Na Pali Coast Sunset Cruise

Well, September 11th came and went without too much fuss. The day of my birth seemed less monumental and slightly overshadowed by the 5th year anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The day itself, seemed actually very lonely. I wasn't feeling well and hadn't been for a few days and Ben had a day off from school and was well.. quite grumpy. Ed worked the entire day from 8 am to 10 pm, announcing when he came home that, "at least he was home before midnight!" I was in no mood for idle chitchat or humor and went to bed feeling sorry for myself. (Yes, even that can happen in Hawaii) The rest of the week proceeded without any excitement and I continued to feel homesick for all things familiar and longing for an Old Navy store to surface nearby. We don't have one here. Costco comes Oct. 17 and everyone here is in a tizzy for them to open. Me included.

Sunday...still feeling down in the mouth, Ed surprised me with a trip for 2 on the Na Pali Coast sunset/dinner cruise for my birthday. I have been wanting to see the incredible Na Pali coast for oh, about 2 months now!!! Okay, so I didn't really have to wait all that long and boy, was it spectacular!!! Well worth the wait. At 2:30pm we boarded the Blue Dolphin Charter and sailed along the west coast of the island in search of the famous coast. (By the way , they shot alot of Jurassic Park in the Na Pali Coast) Along the way, we saw leatherback sea turtles and a pod of 5 dolphins!! That was a dream come true for me, to see them wild in the water, and it still seems so surreal when I think back to the trip. It was so awesome! We also saw natural caves, waterfalls and glorious beaches relatively untouched by tourism. Meaning only the hardiest of hikers or those lucky enough to own a boat will ever grace the sugary sands of the Na Pali Coast beaches. It is uninhabitable and unaccessible to the average tourist. The tour was 4 hours of pure unadulterated fun and glorious beauty. It ended near Port Allen with a yummy dinner of Kalua pork, pineapple, teriyaki chicken rice, sticky rice, caesar salad and chocolate chip cookies. (For those of you with celiac disease (you know who you are) it was an awkward moment but I chose to live in it and bear the consequences. It wasn't too bad in the end and only hurt a few days later! )Those more adventurous dove into the company's free self-proclaimed famous Mai Tai's but alot of the passengers couldn't get excited about those and opted instead for beer or soda/juice.

The sun set as we ate dinner and got more spectacular as we docked, the light playing off the clouds in a palette of blues, pinks and yellows. With the boats in the background, the setting and the conclusion to the day was positively perfect! I would highly recommend this chartered tour. It's pricey but worth it.

Again, click on any photo to see an enlarged version. Enjoy!!

For additional photos of the Na Pali Coastline, click on www.napali.com/na_pali_coast/ and click on photo gallery.

*For Mom Dyck, you don't have to write the above down on paper just put your arrow (it will turn into a hand) on the underlined words and click. It will take you right there. Then on the right hand side there are the words "photo gallery" with an arrow pointing right. Click on the arrow and you'll see some more pictures.* Check it out!!

Hey...That guys wearin' a skirt!

That right....that's our buddy Joe, and yes, he is wearing a skirt, but don't mess with him because he is known to carry an attitude when needed. He is, really just a big teddy bear. A top hotel exec but a self-proclaimed redneck at heart. He's also Chamorro(u), which is a term for Marianna Islands native. Joe is originally from Guam, but has lived all over the world. Look at that fabulous meal he's creating!!! Grilled Ahi, chamorro-style. The Ahi (tuna) is marinated and then laid on top of a Ti leaf bed of red/yellow bell peppers and onion, and sprinkled with spices and then, smothered in more marinade. Then it is wrapped in the ti leaf and again in tin foil and grilled on the barby. YUM!!! THIS guy knows how to cook! We spent a fabulous evening with Joe and his family and another two families at his house at the base of the mountains. We dined outside at the foot of the mountains and watched the kids sail down the zip line into the jungle. At the bottom of his property, Joe also has a spot where he can go shrimping whenever he likes. Can you image? fresh shrimp any day of the week!!! I was dying to go shrimping and bring a few of the yummy guys home with me, but after about 5 suggestions that we go down and have a look, I resumed my polite stance and sighed. Maybe the next visit will be more successful. Company-wise, it couldn't have been better. What a great time and great family to visit with!!

