And then...

Okay. I gotta get China down here so I can write on the plane tomorrow about Greece cause Greece is pretty cool, at least Athens. What a freakin day!

Alright uh...right. Macao marked the first time for ole AT to step foot in a casino. I can't say I became a monster because the budget we're on did and would not allow for it. Given the right time and place and right budget, like unlimited, yes..I could make room for another bad habit. We hit up the Grand Lisboa, the Wynn, and City of Dreams.

Bonnie(B)treated us to a show in the middle of our Macao experience. We went to see The House of Dancing Water. Google it. Actually don't. Fly to Macao and go see it. Right up there with the Cirque de Soleil so I'm told. I could devote an entire blog to this alone but it's 12:30 Athens time and I gotta gotta gotta rap up Hong Kong like now!!! Oh, and then...wait. We actually had quite possibly my favorite dinner up to this point, not including or excluding the one we just had in Athens(more on that hopefully mañana). This is a little lesser known place I am sure called Restaurante Espaco Losboa. Traditional Potuegese cuisine. Cod fish cakes, clams in white wine, olive oil and garlic(ffffreshhhhh) and fish served with their heads on so you can look at them while you dig out their cheek(best part)! And I had an asparagus soup that puts Steven and Spencer's both to the test. Yeah? I said it. Pitcher of housemade sangria and welcome to Macao kiddos. Go there. You'll thank me. After our overly indulgent lunch(every lunch so far) we picked up one of B's favorites at the bakery/cafe next door. Another authentic Portuguese dish of egg tarts at Lord Stow's Bakery and Cafe. Light pastries filled with a room temp egg custard. Ah. Yes, please. Day 4...Macao. Done and frickin done. Then we hydrofoiled our asses back to HK and called it a day and a killer one at that!

Day 5 we chilled, shopped, ate(can't remember at this point) and relaxed with our friend Bonnie, I mean B. We are so grateful for her generosity, hospitality, and splendid job of putting together the most memorable 5 days we've ever had. Thank you so much Bonnie for the wonderful time in your wonderful city.

Now I gotta peace out and catch up to Carrie on the shuteye. Flight to Paris @ 10:30am mañana and hope to give you all a post on our day we just spent in Athens. Wowsers. Acropolis what?!

I don't think a single post, even the ones before we left Greenville, have had an accurate time on when they were posted/written. Which sucks cause I definitely don't have any clue on what day/time it is anyways. So I guess it's kind of indicative of the trip in general. So in other words, disregard the time especially and maybe even the date. Damn technology, can't keep up with the Turners, ya heard?! Next stop Paris, next post Athens. Stayed tuned friends...

PEACE AND G'NIGHT

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Boats...and crystal cabins

And then...

Day 2 we went to the Peak, one of the highest points in HK that overlooks the entire city, this was NUTS! Take your breath away and get your palms all sweaty NUTS! And then we got some pastries/breakfast at Deli France(chain I think in Eurasia) and then we went to an even higher level and then we did some shopping and then we ate some really good Pho at a place with a killer view called Yummee Pho-it's new too, only been open a week and was the bomb. They had pork belly skewers(:D) and really spicy chilis. Fresh and delish.

And then we went to the Sky Terrace, the highest point and 360 views of HK. The Sky Terrace was probably my favorite thing we did. The view from this thing is unmatched by anything I've seen....yet.

That night we went to Kowloon, a quick and scenic ferry ride away, for one of HK's best known sushi joints called Genki Sushi. This place is authentic as it gets with the dishes coming around on a conveyer belt. You just grab as they go by, save your color coded plates, tally them up based on color and pay at the end. Quite an experience in itself. Not a fancy place by any means but very authentic, and fresh fresh fresh. Oh, and on the way to Genki Sushi we stopped off to see the nightly 8pm "symphony of lights" This is a view of the entire skyline of HK at night with cheesy music playing and lights programmed with the music on a lot of the buildings, cool for about 5 minutes but definitely something cool to say you've seen. There were thousands of people out to view this, and it happens every night..crazy. The photos to be taken at this is worth the trip out regardless of the "show".

