Kauai and Oahu, October 14-25, 2009

"Trebek, I'll take Hawaiian islands for $1000"

"O.k. Brad, What does getting stalked by a shark, swimming with dolphins in the wild, Sarah McLachlan, a flat tire, getting kicked out of the Saint Regis, DiDi, and the Na Pali coast all have in common?"
"The island of Kauai?"
"That is correct Brad, and in addition to the $1000 we are offering you a chance to rent a beautiful, white Sebring convertible!"
Kauai is charming, romantic, laid back, and everything that you would imagine a tropical paradise to be: pristine beaches, warm waters, superb snorkeling (stay away from the sharks!) and excellent coffee, but there is a gem in Kauai that can be seen nowhere else on Earth: The Na Pali Coast. The discovery channel claims that the Na Pali coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and we agree.

If there is only one thing you must do while in Kauai, it is to book a trip with the Na Pali Riders and cruise the Na Pali coast in their spacious Zodiac boat. Check them out at www.napaliriders.com.The Na Pali Riders came highly recommended by a fellow traveler, but we are incredibly tough critics.















Photograph courtesy of Bill Crane. Thanks Bill!

We have been on several boat trips and the service and sights have been questionable at times, to say the least.
We arrived at the shop and were immediately greeted with both of our charismatic leaders for the day; Bill Crane, the amazing photographer, and Captain Chris, our knowledgeable captain. If even a sliver of what the photos on the wall in the office portray is seen today, I know it will be a once in a lifetime experience. The 17 miles of untouched coastline is truly breathtaking and is one of the most spectacular sights we have ever seen. Seriously. Not only did our captain entertain and educate us on our journey, he knew exactly how to tap into your emotions by playing Sarah McLachlan and Enigma. He claims that the dolphins love Enigma, well it worked like a charm! Within minutes our boat was energized by the energy of thousands of spinner dolphins thrusting out of the water to our delight. Our captain said"Put your masks on and slide in, the quieter, the better, and witness the show". What a show is was. We were surrounded by the sweet sounds of dolphin chatter, and could see them everywhere around us. It was so thrilling and delightful to be in the mix with one of my favorite mammals!
It was a day we will never forget, thanks to the Na Pali Riders! They promised us if we came back during whale season we would surely get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures. Don't worry, we WILL be back!

On to Oahu-
Wow, Oahu was a time to relax and regroup. . . except for our trip to Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. That was an evening of complete debauchery amongst friends, and well a few hookers(Raven), just kidding! We stayed with my best friend Lyndee's sister Shori, her husband Pete, and their lovely sons Kai(3) and Kenji(1). Thanks so much for your hospitality!!!!!

It was awesome to finally see the World Famous North Shore, too bad the waves weren't "going off" at Pipeline, Alligators, Sunset, or Rocky's, or Brad may have picked up surfing. . . yeah right, maybe body surfing:) Hawaii was everything we hoped for and soooooooooooo much more, but it is time to say farewell to the USA and Hello FIJI!!!!!!!!!

Love from the most coffee, macadamia nut and tuna poke infested islands of the world- Savvy Nomad 1 and 2













Rubber ducky, looks like you found some friends along your travels. . .

Somewhere off the coast of Kauai. . .

