February 27, 2010

The Tsunami generated by the large earthquake in Chile was the only news here today. There was nonstop news from early morning on TV. The sirens started at 6:00 am and most of the shops and restaurants in Waikiki did not open this morning. Police and Fire crews patrolled the area, warning of the pending tsunami and advising everyone to evacuate the area. Here they evacuate vertically, moving everyone to the third floor or higher in a concrete building. No traffic was allowed into Waikiki as it is a most vulnerable area. By 11:00 am this morning there was not a vehicle to be seen, almost no people and no sound. It was eerie. Hundreds of pleasure craft and four US Navy ships evacuated the marinas and harbour and sailed a few miles out to sea. But for all of the anticipation and preparation it turned out to be nothing more than a small splash.

February 25, 2010

There are many modes of travel here in Hawaii. Of course there is TheBus. There is also TheCab, the Seg-Way, the Trike, the Limo, the Electric Car, and finally the Formula I Ferrari Race Car. They let us take this one for a spin. No, not the red one, the one in the window behind it.

February 23, 2010

Hi Paul,

What are Hawaiian little boys made of?

February 21, 2010

Yesterday we visited the Bishop Museum. It has a magnificent collection of Hawaiian and Polynesian artifacts and history. The main building itself is equally impressive, constructed in the 1890s from lava rock with arches and stairways of Maui Koa wood. Here Sharron is admiring a fabric art display, layers and layers of colourful Hawaiian fabric dating back over a century. And of course, a vintage Hawaiian Ukulele.

February 19, 2010

The flowers and blossoms in Hawaii are flourescent. Here are a few taken in Kapiolani Park and Fort DeRussy Beach Park. We are nearing the end of our third week here and it's gone by much too fast. Every day we choose a destination and go, either by bus or on foot. We have visited several of our favourite restaurants but mostly we have enjoyed meals at home with a glass of wine. We, rather I, rediscovered Primo, Hawaiian Beer. I wasn't able to find it in recent trips, I'm glad it's still around. We have been watching the Olympics most evenings. Hawaii is two hours later than Vancouver so the evening telecasts are delayed here. There are four stations broadcasting Olympic events so there is usually something interesting to watch but not too much coverage of Canadians, although one station has shown all of the Men's and Women's hockey games. We keep up with the Canadian results on the internet.

February 17, 2010

This blog is especially for Paul. Can you name the fish or animal in each of these photos? These were taken at the Waikiki Aquarium. The first one is an octopus, next is a jellyfish, then a humuhumu-nukunuku-a-pua'a, its English name is Reef Triggerfish, and finally an animal you see at the zoo in Calgary, a seal.

February 14, 2010

The trees here have personalities. Here are some examples of tree art in Kapiolani Park.

February 12, 2010

We attended the University of Hawaii volleyball game last night. There were even cheerleaders and a brass band. They were playing the University of Alberta, a tough road trip in the middle of February. It was very competitive, Alberta winning three close games.

February 11, 2010

We thought you might enjoy a few ocean photos.

February 9, 2010

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday. We celebrated with Original Mai Tai's (well I did) at the Royal Hawaiian. We were even treated to a Hula Show.

February 7, 2010

Chinese New Year is February 14th but celebrations were underway in Honolulu's Chinatown yesterday. Several blocks were closed to traffic and hundreds of street vendors had set up kiosks serving every kind of food, produce, souvenirs etc. Lion dancers and accompanying drums weaved through the crowd providing lively entertainment. Sharron is giving a gift to the lion to ward off bad luck for the coming year. This is the year of the Tiger.