After sushi Bonnie grabbed some more street food. This time it was a dessert, egg cupcakes. Kinda like a waffle but fried up to order, tossed in a brown paper bag and you're off. Strangely addictive. We were all quite full but were making each other take the bag away as we couldn't stop ourselves from gorging on these things. There was alot of other options on the street in Kowloon with plenty of animal parts prepared many diferrent ways which i very much wanted to try but couldnt bring myself to do it on such a full stomach. Tripe, pork belly, intestines and the like, served on skewers and ready to go. Will have to hit this up next visit! And then we went home and that was day two:)

Day 3 was up and out the door early to make the trek all the way back towards the airport, about 30 minutes by way of subway, to go see "The Big Buddha". Carrie was quite excited with this excursion cause she has recently fallen back in love with yoga and has done some reading on this sacred place. Coolest thing about visiting the big Buddha is how you get to him.

A very long and scenic ride in a cable car. For about $7 pp US you can upgrade to a "crystal cabin" which has a glass bottom. I freaking loved this, Carrie(fear of heights) and Bonnie not so much. After about 15 minutes you come over this mountain and there it is on the horizon, one damn big Buddha! What a site!

Tons of shops and eateries in the little village leading up to the Buddha, commercialized but this is like one of the most visited places in HK, so this came as no surprise. HUGE hike up a ton of steps right to this sacred spot. This was probably Carrie's favorite scenic tour we did, minus the cable cars suspended way above the mountains and oceans.

After the Big Buddha we went for lunch at Tsui Wah(reminded me of a Chinese Stax Omega) and then some happy hour pints with some of Bonnie's friends at Mes Amis, a very popular place for Bonnie and her peeps. And then we went to dinner with B's(her new name as of now) favorite friend couple, second only to us of course, Mel and Ryan, who are originally from Australia and super cool to boot. We went to one of their faves called Tuk Tuk Thai. I was happy already just by the name, and the food, superb. Tiny place and packed to the gills. Then we went to Soho for shisha at a place called Guru, sweated bullets outside smoking hookah, and finished up the night at P58 for a nightcap beer or three. And then we went home with pretty much the first and only buzz we've gotten on this trip thus far. Carrie and I are pretty worthless these days when we are hungover so we have to pick our battles. And haven't really found one we can win on this journey. This particular battle included as the next morning was no joyride, considering it was on a hydrofoil boat/ferry to Macao:-). Oh, and that was day three.

Day four started on a boat. A boat that raises up and hauls ass over the water. Pretty freaking cool. Hour ride quickly over to Macao, the Las Vegas of China! I've never been to Vegas but I can now say I've been to Macao when people ask me "Ever been to Vegas?". Pretty happy about that.

And we're in Greece right now and I just realized we have rezzo's at the restaurant at our hotel overlooking the Acropolis....so gotta run. If I don't finish up HK soon I'm going to be blogging about Europe from my living room in Greenville.

Cheers!

A and C (our new names)

Day 1.5 in Hong Kong...better late than never

Hello friends! 
 
Well. Where do I start? We literally went 110 mph every waking moment our eyes were open, as is the lifestyle that Bonnie leads, with Sundays excluded to either recoup or just do nothing. I've seen Bonnie on the other side of the coin when she visits us and the jet lag is really the only kryptonite I can really see slowing her down. She is intense, but we wouldn't have it any other way, on this visit or any other for that matter. We came, we saw, and I'd like to think we conquered...as much as 3 people could in 5 days/6 nights. I will attempt to write about everything we did, all we experienced, and all the joy and laughs we had, but just know that there is no way I could really paint the picture as beautifully on here as it was in real life. It just isn't possible. 

So here goes. 

Day 1.5: Bonnie in all her glory waiting with ridiculously amazing "Turners" sign in tow. The welcome surprise of a city efficiently moving a pulse of people around to do and see so many great wonders that it offers.

