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MAKENA, MAUI
FRANKFORD-ALUMNI.COM--TRAVELOGUE
ALOHA! (Part One)
OAHU & MAUI, HAWAII
The most visited islands in Hawaii are Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island (Hawaii Island). Oahu, often called "The Gathering Place," attracts the most visitors due to its vibrant city life, world-famous beaches like Waikiki, and historical sites like Pearl Harbor. Maui is known for its luxurious resorts, beautiful beaches--(West Maui)Kaanapali Beach, where you'll find cliff diving off Black Rock, Kapalua, (South Maui) body surfing on Makena Beach, waterfalls along the white knuckle winding Road to Hana, and the stunning Haleakala National Park. The Big Island offers a diverse landscape with volcanoes, black sand beaches, and opportunities for stargazing.
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Let's visit Marriott's KoOlina Beach Resort on Oahu's West side. The vacation resort boast a crystal clear lagoon for swimming and snorkeling. You'll have to walk the trail and head to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, where you can float the day away in a lazy river, get pampered with beach side massages, (also at Marriott's KoOlina), paddle boarding, water trampolines and the fun goes on...
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​Smiles and hang loose signs are what you see on the islands. Plate lunches of Mahi Mahi, Loco Moco, Kalua Pork--comes with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad. It's ono! (Good or good grinds)​
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You can't leave without the islands without experiencing the fire dancing, Hawaiian hula, and the polynesian dances of Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. You'll witness the Imu Ceremony (lighting of the torches) and removing the pig roasting underground for hours, while you sip a mai tai orlava flow.
Aulani Disney Family Resort on KoOlina
Aulani Lazy River
One of the first things you want to get when you get off that 10 hour flight from the east coast is get "lei'd' - a Hawaiian tradition is welcoming you to the island with a plumeria lei. Often, hotel pickups wil provide floral and beaded leis. But if you don't get one from your hotel. There are lei stands in the area outside the airport. You can also get one at any supermarket, Walmart and Target.
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Then, look for a declicious "Shave Ice." (not pronounced shaved) Also, it's not called a snow cone or water ice here.
Hawaiian flavors are: Mango, Lychee, Passion Fruit, and Guava. Add the snow cap (condensed milk on top and s ice cream.Don't forget to shake some Li Hing powder on your Shave Ice. It brings out the flavor.
MAUI - THE VALLEY ISLE
Now, let's take a short Inter-Island flight to Maui. On the Western shore Kaanapali Beach awaits you, tempting you with snorkeling, paddle board, sailing, scuba diving.
If you rather stay on land, then you may want to check out Maui's rain forest, Iao Valley.
Or take an escorted tour to Haleakala National Park. If you go for the sunrise, make sure you take some blankets. It gets very chilly.
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Are you the adventurous type then, you'll want to try kite boarding on South Maui, specifically in Kihei.
Stay-tuned for Part 2 in future posts.
SAILING THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL
By Sue Feola, Class of 1975
PANAMA CANAL - photo by Sue Feola
This trip was on my bucket list of places to go.
I was always fascinated by the idea of a manmade waterway connecting the two great oceans, and I went out and bought the book by David McCollough, The Path Between the Seas.
The experience was everything I dreamed about and more.
I traveled with three friends on Viking Cruise Lines with an 11-day itinerary. Our ports included Cozumel, Mexico, Belize City, Belize, Roatan, Honduras, Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, Colon, and finally, Panama City, Panama.
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I went on excursions at every stop along the way in order to get a taste of the culture and history of each location. My best and most memorable experience was the actual passage through the canal, which began around 7am and didn’t end until around 5pm! It was amazing to see the engineering of the locks that carry ships of all sizes through the waterways beginning in Colon at the northern (yes, northern, not eastern) end and ending in the port of Panama City at the southern end.
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All of this was accomplished by thousands of men and machines at the beginning of the 20th century! We were able to watch the passage throughout the journey.
The most unpleasant part of the trip was when we docked at Roatan, Honduras, an island off the coast. The roads were in terrible condition and there was obvious poverty experienced by many of the people. This made me both sad and angry, and it did spoil the experience for me.
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My adventure to the Panama Canal satisfied my lifelong dream.
COZUMEL
Cozumel: Here I am pounding my paste to make a tortilla
the Mayan way! PHOTO--Sue Feola
Belize: That’s me on top of an ancient
Mayan temple at Altun Ha. Photo--Sue Feola
