One of the best things about doing a Ger to Ger trip in Mongolia is that you get full access to the families and the culture. You learn, you communicate, your spread knowledge and understanding. I have another ulterior motive though – staying with families in their gers give you great access for photography. The families are always eager to show you their lives and share and they do love to have their photos taken. Whenever I return to Ulaanbaatar after a Ger to Ger trip I always get the family photos reprinted and then take them back to the Ger to Ger office so that they can send them to the families. Each family I visited has a great photo album of images tourists/guests have sent them. I’m simply happy to be a part of that process of providing them some memories that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
May latest Ger to Ger trip to Terelj Park in Mongolia yielded these results. It’s good to know that these same pictures are safely tucked away in a book in their ger which they will show off to other visitors – sort of like the circle of life.
Where do you go to find authentic travel and great photos ops?
To purchase any of these photos, simply click on the image for more information.
A mother teaches me to sew as part of Ger to Ger Experience
The bus bounced along on the road north and for the first time in 5 weeks I just sat back, relaxed and didn’t have to worry about directions, breakdowns, or deal with the nagging internal question of “Will we make it?” The road was bumpy and slow-going, but in Mongolian standards this road was perfection. I was heading on a public bus towards Terelj National Park to experience yet another side of Mongolia; the nomadic lifestyle that is unique to this part of the world.
I had just completed the Mongol Rally, a 5 week road trip from London to Ulaanbaatar Mongolia, and the idea of someone else (aka the bus driver) driving and making decisions was a great relief. We arrived to the finish line of the rally earlier than expected and we had time to kill in Ulaanbaatar before our flights. My other teammates decided to chill out in Ulaanbaatar, but I decided to revisit and relive one of the best travel experiences I had ever experienced; a Ger to Ger adventure in Mongolia.
I convinced another Mongol Rally friend to join me on this cultural journey, John, a young traveler from Ireland. Together we found the correct public bus according to the instructions in our Ger to Ger handbook and we were heading north with other Mongolians and a small handful of tourists.
The barren landscape around Ulaanbaatar gave way to evergreen patches and rolling hills every mile north we traveled. After two hours, the bus stopped at a small looking village in the park. We departed the bus with our backpacks and immediately saw our ride – an ox and rickety cart. A local man smiled at us and said “Ger to Ger?”, we nodded and he took our bags flipping them onto the flat bed cart. We hopped up on the cart and away we went.
We had no real idea of where we were going, but we happily sat on the cart and took in our surroundings. Shortly we were at a strong river and the ox kept powering through as the water rose nearly over the top of our cart. John and I looked at each other slightly nervous, but the ox stayed his course determined to get us to our first ger stop.
We arrived at Mrs. Umaa’s ger where we were immediately invited in and served fried bread stuffed with mutton and onions. Mrs Umaa’s was still frying up batches of the bread as we sat and had our milk tea and surveyed our surroundings. The gers have such a simple, yet functional design. Two poles in the middle with a stove in between are the foundation with spokes jutting out from the center providing it’s stability. Felt surrounds the circular wood lattice wall keeping things toasty warm for the harsh winters.
John and I on our small Mongolian horses
John and I had familiarized ourselves with the Ger to Ger cultural handbook on the bus ride to Terelj. I was reminded once again about the importance of entering a ger, the respect of age and gender, and the life saving phrase in Mongolian, “Hold your dog!” After our quick, hot lunch Mr. Umaa saddled up two horses and was ready to take us to our next family 18 km away. I took a look at the horse and realized he didn’t look too intimidating thanks to his small Mongolian size, but I knew better than that.
Eighteen kilometers was excruciating to my bum and my legs, but we just kept on trotting along as John and I hoped each ger in the distance was the one we were supposed to stop at for the night. We finally came down a little clearing and saw a ger with puffs of smoke marking its territory and Mr. Umaa pointed to the ger. Hallelujah – we made it!
We arrived at Ms. Amarjargal’s family ger where we immediately bonded with the kids, a boy around 4 years old, and other cousins running around; some younger and some older. Before the sun went down we decided to take the young boy with us on a walk to an ovoo off in the distance. The boy wasn’t intimidated by strangers taking him away from his mother . He had long flowing hair which is similar for many Mongolian boys his age; in Mongolia it’s customary to only cut hair when children reach certain ages.
John carrying our new hiking friend to the ovoo
That night we ate a feast and then listened to the family call their oldest daughter who was 11 at a school in Ulaanbaatar. It’s customary for kids to be sent off to school at a very young age since there are not good schools in the area for children to attend. John and I sat and watched the touching moment between the family as they all tried to talk at once on their cell phone with spotty coverage.
They had an extra ger so they insisted that we stay inside their extra ger instead of unpacking our tent – they didn’t have to work too hard to convince me of that as the temperature was quickly dropping.