Kokee State Park

Beautiful scenery and cool fresh air...this is the place to go to when you miss Canada. Pack a picnic lunch, grab a walking stick and set off into the wild blue yonder. But keep an eye out for japanese tree frogs hiding under the brush, gecko, beautiful birds and the odd, very unfriendly wild pig...but probably more like a boar, I think. They have long sharp tusks growing out of their mouths so it's good to stay away from these guys. They're not so nice to put it gently.

Anyways, the view is spectacular as we are hiking along the canyon ridges to discover rarer views of the Waimea Canyon, also known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Old dried out waterfalls and mountains goats skipping along the cliffs without a care in the world. On one precarious ledge of a cliff, I scooted down (actually I lost my footing and slid...calling out to my fellow hikers to tell Pastor Ed and the kids "I love you". "And when you find my lifeless, limp body, {seeing as i have no dental records here yet}, you'll identify me by the birthmark on my right wrist. Take me to Wilcox Memorial and I'm Type B Pos.") and spotted the mountain goats. Thank goodness we met no angry pigs that day! The rock formation is also fabulous as you'll note from the photo above. Lava rock cooling in the fresh water spring. Cool!!

My two little troopers did very well although Ben, initially excited about offroading in the back of a truck, had serious second thoughts when discovered there was hiking involved. Push came to shove, and although he wasn't happy, he did it! and now has another experience to file away in his computer memory. My biggest trooper was noticeably absent, recovering from hand surgery at the Taba residence watching U of H football in the sacred den.

Oh, but don't panic...not to worry. The hand surgery was from an existing problem Ed had on the palm of his right hand. A massive lump had been growing beneath the skin, slowly drawing in his fingers and distorting his hand. The doctor took one look at it and said, "I can fix that! How's Thursday?" Gotta love our HMSA plan and the American Healthcare system!

Dawg Tired and... New Friends

Aly, Ruthie and Sonny

Jasmine

Jasmine, Aly and Jonathon



Hooray, Hooray, Hooray...the last family member arrived today (actually on Aug 24/06)!! Bela was shipped by my sister, Betsy who (along with her family) cared for Bela for the past 2 months. Her flight left Winnipeg on the 12 noon flight and arrived in Honolulu at 1930 hr. Imported dogs require inspection and clearance through customs so she was only eligible for release the following morning. I grabbed an early flight(6am)to Honolulou to complete the necessary customs documentation and to wait for her inspection. She was finally released at 9am and we made the 10am flight back to Lihue, Kauai. Bela arrived in good health but shaken, stinky and anxious. She was bouncing off her kennel walls when she saw me in Honolulu but gave me the silent treatment in Lihue. I guess she didn't appreciate me putting her on another plane right away! The first day home, she really needed her space so she could acclimatize to her new surroundings. The next morning, she was her old self again and happy with her lot in life. Of course, I also made her favourite homemade dog treats and that perked her up pretty quickly. I think she is happy to be home.

Are we there yet??...Hanalei Bay

The Hanalei Bay Pier


KauaiOutrigger
Happy Birthday Grandma Warkentin!! We Love and Miss You!! God Bless You!!





By far the prettiest beach we've seen yet. The mountainous terrain reaches out and kisses the ocean. It is a favourite beach of parents and kids learning to swim as the bay shelters the water from large ocean swells.

Hanalei Bay is directly North of Kalaheo on the other side of the island. For us, it was about an hour and 1/2's drive at least. We stopped at Ono's Charburgers on the way to pick up lunch for Ed and the kid's and waited over an hour there between placing our order and receiving it. We got a hamburger and fries. How does that take over an hour?? Anyways, after several pit stops, driving past Hanalei town, turning around, hitting huge potholes, food trays flying and 1 argument later, we arrived at the picturesque beach and dropped our jaws. It was definitely stunning and worth the trip. Even the kids were in awe of this now 2nd favourite beach to swim at. The mountains are glorious, the sailboats anchored in the bay; a sight, and the pier off in the distance made it feel like a remote fisherman's village in Thailand. The gorgeous beach was empty in comparison to other beaches in Kauai. We spent the day swimming and building sand castles with a long walk to the pier to watch locals and vacationers leap of the pier. Several local outriggers were on hand to pick up their keiki and ride them around the bay. It was fun to watch but walking down the long pier with the locals made me very much aware that in my Canadian white skin, I am very much a haole (foreigner). I wonder how long it will take before I feel like I am no longer a vacationer but a resident of this stunning island.