 Our first stop, Bonnie's NEW apartment in the part of the city known as Happy Valley, very fitting. She lives against the mountain side of the city with a mountain view. Her place is super nice and modern. Not huge but it is Hong Kong and it's just her there. 2 BR 1 BA and I would guess it to be about 700 sq feet. Huge for where she lives. Dropped off our bags and out the door for a pint and a bite ASAP before complete delirium sets in. We walked right down her street to one of her favorite watering holes, The Jockey. It's an Irish Pub (right at home here!) across from the practice fields in the middle of her neighborhood. Veggie burgers for the girls, cow burger for me, side o "chips" with trio of dips, ketchup, gravy (brown), and garlic mayo. Burger was insanely good (bun especially, made in house) and the fries and dips were the shiz too. Much needed as we hadn't had a real meal for going in 24 hours. This food might have been total crap cause we were extremely hungry, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't. Back to Bonnie's and serious zonk out time. 

We did it. We were officially on the opposite side of the planet, furthest of Carrie's travels to date and well, you know my history. We were stoked for our week ahead!

We wake up bright and early and set out to Stanley Market in Bonnie's Bimmer with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car. We also were going down the wrong side of the road. This kinda blew my mind as I was riding shotgun. I kept looking at the rearview to see behind us and that wasn't happening. Very strange indeed. We walked along the waterfront at Stanley Bay and snapped some photos and then Bonnie hit up some street food....fish balls. I didn't even know fish had balls but hey, it's China and they do things different over there so...they were done with curry and reminded me of imitation crab, but fish. Processed was my guess. Not my favorite thing on this leg of the trip but at least I can say I've eaten fish balls. Stanley Market was an indoor/outdoor market with mostly souvenir type stuff. Reminded me a little of Canal Street in NY but quality stuff, and no pushy salesy people. Jewelry, clothes, artwork, etc. Very cool spot. Easily killed about 2 hrs there. 

Dim Sum was at the top of our list of types of cuisine we wanted to check out. And just so happens we walk right by one upon leaving Stanley called Shu Zhai Dim Sum Tea House. This place apparently is new and Bonnie had not been yet. Menu read nice so we were down, literally. This place is sunken down off the road, love it already. Dim Sum is basically like Spanish Tapas, small plates and portions, but Asian style. Two of my favorite concepts combined, tapas and Asian. This was a no brainer and Shu Zhai delivered on our first true Chinese style meal with flying colors. The spread of food Bonnie ordered sounded way over the top but we knocked down dishes left and right as they appeared. The pork dumplings you dip in vinegar were a huge hit as well as the tofu with spicy chilis, I don't really dig on tofu but the tofu served in China is the exception, melt in your mouth good. One dish here did not really work for me but Bonnie said I had to try it. Chicken feet. A lot of small bones and little meat, did not care for this one. The shining star came last. Sweet rice buns filled with runny mango custard. These things looked like three big eggs in a bamboo basket when they hit they table and looked even more like an egg when you cut them open. And they were very very good. One of the most memorable morsels of the trip so far. And that's a bold statement I assure you. The meal was complemented with lychee wine served with little sipping cups with a fresh lychee frozen in an ice cube then the drink poured over. This would be good with my breakfast in the morning and I would officially have a problem if I had it at my disposal at home. 

After lunch we take a trip up another side of the island, up another mountain, to Bonnie's aunt and uncle's apartment for her to pick up some personal things she had there cause she was crashing there between apts. View from this place was sssssssick, had to be one of the best in HK. Back to Bonnie's for a "quick" nap that turned into three hours which was very much needed. We then set out for Aladin Mess for some Indian food, yummers. So I get the impression in big multicultural cities, an "authentic"  restaurant outside of that of the resident culture has to really come correct to survive in such a competitive market. This place is in the Times Square district, so do the math. Hands down the best Indian food I've ever had, at least till now. Carrie says the Indian food in London is amazing so we'll have to compare. After dinner we headed out to Central Pier for a cocktail, a close up view of the IFC building, and some cool night time shots of the city from the pier. Then back home and hit the hay. Day one of awesomeness on the complete opposite side of the globe officially in the books...with a lot more to come. 