Breakfast of champions - fresh cream
The next morning we woke up to a deliciously sinful breakfast of fresh cream and bread. The food in Mongolia is nothing to write home about, however they do dairy the full fat way – nothing but the real stuff. Butter, cream, yogurt; I love learning what these products are really supposed to taste like! We drank tea and ate our bread with cream warming up around the ger stove. I watched as the father dressed his young son in a traditional Mongolian coat and sash and then they played around practicing a little fun wrestling, the traditional sport of Mongolia. It was easy to see how the cultural customs are carried forth from generation to generation.
Father and son practice wrestling moves
Part of the Ger to Ger mission is to teach visitors about the customs and culture of Mongolian families. The mother took John and I to the other ger and gave us a sewing lesson. She taught us how to make an intricate Mongolian pattern and silk phone holder. John and I weren’t the most talented students , but we loved how patient she was with us simply showing us what to do without really being able to communicate with us well. We used an ancient peddle sewing machine that I never really got the hang of, but at least I didn’t sew my finger!
Mongolian pattern
John getting his sewing lesson!
We spent the rest of the day playing with the kids who had an endless amount of energy for us. The mother next prepared the ox and cart and took us to our next family ger. Once again I’m amazed at how hearty and talented the Mongolian women are, they remind me of my grandmothers on the farms in Nebraska; they do everything – true working women.
John and I with our 'fans'
We sadly bid the children goodbye and bounced along on our ox cart to Mr. Bold’s family ger. According to our Ger to Ger handbook, we learned that Mr. Bold trains horses and has the prestigious title of ‘Lion’ from the Regional Naadam Festival where he used to compete. He became the Great Horse Trainer of Nalaih District. By the size of Mr Bold I would have though he was a wrestler; he was the definition of foreboding. It took a long time (and a little vodka) to see him smile, but when he did he looked much less intimidating! Ms. Battseseg, his wife, was also a professional herder and sews for many people around the area.
They welcomed us into their home with milk tea and bread. It wasn’t long before John and I were out with the family rounding up the cows so that the they could be milked. Our job was to find all of the calves and put them into a specific little square fence. John and I were feeling pretty rugged and were actually successful at this task! However milking the cows proved a bit more challenging!
Milking a cow...sure, it looks easy...
The next day we spent our day learning archery (which proved really challenging!), gathering up horses, and I even was allowed to help Ms. Battseseg make booz (Mongolian dumplings). She showed me how to fill the dough with the mutton mixture and pinch it together in a pretty looking dumpling. However it didn’t take long until I was demoted to simply rolling dough!
Our short stay was over and Mr. Bold loaded us onto the ox cart and we took the 15 km ride back to the bus stop to be picked up that night on the local bus. We were secured and toasty under blankets as we bumped along in the ox cart with our backpacks for pillows.
My archery form isn't too bad. My aim is horrible!
Our ox cart awaits. Mr. Bold and Mrs. Batsetseg say goodbye...
As I sat on the bus with John sharing a bottle of vodka I thought about this wonderfully rich culture and the fact that Ger go Ger really brings you an authentic experience that I’ve never been able to find in other places. Sure – this type of travel/experience is not for everyone. It’s rough, not at all luxury, and basic; but it’s real.
The Good:
This is the real deal, staying with Mongolian families on their terms. If you are someone who is looking for authentic experiences, then this is a ‘must-do’ if you are in Mongolia. Other great things about it:
• A large portion of the money goes back to the families you stay with
• Get a useful handbook and training on cultural etiquette before you go.
• You take local transportation which provides richer cultural experiences and exposure
• Provides a great opportunity for photography!
• Get to stay in a real ger – not a ger camp.
The Could be Better (or be prepared for these hardships):
• There is no bathroom facilities besides a hole in the ground with a few boards surrounding it for privacy
• No running water
• The food is very basic
• Have your own tent else you will have to rent one and it’s rather expensive
• The horse saddles are severely uncomfortable
• It’s not well planned and doesn’t really stick to the itinerary in the book. However if you keep an open mind, be patient, and know that you will get to accomplish a lot of great things that may not be in the published itinerary.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, absolutely yes! This was my third trip with Ger to Ger, and I’ve loved each one.
I found it to be really rewarding. However it is more independent travel than organized tour. You have to go into it knowing you will rough it and things won’t go as planned all the time. Be open and the experience can be amazing. I can’t wait to take another; however the next one I have told myself would be in the dead of winter so that I can experience the winter culture which I expect to be very different from the summer!
