Well I am going to spoil it for you. If you are planning to watch this movie, dont read this post. But believe me you wont miss a thing - maybe save 10 bucks on the ticket. Whatever - I have to share this coz its too funny.
Post-apocalypse. Our hero Eli is traveling alone. He meets a lot of enemies - fights them, kills them - lot of dishum dishum. Character establishment - strong hero. Our villain Carnegie is looking for a "book" and he hires gangs to find this book. It turns out this book he wants is bible. He finds out that Eli has this book because he hears Eli pray. He tries to seduce Eli with his daughter, fight him with his gang. Everything fails and he finally stabs Eli himself and acquires the bible after a 30-minute drama and action. Our guy Eli, fatally wounded escapes to Alcatraz! Here he dictates bible from his memory for people at Alcatraz to write it down and print it. Then he dies.
Now for the laughs I promised: Carnegie goes home after all the fight and opens his beloved bible. And its in BRAILLE!!! Apparently ELI is blind all along!! Shhhh.... SUSPENSE!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya
For once Simbhu and Trisha look good and peppy and I want to watch this Tam Chickflick. I hope its not as bad as Laysa Laysa. The crew has done a good job advertising the movie - the posters look great, inspired and "copied" from popular movies like alaipayuthey, dil se, kakka kakka etc.
As for the music, ARR has done a good job. The music is very different. They do not stand up nor will you remember it once the player stops playing. But something mesmerizing about it and something that makes me happy and want to keep listening.
The lyrics are bad - feels like the lyricist did not know how to write words for the different music layout. The words don't flow with the music. The words don't feel the music. Its just there. And the singers just read it out. Maybe we have to ape west - well, thats where the music came from ;-) Write the lyrics before you make the music. I also felt we need more diversity with the male singer - it doesn't go with the spirit of the music. We have Chinmayi, Shreya Ghoshal, Andrea, Bombay Jayasree - but all the male voices sound the same, okay maybe a little different. Having said all this, I just want to keep listening to the songs.
I read very mixed reviews, esp people complaining, this is too much Hollywood influence etc. Blah blah blah you people. Here is what ARR has to say about it: "It is an experimental attempt - Songs are not set in Charanam or Pallavi." - maybe that is why I you could never remember the tunes, like grammatically incorrect sentences - but still mesmerizing :)
It reminds me for the dialogue Surya says before the song "Mundhinam Parthene" from Vaaranam Ayiram. I have listened to this song more than 100 times but I could never repeat what he says. Because it is so very grammatically incorrect - but very romantic ;-) Here is what he says:
naan idha solliye aaganum..
nee avlavu azhagu..
Inga evanum ivlo azhaga oru…
Ivlo azhaga paarthurka maattaanga…and I am in love with you…
Karu says: "This is the dead knell for Tam music.". I understand the urge for change and experimenting with western music - but I wish we come up with our own fusion and not just adopt western music.
As for the music, ARR has done a good job. The music is very different. They do not stand up nor will you remember it once the player stops playing. But something mesmerizing about it and something that makes me happy and want to keep listening.
The lyrics are bad - feels like the lyricist did not know how to write words for the different music layout. The words don't flow with the music. The words don't feel the music. Its just there. And the singers just read it out. Maybe we have to ape west - well, thats where the music came from ;-) Write the lyrics before you make the music. I also felt we need more diversity with the male singer - it doesn't go with the spirit of the music. We have Chinmayi, Shreya Ghoshal, Andrea, Bombay Jayasree - but all the male voices sound the same, okay maybe a little different. Having said all this, I just want to keep listening to the songs.
I read very mixed reviews, esp people complaining, this is too much Hollywood influence etc. Blah blah blah you people. Here is what ARR has to say about it: "It is an experimental attempt - Songs are not set in Charanam or Pallavi." - maybe that is why I you could never remember the tunes, like grammatically incorrect sentences - but still mesmerizing :)
It reminds me for the dialogue Surya says before the song "Mundhinam Parthene" from Vaaranam Ayiram. I have listened to this song more than 100 times but I could never repeat what he says. Because it is so very grammatically incorrect - but very romantic ;-) Here is what he says:
naan idha solliye aaganum..
nee avlavu azhagu..
Inga evanum ivlo azhaga oru…
Ivlo azhaga paarthurka maattaanga…and I am in love with you…
Karu says: "This is the dead knell for Tam music.". I understand the urge for change and experimenting with western music - but I wish we come up with our own fusion and not just adopt western music.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Oahu
We spent the last day of our vacation at Oahu. We had around 16 hours. And it is the right amount of time to spend in Oahu ;-)
Oahu is very different from Maui and Kauai. It is very developed - I have never seen 8 lane roads - not even in main land. The traffic was terrible. The place was concrret-y like the rest of the US. You hardly feel you are in Hawaii.
On the positive side, there was a lot of good eats and beaches. You can drive to any corner of the island. We went to the flea market. It was quite a sight. For people from Chennai, it was like Burma bazzar and Ranganathan street put together. I was so glad, I did not buy anything in the other islands coz things were so cheap at the flea market. I bought a Hawaiian dress for $8 - a dress for $8 - can you believe that. I got a beautiful sarong for $5. And shell necklaces were 12 for $7. T-shirts were $3 each. Of course, everything is made in China.
We then drove to the north shore to a beach called Sunset beach. True to its name, the sunset for beautiful. The ocean was very rough and the winds were strong. I have never seen such rough waters - and I have lived next to ocean for 21 years. The waves were well above 30 feet. The waves were hitting each other from all directions that it looked like the was boiling. The only other time, I felt so scared and helpless looking at the waters was right after Tsunami. I remember going to the beach next to my house 6 hours after Tsunami. The water had receded by like 500 feet, unlike other places where it consumed land. The water was just boiling in fury. I really thought the ocean was angry. I wonder, how the people living on the ocean front property live in peace when they see such rough seas and wind.