I'm only now having ANY sort of opportunity to even think of putting any thoughts down for the blog. We literally have not stopped while in China. I am writing this from about 35,000 feet in the air en route to Moscow to transfer over to head to Athens, Greece for two nights and then off to Paris, neither of which are gonna suck at all. Hope to hit up some wifi when we hit Moscow so I can post this. Sorry for the delay on our adventures but there hasn't been a moment to do it till now. I plan on doing each day of HK in it's own post because each day is very much deserving. 


Cheers and God bless, 

Andy n Carrie

\mh\ \goi\

We have been movin and shakin up in Hong Kong right out the gate. From the minute we stepped out of the airport, I realized that we were in a very efficient city. From the way the cabs came through the pick up area we were in at the airport, in an orderly and organized way, not a single horn blowing(in fact no one blows their horn here?!), not a bit of trash on the ground, all the cabs (Toyota Crowns?) are clean, seem to run well and put off no exhaust. These are all things that are processing for some reason in my insanely delirious state. Is this weird? I don't think so. These are all extremely good signs of things to come.

In a city such as HK, with an estimated population of 7 million, it seems just as prosperous as it is dense. It is really something to behold. I haven't felt like a single bathroom yet was even questionable of being used, unlike dear old Manila airport. Granted we are in the "nicer" part of the city but try going to ANY public restroom in NYC and tell the same tale I am here. I'm not gonna harp on this too long, but I think one could rank desired destinations, cities at least, and give an accurate number based on the cleanliness of the public restrooms. Hong Kong gets a shining 10 out of 10 points. Everything I have witnessed so far proves that this place is far more advanced that any place this kid has ever been. It doesn't hurt matters that we have a tour guide in Bonnie, an awesome one at that, but if I were to be visiting a large major city solo this one is currently at the top. Numerous forms of transportation, more restaurants and bars than any one person could ever think of experiencing, a completely foreign culture that speaks my native tongue very well, more German engineered cars than Germany apparently, AND clean and modern public restrooms. What more could you ask for? And as for sights to see, well I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. Cheers to Hong Kong so far and only more amazing things to see and do still to come!

Oh, and "mh goi" in Cantonese means "thanks/thank you", which seems to be on the tip of everyone's tounge here well before you even hand them money for whatever service they are proving you, and with a smile too. A genuine smile. I figured if I learn any Cantonese while I am here I figured this is an important one, because I am truly grateful for the pride this culture shows in all that it provides for it's people and it's visitors. I hope you enjoy the pics:)

PS -- We have had some really amazing food for every meal thus far, too much too post right now with too little time. 6:19 pm HK time and we're off to sights and sushi. I hope to do an entire post devoted to all the delicious food we've enjoyed here in Hong Kong.

Cheers!

The world is such a wonderful place

This title is inspired by The Band of Horses' song "Ode to LRC" and  the only concert we've ever been to with Bonnie:-). Good song. And yes, the world is a wonderful place...

Until you're in the Manila airport after a ten hour flight where you were in the two smallest seats out of ~500, with a three hour layover, with no currency, American or otherwise, faced with vendors who only take cash, having to go to the bathroom (sit down style) in a restroom with no toilet seats...then the world could seem a little less wonderful. If you let it....

7am. Honolulu airport. We are mad early and feeling good and limber. Check in for the longest flight I've taken to date by far, practically doubling my record which was set just this past Wednesday. Lady at the counter was very pleasant. We asked for thr exit row, but were told it was a $50/pp upcharge. We asked if they were right in front of the bathrooms which she responded yes. So no deal. Legroom for $50 was not worth watching and smelling 500 people go 1's and 2's for 10 straight hours.

Big mistake. Huge.