I instinctively made it to the office building; it had been two years since I was there and even though the buildings around it had changed, the Ger to Ger office building stood out to me teasing my memory and providing me flashes of deja vu. I remembered the stairs, the odd sculpture outside the building, and as I walked through the lobby the sensation of something familiar in this foreign country enveloped me. I walked into the Ger to Ger office and noted that it hadn’t changed a bit. I started browsing through brochures on the wall when a familiar looking woman greeted me and asked if she could help me. I told her I was interested in a short trip to Terelj Park. As I was saying this a flash of discovery came across her face, she wrinkled her brow and said in a part statement, part questioning tone, “I know you – you traveled with us before?”
I was astonished that she would remember me after 2 years, but she did. As we embraced and chatted about what I had been doing for the past two years, Zanjan – the stunning looking manager of Ger to Ger, amazed me by recalling my past details of living in Vietnam, teaching, and being a travel writer.
It was a strange feeling to be back in a city that I had been to before; I seldom revisit places I travel to simply because the world is big and there are so many new things to see. However after seeing Zanjan again it reminded me how comforting it is to be recognized and have a familiar conversation in my constant motion I call “my life”.
I was last in Ulaanbaatar in the summer of 2009, and it has always been one of my least favorite cities in the world. Strangely, the country of Mongolia is one of my favorite countries in the world and it continues to pull me back to its different and simple culture and landscape. However if you are going to travel in Mongolia, you really can’t avoid Ulaanbaatar; it’s a necessary evil.
In many ways Ulaanbaatar was as I remember it; chaotic, difficult to navigate, dangerous (in petty crime ways), and not a place where I enjoy being a solo traveler. As I walked around the tourist area of the city, I was constantly reminded by locals to be careful, don’t walk alone at night, and don’t take out a flashy camera. I also heard tales told of other tourists being mugged, pick pocketed, and simply followed. I remember the familiar feeling of constantly being on edge in Ulaanbaatar.
However in many ways Ulaanbaatar was nothing as I remember it. Buildings sprung up like fresh green stalks in the soil reaching for the sun in the spring time; they were everywhere. I was staying in one of those shiny, new buildings built for the Mongolian and expat elite. Our Mongol Rally sponsor, Roomorama, had provided an apartment for our team’s time in Ulaanbaatar. It was a far cry from my previous hostel diggs on my first trip to Mongolia. The apartment was full of the latest amenities and comforts in a city that is anything but comfortable.
Roomorama apartment rental - luxury highrise life
My lodging 2 years prior
Big malls had been built in 2 short years, and it felt as if the population had doubled. High fashion and luxury goods appeared in shiny store windows of new buildings. The streets were at a complete gridlock of a mish-mash of cars from foreign origins. Luxury housing glistened and beckoned those with any bit of money, yet the destitute seemed as worse off as ever. There were more homeless and kids on the street than I recall seeing two years prior.
Basically, it was turning into another overcrowded, poorly planned Asian city.
The city had grown at rapid rates since I was last there. It had a population of 949,000 in 2009 and now in 2011 it has risen to 1.17 million. There is an approximate increase of 35,000 vehicles added to the vehicle pool each year in Ulaanbaatar. The city is complete gridlock and polluted and I have a hard time understanding why people would want more cars when the average speed is slower than a person can walk during rush hour.
Old buses can barely move in the conjested city
Roads were in sorry shape and overcrowded
There is little urban planning as the city population grows, infrastructure loses the battle to ‘Demand and Desire’ and the whole place appears chaotic. Quality loses out to speed in construction and planning. As I walked around the familiar streets of Ulaanbaatar for days I had the overwhelming feeling of sadness for it. Like you were watching a person gain weight with no idea how they were ever going to get their weight gain under control thanks to a lack of willpower.
It was that sadness and frustration I felt for Ulaanbaatar that ultimately led me to the Ger to Ger office once again. I needed to get out of the overcrowded, dangerous feeling city and instead experience the Mongolia I love. Even though I had just driven through the entire area of Western Mongolia independently with my Mongol Rally team, after just 6 days in Ulaanbaatar I was frustrated and overwhelmed with it. I wanted to breath in the fresh air, see the wide open spaces, peer out into vast nothingness, see the simplicity of herding and nomadic ger life.
My Ger to Ger experience in 2009 was, and still remains, a highlight of all of my travels I’ve done around the world. It was the most immersive, educational, cultural exchange that I had ever experienced. I was excited at the thought of seeing how Ger to Ger had grown in the last two years; but as I peered around the office and talked with Zanjan, it seemed as if nothing had changed. They were still running unique cultural tours in the remote areas of Mongolia. They were still improving the lives of the locals involved in their cultural exchanges, and they still used the exact same cultural handbook.
It was good to see that some things hadn’t changed in Ulaanbaatar.
Trees are like a magnet to my camera lens. I find myself capturing trees around the world. My recent trip to Hawaii was no exception. The Big Island and Oahu were full of perfect trees ready to model for me! Here are some of my favorites.