Like sands through the hourglass. . . These are the days of our lives. . . Hawaii style.
We woke up late that morning and even though we are on "Hawaii time" we felt rushed to get to the reef early because that's when the fish are plentiful and the light from the sun creates less of a glare. We arrived at the beach and ran down the powdered strip of heaven, snorkel gear in tow, and belly flopped in the crystal clear Pacific. Our innocence still in tact. . . for the moment. We were so delighted and somewhat bewildered because we had the beach to ourselves. We should have known better.
Our smiles as wide as the deep blue sea, Brad says to me"Don't forget to spit in your mask babe, remember, the greener, the cleaner!" As we competed for the biggest loogie to defog our masks I sized up the reef. It was a long off-shore reef with a seemingly endless supply of fun. We started off our snorkel adventure in a lazy, dreamy float and our eyes were constantly lighting up with every new and different species of fish we "discovered". We were the Lewis and Clark of the ocean and ready to share our discoveries with any willing listener at the local pub after our journey.
Reef on our left, drop off channel on the right, we meandered our way through pockets of bright colored coral loaded with beautiful tropical fish, moray eels, eagle rays, sea turtles, sea urchin, lobster, and oh, so much more. . .
It was about that time to defog our masks again and when we lifted our heavy heads out of the water we both looked at each other with slight distress. . . Wow, we were extremely far from that "powdered strip of heaven" we mentioned earlier. "No worries", Brad says, "let's just head in". We were cruising in at a rather steady pace when. . . Cue jaws music. . .
Brad taps my arm and does the universal scuba sign for danger. Thinking it was just a lionfish or scorpionfish I motioned for the location. By that time he was grasping my arm in a way that meant there was real danger involved. He looked at me with panic in his eyes and I knew this look meant one thing and one thing only. A Shark.
I pop my head above water and say. . "HOW BIG!!!???" Brad doesn't answer this but instead, his voice shaky says" swim slow, be calm, and do not panic Sam. Let's just get into shore safely".
I was out of my mind! "baby, where is it?". Once again, he avoids the question and at this point he has my arm in a death grip and he is literally pushing me through the water like a 500 horse powered engine. I tried to remain calm but my adrenaline was pumping so hard I felt as if the shark could hear every beat of my heart and I was sure it could smell the blood rushing through my veins. We were on our borderline hysterical way back to shore and Brad claims "it's stalking us, BE CALM." O.k, sure, be calm my ass! It is nearly impossible to remain calm in that environment, and that's when I noticed my bracelet; Glistening and sparkling in the water like a fishing lure. Oh my God!!! It's my bracelet! In a frenzied attempt to rip it off my arm I caught a glimpse of a very large dark shadow slipping in and out of the reef. That's it. We're doomed. Shark bait is our destiny. Brad held the lured hand above water and continued to maintain order. If it wasn't for him I would have been swimming faster than Michael Phelps on crack, but Brad, my calming husband promised me everything was going to be O.K. After what seemed like an eternity we arrived back at our powdered strip of Heaven, and Oh, did it feel like Heaven. We made it!!!!! We made it!!!!!!
That's when the laughter came. Rolling around in the sand like a bunch of lunatics (I was so elated to be on land I think at one point I was eating the sand). When we finally calmed down I asked him again. "So, seriously, how big was it?"
"that's between me and the shark" he says, and until this day he has not revealed the size of our oceanic predator, and honestly, I'd rather not know.

Kauai, Hawaii October 13-19, 2009, This is just a little side blog, the real Kauai blog will come shortly :)
Many people that we meet tell us that we our living the dream, and while this is most certainly true, it is important to point out that it is our dream. We realize that we are lucky to be able to do what makes us so happy in life and we are thankful everyday for that. I have been given great advice from so many wonderful people throughout the years and because of it I have deeply grown as a person. I am at a point where I have no regrets about decisions that I have made in my life to travel, move from city to city, not to have children at this point in time, etc. . . and I have been ultimately successful in achieving my goals and I am truly HAPPY . Because of this I believe that I am finally in a position in my life where I am able to give some friendly advice as to how to get to that point . Please do not confuse this with arrogance or pretentiousness. I mean only to answer so many questions that I receive on a daily basis as to "how do you do it?" In the mission statement of this blog we claim that our goal is to "inspire, intrigue, educate, and entertain", and I would like to dedicate a little section to inspire, so here goes. . .
On Life:

• Find what makes you happy and DO IT! Happiness is the key to everything. I simply cannot stress this enough. I am sure that you know what I am talking about here. If you are unhappy at work, then that will trickle into every aspect of daily life, and so on. . . Find a way to find happiness, it is worth it! If you are in a terrible relationship, or even in a relationship where you just don't love the person. . . GET OUT! I am so tired of hearing people say how their significant other doesn't make them happy, or blah, blah, blah. I realize that a relationship is hard work, but if you can't fix it, move on. I promise you will be able to find someone that appreciates and loves you for who you are. Of course most of you reading this blog are in amazing relationships, I just want to say that this advice is aimed as a general for everyone, not geared specifically towards those reading this blog.
• Open your hearts, please. I believe that love is at the center of our driving energies; spiritual, emotional and physical. Love balances us out. I don't mean that you have to find that "one true love", I just believe that the more you give love, the more that you will be loved. Exuding positive energy is a great way to give to the universe, and you will almost always get positive energy in return. Don't sweat the small stuff and please try to stop arguing with others over trivial things, it wastes so much time and energy that could be used for. . . um well, use your imagination. Remember that Beatles song "all you need is love. . . ", they were really on to something don't you think? Happiness and love are are synergistic and when you put them together they are like one big screaming or. . , wait well everyone likes those right?
• Life is short, so remember. . . no regrets! No one wants to be that person that always says " I always wanted to. . . ". One day you are going to wake up and you will realize that your life seemed to just pass you by. Life comes at us so fast! You do have a choice; Do you watch your own life idly pass you by like a bad rerun of Roseanne, or do you become an active player in the game? If you have always wanted to skydive, learn to paint, go to college, swim with sharks, change careers, or volunteer, why haven't you? It is important for us to find what makes us happy and do it! Remember? If you have always wanted to travel and learn about other cultures but aren't able to, bring the culture to you! Look in your newspapers for local art or culture fairs and attend them. Go see a movie that has subtitles! Yes, subtitles. Foreign films are amazing :) Try Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, or Ethiopian foods. They are delicious! Open your eyes and open your hearts to other cultures. The United States is incredibly unique because we have so many amazing cultures and right at our fingertips and most of the time we look right past the beauty in this diversity!

• Money isn't the only key to success and material things should never take over your life. Yes, we all need money to survive and in this economy I may sound like an ignorant nincompoop if I say that money isn't the key to success, but please hear me out. Material things have begun to take over our lives and it seems as if everyone is trying to keep up with the Jones's. Think twice about buying that over -sized, gas guzzling SUV, that is way too expensive, and just not eco-friendly at all. We try to live beyond our means and that is when the money problems truly start to begin. It seems to me, as Americans we have an insatiable appetite for, well. . . things. Cars, homes, True religion Jeans, flat screen TVs, cell phones, gadgets, gadgets, and more gadgets, Sham Wow's ( just seeing if you were still with me), etc. I am not immune to this, believe me. Las Vegas is a prime example for excessive consumerism and maybe that's why Vegas has the highest foreclosure market in the US? Living beyond your means=trouble. It can be a vicious cycle but it all boils down to the first two points : Love and Happiness. Contrary to popular belief, money and material things will not bring you either one! Try to cut back on the gadgets, homes, and Starbucks, and save your money so you can actually do something that makes you happy (I realize that many of us, myself included, would put up a good argument that Starbucks does make us happy)!
  

So to sum it all up: Live a life full of love and happiness and aspire to achieve your goals. Money is a helpful commodity to have but "money does not make the man". Take time to stop and smell the roses , plumerias if you are in Hawaii, and love life! It is so AWESOME!
Thanks for your patience and interest in this blog. I love you all.-Savvy Nomad 1

