Polynesian villages. Oh, and did I mention a spectacular luau and night show? All this and more, during our adventure to the Polynesian Cultural Center - same bat time, same bat channel! (Sorry, I couldn't resist....you know you watched the original Batman series on television back in the day!)
Everyone, meet the Llama. He (or maybe it was a she - I didn't exactly check, so let's just call he/she "Llama") was one of the creatures hanging out at the children's section of the Honolulu Zoo. Don't ask me why I decided to share this picture when I probably should have posted the typical pics of the lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) but I just find Llama amusing. Llama, in turn, seemed to find my tank top to be WAY more interesting than satisfying than my odd sense of humor, so Isabella and I moved on before I lost my shirt. On to the little goats!
...and move on to excursion #2, our visit to Pali Lookout!
The USS Arizona was one of seven battleships that were tied up along "Battleship Row" along Ford Island when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred in 1941. The ship was struck, exploded, and sank, trapping around 1, 777 of her crew members within. The memorial, which is built out white marble and black granite, was actually constructed on top of the sunken hull of the battleship! A ferry operated by the Navy took us out to the memorial, the inside of which has a wall honoring the perished soldiers:
What's incredible is that because the memorial is built on top of the sunken battleship, you can look over the sides of the memorial and actually see the USS Arizona through the waves.
Wow....what a sobering thought to know that this ship is essentially the final resting place for all those crewmembers who lost their lives during the attack. I mean, can you imagine what must have run through their minds that day? The day started just like any other - then out of nowhere, with little or no warning, those brave servicemembers faced their end so unexpectedly. It really serves as a reminder that we need to have a ready heart, mind, and spirit for God, because we never know when He is going to call us home.
This past Monday, we went to explore the USS Battleship Missouri, also fondly called the "Mighty Mo'" by us residents. Not only is this battleship the last of its kind, but it was also where the peace treaty was signed that ended World War II. Don't believe me? Check it out below:
Monday was a special day for another great reason - Mom and Dad celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary! These days, it is getting harder and harder to find people who remain steadfast, and keep alive the love that brought them together in the first place. I think it is pretty darn cool that after all these years, they are still so enamored with each other - and still would rather be with each other than anywhere else in the world! As an anniversary gift, we gifted them with tickets to see Cirque Hawaii. If you aren't sure what that is, just think (or google) Cirque de Soleil and you will know what it's all about. One of my best friends, Denise, came with us and all I can say is, I would see this show over and over again. The acts are mind-boggling! Contortionists, trapeze artists, performers flying through the air while spinning and twisting and flipping.....whew, I was the classic audience member, screaming and whooping it up. The pina coladas I was drinking might have helped me out a little, actually...LOL....anyway, we couldn't take pictures during the actual show because it was a safety hazard to the performers (bad news if someone got blinded by a camera flash, I think) but we did stalk the performers afterwards and got some nice shots in. Dad was especially pleased to gain the attention of some of the very pretty ladies, ha ha...see below:
I am sure we will end up passing out from sheer exhaustion, sooner or later, but until that actually happens, I will continue to document our shenanigans across the island. So, stay tuned for Installment #2, where we will attempt to explore the North Shore, Pali Lookout, and the Dole Plantation (oh, yeah, pineapples galore and a maze to match! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
Well, toss me a pair of played out leg warmers because that's me right now. Doing the victory dance with my legs running in place like a desperate extra out of Flashdance. Except I don't really have a football to throw (unless I take my son's, and that would require me actually sneaking it out of his room) so I will have to settle for throwing down a Bustelo coffee can. Bam!
I'm such a dork sometimes. But I really am excited, though. My parents are coming to see us for three (count 'em, three!) whole weeks! While we have had alot of visits from good friends and our military buddies since we came to Hawaii, none of my family has made it out here yet. Okay, technically my Mom did come out when I had Isabella, but that doesn't count since we had literally just moved here and I didn't know anybody or how to get anywhere except for a shopping mall....or two....and of course a Starbucks, LOL...