A Tree at the Punch Bowl war cemetary in Oahu
A lone tree sits along the Chain of Craters Road on the Big Island
Oahu coast
Drive from Hilo to Waimea on the Big Island
A complex leaf pattern near Akaka Falls on the Big Island
Trees in front of Iolani Palace in Honolulu
Rugged trees on the hike to Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse
For me, travel is about experiences and connecting with people. When I make a connection with people in a destination, then it will turn into one of those magical places that will be on my ‘favorite’ list for years to come. That is what the Big Island of Hawaii was for me. I made many connections while I was there that will keep me going back to revisit friends, and find new adventures.
I had eight days on the island, a car, and a passion to explore the diversity of the Big Island of Hawaii. For anyone who is looking for a Hawaiian vacation that is ‘not the normal beach vacation’ then here’s my itinerary to something different.
My Big Island Itinerary
Hilo and Around
It’s a great place to start on the Big Island, but be warned, it’s not the sunny Hawaii you may be dreaming of; it receives 75 to 125 inches of rain a year and it will rain pretty much every day at some point. However it keeps Hilo looking fresh, green, and cool. Rent a car and use Hilo as a home base for a few days. You can fly directly into the Hilo Airport. From Hilo you can visit Volcanoes National Park in a short 40 min. drive, see Akaka Falls, or do a day drive to Puna.
Volcanoes National Park – You can drive the Chain of Craters Road yourself and stop anywhere you’d like to see the stunning landscapes, or you can take a complete tour of the park and see the glowing caldera at night with Hawaii Forest and Trail’s Twilight Volcano Tour.
From your home base in Hilo, don’t miss the beautiful winding roads of the Puna region. If you are looking for beauty and seclusion then you’ve found it on Hwy 137. Pack picnic lunch and go eat on the secluded shore line and watch the waves crash against the jagged coast.
Akaka Falls – The biggest waterfall you can easily view on the Big Island is Akaka Falls and it a very short drive from Hilo. As you drive there you may ever get to see the summit of Mauna Kea if it’s a clear day!
Time to bid goodbye to the rain and head for the pastureland of Waimea.
Waimea and Around
Now you can use Waimea as a home base to explore the rolling hills and deep cut valleys of Waipi’o Valley. A great base in Waimea is the Aloha Vacation Cottages where you will have everything you ever needed for a delightful stay.
On your way to from Hilo to Waimea be sure to stop near Honokaa and add a little sweetness to your day at the Volcano Island Honey Farm. Pick up some rare organic silk honey, learn about the amazing lives of bee colonies, and meet Richard – a very unique bee keeper.
Farms & Ranches of the Big Island
Get an early start to the morning and do a little work on vacation; yes that’s right work. Be sure to try your hand at being a Hawaiian cowboy (Paniolo) and herd cattle at the Dahana Ranch. This is the only place on the island that allows you to participate in an actual cattle drive and it’s absolutely worth it. It was the highlight of my trip on the Big Island.
Now since you’ve worked up an appetite, make a lunch stop at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company and pick up some delicious souvenirs to take home with you while learning all about how to cultivate vanilla orchids.
Take a day to discover some hidden beaches on the Kohala Coast from your base in Waimea. Stay for sunset and catch some great photo ops.
Kailua Kona and Around
Head down to your final location for the week to the pleasant beach town of Kailua Kona and use it as your last base to explore. Kona Hula Girl provides a great location to be near the famous Kona Brewery and the shops, restaurants, and beaches. (plus they will give you a discount if you mention Ottsworld!)
Lay on the beach and enjoy poke and watch sea turtles dive in the morning and then drive to Mauna Kea Summit to watch the spectacular sunset from the tallest mountain in the world. Or try to book an star gazing tour from Kailua Kona and have them take you to the peak, view the massive telescopes, and see star formations from a beautiful vantage point.
Finally, I suggest you end your time on the Big Island with a special treat that will bring the whole week long experience on the Big Island together; a helicopter ride! It’s a great way to see the ‘big picture’ of the Big Island from above This is your chance to see the lava flow from an amazing vantage point!
You can turn in your rental car at the Kona airport and fly out back to mainland having experienced the diversity of the Big Island.
The Big Island is a great place to rent a car!
What other non-beach experiences do you recommend for the Big Island?
Prior to traveling on the Big Island my answer to that question was most definitely “Huh? ” most likely followed by “No.” However, after meeting Richard of the Volcano Island Honey Company, spending hours talking to him enthralled with every piece of information that came from his lips – my answer is now an enthusiastic “Yes!”
I am hopelessly lost trying to find the sign for Volcano Island Honey and as usual I am running late. The drive here is distracting me with it’s beauty and I think to myself that this isn’t a bad place to be lost on the winding tree lined roads of Old Mamalahoa Highway near Honokaa.