She knew our desired scenario. Plenty of legroom and not near the bathrooms. So....yeah. Our tickets say 76D and 76G. When your row number is 76, be worried. We didn't bat an eye as we though she had "hooked it up" being as sweet as she was. For the record,  I WILL RECOGNIZE THIS WOMAN IF I EVER SEE HER AGAIN. We are in the VERY last row on this thing, in a seat that easily had 3-4 less legroom than every single other seat on this plane. That may not sound like much but for 10 hours?!? We had officially been screwed by this woman. Complaint to the nearest flight attendant brought no reconciliation, "this is a full flight, sorry".  So after a lot of four letter words outta me and Carrie almost being brought to tears, we decided to swallow it, really no choice. We were worried about how we would handle this flight as Carrie has back issues as a result of a car wreck a couple of years ago (wasn't her fault) and I have arthritis. So...yeah. Already concerned and didn't need this added dilemma.

We made it through even with the awful seats just fine, only turbulence was in the landing, and it was pretty bad going through the clouds which only caused the words "get me the F off of this plane" to be mumbled at a lower pitch and with teeth clinched even tighter.

Pretty much already gave you the rundown on Manila, I don't recommend spending much time there, well, at least at their airport. The "quick" 2.5 hour flight became less quick as our exhaustion of our 20+ hour day was crashing down on us. But we ended up in HK, with a very nice and EFFECIENT airport which was a very, very welcoming thing let me tell you.

But the most welcoming site of all, the inspiration for this trip, Carrie's BFF, our dear friend...Bonnie, is there and eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first two friends to visit her in Hong Kong from the States...priceless.

And that my friends is enough affirmation to agree with the boys of the BOH,
The world IS such a wonderful place......LA DI DA!

No Reggae, No Buy

Waimea Valley Waterfall

Day two in Oahu was just as eventful as the first on the North Shore with less impressive food (and at a higher price).

 Day one included Hukilau Cafe, which was jammin the local reggae radio station, which was cool because upon leaving we realized we had been dialed in to the same station all morning: all reggae, all day. The night previous, Surfin Tacos...reggae, as well as Sublime and Jack Johnson and the like. We went to plenty of shops but the ones that really had something of any quality to offer...you guessed it, reggae. Do we see a theme here? I think we do. We have the same type of vibe,  pardon the reference, when we are in Greenville and Charleston, Folly Beach in particular. We have decreed that if you don't have reggae playing, we ain't buyin.

Our first stop was Turtle Bay Resort for breakfast. Idea behind this was to catch some really good breakfast, even if it was more expensive, just to have a view of the water. This resort has swanky landscaping upon entry, a golf course, and that's about it. The food, at least for breakfast is pricey simply because you're at a resort, the standard $25 buffet--there is no way I could eat enough at any breakfast to ever justify 25 bones.  We went the a la carte route and enjoyed a $4 glass of OJ  with it. The words "North Shore" and "resort" don't belong in the same sentence. We shoulda known better. Plus the waiter had the personality of a walnut. And the view...eh. Enough on that. Oh yeah, and if there is music that could be the antithesis of reggae, they were playing it in this place. So we brushed the yuppie off of ourselves, I put my collar on my Lacoste shirt back down, Carrie unwrapped her argyle sweater from around her neck, and we set out to see some natural wonders of this laid back paradise.

We headed back up to explore the Waimea Valley where for like 15 bucks per person you can hike this sacred area to the Polynesian people. The path leads you through an incredible canopy of plants and trees,  all labeled  with descriptions, leading about a mile into the valley. Not just your standard trees...the I-felt-the-need-to-photograph-each-tree type of trees. Really badass trees.

Carrie under tree

At the end of this very casual stroll you are directed to a freshwater waterfall. This sent the camera as well as us into overload. Unobstructed nature blowing people's minds. Best part is there are two lifeguards there and you can take a plunge into this 70ish degree water and swim up and under the falls (insert pic here). One of the most memorable things I've done to date. The waters are believed to have healing powers but I feel the same as I did before? This place is a must to anyone who visits Oahu, young and old. Oh, and take bug spray on this one, Carrie got about 8 bites the first 8 seconds out of the Jeep, one of which swelled up to be about 2 sq inches. Impressive. Mosquitos love her.

me under water

This worked up quite an appetite and it was definitely lunch time. We did some research on yelp and trip advisor and Ted's Bakery seemed to be the bee's knees. So, of course we were down. Everything baked in-house:  pies, cakes, breads and whatnot.  Upon entering it seemed like a madhouse, but no fear because it smelled like heaven. It was freaking slammed busy, lunch rush, which we came in on the tail end of. Waited almost 30 minutes for the food. And this is a "wait around the counter till your name is called" type place. I won't even review the food cause it's not worth my time, nor was the 30 minutes I spent standing at their counter acting like I wasn't pissed.


