This is not the first time we have been to Honolulu, but it our previous visits have been a quick stop in Waikiki on the way to someplace else.
Don’t get us wrong, we like Waikiki but does feel a bit like a cross between Disney World and Las Vegas, especially at
night. I am pretty sure that the lights of Kalakkaua Ave can be seen from space. The beach is amazing, the surf is fantastic, the water and weather are warm. There is a LOT to be said for sitting on the deck at Duke’s on a Sunday afternoon listening to Henry Kapono and his band weave their magical spell of the islands.
Prior to our arrival we arranged a house sit in Kailua. If you are not familiar with our house-sitting operation you can read more here. If you decide you want to sign up for Trusted House Sitters, this link will give you 25% off of your first year.
Kailua is on the eastern side of the island on the other side of the Ko’olau mountain range. It’s a very leisurely 30-minute ride on the Pali highway (route 61) with some truly amazing scenery.
We house sat for a lovely couple and two of the sweetest dogs we have even come
across (not mention a couple of chickens that graced us with fresh eggs daily). The pups, Monty and Mak, were pitbulls mixes, which may sound a bit scary to some, but these two thought they were lap dogs. We have heard the term “Velcro dog” in the past but now we really know what it means, these two followed us around everywhere we went and if we sat, Monty needed to be touching one of us.
Over the three weeks we were there we settled into a easy schedule. Up in the morning, yoga, breakfast (fresh eggs) and then a walk with the dogs. It was indeed warm, so after the walk, we would all jump in the pool in the back yard and cool off. The back yard was the kind of oasis that one could only create in Hawaii.
The amazing beaches, Kailua Beach and Lanikai were just a short walk from the house. They were everything you could hope for in a beach and had the bonus of being far away from the tourist crowds of Waikiki.
On the way home from the beach was an excellent shave’ ice stand. (note: shave’ –
not shaved). This delicacy, like so many others, that just seems to taste better where it originated (kind of like drinking Guiness in Ireland). Delicately shaved ice; piled high and drenched with locally made sugar syrups of all flavors. Don’t confuse shave’ ice with a sno-cone, there really is no comparison…
The days flew past and soon it was time for us to board a ship to Australia, more about that trip later….
Lake Arenal is now the largest lake in Costa Rica. We say now, because previously the town of Arenal was situated in a lovely valley, the town was moved to higher ground so that the local power company (I.C.E) could flood the valley and create a lake to power it’s hydro-electric plant. The lake covers just over 89 square kilometers (33 square miles) and varies from 60-80 meters deep (200 – 250 feet) deep depending on the season. It sits at bout 2,200 feet above sea level. At the east end of the lake is an active conical volcano that is 5,480 foot high.
Our charges are Emma, an 8 year old golden retriever and Mae a 5 
year old foxhound. Each day we load them up in the car and set off into the hills. Once we find a convenient spot to pull off the trail (calling it a road would be a misnomer) we let the dogs out and enjoy a lovely hike. Emma wastes no time finding a suitable stick and for the whole walk, we throw and she fetches. Mae waste no time with stick fetching and would rather romp in the high grass in the fields. Worth nothing that Mae’s unusual name is a Costa Rican slang word which is equivalent to the west coast word “dude”. Emma and Mae’s humans are on a safari in Africa and have been sending us texts with wonderful photos.
As we have a car on this sit, we are able to explore the surrounding area. We have found several local restaurants including a local microbrewery, appropriately named 
been for the invitation from Lance and Adrian (Ady) to come look after their home and pets while they visited family in Canada. Lance is a landscape designer, so you can imagine how amazing the gardens around the house were. Adrian is a retired flight attendant with lots of great stories about his travels. They have a dog named Georgie and a cat named Alfie who are both amazing and full of personality.
enjoy things like grocery shopping (which is unique in every country). Oundle is a small town that sports 3 grocery stores, two butchers and a handful of pubs. By the time we left, George was on a first name basis with the butcher and while he was getting a hair cut the barber said, “so I understand you are house sitting for Lance and Ady”. Such is life in a very small town.
group of friends who pal around, share dinners, support each other in ride sharing and projects and just enjoy each other’s company in general. While we were no substitute for Lance and Ady, we certainly had fun hanging out with their friends.
Many of these are created in cooperation with local farmers. This allows you to take long walks through fields and along the river. You can never tell if you will be in the 
middle of a heard of cows (or sheep) or walking down a country road.