Maui, Hawai'i October 8-13, 2009
Aloha friends!
Leaving Kona was difficult and even though we were excited to explore Maui we realized that we were about to embark on an entirely different type of travel: Couchsurfing. You are probably wondering what we mean by this "couchsurfing", so here's the deal. . . Couchsurfing is an amazing network that links travelers from all over the world. It creates friendships and allows travelers to experience the culture of the places that they are visiting through the locals' eyes. Basically, there are "surfers"(us), and "hosts"(the people that allow us to crash at their place for free). It is a super cool, exciting, and FREE way to travel. We signed up on the website http://www.couchsurfing.com/ (check it out!!!), and created our profile. We felt that because Maui is so darn expensive we would try our luck at Couchsurfing there first, and what a insane experience it was!! Seriously, WOW.
We stayed with two guys Joe (looks like Sinbad) and Nick (looks like one of the Little Rascals), and they even picked us up from the airport, how sweet. These guys are insane. We have never laughed so hard in our lives and our stomachs are still hurting from how out of control they are. Just to give you an example, they created this Youtube video, crazy hilarious. Nick videoed it and Joe plays, well. . . Joe. please watch it!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IrSg-8JEMA Also, here are some other hysterical links that we think you will find pretty silly! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tcR19y7GPM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UV_v1mdniQ
The first day we arrived in Maui our hosts took us on a drive around town to show us where everything was located, then it was off to the sushi bar Sensai for some delicious grub, and my favorite. . . karaoke! Scream! Oh what a night, I kinda stole the show. "Let's give it up for good dental hygiene". Too funny. We are loving Hawai'i, karaoke everywhere! By the way, if someone dares you to eat a whole chunk of wasabi, don't do it unless you want to burn really bad when you go number 2. Ring sting sting anyone?
They hooked us up with a helicopter tour of Maui. . . for free! How sweet is that? Such spectacular views of the island. Waterfalls everywhere and every shade of green imaginable. Heaven on earth. We also went ziplining. . . yeah team, for free. They are professional photographers and all we had to do is be their models for the ziplining shoot. O.k, twist our arms. We rented a Jeep and drove the West Maui Mountain drive and stopped off at astounding beaches for snorkeling and body surfing. Nick also wanted to introduce us to his friends :Patty, Sandy, Bob, and Russell (inside joke, but really funny I promise). Hey, why do two nuns always travel together? So the other nun don't get nun. he he he. The only inappropriate thing we saw with them was Maggie, their 16 year old friend who likes to drink pool water(lol). O.K., enough with the jokes already, Brad's getting violent.
We went to a nude beach called Little Beach( lot's of little things there. . . the water was kinda cold if you know what I mean) and had a blast! The shenanigans that go on there are too crazy to post on this so-called "family-oriented blog", so email us if you want the details!
Throughout the week Brad and I saw so many fascinating and exquisite sights: The drive to Hana, Haleakala Crater, and Tedeschi Vineyards, Maui's only winery. They make their wine from pineapples, so delicious. . . and nutritious. . . That's what we like to tell ourselves! Brad is such and amazing driver and I must say that he drove around the entire island of Maui without a single complaint! Thanks Brad! You rock baby!(and thanks for not allowing us to drive over any of those treacherous cliffs into the oceanic abyss, my Mom would have been really mad. Lol)
The last few nights we were lucky enough to be invited to stay with Scott, an amazing local singer. His favorite song to sing is "True Colors", by Cyndi Lauper. I kid, I kid. He is a dive master/ instructor at Maui Dive Shop. If you dive with him make sure to tip him phat, or he will pull your regulator out of your mouth, then put a giant octopus on your face, all while laughing so hard he wets his wetsuit! So scary, but completely untrue. Our friend Tracy, who also just happens to live on Maui invited us over for a sensational home cooked meal of fresh seafood enchiladas. Yummy Mcyummerson! Thanks Tracy! The only thing missing was David Beckham.
So, too sum it up for us : Maui = great laughs, magnificent beaches and snorkeling, dazzling landscapes, super scenic drives around the island, fantastic new friends, phenomenal sushi at "Sushi Paradise", and of course. . . karaoke.
Love from the most "honk you horn around the corner" place on earth- Savvy Nomad 1 and 2

