Things we did on vacation

Here is a short list of activities Miss B and I did while on the Big Island of Hawaii. It seems like it was so long ago and being back at work is perhaps the last place I would care to be at this moment. The alarm went off at 5:30AM and let's just say I was less than happy to hear that. So sleepy! I am used to crashing until at least 9 or 10am every morning. Although when we were camping we did get up with the sun as many hours on a thermarest and the ground meant it was time to shake out the bones and get on with the day. We camped the first 7 nights and then stayed at Kalani, a retreat center on the south eastern area of the island. We had a GREAT time and can't wait to go back. We had always discussed living there eventually and after this trip, we could do it in 2 or 3 month doses but full time, not so much. So here is the list of activities in Hawaii:
--Camping at Spencer Beach with hot showers
--Taking an early morning run to a heiau and back to the beach
--Snorkeling at White Sands beach
--Hiking along the northwestern portion of the island along the rocky beach to find the best isolated area for snorkeling!
--Hiking in the Kohala Forest Reserve post earthquake damage. We weren't supposed to go but did anyway following the locals ahead of us. Amazing views and foliage everywhere! We didn't find a hatch but did find an amazing natural irrigation system. Who knew.
--Taking a tour of the Kona Brewery with lots of samples afterwards!
--Driving from the Kona Coast to Punaluu beach. A beautiful day for driving, singing along with the radio, and chatting with Miss B. Stopped at lots of roadside stands for random things and just to check out the little towns. So fun!
--Went snorkeling at The Place of Refuge which was by far the clearest water with beautiful coral and amazing sea life. Fantastic!
--Fed the cats at the Punaluu camp ground. Had names for all 6 of them before we left.
--Sitting in our lawn chairs watching the sunset with beers every night while listening to the surf and waves with excellent conversation!
--Did a 7 mile hike at Volcanoes National Park to see the lava drop into the ocean and make the biggest steam plume ever! We did this mid-day so man was it hot!
--Drove around Volcanoes National Park to view all the craters and former volcanoes with some activity. The last time we were there it was raining so we got a good view of everything missed previously.
--Drank beer every night under the stars in our reclining lawn chairs.
--Became professionals at setting up the tent and working the two burner system for cooking. Became very creative cooks also.
--Swam with green sea turtles. Watched these same turtles go out for their early morning swim on the black sands beach.
--Ate yummy malasadas and sweet bread.
--Eventually got to take a shower at Kalani. Hot water never felt so good!
--Went snorkeling in the tide pools of Puna.
--Ate really good food.
--Went to the "Estatic Dance" at Kalani. Basically Miss B found her people and it was great dance music with a bunch of hippies and the girl who plays Max on the L-word. It was so much fun! We danced like mad!
--Did yoga on the lava rocks.
--Read an entire book (600 pages +!) about Janis Joplin.
--Too many other things to mention. Will upload pictures soon.

We did get to hang out in San Francisco too once we returned. Here is the list of events during that time which was great! We did NO work and really relaxed in this great city.
--Had lunch with Vanessa and Mike visiting from Singapore. So good to see them as it had been two years. Just like we had seen them yesterday. Love those friends!
--Cleaned the house from top to bottom. One of those hard core cleanings that really gets the place clean. So fresh and so clean, clean!
--Watched the movie "HAIR". I had never seen it before. What a trip.
--Watched "The Devil Wears Prada". Ok, not as good as I had heard.
--Spent NYE with A and the Investigator dancing our booties into the ground at a warehouse dance party. Very fun. Got our groove on and rang in the new year with style!
--Did lots of yoga and running.

As you can see, we had a wonderful time with eachother hanging out. I miss Miss B today terribly and can't wait to get home to see her again. Ah vacation. All I ever wanted. Vacation how did you get away? With that, it's time to write some reviews. Ugh. Happy New Year to everyone and I will complie the New Year's eve post soon. Happy 2007!