Finally I see the turn off and it takes me deeper into the maze of private farms; at the end of the road I see the sign leading me to honey. I’m here to meet Richard Spiegel, a beekeeper who is leading the way in organic honey production. I have a dream of dawning a bee suit and seeing the hives, but Richard has agreed to fit me into his busy schedule, so I am simply thankful that I’m able to meet him at all.
A rainbow frames the bee hives at the Volcano Island Honey Farm
Richard wears a wide brimmed floppy hat, has a gray beard, and a welcoming smile. He leads me into a meeting room where I learn he holds presentations for various groups including students, tourist, media, and the neighborhood also uses it for a community meeting space. Richard gets me some tea and of course offers me honey. I accept and he brings out a jar of his honey, twists open the lid, and sets it next to my tea.
This is like no honey I’ve ever seen before. It’s cream colored and thick like frosting or a butter spread. I try a little directly from the spoon out of curiosity. It’s his rare organic white honey and even though it doesn’t look like honey to me, it tastes like honey; it has a delicious sweet flavor.
Creamy smooth organic honey
I’m eager to learn about his honey production. However, when he starts telling me about his journey from attorney to beekeeper all of a sudden I realize that maybe my real interest is not honey, it’s his story from traditional career to finding and following his passion which interests me. His views on business and life have captured me and I can’t agree with him more.
He describes himself as a retired hippie. He started as a lawyer participating in the civil rights movement, and ended up in a VW van traveling across the US to live an ‘alternative’ lifestyle. He wanted to show people that there’s another way to ‘do it’; ‘it’ meaning life in general.
I consider the fact that fate maybe brought us together. He was out preaching my way of life way before I was born. We begin to chat feverishly about our views of work, life, and of course career breaks and travel. I am delighted; yet we haven’t once discussed honey.
Richard talking about wax foundations
After a long, fun diversion, we get back on track and he begins to show me a slide show about his business and the business of bees. His hobby had been bee-keeping and when he moved to the Big Island he decided to use the bees as a way to change people. He wasn’t really interested in starting a business, but he wanted to see if it was possible to succeed in business based on values.
Richard next began to introduce me to the complexities of bees; the information he provides me is practically unbelievable.
• 1 colony contains over 50,000 worker bees – all female
• The queen bee can live for 3 or 4 years
• 1 colony can make 60 pounds of honey a week
• All bees in a colony have a specific role
• Bees fly 2 miles from the hive searching for nectar to make honey and when they find it they fly back and do a specific figure 8 dance to tell the other bees where the nectar is located.
The sheer thought of how a bee can communicate complex geographical coordinates of a 2 mile radius without speaking is about too much for me to comprehend. Richards describes the whole process of bee hives, pollination, and honey production as a four dimensional chess game.
Honey bees
I examine the prize jar of honey further as Richard continues to tell me about organic honey production at the farm. What makes this smooth, silky, mixture which is in front of me so unique is the way the bees are handled, and the way which the honey is produced. The first key is the honey is produced from pollen which comes only from one plant; the exquisite nectar of the Kiawe flower in its most natural form. Instead of the bees finding the pollen around them, Richard takes the bees to the kiawe grove so that it’s the only pollen to choose from. You can learn more about the process and why kiawe trees are used here.
The rest of the process is complex but Richard and his team of bee lovers are coming up with ways to lead the production of truly organic honey. As I listen to him talk I realize honey is not at all what I thought it was. Instead honey production is a true science. To get the rare organic white honey it takes into account things like purity, timing, crystallization, heat, enzymes, and filters.
Organic wax foundation
In the same vein in which Richard struck out of the corporate world to show people there’s ‘another way to do it’, he revolutionized honey production too. Volcano Island Honey has gone as organic and environmentally sustainable as they possible can. From organic beeswax foundation, to the jars they use, to the paper they print on, to the fuel they use for their vehicles; Richard is making the world a better place and teaching people to accept and embrace different ways to produce honey. He calls it his Bee-green initiative.
I tour the farm and we talk for hours about bees, honey, the world, careers, passion, and life. My trip to Volcano Island Honey is more than I ever expected it to be. It is different, surprising, and educational; but the best part is that I met a kindrid spirit in Richard.
Richard is “interested in changing the world in a more positive way.” He’s doing it through bee keeping and in my opinion he’s been quite successful. His honey is on shelves all around the world. He uses his famous honey to get into the hearts and minds of people, planting seeds of change inside people.
He may actually be a retired hippie, but he’s succeeding at making the world a sweeter place.
You can (and should) visit Volcano Island Honey Farm on the Big Island and purchase products directly, or take a tour! Tour Information
Bee Farm Tour (watch the bee hive through a glass window)
Bee Hive Tour (Dawn a bee suit and get up close and personal!)
