A couple of weeks ago, my son placed a note on the big calendar we keep on the office door - the day June 19 was X'd and the note said "Don't make plans" and there was a note attached with a list of clothing I was supposed to wear; old jeans, short sleeve T, tennis/walking shoes, socks, jacket and "my birthday present". Bathing suit under clothing optional. Don't wear anything that you don't want ruined. Be ready to leave house by 10:30 am!!!. When I asked him what was going on, he said I would find out when the time came.
When I shared the above with friends on FB, the first thing one said was that I was probably going 'ziplining'....hooboy! That would be something to see me flying like Mary Martin!
To my questions about his plans, he would say things like 'about an hour away'....'just be ready and all is taken care of''...'you'll find out when the time comes'... He can be quite exasperating!
Unfortunately, on the 19th I woke up with my head spinning. It had been a long time since this had happened and couldn't imagine why now. I took one of the dizzy pills that were Rx'd for dizzy spells and waited for it to kick in. The spinning settled down but was still a bit queasy. At this time, I still didn't know what exciting activity Anthony had planned. I asked him if it was something we could postpone if the dizziness didn't go away and he said, possibly.... Thankfully, by 10 am I was feeling much better and up to whatever the day was to bring. He gave me my "birthday present"; a small package done up in a ti leaf with raffia ties....it was a tube of 'Chapstick'...but not just any Chapstick...It was a "Limited Edition Design" Chapstick...only the best for his mom!
With Anthony, I should realize by now that he can be very close-mouthed and to always expect the unexpected. I was to carry the 'present' with me and use it 'when the time came'. As the day progressed, I realized he had given everything a lot of thought and had it all planned out.
As we left our drive and drove down the road to the the junction to Hwy 19 I asked which way and he said 'North by Northwest'....so I turned left. About 20 miles later he said 'We don't have to be there until 1 pm, so let's stop somewhere to eat a bite'....Well, he didn't want to stop at Tex so we drove into Honoka'a expecting to find one of the little eating places open.... NOT. It was Sunday and only Tex, on the Highway or Blaine's, in town, were open. Since we were in town, Blaine's it was (for those not familiar with them, Blaine's is a small chain of 'drive-in' eateries)....I can tell you that it was not my idea of a special Bday lunch, but what the hay....I roll with the punches...! (Later I found out that the original plans had been for a Saturday and we were supposed to stop at our friends' 50's Cafe in Laupahoehoe and Kendra was to have a bday pie ready for me....but Anthony changed the plans for Sunday when he realized we would be attending funeral services for a family friend on Saturday)
While our order was being prepared I ran across the street to the service station to use the restroom....Blaine's was out of order. At the service station when I asked for the key to the restroom, I noticed a small bunch of beautiful tiny orchids in greyish green and commented on how pretty they were. The attendant let me smell them - just like vanilla - and put them back where she had them. When I returned the key, she said 'Here Auntie, these are for you' and handed me the flowers! Of course I thanked and her and when I told her it was my bday, she came around the counter, hugged me and said 'Hau'oli la Hanau, Auntie!"
After eating our lunch, Anthony suggested we drive over to Waipio Valley Lookout, since it was still early....as we neared the intersection by the Malama store he asked if I could stop for a second. So in the parking lot we go and he goes in the store...and comes out 10 minutes later with a small bag and a see through clamshell with a gorgeous orchid lei. Yes, he had called a week ahead and ordered a special one called 'butterfly lei'. At first he requested one made with the rolled white ginger lilies, which are called 'mariposas' in Spanish (butterflies), but the white gingers are not blooming very profusely at the moment, so the salesperson on the phone suggested this one:
On to Waipio Lookout. I asked if he wanted to go through the regular road (the upper road) or the one through the little village of Kukuihaele (the lower road). He asked me all innocent like 'What's in Kuluihaele?" I reminded him about the gift shop gallery and ice cream...so he said let's take the upper road and maybe come back through the village later....
At Waipio, of course we had to stop for photo ops.... There was a gorgeous flame orange bouganvillea exhuberantly growing all over the place!
Coming back through Kukuihaele we had to stop a couple of times to take photos of a gorgeous pin cushion protea bush by the side of the road
and also to take pics of an amazing jackfruit tree with fruit growing all the way down the trunk to the ground!
We stop at the gallery and Anthony pretends to be looking around and then goes to the ice cream chest. We chose our flavors and go to pay at front and the very nice gentleman tending the store asks us where are we visiting from and we told him we're locals and that it was my birthday and we were just touring around....so I was given a flexible rubber magnet with a photo of Waipio Valley as a present....and it was then that Anthony told him....'and we have a booking for a tour of the rim'.
My birthday surprise is an ATV tour of Waipio Valley Rim!
WoooooooooHooooooo!
Follow me as we continue to be tourists in our own backyard!