Went back to Surfin Tacos for dinner and more Surf Sauce cause we needed a sure thing for our last supper. And indeed it was. Reggae was pumpin and Dave was working again. We got a photo with him and became friends on FB. A girl dining with her rents came over and asked Carrie and I if we were movie stars?! So, of course we said yes and told her to get away from us:D. Only joking but that would've been hilarious.

We will definitely be back to visit this amazing island, stay more than 5 seconds next time, and learn to surf (Dave said he'd teach us, and judging by his profile pic he can surf...well)!

So Aloha, Oahu!!!

Thanks for the memories that will last a lifetime...

Andy and Carrie

The North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii

sunrise, day 1, 6:01am

Aloha and good morning,

Yesterday was our first real look at the island, and it was an eventful one. The day started at 3am with us both waking to use the restroom, but were strangely wide awake? Time change is a strange thing, furthest I'd been west up till this trip was Chicago so...yeah. Contemplated taking Surfin Taco Dave's advice and "head out to Waimea Bay at 4am to see the dolphins". Apparently there are tons of them out there super early. As awesome as this could have possibly been, we really needed to force ourselves to sleep a couple more hours as to not be totally screwed up. My eyes opened at 6:01 and this is the exact time of sunrise here and we face east. Carrie and I were treated to an unreal sunrise directly out our door. I will never forget it. So shower, hop in our dope 4 door Jeep rental and head North for beaches, food, and shopping. Basically the three neccessities in life.

Loco Moco

First stop, food. Took advice of a couple of different people and hit up Hukilau Cafe which is just a few short minutes from us. This place is nationally recognized too. They have a signature dish called the Loco Moco: basically a bed of rice, choice of meat (out of Mahi this particular morning, Spam is an option too which is popular in Hawaii?), eggs cooked to order and topped with brown gravy. Carrie got Loco. I got pancakes. It was just so so, but good because it was close and we were belly full.

NIXON 51-30 Ceramic $2400

First beach was very close to the house Carrie stayed at when she was here 5-6 years ago. She recognized the beach immediately and upon a quick backtrack she found the house she stayed at quick like. Took a photo of her in front of it:). Next stop was the infamous Pipeline beach. Waves this time of year are not insane like the ones in winter but the current is still very dangerous and I would not venture these waters. There were two surfers right out where we were and they gave us a nice show. Scoped out what is believed to be Jack Johnson's house which was cool. We then headed to Haleiwa. There are 7 NIXON retailers in this little shopping village so I was in heaven...most Nixon watch display cases I think anyone could see in a few short hours was done yesterday, by THIS guy. Hit up a place called Chono's Margarita Bar and downed some delicious concoctions mixed up by Tony, 24 year import from Texas. One Lychee Marg blended with sugar rim for her, one top shelf Patron on the rocks for him. After this we felt like a hundred dollars. Picked up a small bite in our trek thru Haleiwa at Luibuenos, another Hawaian/Mexican twist with nice decor and a little pricier. Went for fried calamari with chipotle aioli(good) and their soup du jour, corn and jalapeño with brioche croutons. This soup was a home run.

                                
On our way back home we stopped at two beaches for a swim to cool off as it was good and hot by this time. Waimea Bay looked most "swimmable" and there were a good many people at this one little nook so we stopped here. Just by coincidence, this beach is the most popular beach for sea turtles to come onto the beach and rest! There were three on the beach and a few in the water which I quickly realized when one surfaced about 4 feet from me. Wow! This was uber freaking cool and completely unexpected. Got some good photos and a video I'm pretty sure I will put on YouTube of the two bigger turtles kissing/biting one another.