By the way, click on any photo to get an enlarged version. Enjoy!



Photo taken on the way home.

Feels Like Home...Again!!

One very small slip of the pen can cause a tremendous degree of frustration and anxiety.

We packed our things up into a container on June 12, 2006, eager to start our adventure and live like we're camping. With a comfortable estimate of date of receipt in hand (July 7) , we felt very happy about our lot in life and continued on our merry way...camp-style. To make a long story short our things FINALLY arrived on July 25 and only because we had some wonderful friends who knew friends in high port places. Our container left Winnipeg by rail to Tacoma port in Washington State. A very "diligent" customs officer at the international border counted 53 units packed, and cleared the container for shipment by barge to Honolulu port. Honolulu port received the container around July 7th, counted 138 units and said...."Whoa...now hold on dere little wahine(missy). Dere's dis biggah misteak. Dey need to findah outah where dese mo' stuff come from! Dey cannah send dis dere, 'til dis is fixed!" Well now, according to our Canadian freight forwarder's papers (which were faxed to the local Hawaiian moving company), there were originally 138 units packed and loaded. So the error was made in Tacoma. Will anyone admit their mistake and correct the error?? But of course not, darling. So, the container sat and sat and sat in Honolulu until a wonderful church member felt so sorry for us that on July 20, she made a few calls. A homeland security officer called us that evening with a few questions and that morning we received a call that our container had been released and had made the barge from Honolulu to Nawiliwili port in Kauai and would be in port by Saturday. It had to be checked and released and would be delivered on July 25th in the am. Yipeeee! So that's the short version. There were alot of phone calls in between with alot of incorrect information between ports that was passed on to us. A bit of an emotional roller coaster.

But the important thing is... Ben now has his 5th appendage and the world is okay again.

It was like Christmas this week as Oceanic Time Warner Cable came the day after our stuff arrived and hooked up digital cable, road runner high speed internet and digital phone service. So if you call us, it flashes on our tv if we are watching it. How cool is that??!! We can screen our calls without getting off the couch!!! Hey, remember...DIS is paradise!!!

Here comes Franklin

Today while Ed was kayaking the fabulous Na Pali coast, the kids and I explored the Poipu and Brennecke beaches of Kauai looking for the awe-inspiring endangered leatherback sea turtle. We hit the beach for a quick swim and then off explore the tide pools amidst the volcanic rock of the southern coastline. We checked every nook and cranny of the tide pools among the rocks but couldn't see any turtles soaking up the sun. We had just met a couple who saw "tons" of them and yet we couldn't find any. Where could they be? Perplexed and anxious to locate these creatures, we continued to explore the rock when all of a sudden we look out into the ocean and saw one head after another poking out from beneath the surface of the water. Just off the rocks there were countless sea turtles frolicking in the ocean flapping their flippers and exposing their shells.as they dove beneath the water. Heads would poke up 3 or 4 at a time to take a lung full of air before diving back in. We were very happy to have experienced this moment with the endangered sea turtle. It was so much fun and we are planning our next visit very soon!

Hey boss...da plane, da plane!!

Wailua Falls...made famous by the ever popular evening soap producer, Aaron Spelling. The show's opening shot zooms in and focuses on the twin torrents of Kauai's liquid sunshine....if you aren't too young, you will have seen this spectacular waterfall on....which show?...can you guess?? A hint is in the title of the blog...ah...let me see now....hint #2 (if you need it)...Herve Villecheze...Mr. Tattoo???? The guests have arrived!! You are correct...if you said, "Fantasy Island". Last Sunday we took a drive up to Kapa'a to spend some money at Cost-U-Less (the equivalent of Costco but with no membership and not as big) and on the way we passed Hanamaul'u where the now famous falls are located. A long winding drive on a very narrow two-way highway and 40 some minutes later, we arrived with camera in hand totally looking like tourists. (we don't have the locals' tan yet!!) No hiking involved (there's even a parking lot)...click...click and you're done. I was hoping for a bit of an adventurous hike.

