NOVEMBER 2004
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 25
Hawaii — A Taste of Paradise on Earth
AWAII is an attack on the senses.
Looking over the balcony of my Hapuna i Beach Prince hotel room directly beneath me, jour floors down, is the bright-blue swimming pool.
A solitary man swimming slow lengths is the only sign of life at 6 AM on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Beyond the manicured grounds of the Kona Coast is the Pacific, the colour of Paul Newman's eyes, and a vast stretch of blinding white sand on which a handful of figures are briskly stepping-out like commuters catching a train.
Nearby, flocks of birds in thickets of bougainvillea, feathery hibiscus and abundant frangipani are making "whoopee" noises greeting the sunrise. The smell of freshly brewed Kona coffee draws me back into the room. This is the Hawaii of travel-brochure covers.
First-time Hawaii visitors usually head straight for Waikiki on Oahu. It's hip and cool and perfect for "thirty somethings." It's unbeatable as the quintessential Pan-American tropical experience with a safer environment than a Los Angeles kids playground. It's a tropical Disneyland but it's impossibly busy.
Finding a private beach to rekindle romance and act like newlyweds is easier in New York's Central Park. The beaches, parks, cafes and outdoor bars suffer a surfeit of "beer 'n suds. " It gets noisy. That may suit some holiday makers but for the laid back, the explorer, the "in-the-know " and the unusual, I prefer the Big Island.
Hawaii is the most perfect climate in the world, tropical, yet almost always cooled by a breeze from the sea. Scenically it's distinct. It has an embrace, a familiarity and warm hospitality common in South Sea Islands.
Hawaiians are best defined by what they're not. They are U.S. citizens but not of America. They are pragmatic but steeped in myth with a proud ancestral past. Their history was forged not by Civil War but carved out by fearsome warriors with spears and war canoes.
The term "cultural melting pot" has been done to death but Hawaii personifies it. The mix of racial candy is exotic. Local ethnicities fascinated renowned anthropologists like the late Margaret Mead.
The exotic Melanesian blends with European and Asian stock creating
Scotsman Seeks Love in Canada
The Celtic Connection received a call from a lonely Scotsman recently who is looking for love in Vancouver. Steve Morris is planning a 10-day dream vacation to Whitehorse in January to experience the Canadian winter and wants a romantic companion to share the experience.
He said," I'm now single and I'm not going to do the whole sob story about her and my mate cheating etc. What I'm looking for is a female companion who likes a laugh. There may be romance, who knows. Someone who is active and likes snowmobiling, log fires, gazing at the northern lights." He describes himself as 5"I0", average build, with fair hair and crystal blue eyes. Among his many hobbies, he lists: skydiving, camping, hiking, shooting, martial arts, and music. He is a qualified reflexologist and enjoyes cooking and motorbikes.
Steve arrives in Vancouver on January 5 and will head to Whitehorse the following day. If you are female between the ages of 25 and 36 and would like to find out more about Steve, he invites you to e-mail him at: steve@exodus-international.com.
STEVE MORRIS
TRAVEL DIARY
an ethnic cornucopia of the Heinz 57 variety. Young Hawaiian men, the size of Shaq O'Neal, look like Sumo wrestlers. There is a carefree-spirit in the islands far removed from the ukulele-strumming beach-boy-booze-cruise-sexy-hula-tourist-comball-image.
The Big Island is the keeper of the flame housing three active volcanoes two of which lie within a 520 square-mile national park. A visit to Mauna Loa, the world's most active volcanoes is a must.
Last month we arrived on a characteristically bright hot day traveling the two-lane highway that slices through the black lava landscape, parallel to the coast, leading to the Hilton Hotel Waikoloa Village, the venue for the 2004 "Taste of the Hawaiian Range" Food Festival.