Educational Tour for students or non-profits
The most frequent question I get asked is “What’s next?” followed by “How are you making enough money to continue traveling?”. I’ll tackle the latter at a different time. Both of these questions cause me anxiety, but it is a given that I will be asked them by 90% of the people I meet.
The simple answer is that I never really know ‘what’s next’; I don’t have a plan. My only plan is to remain flexible, and continue to do things that excite me intellectually, and challenge me.
I don’t have a plan on how to make a living as a travel blogger, on how I will survive the next year, on what I’m going to do in five years; I’m adrift on this globe simply trying to do things that bring me happiness and survive at the same time. I’m pretty sure that’s not a great way to get through life, but it’s been working for 5 years.
Lately I’ve been in bit of a funk. I can only attribute it to the fact that I’ve been in the US since September 2011 and I’m really itching to get out and use my passport again. I’ve had commitments which have kept me here and it’s allowed me to spend a great deal of time with family and friends, but I’m ready…ready to get out again.
Lately Europe has been ‘calling’ me. But at the same time in some weird way Europe bores me. It seems easy, posh, not very challenging. But I also have to accept that not everything has to be a challenge in my life; at least that’s what I tell myself.
I’ll be hopping on a plane with a passport in hand again on February 23rd heading to the little known island of Malta. Malta is one of these interesting places that is commonplace for Europeans, but rather obscure to Americans. Malta is actually part of the EU and it should provide a great mix of culture between Europe and Northern Africa.
Where is Malta?
After two weeks in Malta, I will head to Italy on March 10th to begin a big Europe tour that will include Italy (Rome, Sorrento, Venice), Austria (Vienna) , Germany (Berlin) , France (Paris), and Spain. It will also include my 18 year old niece for a week in Italy. I have no real solid plans yet, but I’m in the planning stages, so feel free to provide advice!
I plan to arrive in Spain in the end of April and begin a big challenge that has been on my Travel ‘Bucket’ List for a while now; I am going to walk the Camino de Santiago trail. In full it is a 800 km walk from the border of France to the coast of Spain. I don’t yet know my route or if I will do the full route or not, but I will do it – and my feet will be screaming at me no doubt.
The typical Camino de Santiago Route
As for the rest of my year, I’m working on some ideas (some really exciting ones), but not ready to provide those details yet! However I will always be looking for opportunities to accomplish things on my Travel ‘Bucket’ List. And I’m always willing to take advice from readers!
One thing is certain no matter where I go in the world, I run into graffiti. Sometimes it’s painful to see when it scars beautiful doors, buildings, and walls in Europe’s ancient cities. But sometimes it’s beautiful, artistic, and brings a city together. I’ve been taking photos of graffiti that captures me for sad or happy reasons as I have traveled the globe and here are some of my favorite shots.
Graffiti is art or an eyesore around the world? Let me know what you think in the comments!
When I first wrote to the Kona Hula Girl owners to learn more about their rental property the owners said, “I do want you to be aware that this is not a traditional hotel in any way”.
They clearly knew exactly what to say to me to get me interested! He went on to explain that the rooms are ‘open air’ with no glass windows but only screens instead. It gives it a light beachy feeling. Their goal is to make it feel like a “home away from home”.
It was easy to make the Kona Hula Girl feel like home since it was their home that you were staying in. Dean and Sherri live there on the upper floors and they built and custom designed the home themselves; Dean is in construction so this was his chance to build a dream home/guest house. Since they lived in the house on the upper floors, they took meticulous care of it and were always floating around somewhere coming and going.
I got along with Dean and Sherri immediately; they were from the Midwest and northwest of the mainland and had lived in Kailua since 2003 and clearly loved it there. I love it when a room is more than simply a place to stay and instead it’s a place where you feel welcome and taken care of.
Location:
Lots of windows!
The Kona Hula Girl Vacation Rentals are located in Kailua Kona and were very easy to find. There was plenty of parking available around the house and if you didn’t have a car, it was central enough that you could walk places. It was an easy walk down to the main shops and restaurants of Kailua. It took me about 15 minutes to walk down to the shore in Kailua-Kona town where it was bustling with activity of coffee vendors, farmers markets, and cafes. However I preferred the Hula Girl location because it was off the main tourist trail and a bit more secluded from all of the tourist shops.
Since the rooms have a partial kitchen facilities, you could walk to the store (another 15 to 20 min walk) and get supplies. I will say though I think I was the only person staying there who didn’t have a car which meant that there are very few people walking to the store and the beach; I was the minority! Dean and Sherri would occasionally see me and offer me rides if they were coming or going, but I enjoyed the walk in the perfect 80 degree weather. I wanted to soak all of the lovely sunshine in!
There was a shuttle that ran through Kailua Kona, but I have to admit, it was very slow and I found that I could walk places quicker than the shuttle could transport me.