October 1st-8th, 2009 Kona, Hawai'i
Aloha! Greetings from paradise! We are sorry that it has taken so long to write, but there is just so much to see and such a small amount of time and we want to truly grasp the essence and spirit of this awe-inspiring place that we call...Hawai'i!
We are currently in Maui experiencing all kinds of crazy adventures, and we will get to that later, but for now, it's all about Kona (and I don't just mean Kona Coffee or Kona Brewing Company!!! He he he we do love our coffee and beer though!)
Let's start at the beginning, shall we? The night before we left for this wondrous journey there was this twinge in my stomach that was all to familiar. . . anxiety. Although we realized that we were about to embark on an amazing trip, the fear involved with quitting a great job, leaving friends, and most of all, leaving a place we have learned to call home, was challenging and a bit unsettling. Not to mention the fact that since the last world journey we have seen the movie Hostel (sooo creepy), and plenty of episodes of "Locked Up Abroad". Do us a favor, don't watch those while we are gone or you will be seriously worried for our safety! Hehehe



















We took the Red-Eye flight to Kona and literally the second we stepped of the plane we were greeted by our lovely friend Sarah, who promptly Leid (not to be confused with laid), both of us with the most beautiful and fragrant fresh Plumeria Flower Lei's. She then took us to her and her fiance Kalani's fabulous resort( it is actually their house, but it is so awesome it should be a resort!). Their lanai(porch) overlooks a harmonious combination of the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean, the exquisite black lava rock, and plumeria, pikake and guava trees. Their so- called back yard (more like a private garden of eden) is complimented by a waterfall, lagoon, and what they call 'Pond", which is actually a jacuzzi that has a view of it all! Let's just say all of those initial feelings of anxiety were washed away with the first mimosa that spectacular first morning in Hawai'i.
Sarah and Kalani were the most amazing hosts and they truly encompass the meaning of the ever-so-famous "Hawaiian Hospitality". Captain James Cook came to the Big Island of Hawai'i as an explorer in the 1700's and had a first hand experience of this Hawaiian hospitality, but he and his crewmen took advantage of these amazing people. With them they brought greed, dishonesty, violence, and diseases that wiped out much of the population, and eventually the Hawaiian people had enough. . .and in 1779, as Kalani would say. . . "they slaughtered his ass"!
Kalani is a true Hawaiian through and through. He is so incredibly proud of his heritage (and his flaming jeep and CIA trucks lol)! He is full of so much knowledge about his culture, past, present and future. He holds the key to all of the secrets and blueprints of the Big Island. SSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! It's all Top Secret stuff!!!!!Hahahahahahahahaha


















I GOT STUFF!
That very first day they took us for some fresh Kona coffee at the Coffee Shack which overlooks Kealakekua Bay, Puu Honua O Honaunau, which is the City of Refuge, snorkeling at two-step, one of the best spots on the island, and this was all before noon!!! Then it was all about the GUAVA! GUAVA! GUAVA! GUAVA EVERYWHERE!
For sunset they took us out on their hand made Kealakekua(Hawaiian word for double hulled canoe), which they named the KINI KINI. Now this is a canoe, not to be confused with a boat, and if you do confuse it you will be thrown overboard by the Canoe's Captain Kalani! he he he. He built this amazing vessel by hand and it is truly spectacular!



















Kalani, Brad, and his super cool dog Awa!




















The rest of the week was filled with many crazy and cool adventures. For our One Year Wedding Anniversary, yes folks it's already been a year, they hooked us up with one of the most amazing things we have ever done: A night Scuba Dive with Manta Rays!!!!! Check it out at:http://www.konahonudivers.com/mantaray.shtml
They took us to the most remote and beautiful beaches, we are not allowed to tell you the names, it is all very Top Secret, CIA type stuff, but we will say that it was all truly breathtaking. Sarah took us to her property at Waiohinu that has the most jaw dropping views of the coastline and lot's and lot's o' cows, and cow pies! he he ha ha
So much happened on the Big Island, it was truly too much to explain, but let's just say that karaoke was involved, watching moonrise's, visiting with Aesha's loving parents Alan and Irene, and our absolute favorite. . . the Valley of Waipio, and the hike to the waterfall Hiilawe.
This was truly one of the most spectacular sights we have ever visited! So serene and magical!