On the way back, we had shave ice -not shaved ice - anyways, both are bad - the shave ice is slightly better than shaved ice if you want me to rate them. We had some awesome garlic shrimp from the famous north shore trucks. We returned the car and was right on time for our flight back home.
I couldn't have asked for a better vacation. It was the right amount of time in each island and we got into the flight just in time when I thought it went so well that I want to return home and treasure the experience. Everything about was perfect - hmmm.. expect for the speeding ticket. Long live the town of Paia with our humble donation.
Long live the beauty of the land and sea and sky. I hope we do not destroy Hawaii and our planet for our kids and their kids and their kids. Thanks to Hawaii for motivating me to write in my blog. It took me one year to name my blog and 6 months to write anything in it - and a paradise on earth to write something meaningful in it.
Kauai
Karu and I went to Hawaii in Jan, 2010 for a vacation. It is the best vacation of my life. We visited Maui, Kauai and Oahu. Hawaii reminds us of our earth before we, humans, started destroying it. It is as close to nature as I have ever been.
After a long transit from Maui to Kauai - which was originally supposed to be just an hour, thanks to Go! (read my post on Hawaii Transport for a good laugh) - we reached Kauai. Kauai felt like Kerala (India's little tropical heaven). Little town with small roads and coconut trees. It is not as developed and commercialized as Maui. In fact, most of the island is not even accessible by road. So this is the place to be for hikers coz you be more rewarded as none of your driving counterparts can see what you see. The island has only like a few hundred water falls. And as you might have guessed, beautiful. But the problem is the island is small and they are fewer places you can drive too. So if you are not a hiker and if there is bad weather, they you cannot do stuff. For this reason, I liked Maui better than Kauai. Whichever direction the wind or the storm is, there is always a bay where you can get into the water. But if I go to Hawaii again and If I can hike, I will definitely go to Kauai again.
In Kauai, we saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Everytime, it felt like the sun was waiting for us to get there to rise or set. I know I know - it sounds cliched but Hawaii makes you feel so special. I have always thought French kiss was over rated. You just need the right place and time for it to be special ;-)
We stayed in the most beautiful B&B ever. The view is to die for. Read my blog on Hawaii Accommodation to know more. I wish I would never forget the view all my life and I can cherish it every time I close my eyes. We ate a lot of fruits - my favorite was a Lychee like fruit called Rambutan. All the fruits is Hawaii are so juicy. You don't have to drink water at all and you will wonder why you have to pee so often.
We did a Helicopter tour of the canyon. Before I say anymore, Helicopter tours are over rated. We did the best helicopter tour in Kauai, and Kauai is the best place to do helicopter tours - so I have all the right to conclude this. They are not worth the money. We did the doors-off tour - yes, no helicopter doors - you are hanging off it :P We went to the Water falls from the opening scene of Jurassic park, we saw Napali coast, we saw the canyons and valleys, we saw the plantations. We saw it all. hmmm... still not very impressed. Just save your money and do the cheapest if you want to. It doesn't get much better. Our pilot seemed very unhappy about what is happening to the island. All the big name plantation companies taking over the land and using them for pasture lands and GM crops. Again, it only made us think more about our existence. I will not rant more on this topic (Read the post on Maui if you want to know WHY I HATE HUMANS).
The next day, we kayaked down the Wailua river. It was a calm peaceful kayak trip. Nothing to write home about but pretty. There was a trail to The Secret Falls but we couldn't make it as it was quite a walk and for once, I wanted to come back from a vacation without injuries. We also kayaked to a swim hole - it was as perfect as in pictures. I always thought the photos are photoshoped - no such perfect places do exist.
We had some really awesome food in Kauai. After all, the plan was to eat, drink and relax in Kauai. And it was well executed - Thanks to iphone, google and trip advisor. The general consensus is Food in Kauai is very expensive. Sorry people - you are all wrong. You just need to find places where the locals eat - to get some awesome food at affordable prices. We had such variety that I had to write a post on just food - read my post on Hawaii Food. Hawaiian food is definitely something I will crave for years to come - the affordable sea food, the kaulau pork and all your wonderful fruits and ice creams flavored from real fruits. I never knew what fresh ingredients till I ate the food in the island. We also tried a lot of Hawaiian cocktails - they were all so wonderful and refreshing.
We met an interesting guy called Dan. He runs this most amazing ice cream shop - I am not exaggerating - his ice cream is to die for - and I am not a big fan of ice cream. If you put real mangos and lychees to make your sorbet, then it makes it all worth it. The only thing I regret is, I am never going to have such good ice cream in mainland. Wait, people in Austin - this is guy is moving to Austin and his shop is called Tropical dreams - do not miss it. I would consider moving to Austin for his ice cream. The ice cream is only a part of the interesting story. Going back to this guy, Dan. He is this really friendly, loud spoken guy with a lot of Aloha (Well, I had to use the word somewhere. Since I used this, I will also use this opportunity to use Mahalo :D ) He made many millions in the 90s and was one was the lead guys in the invention of internet and current communication protocols. And he went to Kauai to live for 16 years. And what a place to live! I admire him and envy him. Well, now that his kids are all grown up, he is moving back to Austin for their college education. He said he is moving to Round Rock and Micheal Dell wanted him to work for Dell. But he said Dell cannot afford him. He seemed to indicate he has a new idea and offered Karu a job ;-)
I read an article which stated people of Kauai are the second happiest people in US or something. Well, I don't know if they meant people who live in Kauai or people who are visiting Kauai. The latter are obviously very happy - because they are vacationing. The former - happiness is questionable. From personal experience, I felt people in Kauai were sad about what is happening to their island. They do not have sustainable means of living. Cost of living is high. They do enjoy the natural beauty of the island and water sports. But, most of them are giving up them farming and local business to work for big name resorts and GM farming companies as mere employees. Except for people in the tourism industry, others didn't seem to want us as we have the track record of destroying wherever we go - however they were kind to us (expect a few - but I won't blame them).