The culture is totally relaxed and good for the blood pressure. We are learning new things about life, food and language. The local slang language is pidgin. For example.. to say that someone is no longer waiting for you to arrive and has left the area, converts to ...."he no stay dere". When someone is talking full pidgin, it can be quite difficult to understand. I can get easily lost in translation. Food is very different but very tasty (except the poi...yuck...tastes like Lepages glue and looks like it too). I have tried a variety of new things including:

1. lomi salmon (diced raw salmon with onion and diced tomato)
2. sashimi (raw fish)
3. poi (yuck...root staple)
4. poki (marinated raw fish...tuna, I think) Actually quite good.
5. Seared ahi...seared tuna (raw in the middle) Not so good.

Language lesson of the day:

1. puupuus - appetizers
2. shishi - to pee/urinate
3. ono - delicious
4. keiki - children
5. pau - all done
6. slippahs - flip flops
7. mauka - toward the mountain
8. makai - toward the ocean
9. puka - holes in clothes
10. houlies - what we are. People not native to the island.

Our things still haven't arrived...the "Ben" is very frustrated. He is missing his 5th and most important appendage...his computer! After 2 weeks of docking in Honolulu due to a small clerical error, we are finally notified that customs has cleared it and it made the Friday barge to Nawiliwili Port in Kauai. We should receive our container on Tuesday. It does help to know friends who know friends. A friend of ours talked to her friends and the next morning it was on the barge!! It's all in who you know! Thank You Jackie and thank you, Jesus!!!

Ed was invited to kayak the Na Pali coast this a.m. at 5. What an adventure!! If you are unfamiliar with the coast, do look it up on www.napali.com, it is spectacular in its raw beauty. I am so jealous. The kayaking alone is 8 hours so I except him home soggy and exhausted around 8pm tonight.

Not to worry, the girls and I had a Thursday girls night out in Lihue this past week. Seeing "The Devil wears Prada" and munching on puupuus (appetizers) at Dukes in Nawiliwili. It was very timely and very fun. Thanks to Robin for seeing my need and organizing the evening. Next month girls...we are on!!!

Things are going well. Ben is still having some difficulty and wants to go home to Winnipeg. Our structure and routine is nonexistent so we are praying that once our things come and school starts, he will settle down and let himself enjoy life a bit more. He is "training" in the Audio/Visual booth every Sunday morning and hope to be "on staff" there ASAP!!! This is one thing that he is so pumped about and cannot get enough of.

The Kalaheo church community continues to be very warm and receptive. They have definitely been an integral part of our transition to life here on the island. We send our "Mahalos" for their kindness and generosity.

We have Arrived!!

We arrived safe and sound to our new home on the beautiful island of Kauai. Life is looking pretty good for us right now. The kids are adjusting well, as well as their mom and dad. It's been literally days and days of waiting in line-ups to get our new lives in order and to some degree of normalcy. The church community has been phenomenal so far, welcoming us at the airport with a huge crowd and 30+ fresh floral leis. They prepared our home for our arrival and placed fresh beautiful exotic floral arrangements in the kitchen, living room and bedroom. Meals on wheels delivered delicious food for the first 3 suppers and we have fruit galore to enjoy. Tomorrow we are taking a break from setting up the home and we are heading out to Poipu Beach to celebrate Canada Day with a picnic, afternoon of fun in the sun and hopefully a glowing sunset. The weather has been hot but bearable under the coolness of the trade winds. The skies partly cloudy and it has rained at some point every day.