Best Day Ever!!!! Best Week ever!!! Honestly we can't thank Sarah and Kalani enough for their hospitality and friendship! You are both truly amazing and our trip was so much more than a trip, it was a learning experience that we will treasure forever! Mahalo, Mahalo, Mahalo! Love from the home of the Biggest of all of the Hawaiian islands- Savvy Nomad 1 and 2

Sin City, Nevada. . .city of dreams, hookers, and . . . us.

One lonely rubber ducky found his way into our suitcase on the eve of our departure. Look out for the Ducky.

We have lived here for 2 ½ years and have observed some really weird things going on. We always hear “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”, but our burning question is…What if you live here? We feel it’s our duty to share some thoughts on Vegas. We owe you that much! Vegas is awesome, creepy, crazy and just ridiculous. Here are a few prime examples:

• A gaming bar that puts up a huge banner out front that claims “FREE PISTOL TO ANYONE THAT GETS A ROYAL FLUSH”. Really? Really? OK, let’s get people shitfaced, take all of their money, and then give them a pistol. Awesome.
• Nowhere else in the world would you pay $600.00 for a bottle of Grey goose and think you got a sweet deal. If I pay that much, it better be loaded with pee pee from the Gods. Oh, wait…I think it is, maybe that’s why I am always praying to the porcelain Goddess?
  I have actually had people come to my bar and ask me the most ridiculous things I have ever heard; here are just a few examples… “Do you live here?” My answer to that question (I actually heard that question several times while working in Vegas), is “No, I actually live in Detroit, but I fly here every morning just to serve cocktails to intelligent people like yourself”. Another one is “any chance you would like to come up you my room for a drink?” My reply is “Of course, you are in luck because I moonlight as a prostitute” Really people? What about me making you a freaking martini makes you think that I want to sleep with you? Maybe it’s my Red Rock shake?
• The most insane thing that I ever heard was this drunk couple offered me to “videotape” them in their room. Gross, but kinda tempting. I just told them that they could just find a hooker to do it for much cheaper. What is wrong with people? And Oh, I do not do drugs, know anyone that does drugs, nor do I look like a crackhead. So, please stop asking me if I can find you any “party favors!!!”
• What you see is not what you get. The most popular Las Vegas slogan of “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, should be changed to “move to Las Vegas, and for 10,000 dollars you can create your own private Alien”. And by alien I mean, the over-injected lips, inflated boobs, face lifts, eye lifts, cheek implants, butt implants,, veneers, hair extensions, gel tips, air- brushed tanned people, that are scarier than any horror film that I have ever seen. I actually ran into four of these aliens on my way into the post office and I almost pooped my pants. All I could think was “we are getting invaded!!!” What’s even scarier is that they actually think that they look good.
• Squirrels eating watermelon.
• Endless supply of porn, always creeping it’s way into our lives…
  
  
• The 75 year- old man walking around with a 22 year- old smoking hottie that is definitely not his granddaughter!! Eeeewwwwwwww. Yucky Mc Yuckerson and the Yuck hounds!
• Only in Vegas will you see a bartender work his/her ass off all night, just to pump every single dollar into the machine as soon as they clock out. Now that is just plain silly. (Or Brad sneaking in just 'one more' sports bet").
• Strip clubs, strip clubs, strip clubs, and the oh- so-famous Green Door
• Only in Vegas does Del Taco taste sooooo good.
  
  Now, there are a shit ton of crazies that live in Nevada, and I don’t just mean North Vegas. They are everywhere, especially the guy on Sahara and Fort Apache, but we still love you Las Vegas!
  On a serious note…We met so many wonderful people while we lived here and can’t thank you enough for all of your love and support! This is not goodbye, just a Fond Farewell!! LOL
  So please follow us as we venture around this spectacular world and we promise that we will not disappoint you.
  Love, from the most sinful place on Earth

- Savvy Nomad 1 and 2
Stay tuned for an amazing Kona, Hawaii blog. . .