After two wonderful days in Kauai, we headed back to Oahu. Our good times didn't just end. We saw a beautiful sunrise over Oahu mountains from our gate. I cannot ask for a better ending. The funny part was, there was an old couple with us. The women went to the restroom when we witnessed this perfect sunrise. The guy was so mad with her that she missed it. When she got back, he said "Once a decade, we come to such a wonderful place. And you had to go to the bathroom at the perfect time and missed the sunrise". It was funny.
Mahalo Kauai. I will be back.
Maui
Karu and I went to Hawaii in Jan, 2010 for a vacation. It is the best vacation of my life. We visited Maui, Kauai and Oahu. Hawaii reminds us of our earth before we, humans, started destroying it. It is as close to nature as I have ever been.
We used a travel guide called Maui Revealed by Andrew Doughty. I do recommend this book. In addition to the the travel book, we used my iPhone for directions, reviews etc.
After 16 hours of travel, we reached Maui. Maui is one of the most commercialized islands of Hawaii. However, it is still close to nature with all the luxuries, unlike Oahu which is concrete-y and doesn't feel like an island. Kauai is less developed than Maui and you pay higher prices for stuff (expect lodging - which is low due to the competition and lesser number of tourists).
Day one of our vacation, we did The Road to Hana. We rented a Jeep for a day based on some reviews suggesting it is the best way to drive to Hana (not worth it - read the post on Hawaii Transport). It took us for ever to figure ut how to remove the soft top of the jeep. And it wasn't just us. We saw may people on the way struggling with it and we meet some couples who shared similar feelings about the top.
People recommend that you start by 6:00AM for the drive on Road to Hana. Guess what, we started at 10:00 and we did fine. We started driving towards Road to Hana and was stopped by a cop. We got a heavy ticket for driving in a 20 zone at 40. And everyone was driving at 40. Who drives at 20 in a downhill? It was a speed trap and the obvious-looking tourists in Jeep has to pay to run the town of Paia.
The road to Hana is rated the number one scenic drive in the US and it lives upto the hype. The road itself is only 32 miles but it easily takes 3 hours to drive as its narrow and winding along the mountains on one side and the ocean/bay on the other side. I have been in couple of scenic drives in California and Michigan. After an hour, I was like - okay, I know its pretty and all - lets just get to the destination. But Road to Hana wasn't like that. You just cannot get enough of the lush forest and the waterfalls and the clear blue ocean and bays on either side. It was really Pandora (from avatar) for real. The movie was not far fetched. It happened in a place called Hawaii. My favourites along the way:
1) Look out for the orange African tulip trees. They stand out bright and orange among the green forest.
2) There are these creepers that cover the tall tress. They have board leaves. The beauty it adds to the scenery - neither words nor photos can describe it.
3) Banana bread
We followed Maui revealed, stopped at water falls and bays and some food stands and fruit stands and made it all the way to Wai'anapanapa State Park. We saw the lava rocks and took a dip in the pebble beach. I hated the idea of pebble beach as the water hits you with all the pebbles. Otherwise, the national park was okay. We saw some guy stealing the leaves from the plants in the national park. It felt like India. The book suggests some detours through private land. We decided to respect the locals and their privacy and skipped it. On the way back, it started raining heavily. We decided to get drenched rather than go through the hassle of putting the soft top of the Jeep back. Eventually we stopped and went through the laborious process of putting the top back, only for the rain to stop in 5 minutes!!
Road to Hana is a must-do. I will do it again if I am in Maui. I will probably stay in Hana, so I can check out more stuff on the way.
Day 2, we woke up early and did a snorkeling/sNuba (not scuba) trip to Molikini crater. The weather was too bad to snorkel at Molikini. So we headed to coral gardens. This is the first time, Karu and I were doing proper snorkeling (last time , it was Florida, we snorkeled with the Manatees at 5 feet deep water!). We did the tout with Aqua Adventures. Unlike, other big boats with a million people on board, they have a small boat with 20 people and personal attention. We really needed it as we do not know swimming. One of the crew members stayed with us 10 minutes till we were comfortable in water. I was the first to get down in water. I had a couple of water noodles to help me float. I put on my snorkel glass and mouth piece and my fins, got into the water. Now the guide said, breath through your mouth and put your face into the water. I did - and what I saw - was just AMAZING and unbelievable. All those colors of corals reefs and hundreds of fishes - of all possible colors I know of. OH MY GOD! It was just a second I was in under water and I couldn't really believe what I saw. I came up because I couldn't breath through my mouth. The guide was laughing at me - as I came out with wide eyes and trying to breath and screaming, oh my god - it is so pretty - is this really true - all at the same time! I eventually figured out to snorkel comfortably (its not very hard). We saw sea turtles, countless fishes and coral reefs. It was a treat to the eyes.
We will soon be affectionately called the Noodlers by the locals and tourists ;-) In salt water, one just floats. But we were paranoid and would take the noodle whenever we get into the water for snorkeling - even if the water is only 5 feet deep. We even lugged the two noodles from Maui to Kauai in the plane. Well, if you can give a hearty laugh for people around us - why not?
Once we were comfortable with Snorkeling, we moved on to the next part of the adventure - SNUBA. Snuba is a mix of snorkeling and scuba - for the weakling who cannot do scuba diving. The oxygen tank is tied to a raft and floats in water. You are attached via a 20 feet tube to the tank. It is very similar to snorkeling expect you can go deeper with the 20 feet tube connected to the oxygen tank. You do not need to know diving, you do not carry any heavy tanks with you, you do not need to take week long expensive classes to learn scuba - and you will not die if you hop into an airplane the same day :)
After the trip, we started coming back to the shore. But the adventure is not over yet. The humpback whales migrate to the Hawaiian ocean from Alaska during winter to live and reproduce. The water is full of whales. I am not exaggerating. It is just so full of whales, you can see the fountain from its back all over the water surface. DO NOT take one of these whale watching trips. Because if you are in water, you HAVE to see them. Any water adventure you do, you see them. We particularly got lucky as a calf came very close to the boat and its mom came to protect him. Our captain stopped the boat and we got to see the whales from like literally 10 feet. In Hawaii, all the sea creatures are protected and if you approach them or touch them, you pay a heavy fine of $20,000. But if they come to you, you watch them. Further on the way back, we saw more whales, more whale tricks and whale flapping their tail and more fountains. It was a satisfying trip. The trip motivated us to learn swimming and scuba diving.