Home for a quick catch of our breath and change of clothes and off to dinner. Contemplated Banzai for sushi but decided to hold out for sushi in HK, probably a smart move. We had a great burger(him) and Ono fish sand(her) at Kua Ani in Haleiwa. Both were very well made and I would def return for another of each. Then back to the house, sleep for Carrie and a blog from me AND.....done.

Day one of best vacation ever...check. Bout to shower and start day two:) Starting with breakfast at Turtle Bay and then off to see some waterfalls! PEACE!!!

Surfin Tacos 2.0

Aloha people! Since I went so longwinded with the time zone elaborations and had no energy to even address the Surfin Tacos rescuing us...here goes.

Surfin Tacos is a open air restaurant/drive thru that serves up some seriously fresh and tasty fish tacos, nachos, etc. They have what they call "Surf Sauce" that comes with the nachos. Light green in color and thin kinda like your run of the mill ranch dressing you would get anywhere. But this sauce is housemade with love and is very much drinkable, and nationally recognized apparently. If I had disposal to this stuff at home I would put it on my cereal. The guy who owns/runs the place, Dave, warned us that "it will change your life". I have thought about that food, and that sauce in particular, about 97 times today.

These surfing tacos happened to be the only thing on this part of the island at the "late" hour of 7:30 that could keep Carrie and I from completely collapsing. In all seriousness, every place to eat on the north shore apparently shuts down at like 8-8:30. People here are up early and in bed early, guess that's the surfer lifestyle, catching the early morning waves and whatnot I guess? And these eateries all crush it so much for lunch they don't really need to cater later? Kinda like Taco Casa in Greenville, except in Paradise, and way better...different sport better.

It was a classic scenario of Carrie and Andy on the verge of shutting down but in dire need of a true meal of food with no idea of what, where, or how to get it, which usually brings us to the point of killing one another. This happens in Greenville even but ALWAYS happens when we travel, but factor this sitch by like 100 given the travel time and complete unknown of where we were.

But I must say, the Surfin Taco saved the day with style and grace. Hang ten, you wonderful Surfin Taco. Hang ten.

Aloha

Surfin Tacos to the rescue

Alright, here goes. I know there will be many more of these to follow but I am now writing in quite a delirious state. Left Greenville this morning at 9:00 am and arrived in Honolulu at 5:00 pm, so that felt like 11:00 pm EST. We were up at 6am EST and are now calling it a day at 9:30 Hawaii time, which is 3:30am Greenville time. None of this is really relative to the title of this post but I'm getting there, just be patient. So that's 21 hour day with about 99% of it spent traveling. In planes. Over states and oceans. Sounds like a lot but just a hint of what's to come I'm sure. Slight hiccup in Charlotte that almost had me writing this post from a hotel room in Phoenix, but catastrophe was overted and we were able to board and get to our connecting flight Arizona. 105 degrees in Phoenix, not planning a trip there anytime soon. Smooth flights all around and were even treated to a double matinee on the flight to Hawaii, Soul Surfer-fairly sappy real life inspired movie but ironically about a girl from here at the North Shore of Oahu. Not great but not terrible, plus kept me from thinking I had 5 more hours on this plane. Then Marley and Me-same and same. Then Carrie spilled her glass of water on herself, me, and the MacBook Pro belonging to the girl behind us. Homegirl shouldn't have had that on the floor anyways, especially with Carrie Cockrill in front of you. Then...ahhhh. We land in Paradise.
(this was written and saved on 7/20 @ 9:45pm...did not get to anything about Surfin Tacos obviously. Stay tuned...)

So. Anyway. Hawaii is one of the most jawdroppingly beautiful places. Period. The mountains jutting out of the sea and disappearing into the clouds just about made me drive the rental Jeep off the road. I mean, this sh#t is insane. Got checked into our humble abode in Punalu'u. We are so close to the water if a slight storm rolls in I'm not convinced we won't roll out with it. The waves crash about 50 feet from our back door. No kidding, Carrie and I can stand in the sliding door of this place and you can feel the mist from the waves. Let's hope it doesn't storm...it's Hawaii...never storms here?!