Rooms and Amenities:
There are four rooms to rent and each room is different, I stayed in the smallest room called Hualalai and it was perfect for my short term solo stay. One whole wall was screen windows with pretty white shutters to keep privacy. The room had wifi, a kitchen sink, small fridge, microwave, and a few minimal place settings and glasses. Perfect for snacks and drinks. I went to the store and bought a variety of poke and a bottle of wine and I was set for the night! It was easy to eat breakfast there in the morning with a few items from the grocery store so it was a nice way to save money.
The other rooms were the same feel, but different designs. Two of them had bay screen windows and high ceilings, which let in tons of light. Plus the Garden Room had a patio and outdoor shower.
The house had laundry facilities, beach chairs, boogie boards, and supplies that any guests could use. However my favorite amenities was the patio and grill that was available for all to use.
One very special amenity listed on their information sheet was that Dean would come remove geckos for you! In this climate geckos are normal, but many tourists get a little freaked out by the cute, bug eating creatures. I loved the fact that you had a personal gecko remover if needed! I prefer to keep my geckos around, but to each his own!
Hualalai Room I stayed in
Kitchenette was enough to make small meals
Patio for all guests to use
Atmosphere:
Open, cheery, and helpful is what come to mind regarding my stay at Kona Hula Girl. I met some couples who were staying at the Hula Girl for a few months at a time; they were repeat customers which it a great indication of how well Dean and Sherri take care of the house and provide a great experience.
Costs:
10% off your stay
Range from -
$79 per night (Hualalai room) to $85 per night (Garden Room)
Or $500 – $550 per week
Special Discount! The Kona Hula Girl is offering a 10% discount off of your stay if booked by Jan. 1, 2013 when you mention that you heard about them in Ottsworld.
Would I recommend it:
For anyone making a stop in Kailua Kona I would definitely recommend the Kona Hula Girl. I feel that it provides a more personal and homey touch than hotels and it’s a great place for longer stays since it does have the kitchen and laundry amenities. The owners on site is a big plus and adds to the atmosphere of the place. It would be a great place to stay for a week (cheaper than hotels), rent a car and be able to explore the south part of the island or the Kohala coast’s gorgeous beaches.
More Information:
Kona Hula Girl – www.konahulagirl.com Don’t forget the 10% Discount you can get on your booking by mentioning this article.
Sherri and I before my departure
Disclosure: Kona Hula Girl hosted my stay with them. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!
I stand looking out over the jagged landscape; toppled-over trees without bark and a silver sheen provide a contrast against the dark petrified sea of lava. Occasionally I see a tuft of green sprouting up as if it was trying to reach to the sun. I imagine these scarce green leaves sprouting out of the hard lava core and screaming out, “ Life!” at the top of their lungs. I walk across the years of devastation, with each step the rocks crunch as if glass is under my feet. I stop and plant my feet firmly on the ground as I survey the area; I can feel the energy. The energy is deep beneath me, bubbling, rumbling, and aching to get out; I can feel it in the soles of my shoes. This land is alive; the Big Island of Hawaii is alive.
The tour guide, Taj, asks us all to introduce ourselves and say what we are passionate about; I knew right away this wasn’t your average tour. This ‘ice breaker’ takes place with my fellow tourists in the 13 passenger van driving towards Volcanoes National Park to witness the unstable ground we are all vacationing on. This is going to be a long day, a 13 hour tour, and getting to know each other seemed like a pretty reasonable idea.
Even though outside of my window the landscape appears very foreign to me, there is no mistaking that we are in the US when the waiver form is passed around and all of the seat-belts in the van are functional. Taj explains we are traveling between the world’s two largest mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, but they don’t look like they deserve that title if you ask me. They seem like barren hills rather than mountains; however their mass comes from below the surface. ‘Below the surface’ seems to be the theme of the Big Island.
Taj chats away on his microphone non-stop as he drives along the saddle road. He begins by informing us volcanoes are simply giant masses of weak rock. The volcanoes on the Big Island are considered shield volcanoes, which are ‘built’ entirely of fluid lava flows. The lava is thinner and takes less pressure to erupt; it oozes out making it easier to view and get close to. Taj is more than an enthusiastic guide, he has a degree in environmental studies; today is going to be a learning experience for all of us. However he not only discusses the science of volcanoes, but he starts to tell us about the rich folklore of the Big Island’s volcanoes and the story of the goddess of volcanoes, Pele.
The scary and beautiful Pele
Taj points out the pu’u’s, which are small hills created from spurting lava in flank eruptions. The pu’u’s look out of place in the middle of the flat landscape; like a zit on the Big Island’s forehead. We eat our box lunches in the van as Taj prepares us for our first stop, a trek inside a lava tube. A lava tube is actually as scary as it sounds. When it’s active, it’s a conduit through which lava travels beneath the surface draining lava from an eruption source. However the lava tube we are trekking through today is extinct; the lava flow has cooled and formed a cave like structure.