In the evening, we went to the Old Lahaina Luau. I had mixed feelings about Luau when I read about them. But after being to one, I highly recommend it to all at least once. As for me, I am going there again :) The show itself was good. I have seen hula dance on TV and web. But when you see them for real, it was mind blowing - how well they could shake their hips without moving the rest of body and how co-ordinated they danced. The women were so pretty. They even taught me to do some hula dance (hip-shaking) steps - it was really hard. The food was amazing, the drinks were unlimited and the service was awesome. Our waiter was very friendly and funny. He made me realize how to love the work you do - because it is easy to love your work than you hate it - and it better for everyone around us. He is probably doing this everyday through the year. He probably fought his with wife at home. He probably had a really bad day. But when he put on his Luau attire and stepped in the grounds to serve the guests, he wears this perfect smile and a enthusiastic attitude to greet us. My moment of epiphany in a fancy luau ;-) And he earned his heavy tip :-) We saw the Kaula pig pulled out of the pit.
The guy at the Luau explaining the culture was a native. He had this sadness above this head - above the environment being destroyed and Hawaii losing its natural beauty. He did not come off as a negative person and made us appreciate the gift we have and our duty to protect them. He made me cry at how we humans are greedy. Well, its not just him. But the beauty of the place and the memories of the movie Avatar and you see it all for real. We humans just suck. We suck so bad. We cannot live in harmony. We have to kill, destroy and exploit - even if its for need, I can understand but we do it for luxury. I can understand killing animals for fur 1000 years ago for survival in the cold - okay whatever - its for survival. But why will you kill for luxury and sports. Why will you kill an elephant to make a display item out of its trunk. Your dining room will not lose anything without a expensive display piece from a dead animal. I promised myself, I would never ever buy anything that encourages/leads to killing of an animal. The least we could do. Nature is so pretty. I lived next to an ocean all my life but never knew the sea life is so abundant and beautiful. I lived in the tropics for 21 years and never knew the land I lived on was once as pretty as this. I lived half a mile from the beach. I have never seen the waters so calm and so rough, and I have never seen so much emotions in the land and water around you. One of the local (who was very friendly) told me she kisses the land she walk on and she is happy to be alive. When you live so close to nature, you understand it takes fraction of a second for Nature to wipe you out. We live in big cities and all we know is concrete. In the process, we have forgotten to respect Mother Nature. I went to a farmers market in Maui. Maui is not known for its farmers market. They has minimal stuff. There was this couple selling the fruits and they were so rude to us. Initially, I was shocked, people in a tourist town can be so rude to the tourist. I can understand. They HATE the tourists and our guts. We destroy their land and sea. I heard the fish population is down by 20% in the last 10 years. This experience made me alittle scared of the locals and I avoided them in the fear that they would shout at me at any moment. Man is to be admired for what he has achieved. But his greed and ruthless destruction of the land he belongs to - is incomprehensible.
The next day, we rented our own snorkel gear and ventured out to snorkel on our own. We went to a random beach. The coral were like a feet away from the shore. They were half a feet under the water surface. And they were everywhere. We freaked out when we started to snorkel and we were right above the coral. If you touch them or kick them, you kill them. We struggled to get out of there. We eventually figured out a clearing where you could see the corals from the sides and not from the top. There were so many fishes and sea life in and on the coral. It was quite a sight.
Tip: If you wear fins and swim in the beach, the beach sand could get in between the fins and your skin and bruise it. So wear a fin sock. It would save some band-aids and skin :)
In the evening, we drove up to the Haleakala crater. The drive was quite steep with a lot of hair pin bends. The terrain was pretty with a lot of meadows and fields. It eventually gets dry and lifeless. It was so cool to see that the clouds are all below us as we climb up. It was surreal. I had to hold Karu's hands to make sure I wasn't floating away or anything.The sunset experience was horrible. The problem is you know the sunset is so awesome. The colors are wonderful. I have never seen the sky so orange and yellow. But the sun goes down behind the astronomical center and it was very frustrating. We waited for an hour till it became dark and did star gazing. It was so amazing. I have never seen such wonderful star lit sky. You could milky way band with naked eyes. You see so many stars. I have heard and read about light pollution but never really understood it as I never knew what I was missing. Again, we must be cursed to be missing such a sight everyday and to live the way we live. Haleakala is one of those rare places where you can drive to the top of a 10 thousand feet mountain and the sky is so clear as Maui is not so badly polluted by city lights. The drive back down was terrifying. This is the first time, I was terrified with driving down a mountain. I have always enjoyed the thrill of hair pin bends and driving in slopes. But this one was too much for me. I kept my eyes shut for the most part part. It was the altitude and the black sinister looking clouds all around you - especially when these huge chunk of clouds move. The hair pin turns was tortorous that I felt like I was just going to fall into a black hole. Thank god, Karu was confident and did not share any of my emotions and we drove back to civilization safely. One of the over rated things in Maui is biking down the Haleakala crater - point one - you are not biking down the crater. You are biking down the road. They stopped the biking down crater thing two years ago. I saw the current bike lane and you must be seriously stupid to pay $60 to come down that lane. The probability of getting hit it too high and the minimal adrenaline rush to come down that lane is not even worth it. I heard the sunrise is an ethereal experience from Haleakala summit. There were too many factors involved in getting the sunrise experience right that we decided to skip it. Also I do not enjoy dry land as much as the forest and water - its just not my thing. I didn't like the Grand Canyon too.
Day three, we had a relaxing breakfast and left for Kauai. Do not miss my post on Hawaii transportation for a good laugh on the Go! airways flop show.
Tip: Maui is an expensive place to shop. Do not buy Lei for more than a dollar. Do not buy sun dress for more than $17. Do not buy a sarong for more than $5. Do not buy Hawaiian necklace/chain for more than $5. Swap meets/flea markets have better rates than malls.
