Rhapsody of the Seas and Hawaii

We enjoyed our first sunrise on the lanai. The waves come up over the retaining wall and the crabs also like to watch the sunrise from there. One daring fellow is even climbing the post for the fence. These crabs are taller than our ones at home. A wave's spray just missed me by 'that much'. It took a bit to balance the temp to sleep, but we found the windows cracked open with the fan on perfect. The air conditioner is too noisy for us. We now have neighbors. A fellow from Florida, Terry, and a woman from Minnesota, Cathy, they are just engaged and they are here for a holiday and she is doing a massage class on lomi lomi a local type of massage. 
We hauled out the kayak. It's a double sit on one and must weigh about 500 pounds. However we got it out and paddled to Chinaman's Hat also known as Mokoli'i Island, and around to the beach and landed on our private island for a swim. The kayak took is about ah hour in some pretty bumpy waves. A couple walked out to the island from Kaneole bay. Poor fellow had been sun screened by his wife the day before and was a red and white zebra. He looked quite amusing actually. They headed back as the tide was coming in. Earlier in the month four soldiers from the base walked out and on their return ran into trouble. Two drown, one is still in hospital and one is fine. One wonders if they were non swimmers.
Kaneohe Bay also has a disappearing Island. this football field sized sandbar only appears a low tide. I expect we won't see it as low tide is is the middle of the night. Tide here also only changes about three feet if that.  
On our return we tried riding the waves. We shall go out again and kayak surf. And yes we are good Canadians and wore life jackets.
The rest of the day was spent reading, snorkeling, cards and a dumb movie. 
The nice thing about this side of the island is the cooler breezes and the fact that there is shade. In Makaha there was only shade in the early morning hours. Once the sun came around mid morning there is only open bright sunlight. Here we can sit in comfort on our Lanai from noon on or sit in the yard to catch the sun.

I'm sitting on out Lanai in Kaaawa. There is no one else around. Tomorrow some moves into the bungalow next to us and the land lord's brother in law and family into the house on friday. But let's back up a bit. 
This morning we were packed and ready to go well before our check out time. Our plan was to go up the Makaha Valley to some ruins. They are located in a gated community of rather fancy houses. We had to fill out some forms and show our ID before they let us in. it is a very short hike once we get to the parking area. The place is called Kane'aki Heiau. According to legend the rain goddess was impressed with the fishing prowess of a local chief. His generous offering to her was reciprocated by plentiful rain in what had been a parched valley. In return an altar or Heiau was built for her. Later the place was used as a leaukini or temple for human sacrifices for the god of war. Kemameha worshipped there.
Wow it is so dark I can't see my wine glass. 
Anyway..it has been reconstructed and is very cool. To think it was still in use two hundred years ago.
After our visit we picked up some gas and made our way the the Hawaiin Plantation Village in time for their noon tour. Our group consisted of six people one of whom spoke no English and one who stopes out due to mobility issues. Our guide was very knowledgable. She grew up in Hawaii of Japanese parents. her dad acme out in 1907 and later sent for a bride from his village. He was thirty-five and his bride was fifteen. 
The area was big on sugar cane. The Chinese saw a market and production became important. Until then the Hawaiians were quite happy to work as needed. Immigrants came in and the company kept the different groups in different camps to stop them from organizing. The Chinese, the japanese, portugese, Filipino, Puerto rican and smaller groups. The village has examples of each groups housing and their history from arrival to unionization of the groups in the 1940s to the end of sugar cane exports. This short tour ended up to take more than two hours and our guide never stopped talking. 
The drive across the Island was easy and we found our home by the sea. There is a healthy sized lanai, a retaining wall about two meters in front of that and then the sea. We have kayaks for our use and we have our own snorkle gear and a small personal lagoon. While this is considered the safer side of the island and we have a locked gate at the top of the drive they suggest sleeping with the doors closed. Dang. Time to find Roger cause I can't see a thing.

