Hawaii Day Three: Lava fields and shopping
We’re starting to fall into a routine here in the land of breakfast-is-for-lunch. Toby loves Hawaii time. It’s his natural time. He usually rolls out of bed around lunchtime and wants breakfast so he is tickled pink that we all have to adjust to his schedule for a change. When I start fading and thinking, “Shouldn’t the sun be going down by now?” it’s only noon with plenty of time to spare. Which is kind of cool because there is always plenty of daylight to get everything done.
I didn’t really feel like I was jet-lagged because I’m not tired or feeling groggy but this waiting until eleven-something for breakfast is a little rough on the growling tummy. Toby’s been thinking that Baby Bug isn’t very well-behaved in restaurants but actually it’s because breakfast is her naptime and dinner is three hours past her bedtime. In reality she’s been quite a trooper.
One of the waitresses who works at the hotel restaurant took pity on (me) us and made Baby Bug a little origami frog. That was the best thing ever. It was just a little piece of pink paper folded in such a way that you could press your thumb down on its back and it would hop about three inches into the air. Bug loved her little pink frog. She carried it around for a good part of the day and let me take a picture of it. In the photo above the frog is “saying cheese”. Can’t you tell? Hee hee.
Then we drove over the lava fields to a fancy-schmancy outdoor mall that is almost exactly like the fancy-schmancy outdoor mall back home. The lava fields (not sure if that’s what they are called) are out of this world. You feel like you are on Mars or something. Just lots and lots of crusty porous black lava rock munched into dried piles that look a little like dung heaps. Not really in an ugly smelly way but just strange. Then there are tufts of yellow grass growing out of the nooks and crannies.
I was wondering why this yellow grass is not used more often in Hawaiian artwork/signage/marketing etc since it seems to be everywhere and it is pretty in a waving-fields-of-wheat sort of way. But Toby explained that it’s a non-native grass (which is kind of silly since nothing is really native here except the lava) and actually Hawaii, the island we are on, is the newest island. I had no idea. I thought the biggest island would be the oldest island but actually it is the newest and the others were once this big but have worn down over time. So this lava and grass is just the early stages of an island. If you think of millions of years as “early”.
This is probably not very interesting to most people but since I am a graphic artist by trade (or was for the last decade or so) I am always looking at what there is around that can be used in a design if I were suddenly forced to whip out a three-fold brochure or something. I don’t know. I guess it’s all those years that I was forced to make up full marketing plans using three very dated cd’s from photodisc because our clients were too cheap to pay for stock art. Oh, those were the days. Sorry, flashback.
Back to our vacation. We spent day three shopping for shorts for Toby. Shopping with Toby is not much fun. He tries to make it fun (with frappucinos from Starbucks and a new dress for me!) but it just takes forever. He is very particular about every stinking thing (down to the seams!) and will settle for nothing but the best. So we shopped and we shopped and Baby Bug and I got hot and bothered. I’m very thankful to say that Toby did find some new shorts though! So all is well that ends well!
And really it was nothing that a steak dinner and a pretty sunset couldn’t fix.
19 Comments
Katie
After that, we’ll need a picture of the new shorts! And an explanation of the mural that baby bug was standing in front of. She looks a little wary of those women! But your vacation sounds like a blast!
K
I went to Hawaii last summer and the time change had similar effects on my boyfriend and I as you explained. My boyfriend was working night shift while I work day shift here at home (east coast) and the time change was 6 hours different. I hadn’t realized that he was already living on Hawaiian time before we even left!
Spandrel Studios
Hawaii always struck me as the sort of island vacation where you feel like you’re on another planet, because its beauty is so surreal and extraordinary, with plantlife you’d never see at home. The lava field pictures kind of confirm that!
Erin
I was always amazed at just how laid back the Hawaiian people really are. The funniest thing to me, though, is that if the temp gets even 2 degrees above the 83ish temp they’re used to the newscasters go on and on about a heat wave! I’m glad you guys are enjoying your vacation, crazy schedule and all!
Beth
tyvm i am enjoying seeing your vacation,feels like i was there (doubt if i will EVER)
enjoy your time, and keep taking the wonderful photos
All Adither
Hee. I have those photodisc flashbacks too. I try not to scream.
OMSH
Yea, I’ve never wanted to go to Hawaii until now.
THANKS A LOT BRENDA!
Mami Dearest
I’m so glad you are posting in Hawaii. I thought I was going to have to suffer withdrawls until you got back. I so want to go to Hawaii now!
bethany v
ditto omsh, never wanted to go but am now intrigued at least! glad you’re adjusting and having a great time :) and yay for balcony internet!
bluejaye
I’m sure glad his brother isn’t that picky.
Glad you’re having a great time. Ditto the posting from Hawaii. Withdrawls are always painful.
I’m always amazed at the compositions of your pictures. I would just see grass. You see Art.
Angella
That sunset is amazing! Now I think I may have to go to Hawaii.
Love the photos of Bug too, and her pink frog :)
red lotus mama
What is interesting about Hawaii is each island’s landscape is very different. The Big Island is the only one that has those “lava fields”. It makes you feel like you are on another planet. Did you see the very cool white coral graffiti? You can’t go anywhere without seeing graffiti, but at least they are organic about it on the Big Island!
Jamie F
Looks like you’re having a great time in Hawaii.Regardless of the time change for you and BB. My husband and I are going to Kauai,Hawaii in May and you are just making me more and more excited for our trip. We went to the big island for our Honeymoon back in 99′.Enjoy the rest of your vac,keep taking great pics.So glad your updating from there I thought I was going to have to go the length of your vac without any post.Thanks for updating all of us.Oh and love the cute little pink frog smiling.
DeeJay
Simply lovely post. Love it!
Amanda
Sounds… and looks fabulous. Even with a long shopping day with a picky shopper.
BeachMama
Awesome. I can’t tell you how jealous I am feeling right now. I also just went through all your flickr photos just to make me wish the sun would come out and melt all of the snow. Today.
anj
Love the photo of BB in front of the painting of bathing ladies. Sweet.
Susan
All men make shopping misery! They are seriously worse than we could ever be when it comes to clothes. And aren’t their clothes supposed to be more simple than ours?
Another fabulous post of photos and that sunset is breakin’ my heart! LOVE IT!
Aimee Greeblemonkey
Love the contrast in the lava field shots.