This annual event, created to showcase local agricultural products, illustrates community pride in the quality meat, vegetables and fruit that grow on the island. Local celebrity resort and restaurant chefs create magical dishes using forage beef, buffalo, lamb, mutton, goat, pork and mountain oysters.
One of my favorites is the legendary fudge-cow-pies with Kona coffee. Pineapples, coffee, taro, guava and bananas grow in profusion, blessed by the trade winds that nurture these idyllic islands. About 2,000 usually attend and for a small entrance fee you can gorge on an endless supply of samples to your heart's content.
The following day we moved to the 13th Annual Poke Contest featuring Hawaii's "soul food" held at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. As the locals say, "if you've been to Hawaii, you've probably tried it, and if you haven't, you should. "
Poke (po-keh) is apupu or side dish made from diced fresh fish mixed with oils, seasonings, vegetables, fruits and spices. The presentations by professional chefs and amateurs were imaginative and inspirational. For more information or recipes www.PokeContest.com.
Finally, don't miss the hospitality of the Canadian operated Fairmont Orchid Hotel. The 32-acre superb oceanfront property; every room has a view; the beach is secluded and turtles lurk in the shallow waters
luring you to swim with them.
The hotel's "Spa Without Walls " is unusually unique - it's outdoors. And the location, Mauna Lani, along with Sedona, Arizona and Lourdes, France, are considered "power points, " where positive energies gather, attracting many alternative healers to the island.
And for those who love canine companions, the Fairmont Orchid is leading the pack of dog-friendly hotels by offering a "Pawsitively Pawsh Pooch Package " (groan) that has owners and dogs howling with joy (more groans) on the sunny Kohala Coast. Mahalo!
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Dave Abbott is heard three times daily on the Jim Pattison Radio Group - 600AM, Vancouver.
DAVE ABBOTT at the Hilton Hotel Waikoloa Village, the venue for the the 2004 "A Taste of the Hawaiian Range" Food Festival.
GETTING THERE
Aloha Airlines. Air Canada. United. Harmony.
STAYING THERE
Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort. For reservations, log on: www.starwood.com/hawaii.
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, log on: www.PrinceResortsHawaii.com. The Fairmont Orchid: www.fairmont.com/orchid.
THINGS TO DO
Food Trends, ATaste of the Range, visit: www.BiglslandFestival.com. Aloha Festivals: visit: www.AlohaFestivals.com.
sovereign Tour co.
Robbie Burns Victoria Weekend
M H; H II I I
A special Sovereign invitation to join the traditional festivities of the Robbie Burns Supper, with fine dining, toasts, dancing, singing and a tour of Robert Dunsmuir's famous Craigdarroch Castle specially organized to feature a wide range of Scottish celebrations.
2 DAYS - JANUARY 22 & 23. 2005
$309 per person D/T - $369 single
Tour includes: • One night accommodation at the Fairmont Empress Hotel
• Complete Robbie Burns supper at the Edelweiss Club
• Entry into Craigdarroch Castle including feature entertainment
• B.C. Ferry fees
Day 1: Vancouver to Victoria
On Saturday, arrive at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. You'll be taken to the Edelweiss Club for a rousing "Robbie Burns Supper" co-sponsored by the St. Andrews and Caledonian Society and the Sons of Scotland. Enjoy a traditional dinner with all the trimmings. This will include all the traditional Burns Supper toasts. Entertainment by Highland dancers, vocalists and of course pipers. The evening will conclude with dancing.
Day 2: Victoria
On Sunday, a day filled with lively Scottish entertainment at the famous Craigdarroch Castle. Includes: * piping in the haggis *address to the haggis * sampling a wee bit of haggis •Scottish country dancers and much more.
For more details on this weekend check our website: www.sovtourco.com or call Sovereign Coach Tours at 604-525-1066 or 1-888-316-9988.
(Also, check out Christmas in Kelowna and New Year's in Penticton)
SOVEREIGN COACH TOURS, 101 - 320 Columbia Street, New Westminster, B.C.