Slept in until 6:19 today. We walked down to Waianae Harbour and picked up our free Dolphin Watch from the Marriott. The boat is a bigger one than we have been on before. It ends up being mostly Japanese tourist and a handful of others. The Hoku Nai'i is a new 65 foot catamaran that carry 149 passengers. We are no where near full. We upgrade our free trip to include the afternoon snorkle. Def a good deal. We sit up too as we sail North past our condo and settle in a ways from some dolphins. There are many and some wander over to visit or breach to show off for us. We keep our distance but they are very active and keep people exclaiming in delight. The BBQ is ready. The taro buns, burgers etc are very very tasty. No one seems to be feeling I'll and the waves are fairly calm. 
We cruise back to the harbor and leave behind those who are not snorkeling and head south this time. We anchor near to the treatment plant. Robin does the English instructions and Aisha takes the Japanese and we are soon ready to hit the water. Again we are required to wear the Mae wests, but we are pretty used to them by now. We have two choices. Stay be the boat or follow our guide as we work our way across the reef. We have lots of time in the water and see more than before. We spot a zebra eel and what might be a brown or green moray which us what I saw the other day. one of the staff brought up an octopus. That was cool! There was also a scorpion fish, but I could not make it out. After an hour we headed a little further down the coast and explored some more. the waves have come up and a few people are rather green. 
They serve us pineapple brownies, fresh pineapple, taro chips and a 'blue dolphin'. I checked that out online and there are numerous recipes.. This one had pineapple juice, curaçao and grenadine. It was a nice touch.
Back to port and we started our walk home. I had dropped off a book at one of the beaches for book crossing and it was gone. Good! Now we are just sitting back and Roger must be hungry because he is starting the spaghetti sauce.
We move tomorrow so I will take time now to make a few notes about our home in Makaha. This part of the Island has a lot of poverty. the tourists are few and far between, one couple on the boat were told in Waikiki that tourists were not wanted here. While like any where you need to be aware of yiur surroundings we found people generally friendly. Just north of us the bus runs no further up the Island, but beyond there you find numerous camps along the beach.  They are obviously semi permanent. Some have quite nice cars outside them. There is work to be had here. the high school is a good size and it's on the beach...sigh. We got groceries in the market. the prices were not great, but not out of this world. there are a fair number of fast food places and a few others but not a lot of choices otherwise. 
Units in this building sell for under $200,000 and just down the beaches there are apartments for $60,000. The monthly fees here are about $500 including taxes. Not cheap, but what a great beach to live on. The units run the width of the building taking advantage of the ocean bepreezes. In the winter the surf is too strong generally for swimming. 
As an extra thought we put the Honolulu news on this am to check out the weather etc and all this is being covered in Michael Jackson's doctor's trial. We never Isis get any other news. I guess we are going to hear this stuff for weeks now.

Today was a day to sleep until 6:30. The morning was spent snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. We saw a great variety of fish, turtles and at one point the water boiled with  dolphins. a wonderful relaxing start to our day. After lunch we watched a movie...this is a good reminder of why we got rid our cable. A half decent movie dragged out by the hundreds of commercials so that we finally turned it off.
We had a groupon for a sunset cruise which was docked a short walk down the coast. We waited while they gassed up and we learned the cruise would include three crew and four guests. The other couple were Korean and on their honeymoon having married two days ago in Korea. Our captain was Adam, one helper was Matthew and the other was  Kokoa or something like that.
We came out of the harbor and headed north when we sang a prayer and threw flowers in the water for a safe voyage and carried on and passed our condo anchoring at Turtle rock. No dolphins were sighted,  but that is to be expected that time of day as they head to deeper water to feed. We saw a number of turtles including one that quietly snuck up behind me and sailed right under. He was covered with fish that were cleaning his shell. The water was clear and fish were plentiful.
We had a fine dinner of mahi mahi, Kailua pork wonton, salad, taro, taro chips, beef, rice and wine. But before we ate we gathered, held hands and said grace. Kokoa then got out his ukelele and sang for us. It was fun..we tried to get Matthew to dance or sing but he....had to pull up the anchor. Bel, the Korean fellow was not feeling well at all and the seas were pretty calm. The sunset was beautiful and we saw the green flash or at least we were told to say we had. LOL
Mattes gave us a lift home and we can happily say it was fun.

so  we went arriving right on time. Free cookies and water of coffee. 
good start. Then comes the questions. All about how we holiday and ... what we spend on holidays. We are given the books that show all the properties that Marriott owns and then a tour of the rooms and the site and a presentation room fir the world wide Marriott system. So far so good. Then comes the killer. $35,000 for 3,500 points per yrpear that can get you a week or less ay Ko Olina or three and a half weeks in Phuket and everything else in between. Og yeah, then there is the  yearly fee of over $1500. It would take quite awhile before you bot ahead of the game. So no...not at this time although this resort is very very fine! 
We agree to do a costomer satisfaction sirvey whixh girns into a second offer of one week for $1900 mountain view or $300 more for ocean view. After some thought ....no. Oh yeah ypou also get $200 Mqrriott bucks which almost opays for your time to park your rental onsite. If you don't use a fental the charge is a out $60 from Wailkiki. But wait ..if you go online you can get very close to that rate. 
Any way, we do take the day pass to their pools, but decline a cocktail at $11.50 a drink. We also choose two people on a dolphin cruise with BBQ. The Luau on thier site is the promoted gift, but the dolphin cruise is a short walk from our condo. And we do enjoy the afternoon dipping into their quiet pool, going for a walk and reading in our loungers. It is very tempting, but so much money to sleep beside a pool,
Home agsin we walk to the point, make s margarita....too strong....and I've not had enough food, and steak, sweet potatoes, broccoli and rice. The sun has set and the waves are calm. The parties are over until next weekend, even the dogs and roosters across the roaf are worn out.