It was huge, ugly and scary looking. I walked into the house after registering Ben for school and there it was...laughing at me in the middle of the kitchen floor. I panicked. What should I do? I was paralyzed with fear of the creature in front of me and I had flashbacks of a movie I had seen years ago...Arachnaphobia!!! Ugh, the creature commanding my attention in my kitchen was a tarantula sized grotesque looking thing on steroids(which upon further examination and identification from my friend Eileen) was a cane spider. Never in my life have I seen such a huge frightening spider that did not live in a small confined space at the zoo. Eileen(911 operator cane spider)talked me through bringing on the imminent death of this beast, but warned me about the potential egg sac. WHAT??? Apparently if the spider has an egg sac, you can't hit it with the broom because it will drop the sac and the babies will hatch instantly!! Do you see a problem here??!! Anyone who has ever watched Charlotte's Web knows that they don't just have one tiny spider baby, but zillions of the speedy wretched creatures. Lucky for me...no sac!! The sweat on my brow lightened but still...could this thing track my movement and leap towards my throat...I was assured not..."just wet a paper towel and throw it on top of the spider" Eileen said. Easier said than done. I was still cowering in the next room. Roy was coming over soon. Maybe he'd get it for me. No, I had to be brave...for the children. Fearing for my life, but knowing it was him or me, I got close enough to slow him down with the wet paper towel...but now what?? Oh, "whack him" Eileen said ...once, twice....ugh, he's not dying...two more times real good, and he shrivels up into a dead little spider ball. Roy's still not here and Ed is gone. Oh crap. I have to pick this thing up and dispose of it. Ewwww. More paper towel and the broom ought to do it. Success. "Mommy, what were you doing" Oh just killing a little spider, honey. "A daddy long legs?" Uh, yeah. Something like that....a daddy long legs on steroids. Welcome to Hawaii. I'm told by Roy that the centipedes are even worse. I can't wait.

We're on our way!!!

Well the house is empty and the stuff is gone. It's be a long hard couple of weeks preparing for this next phase of our lives. We've had a few glitches here and there and I'm sure there will be more to come. Unexpected little things that can potentially cause great frustration if we let it. We are now sleeping on a queen size air mattress, and the kids on these great camping cots that friends have loaned us. AND we are watching tv on a tiny 8 eight size screen. It's amazing what the boys have learned to cope with!!!! Work ended for me on Friday, June 9, 2006 just over 11 years to the date of employment with Canadian Blood Services. (I started June 5, 1995). My colleagues treated me to a fabulous italian seafood dinner at Bombolini's (Linguine alla Paradisio--pasta with scallops, shrimp, mussels in a dill sauce...YUM!) They also dug deep into their pockets and bought me a silver chain and pendant that reminds me of the color of the ocean. It was definitely an emotional time. Now we are working on closure for the children. Two going away parties to plan and execute before our travel date of June 27. Our last days in Canada are filling up fast with coffees, lunches, and dinners out with friends and family. These last 2 weeks are sure to go quickly!!

Rain, Rain Go Away

The last several weeks have been extremely trying for our friends on the island of Kauai. The rains have come, and come, and come, for 4 relentless weeks soaking the land to its core and most of their spirits as well. The end result of the rains was the bursting of the Kilauea Dam due to its swollen basin. The water swept away homes that were close by killing several people, one a 22 year-old bride that was to have been married that day. The whole island has succumbed to a flurry of flash floods burying resorts and hotels under a sea of red water stained by the soil of the land. Thankfully, the army is nearby and on hand to provide assistance to those most directly affected. Pumps are proving to be of great value to the locals to remove this unwelcome visitor from their land. Please pray that the rainclouds will shift and wander off over the ocean. A small reprieve has come in the way of sunshine, but much more is needed to dry the land and warm the hearts of some of the most genuine people I have ever known.

The Countdown

A huge chapter... full of life's greatest twists and turns has been hurdled over and conquered. Way to go Buller family!! I am proud to be a part of such a strong, resilient little family. We have struggled and cried, triumphed and laughed...received clear vision when were too blind to see. And we have marvelled over God's continued faithfulness in our lives. Harsh conditions often result in unfathomable beauty. Clearly, much growth takes place in the dark. We have waved a sorrowful goodbye to a dreary yesterday, and whispered a sweet hello to a sunny (literally and figuratively)hopeful tomorrow. A new chapter is beginning... It seems to taunt us with delicious opportunities, but reality reassures us that it will come with its own unique set of issues. Leaving our hometown after 30+ years will bring anxiety, but as we step out in faith...it will also bring great reward.

Our Journey begins... Since receiving and accepting the call to Lead Pastor at Kalaheo Missionary Church (Kauai), I have begun the tedious job of purging unwanted items from our present home. It feels good...a cleansing of sorts. The basement is first and then I'll work my way up. Today I got rid of 7 big garbage bags full of old clothes and stuff!! Junk BE GONE!!! I should've done this sooner. Simplicity is cleansing to the soul. And alot less complex than one would think. We have alot of work in the days ahead but the excitement and the anticipation of the "BIG MOVE" keeps us focussed. Kauai, HERE WE COME!!!