How to remove the soft Top of a Jeep
Step 1: Remove the zippers for the windows on either side in the back. Also remove the zipper from the truck. Now that is easy.
Step 2: Look above the driver seat and passenger seat for a clip. It will be above the shade. Unclick them to free the top from the front.
Step 3: Now this is the hard part. You have to the remove the remaining soft top which is attached by tension to the Jeep's body. The soft top is attached via a runner along the middle of either side of the Jeep's body - all the way from the trunk to the front seat. This is really hard to find because it doesn't look like this can be removed. Apply pressure and pull the top down. Try to pull off the top's end out of the runner in the Jeep's body along the side. This requires some strength and patience (especially the first time when you don't know if you are doing the right thing because it feels like you are tearing it apart!)
Step 4: The soft top is also attached to the top part of the windows on the driver and passenger seat. Apply pressure and pull it from the top (similar to step 3).
Step 5: If you did Step 3 and 4 successfully, the top will be loose and not attached to the jeep's body. Now push the iron rod that runs from the upper middle of the Jeep to the trunk, towards the trunk. It will completely fold behing the back seat and will take the loosened soft top with it.
There you go. You have the soft top off.
Hawaii Transport
Airlines in Hawaii
The only options are Go! and Hawaiian airlines. We had a really bad experience with Go! You HAVE to check in your bags, as any decent luggage which can take even a piece of bikini would not meet their carry on requirement. You pay $10 for them to lose your luggage. And they really try hard to lose the luggage as the airline has exactly one flight at any given point and there are not more than 10 passengers. How can you lose a luggage? That I still do not understand. We were going from Maui to Kauai via Oahu. At Oahum they realized they lost our luggage. It took all the employees of Go! airlines to find the luggage. Out connection plane came and left. After 30 minutes, the agent who was supposedly helping us asked us which plane we were on - and the plane was long gone. At this point, Karu asked her if she is joking. Apparently this question sounded like a terrorist attack that she called the security!!!! Can you believe this? The security was helpless as he patiently listened to our story. Finally one sensible guy who by mistake works for this airline helped us. We found our luggage and made it to Kauai only 6 hours late and missed sunset. Our co-passenger said this is her 5th time to Hawaii and she has never once made it without losing luggage.
Renting Vehicles in Hawaii
Priceline and travelocity is the way to go. If you pay full price for rental cars in Hawaii, you might as well throw your money into the ocean. Check both the website as they have different deals. Priceline is good if you are making reservations ahead of time, at least a week before. Travelocity is good if you are making last minute reservations, like when you are outside the rental car company ;-) Priceline does not allow Jeep reservations. There are many travel website that offers discount for Jeep rental.
An interesting thing to see on the road is all the vehicles have Hawaii number plates :) Expect one car we saw that had New York number plates - dude, did you really ship that car into Hawaii!
Jeep
We rented a Jeep from thrifty to drive to Hana. Travel guides recommend 4 wheel drive/jeep to drive to Hana. They are all wrong.Yes, you are slightly elevated but it doesn't do much. You definitely do not need a 4 wheel drive. There is not much value that you get from a jeep. The hardest thing about the jeep is to figure out how to get the soft top off. 4 stops and 20 minutes later, we took the soft top off. "Taking the top off" section of the Jeep Manual had very detailed instructions about the hard top. When it came to soft top, it just had one line - "Take the soft top off"! True to the American lifestyle, we cannot do anything with a step by step guide on how to do things as we fry our brains and eat them or leave it in the refrigerator at home. Once we figured how to remove the soft top, it is not very hard. But still removing and putting the top back is tedious. I just want a button to do stuff for me. On our way to Hana, we saw many people struggling to the remove the top. We also saw many people with the top on and I guess, they gave up. We could have earned some money to remove the soft top for them (Idea!) Check out my post on removing Jeep's soft top if you want to learn to remove the soft top.
The only options are Go! and Hawaiian airlines. We had a really bad experience with Go! You HAVE to check in your bags, as any decent luggage which can take even a piece of bikini would not meet their carry on requirement. You pay $10 for them to lose your luggage. And they really try hard to lose the luggage as the airline has exactly one flight at any given point and there are not more than 10 passengers. How can you lose a luggage? That I still do not understand. We were going from Maui to Kauai via Oahu. At Oahum they realized they lost our luggage. It took all the employees of Go! airlines to find the luggage. Out connection plane came and left. After 30 minutes, the agent who was supposedly helping us asked us which plane we were on - and the plane was long gone. At this point, Karu asked her if she is joking. Apparently this question sounded like a terrorist attack that she called the security!!!! Can you believe this? The security was helpless as he patiently listened to our story. Finally one sensible guy who by mistake works for this airline helped us. We found our luggage and made it to Kauai only 6 hours late and missed sunset. Our co-passenger said this is her 5th time to Hawaii and she has never once made it without losing luggage.
Renting Vehicles in Hawaii
Priceline and travelocity is the way to go. If you pay full price for rental cars in Hawaii, you might as well throw your money into the ocean. Check both the website as they have different deals. Priceline is good if you are making reservations ahead of time, at least a week before. Travelocity is good if you are making last minute reservations, like when you are outside the rental car company ;-) Priceline does not allow Jeep reservations. There are many travel website that offers discount for Jeep rental.
An interesting thing to see on the road is all the vehicles have Hawaii number plates :) Expect one car we saw that had New York number plates - dude, did you really ship that car into Hawaii!
