The Hawaii Series, yes, we are experts Chapter 1 · Sunday February 13, 2011 by colin newell
Andrea and I have just returned from a month in Hawaii. For the third year in a row.
So yes, we are experts now.
And it is high time I cooked up a series on the subject of visiting and getting the most out of your Big Island experience.
So – This will be a series of blogs on getting to, staying in and eating – drinking all that Hawaii has to offer.
For starters, let’s talk about what Hawaii is overall – and what it is not.
And keep in mind, this is NOT going to be a Fodor’s, Lonely Planet or Hawaii Revealed type guide – because that has been done – and they are books.
Book suggestion By the way – if you are planning on visiting the Big Island of Hawaii for the 1st time – or are returning after a hiatus, buy yourself a copy of Hawaii Revealed by Andrew Doughty – it is the one single book purchase that you must make. It is complete, concise and honest – 3 things I hope to be with this series of blog entries.
Hawaii overview: OK. Myths.
1.) For starters, Hawaii is not a tropical place (one of the bigger misconceptions) – Hawaii is sub-tropical. Yes, it is probably hotter than where you live right now, but if you are a North America resident and live in the Northeast or Midwest, your weather is probably hotter and more humid than most spots in Hawaii.
2.) Hawaii is not blazing hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Yes, it is cooler in the winter time – but unless you think that 85 degrees (F) or 29 degrees © is uncomfortably hot in the summer, then yea… you might find it hot. Because Hawaii is not equatorial (18 to 26 degrees North of Equator), it is cooler than you think and there is only modest variation in the temperatures between seasons.
3.) There is no Island called Kona. Waikiki is not on the Island of Hawaii. Waikiki is on the Island of Oahu. The Big Island of Hawaii is actually bigger than all the others – hence the moniker The Big Island. Hawaii actually refers to the one big island. The Hawaiian Islands refers to all the Islands. Confused yet? Apparently a lot of people are.
Pleasant reality: Hawaii is a mere 5 hour flight from Vancouver or Seattle. That means, in the same amount of time it would take to fly to Toronto, Ottawa, or Chicago – you could be in the tropical paradise that is the Hawaiian Islands.
Anyway – Up shortly, boatloads and boatloads of Hawaii observations… stay tuned.
Jump to Hawaii – Chapter Two
Rites of Spring #10 - daydreaming about Hawaii and Blue Horse Kona · Thursday April 29, 2010 by colin newell
We spend one month a year in this beautiful patch of green on our lonely Planet.
Blue Horse Kona farm is like a special tropical home where we have discovered our new second family.
Enjoy.
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Fall 2009 coffee drinking - what's on today? · Wednesday October 14, 2009 by colin newell
Today: A surprise bag of Cafe de Altura – La Quinta MAry – 100% Organic… and no, you are not going to find this on any Cup of Excellence hot list or specialty coffee auction block. This is very good, freshly roasted Mexican coffee from the holiday heartland of Puerto Vallarta.
A colleague visited the historic town of San Sebastian while he was on vacation – and while there stopped at Café de Altura, which is at the town’s entrance; a coffee plantation run by Rafael Sánchez Alvarado, where you can purchase delicious coffee and mocha blends.
And I agree, it is delicious. It is not often I get hand delivered beans from someone’s Mexican vacation. Thanks Gerry!
Later this morning I will be brewing up some Karatina Kenyan AA from the Nyeri Region (with thanks to Transcend Coffee)
Spring into bad habits - smoking quota in China · Monday May 11, 2009 by colin newell
Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette Puff, puff, puff until you smoke yourself to death. Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate That you hate to make him wait, But you just gotta have another cigarette.
Local government officials in China have been ordered to smoke nearly a quarter of a million packs of cigarettes in a move to boost the local economy during the global financial crisis.
Oh. My. God. I cannot take this in.
Honestly folks. The material writes itself. I just deliver it.
The edict, issued by officials in Hubei province in central China, threatens to fine officials who “fail to meet their targets” or are caught smoking rival brands manufactured in adjoining provinces.
Local schools have been issued a smoking quota for teachers, while one village was ordered to purchase 400 cartons of cigarettes a year for its officials, according to the local government’s website.
China has 350 million smokers. A million of whom die each year from smoking-related illnesses. Despite anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette taxes form a major component of China’s regional tax base.
In the late fifties, cigarette companies hired cargo planes to drop crates of cigarettes over Shanghai (this tidbit from a Slavonic prof at the University of Victoria) – His father was a doctor at the local hospital – and within days the wards were full to bursting with patients – all suffering from nicotine toxicity. The goal of the drops were to establish a beach head in a community… with fresh addicts.