I know just how much I like Taj when he says we are skipping the ‘Disney version’ of a lava tube (aka Thurston Lava Tube inside the park) and instead going to the real deal with no tourists. We get out of the van and Taj passes out rain coats and flashlights; I’m liking the non-tourist lava tube already. Kaumana Cave is an extinct lava tube which once carried molten rock from Mauna Loa’s upper rift zones down to the ocean.
We descend deep into a damp cave, ducking jagged rocks and carefully placing each step along the slippery rocks. Taj takes us into the mouth of the lava tube and invites the adventurous among us to follow him deeper into the tube. I go willingly, walking through water that is ankle deep for another 5 minutes to where he is stopped. He tells the few of us who followed him to turn off our flashlights and we all get to experience complete and utter darkness. He lectures us on the formation of the tube and tells us we can find them all over underneath the island. They are like a vein system in a body, once again reminding me that the Big Island is alive.
Kaumana Cave entrance
Hiking out of Kaumana Cave
We stop at the Halema’uma’u Crater near Volcanoes National Park visitor center and Jagger museum. Taj walks us through the museum intertwining the science with the folklore and let’s us view the Halema’uma’u crater by daylight . The crater is impressive at it spews out vog, but Taj informs us it will look completely different at night when we return. I love the anticipation he builds in us.
Halema’uma’u Crater by daylight
This area of the park is literally bubbling with activity. We hike a trail around the steam vents and Taj points out hardly noticeable plants and flowers describing them to us and telling us the Hawaiian mythology associated with them. The smell of sulfur and bright colors of chemicals make the landscape look like an experiment in a petri dish. The hike is very moderate, but Taj makes it interesting and fills our heads with even more information.
Volcanoes National Park Hike
Taj hiking by the steam vents
Chemicals oozing from the surface
We get back into the van and drive down the Chain of Craters road stopping along with way to see various lava formations, dangerous pit craters, and hearty plant life. I am left in awe of the power beneath me and the havoc it could wreak at any moment. Yet I’m also considering this same dangerous land I’m walking on as the beginning – the birth. It’s a strange dichotomy that leaves my head spinning.
Maybe I’m feeling light headed because I’m hungry, so our picnic dinner down at the coast comes at the perfect time. We drive to the end of Chain of Craters Road where the island is expanding as lava flows into the ocean. Although lava flowing into the ocean is not currently visible (and hasn’t been for a long time), you can still imagine it as you peer down the jagged coastline.
Lava covered trees along Chain of Craters Road
The rugged lava formed coast
We have dinner by lamplight while Taj shows us his personal videos that he’s taken as he and some of his friends have gone lava chasing around the island. Lava chasing is like storm chasing, and it sort of explains why Taj is so enthusiastic about teaching us on the volcanoes and the ecosystems here. Volcanoes and specifically the Big Island is his passion.
In darkness we drive back thru the Volcanoes Park and learn it’s the only national park open 24 hours. We park again at the Jagger museum to view the big finale to the tour, the glowing lava of Halema’uma’u Crater. (see the first photo) As we snap photos on tripods, Taj is able to ‘connect the dots’ from the full day of touring with a last story about Pele and her immortal friends.
As we drive back to the Kohala coast, Taj was quiet for the first time all day as he let us soak in all of the knowledge of the day. It was a long but educational, fun day. In one day we did 25,000 feet of elevation change and drove over 300 miles. Taj put on Hawaiian luau music and I dozed off in the back of the van dreaming about the birth and continual growth of this amazing island.
The Good:
• This was a well organized, informative day long tour. The customer service from booking to the day of the tour was very high quality.
• Lots of knowledge dispersed on the ecosystems, volcanoes, and mythology.
• Meals (lunch and dinner) were excellent and plenty of drink and snacks were provided throughout the day.
• Raingear and warm weather gear was also provided which was a nice touch since we were traveling through various climates all over the island in one day.
• I loved the fact that we got off the typical tourist trail and explored the lesser-known lava tube.
The Could Be Better:
• I would have loved a bit more hiking, but we had a full day to fit many things in so the hike was only for about 45 minutes and very easy. It was more of a gentle walk than a hike.
Would I recommend it:
Yes, even though I had already been to Volcanoes National Park on my own, I was able to learn so much more and see many more things than I ever could have independently. I loved our guide and his passion for what he did was evident making the whole experience fun as opposed to dry. It was a reasonable price ($179) if you consider the fact that you drive 300 miles, had two meals and entrance into the park. It was a long day, but I was never once bored. If you are going to spend 13 hours with a guide, they better be good, and Taj was certainly the right person for the job.
Disclosure: Hawaii Forest and Trail hosted my Volcano Twilight Adventure. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!