Jeep
We rented a Jeep from thrifty to drive to Hana. Travel guides recommend 4 wheel drive/jeep to drive to Hana. They are all wrong.Yes, you are slightly elevated but it doesn't do much. You definitely do not need a 4 wheel drive. There is not much value that you get from a jeep. The hardest thing about the jeep is to figure out how to get the soft top off. 4 stops and 20 minutes later, we took the soft top off. "Taking the top off" section of the Jeep Manual had very detailed instructions about the hard top. When it came to soft top, it just had one line - "Take the soft top off"! True to the American lifestyle, we cannot do anything with a step by step guide on how to do things as we fry our brains and eat them or leave it in the refrigerator at home. Once we figured how to remove the soft top, it is not very hard. But still removing and putting the top back is tedious. I just want a button to do stuff for me. On our way to Hana, we saw many people struggling to the remove the top. We also saw many people with the top on and I guess, they gave up. We could have earned some money to remove the soft top for them (Idea!) Check out my post on removing Jeep's soft top if you want to learn to remove the soft top.
Convertible
When it comes to "wind on your face" and a push button for removing the soft top, a convertible a clear winner over a jeep. Depending on the deal you get, a convertible may be cheaper than a jeep. We got a Jeep for $65 a day. Convertible could run as high as $85 a day (incl taxes). But if you can talk, you could get them for $22 a day - I rented a compact car for $20 a day online. At the rental agency, I asked if they can give me a free upgrade to a convertible as we are on our honeymoon. And she did! Not free but for $2 a day - for $22 a day, we got a convertible. And I personally liked convertible better than a jeep. But again, I would never want to own a convertible (and ya, I live in Wisconsin). I felt like I was targeted by cops and thieves alike for displaying wealth like that. I don't know how rich people live. Maybe, if you are rich enough, you do not care about your convertible being broken into.
The only problem with convertible and jeep is lack of storage space. You cannot leave anything in the car. So you will have to leave your stuff in the hotel and travel light everyday. Theft is a common problem in most Islands. So we even had to lug our GPS everytime we stopped to explore something.
And finally Economy
For the most part, an economy car would do.
Scooter
We wanted to rent a scooter in Oahu but never figured out where exactly it is safe to ride them. So skipped it.
When it comes to "wind on your face" and a push button for removing the soft top, a convertible a clear winner over a jeep. Depending on the deal you get, a convertible may be cheaper than a jeep. We got a Jeep for $65 a day. Convertible could run as high as $85 a day (incl taxes). But if you can talk, you could get them for $22 a day - I rented a compact car for $20 a day online. At the rental agency, I asked if they can give me a free upgrade to a convertible as we are on our honeymoon. And she did! Not free but for $2 a day - for $22 a day, we got a convertible. And I personally liked convertible better than a jeep. But again, I would never want to own a convertible (and ya, I live in Wisconsin). I felt like I was targeted by cops and thieves alike for displaying wealth like that. I don't know how rich people live. Maybe, if you are rich enough, you do not care about your convertible being broken into.
The only problem with convertible and jeep is lack of storage space. You cannot leave anything in the car. So you will have to leave your stuff in the hotel and travel light everyday. Theft is a common problem in most Islands. So we even had to lug our GPS everytime we stopped to explore something.
And finally Economy
For the most part, an economy car would do.
Scooter
We wanted to rent a scooter in Oahu but never figured out where exactly it is safe to ride them. So skipped it.
Hawaii Accommodations
Day 1 and 2 in Kauai
We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Kauai. Its called Mohala Ke Ola (Waterfall B&B). Breakfast comes with a generous serving of delicious fruits including pineapple and rambuttans (better version of lychees) and a lesson of how to eat it :)
This is the MOST MAGICAL PLACE ever. The property is next to the mountains and on Wailua state park. You can hear the waterfall but it is hard to see it due to the dense trees. The backyard as a lighted swimming pool. Next to it a lava wall. If you go behind the lava wall, you come a deck at the lower level with the lava wall behind you. Now, you are into a all new world where there are no men or man made things - hmm, expect for the hot tub. You get into the hot tub. With jetted water at 104 degrees massaging you, you can just let go. All you see now if the mountains in the distance. A valley and a waterfall in front of it. Beautiful foliage. And right next to you is a coconut tree and palm tree with perfect lighting. Just when you are thinking, this cannot get any better, you look up and you see all the stars you want to see in the sky. Kauai is not very developed - hence, there is not much light pollution. The coconut tree towering over and the starts above it and the sound of water fall with the warm water massaging you, its a treat for all your senses. This is a place to die for. I hope I store the place and the feeling in my mind and heart for years to come. And I wish I can go back.
I got a great bargain - $135 room for just $85 (as I said, you need to talk in Hawaii). Unfortunately, small bed and breakfasts in Kauai is getting a huge hit by the economy and the big chain resorts. The guy who owns this place said he is planning to sell it as he connot afford it anymore. If you are in Kauai, this is the place to be (if its still open). Resorts come with its own pleasures but the personal experience of a B&B is unbeatable.
Day 3 in Kauai
Unlike Maui, Kauai has some cheap places to stay. We found a place called Kauai Sands to stay for a night before we head out. So paid $50 for a hotel room to spend literally 7 hours. It was decent and clean. So cannot complain.
Day 1 and 2 in Maui
We stayed in a hostel called Peace of Maui. I highly recommend this hostel. It was very clean. It is in a beautiful setting near the Haleakala crater. You can see the mountain in the morning. You can actually see the starts in the sky. There are a lot of fruit trees in the hostel from which you can have a good breakfast. Maui is an expensive place and the cheapest hotel starts around $100. Also, most of these hotel are ocean front and are in a resort-y setting. While being on a beach has its own perks, being in a quite setting among trees and to walk in the gardens with the star lit sky above you is also good. The hostel is also very affordable starting at $75 a night. You will get to talk to other travelers and get feedback about the activities. If you are lucky, you will also get free park tickets etc from them.
Day 3 and 4 in Maui
We stayed in a ocean front resort - as cliched as it gets in the Island. It was good to hear the ocean when you go to sleep and when you wake up. We were really tired by the time we got back and hence didn't really enjoy the ocean front too much.
