On Kona, we hiked a bit to Akaka Falls. A beautiful waterfall in the rainforest. We took Saddleback Road which cuts across the island. Saddleback Road should have its name changed to Rollercoaster Road. We twisted and went up and down and between Mauna Loa and Maunna Kea (the two large mountains/volcanos) with my mom screaming the whole way, Brittany and Scott feeling more nauseous by the second, and us wondering if we would drive over the next hill and find there was no more road. It was like clicking along the ascent of a rollercoaster, reaching the top and dangling over the oncoming edge, not sure if you'll stay on the track. A little scary. But after it was all over we laughed about it.
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Our family went to two Luaus on the trip.
One was at our hotel on Kona and the other was at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu.
The Kona Luau was, hate to say it, cheesy. The host belonged on a Las Vegas stage. I'm not in love with traditional Luau food either. But it was fun to watch the dancers, try some poi, and see the sun set on the ocean. We only took a couple of pictures after it was over. By then it was dark and so the pictures are quite bad. But you just can't say no to a Hawaiian girl in a grass skirt. :)
Dad liked the mannequin's outfit. So he bought it. A true boy.
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The PCC Luau was great. Same kind of food, but it had the Mormon love seeped into it. :)
We were decked out in gorgeous leis, sipped on fabulous smoothies in hollowed out pineapples and enjoyed the show. It was one of my favorite memories: to just sit there with my family who I love so much.
We all got tattoos as well! (Henna ones of course.) Later, we saw the musical production "Ha: The Breath of Life," which was simply amazing. The story revolved around a boy growing up and reaching certain milestones in his life: learning about ancestors, becoming a man, finding love, getting married, having a baby, seeing a loved on die--and each was tied to a different Polynesian culture. For the Mormons, it was a true "I am a Child of God" theme. It was awesome. The dancers are amazing and the female dancer's had the most beautiful hair. Long and full with flowers adorning their faces. Lovely. The whole show was awesome!
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