Oxtail Soup --Bisaya version

Don't get me wrong I do love Hawaiian style oxtail soup but I need plenty of vegetable in mine. We bought our vegetables from Festival Market in Waipahu. Photo, address and map below.

Festival Market in Waipahu.
Address:
94-340 Waipahu Depot Rd
Waipahu, HI 96797

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Sharks Cove, North Shore

Activity: Snorkeling
Sharks Cove has been rated by Scuba Diving Magazine as one of the "Top Twelve Shore Dives in the World". Located on Oahu's world famous North Shore, this small rocky bay forms part of Pupukea Beach Park and boasts blue water and an impressive amount of sea life. The bottom is made up of large smooth boulders and coral heads forming small caves and ledges for marine life to hide. The walls of the surrounding cliffs provide calmer water attracting schooling surface fish.

Aqua shoes or Five fingers are must haves since the rocks are very sharp here and slippery.







































Parking lot: There 2 parking lots so make sure you check both since parking is very scarce.

It rained that morning so the path was very slippery (my nephew already fell once)

A view of the cove

On the south side of Sharks Cove is the Pupukea tide pools; a great place to wade and explore.

We chose Pupukea tide pools because we had our children with us.

Pupukea tide pools

On the way back, we saw people sunbathing.

For more information about the cove click on this link

Kaena Point - Best offshore hiking on the island

On the western tip of Oahu is Kaena Point. This dramatic lava shoreline is said to be the place where souls of ancient Hawaiians would jump off into the spirit world and meet the souls of their ancestors. With scenic views of the Waianae coast to the south, Mokuleia to the north, and the vast Pacific, it's easy to see why this point was deemed so sacred.

The only way to get to Kaena Point is by hiking. There are two trailheads: From the south side, or Leeward Coast side, begin your hike from Kaena Beach State Park. From the north side, or Mokuleia side, drive to the very end of Farrington Highway and park at the trailhead. This is a long and notoriously hot hike, so bring plenty of sunscreen and water. Hazardous conditions make any water activities extremely dangerous and are highly discouraged.

Above: Monk Seals resting at the tip of Kaena Point.

Above: Ka'ena State Point Park

Above: The parking lot. We were the first ones to get there. We wanted to start the hike early tp avoid the heat.

Above: The view of the mountains as soon as we got out of the car.

Above: Very muddy trail, it rained the night before so make sure you wear appropriate shoes (i.e. old running shoes). I wasn't very happy wearing my running shoes.

Above: Hidden beach, a mile from the parking lot. This was a big surprise for us.

Above: Hidden Beach (not so hidden anymore, you will see litter everywhere).

Above: Our second stop-- a cove.

Above: The reason why you have to wear appropriate shoes. They were too many of them left lying around.

Above: It got drier as we got closer to the point.

Above: Another stop.

Above: There is a big and long fence protecting the animals at Kaena Point. Dogs are prohibited.

Above: We had to go through a double door before we can get in the coastal reserve.

Above: You will find animal traps to protect the protected wildlife inside the coastal reserve.

Above: Tip of the point

Above: White rocks and lava rocks.

Above: Heading back.

Above: Plenty of car parts are left at the trail due to off road driving.

Lanikai Pillbox

This hike provides unobstructed views of a large portion of the southeast side of Oʻahu. There are two bunkers, or pillboxes from which this trail derives its name, where you can enjoy some views of the shoreline. Views include Kaneʻohe Bay, Kailua, Lanikai Beach and Waimanalo from various points along the trail. On a clear day you can also see Molokaʻi from the second bunker. This could also be a great place to watch the sunrise.

There are no restrooms or water fountains on this trail, so be sure to bring your own water. Also it can be quire muddy at the trailhead after recent rains, so wear hiking shoes that you don't mind getting muddy.

Parking: Neighborhood parking

Start of the trail

A view of Lanikai beach and twin Mokulua islands after 5 minutes of climbing.

The first pillbox--on top of the hill

The second pillbox.

End of the hike--second pillbox. Young hikers enjoying the sunrise.

Since we were unable to sit on top of the pillbox, my cousin and I walked a little further to have our own quiet area and enjoy the moment.

A view of Waimanalo Beach

A view of Kailua Beach, Kaneohe and Popoia Island.

The majestic Ko’oalau mountains that make up the skyline of windward Oahu.

Flowers we found at the trail.

Last look at the pillbox while heading back to the car.

Preparing for Hawaii

Eleven years in Washington!! Who would have thought that the military would still send us to other posts! We realized that it does not matter how many years my husband has left in the military, years in JBLM, a secure job, a nice house for 7 years and excellent school district for kids. I was very excited to move to Hawaii but at the same time I did not want to leave our home but it wasn't really a choice-- I didn't want to break up our family because of a job and a house.

My husband broke this news to us last July of 2010, while he was in Iraq. At first our decision was he was going to Hawaii by himself since he was going to deploy a month after he supposedly arrived. A couple of months after that, we found out that he wasn't deploying, so we made a decision as a family to stick together no matter what. I had to tell my boss different dates of my last day of work since the Army lost his documents. From January to February then finally Apr. 8. When it was set, we had to make decisions on what to do with our 130-lb-dog and our house.

Remodeled Home

Our house in WA -- we remodeled it before we left to change it to a rental property.

Shipping out Thor-thor

Shipping Thor was a lot of phone calls and internet research. It took me 2 weeks to finally get it done. Hawaii has a very strict rule when it comes to pet entry into the island. The state is a rabies-free state and they would like to keep it that way.

To get an accurate info, please visit their website: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info. Since our decision was last minute - less than 30 days before our departure, we had no choice but to quarantine him in Oahu. Our initial plan was to send him to Alabama to stay with Keith's parents but the thought of being away from our dog, our big baby and our guardian was more than I could bear.

The following are the steps that we went through before his departure: (note: there are other options, please check with quarantine office in Oahu, they are very helpful)

1. Ensure that your dog has rabies shots and the third one should be 30 days within/prior to his arrival to the state.
2. Get all the shots and treatments just to be sure.
3. Go to their website and choose a vet from their list and register him.
4. Go to their website and print out the Dog and Cat Import Form. Fill it out then have it notarized and mail it 10 days prior to pet's arrival.
5. Call the quarantine to make sure that they have the paperwork so they know the arrival time and date of your dog.

Thor was very upset with us when we dropped him off at the cargo airplane. He wouldn't look at us or lick our hand- he thought we abandoned him.