We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Kauai. Its called Mohala Ke Ola (Waterfall B&B). Breakfast comes with a generous serving of delicious fruits including pineapple and rambuttans (better version of lychees) and a lesson of how to eat it :)
This is the MOST MAGICAL PLACE ever. The property is next to the mountains and on Wailua state park. You can hear the waterfall but it is hard to see it due to the dense trees. The backyard as a lighted swimming pool. Next to it a lava wall. If you go behind the lava wall, you come a deck at the lower level with the lava wall behind you. Now, you are into a all new world where there are no men or man made things - hmm, expect for the hot tub. You get into the hot tub. With jetted water at 104 degrees massaging you, you can just let go. All you see now if the mountains in the distance. A valley and a waterfall in front of it. Beautiful foliage. And right next to you is a coconut tree and palm tree with perfect lighting. Just when you are thinking, this cannot get any better, you look up and you see all the stars you want to see in the sky. Kauai is not very developed - hence, there is not much light pollution. The coconut tree towering over and the starts above it and the sound of water fall with the warm water massaging you, its a treat for all your senses. This is a place to die for. I hope I store the place and the feeling in my mind and heart for years to come. And I wish I can go back.
I got a great bargain - $135 room for just $85 (as I said, you need to talk in Hawaii). Unfortunately, small bed and breakfasts in Kauai is getting a huge hit by the economy and the big chain resorts. The guy who owns this place said he is planning to sell it as he connot afford it anymore. If you are in Kauai, this is the place to be (if its still open). Resorts come with its own pleasures but the personal experience of a B&B is unbeatable.
Day 3 in Kauai
Unlike Maui, Kauai has some cheap places to stay. We found a place called Kauai Sands to stay for a night before we head out. So paid $50 for a hotel room to spend literally 7 hours. It was decent and clean. So cannot complain.
Day 1 and 2 in Maui
We stayed in a hostel called Peace of Maui. I highly recommend this hostel. It was very clean. It is in a beautiful setting near the Haleakala crater. You can see the mountain in the morning. You can actually see the starts in the sky. There are a lot of fruit trees in the hostel from which you can have a good breakfast. Maui is an expensive place and the cheapest hotel starts around $100. Also, most of these hotel are ocean front and are in a resort-y setting. While being on a beach has its own perks, being in a quite setting among trees and to walk in the gardens with the star lit sky above you is also good. The hostel is also very affordable starting at $75 a night. You will get to talk to other travelers and get feedback about the activities. If you are lucky, you will also get free park tickets etc from them.
Day 3 and 4 in Maui
We stayed in a ocean front resort - as cliched as it gets in the Island. It was good to hear the ocean when you go to sleep and when you wake up. We were really tired by the time we got back and hence didn't really enjoy the ocean front too much.
Hawaii Eating
Fruits
This is the thing about fruits in Hawaii - they are all very very juicy - as juicy as it gets - they may be sweet, they may be sour, they may be bitter - irrespective of the taste, they are all very juicy.
Pineapples were really good. But do not buy the whole fruit if you cannot eat it immediately. You are in the tropics. If you do not eat the fruit as soon as you cut, it loses its taste. Now I understand the motivation for food preservation. We bought a pineapple and its taste deteriorated exponentially within 4 hours.
Custard apples were out of the world. Rumbuttan (similar to lychee but only better) was my favorite. I think,, these people do not know their coconuts. It was not as good as in India nor was it tender. Passion fruit was interesting (too sour for me). Bananas was better than mainland. Star fruits were very good - nothing like you get in the mainland. It was very juicy and the texture had a good crunch. Sugar cane juice and Guava juice was so refreshing.
This is the thing about fruits in Hawaii - they are all very very juicy - as juicy as it gets - they may be sweet, they may be sour, they may be bitter - irrespective of the taste, they are all very juicy.
Pineapples were really good. But do not buy the whole fruit if you cannot eat it immediately. You are in the tropics. If you do not eat the fruit as soon as you cut, it loses its taste. Now I understand the motivation for food preservation. We bought a pineapple and its taste deteriorated exponentially within 4 hours.
Custard apples were out of the world. Rumbuttan (similar to lychee but only better) was my favorite. I think,, these people do not know their coconuts. It was not as good as in India nor was it tender. Passion fruit was interesting (too sour for me). Bananas was better than mainland. Star fruits were very good - nothing like you get in the mainland. It was very juicy and the texture had a good crunch. Sugar cane juice and Guava juice was so refreshing.
Restaurants
Restaurants are, in general, very expensive in the islands. I do not care for the ambiance. I just want to pay for good food. Tip: Google for cheap eats in "place" to find good inexpensive places. If you eat where the locals eat, then you get good food without burning a hole in your wallet. Why do you want the restaurant to charge you for the romantic lighting and the sound of waves when they are available for free. To-go food from a local place and go to a beach. Eat good food under the romantic star lit sky and sound of waves.
Food in Oahu
The best place we ate was Helena's at Oahu - They serve THE best Hawaiian food ever. Their ribs were out of the world. Squid laulau was delicious.
Garlic Shrimp: Do not miss out on the road side garlic shrimp trucks in North shore. We had ours at Blue Water Shrimp. It is gourmet for road side food. It took almost 30 minutes to prepare but the wait was worth it. It was the most amazing garlic sauce I have ever had.
Food in Maui
We did not try a lot of different food in Maui as we always came back late from activities and most of the places close very early. We has Luau food at Old Lahiana Luau. Everything about it was good- the food, the drinks(unlimited), the dance, the service. I definitely recommend this for everything. It is worth the $90. Where else will you get such variety of Hawaiian food with unlimited good drinks. The highly rated Banana bread in Road to Hana also livs upto the hype. It was such a delight - that I had to remind myself I hate bananas. It sells so fast that they always have warm bread. The subtle flavor of banana and secret spices and the warmth of the bread slowly spread in your mouth - yummm....
Food in Kauai
Drinks
Oh my Hawaii - this is the place to get drunk and make merry. Their cocktails are done so well. Most of the nights, we went out for a drink. My liking for Mai Tai went down thru the trip. My favorite was Lava Flow (which has strawberry for the red and cocounut syrup for the white). The alcohol is blended so well that you do not even taste it (but of course, u get drunk). My second favorite was Blue Hawaiian. I also liked Honey girl. I did not like their long islands.
We made up for the food we missed in Maui at Kauai - where the plan was to eat and drink and relax.
Sea food was cheap (compared to main land). And much tastier. The secret to eating sea food in Kauai - Fish Markets. Every area has its own fish market - where you can buy cooked sea food too for to-go. The best ones are Kolaa fish market and Kilauea Fish Market. The food to so delicious and cheap. We ate seasoned octopus, squid and ahi poke. The later has ahi warp with one of the best fresh ingredients I have eaten in my life. I never knew carrots and cucumber could taste so good. Karu voted it as the best burrito he has eaten in 10 years in the US.
We ate a lot of Hawaiian food. Kalau pork (delicious delicious), ribs, laulau pork, chicken, squid, loco-moco, poi etc. I never knew pork could taste so good without spices. Kalau pork and laulau are cooked with almost no spices at all that you actually taste the meat. And its seriously delicious. Beaf stews were amazing in all the places we tried. Poi was disgusting - it is made of Taro(Taro made into a smooth paste). Hawaiians eat it instead of rice.
We mostly ate at street side local favorites like:
Mark's place, Kauai: Beaf stew was amazing. Please do not order any sea food. I read their loco-moco is good.
Hamura Saimin Stand: We tried a Hawaiian concoction called Saimin. Its a a twist on Pho and Ramen noodles. It was worth eating once. This place was out of a sitcom - some 3 japanese looking women doing the same thing without a minute rest. Restaurant architects must learn from these people how to maximize the space without trading too much privacy. The lady who was making the Saimin had an aura around her. She didn't seem to care about the long lines waiting. She made the Saimin at her own relaxing pace. And making Saimin can be pretty boring. You take a bowl. Put some noodles, put some broth, put some meat, add extra specials according to the order. Every iteration, she made 6 bowls. And she kept on making as people never stopped coming.
Eastside: New place - expensive. We just had pupus(Appetizers in Hawaiian). It was high-end fancy food, very unique flavors, but made well. Drinks were different and you don't like them at first sip. But it grows on you and you will enjoy the second half of the glass. But again, I am not very happy when I pay $14 for an appetizer.
Desserts
Shave Ice - over rated.
Ice cream - Macdemia nut ice cream tastes heavenly. We also had mango-lychee sherbet which was very refreshing. If you are in Kauai, You have to go to Tropical Dreams Icecream shop. Best ice cream ever. The guy is moving to Austin. I envy people in Austin. The owner is a computer guy. He,apparently, made millions of dollars in communication industry and was involved in the invention of internet. And he has lived in Kauai - one long vacation for 14 years- now he is going to Mainland for his kid's college education. Now, thats a story :) He even offered Karu a job if he does a start up in Austin ;-)
Sea food was cheap (compared to main land). And much tastier. The secret to eating sea food in Kauai - Fish Markets. Every area has its own fish market - where you can buy cooked sea food too for to-go. The best ones are Kolaa fish market and Kilauea Fish Market. The food to so delicious and cheap. We ate seasoned octopus, squid and ahi poke. The later has ahi warp with one of the best fresh ingredients I have eaten in my life. I never knew carrots and cucumber could taste so good. Karu voted it as the best burrito he has eaten in 10 years in the US.
We ate a lot of Hawaiian food. Kalau pork (delicious delicious), ribs, laulau pork, chicken, squid, loco-moco, poi etc. I never knew pork could taste so good without spices. Kalau pork and laulau are cooked with almost no spices at all that you actually taste the meat. And its seriously delicious. Beaf stews were amazing in all the places we tried. Poi was disgusting - it is made of Taro(Taro made into a smooth paste). Hawaiians eat it instead of rice.
We mostly ate at street side local favorites like:
Mark's place, Kauai: Beaf stew was amazing. Please do not order any sea food. I read their loco-moco is good.
Hamura Saimin Stand: We tried a Hawaiian concoction called Saimin. Its a a twist on Pho and Ramen noodles. It was worth eating once. This place was out of a sitcom - some 3 japanese looking women doing the same thing without a minute rest. Restaurant architects must learn from these people how to maximize the space without trading too much privacy. The lady who was making the Saimin had an aura around her. She didn't seem to care about the long lines waiting. She made the Saimin at her own relaxing pace. And making Saimin can be pretty boring. You take a bowl. Put some noodles, put some broth, put some meat, add extra specials according to the order. Every iteration, she made 6 bowls. And she kept on making as people never stopped coming.
Eastside: New place - expensive. We just had pupus(Appetizers in Hawaiian). It was high-end fancy food, very unique flavors, but made well. Drinks were different and you don't like them at first sip. But it grows on you and you will enjoy the second half of the glass. But again, I am not very happy when I pay $14 for an appetizer.
Desserts
Shave Ice - over rated.
Ice cream - Macdemia nut ice cream tastes heavenly. We also had mango-lychee sherbet which was very refreshing. If you are in Kauai, You have to go to Tropical Dreams Icecream shop. Best ice cream ever. The guy is moving to Austin. I envy people in Austin. The owner is a computer guy. He,apparently, made millions of dollars in communication industry and was involved in the invention of internet. And he has lived in Kauai - one long vacation for 14 years- now he is going to Mainland for his kid's college education. Now, thats a story :) He even offered Karu a job if he does a start up in Austin ;-)
Haupia is a pleasant cocunut dessert. I would never crave for it but it is very simple and good to eat. Karu finished a whole piece and that says a lot. It doesn;t make you feel guilty of eating a dessert as it doesn't "feel" unheathly as you eat it.
Drinks
Oh my Hawaii - this is the place to get drunk and make merry. Their cocktails are done so well. Most of the nights, we went out for a drink. My liking for Mai Tai went down thru the trip. My favorite was Lava Flow (which has strawberry for the red and cocounut syrup for the white). The alcohol is blended so well that you do not even taste it (but of course, u get drunk). My second favorite was Blue Hawaiian. I also liked Honey girl. I did not like their long islands.
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