Oahu: Day 5 Part 2

 After we snorkeled at Hanauma Bay we stopped for some pizza (because we were craving some good food) and then headed back to our house. On our way we decided to detour at The Valley of the Temples. 

Located near Kaneohe, the park is dominated by a majestic Byodo-In Temple. The temple is a replica of the magnificent 900-year-old Byodo-In Temple of Equality in Japan. The original stands in Uji on the outskirts of Kyoto. The Oahu replica was built in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to Hawaii. (credit Hawaii.com) 

 The three ton temple bell is supposed to help in meditation but I found it to be too loud.

 That is the meditation hut. It is really peaceful. There are cemetery grounds surrounding the temple. It is quiet and peaceful.

 Japanese carp. EW.

There was a giant Buddha in the center of the chapel. People can light incense to help their prayers reach heaven. 

I was so impressed by the towering pines. I love that we have pine trees AND palm trees in the same day.

 Beautiful flowers and foliage.

 The clouds sitting on the mountains made me feel like I was back at home in Utah.

 My crazy post-snorkel hair.

 One giant pine cone in the center of those leaves?

 We found fruit!!

 The next two pics belong on the Pearl Harbor post. Before we left  the North Shore area we stopped at the BYU-Hawaii campus to shop at their bookstore.

 I liked these trees....more flowers than leaves!! Pines, palms and flowers...this place has it all!!

Oahu: Day 5

We spent Sunday at Hanauma Bay. There is a spectacular reef there. It's an old crater that has made the perfect protected area for snorkeling.

In this pic, that stuff you see that looks like it's scum on top of the water is actually the reef under the water. If you look really hard you can see the tiny people too. We had to walk down the paved trail (or for $1 you can ride the tram down. It cost $1.50 to ride up the hill! On a side note....Jim and I walked both directions!)

It was a really big beach so it didn't feel super crowded. I was getting worse at snorkeling at this point. Any amount of water in my mask and I hit the panic button HARD. I felt bad for Jim. He loves it and wanted to be in the water the whole time. But I wanted to sit in the sun.

I did go in the water enough to get a few pics.It's hard to get a good underwater shot when you can't see through your mask very well. But I'll show you some of the pictures that worked out.

Don't ask me to name them all. You know that kind of detail slips my mind!

 I do know that this guy is a spiny sea urchin. Cute, right??!!??

 I loved the colors on this guy. He was the biggest and brightest fish we saw.

 He came really close to the camera!

 Angel fish...like on Finding Nemo.

 We were too big to swim through the hole. Not that I would have, me being a chicken and all. I think Jim and Robert would have liked to.

 Just a hole. In the coral. On the bottom of the sea. Could be a song.

 I tried to post this pic first. But blogger is being picky this morning. Here is an aerial shot of Hanuama Bay. This island is full of surprises. I want to go back!! 

 After a while Jim started to feel the burn (I am laughing as I type that. Burn. Not Bern.) We went away from the water a bit to find some shade for my fair skinned man.

 We set ourselves under a palm tree near a grassy area. We could hear screeching and carrying on from behind the tall grass. City girl wanted to pack up and move back to the beach but tough guy was loving his shade. So we watched a couple weasels (yes...weasels) run from the cover of the grass to the trash can in search of something to eat. ICK and gross.

Luckily I found a better view and diverted my attention to less disturbing matters. Paradise. Blue skies. Warm ocean breezes. It was heavenly.

 I loved this beach. It was beautiful and I would definitely go back.

What you can't see behind my left knee is the offending trash can the weasels had staked out. But other than that this view was perfect. I was made for the ocean!

Oahu: Day 4

On the fourth day in paradise we woke up to another beautiful sunrise. 

This is the day of Ben and Katelyn's wedding in the Laie, Hawaii Temple. We were so excited to celebrate with them. We were their YM/YW leaders in Papillion and have watched their relationship unfold from the beginning.

Of course I had planned on straightening my hair and being all pretty for the day. But half way through my blow drying the power went out!!! Yep...so there I was...neither curly nor straight.

But there are just some things you get to roll with and that was one of them! I didn't even put on makeup. That is how chill I was.

As you can see, we took a few selfies. What else were we supposed to do to pass the time!!??

It was so uplifting to be in such a sacred place. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I won't soon forget.

They are so perfect for each other. They balance each other nicely. 

After the wedding we had a few hours to kill while we waited for the reception. Jim and I headed back to the house for some snorkeling. Ilise and Robert went to ride horses. For some reason Jim didn't find the idea of that to be relaxing.

We loved hanging out. After we snorkeled we watched the ocean. It is something I found I could do all day.

This mama hen and her babies came through our yard  at about the same time every day. Lots of chickens running around. Jim liked to joke that he would just catch one for our dinner so we didn't have to go out. Ugh...no thanks!

This is the only pic I got at the reception. There were quite a few people that I knew. I was just too busy talking to them to get a photo.

After the reception we went back to the house to chill out. Robert picked this out at the store. I gotta say it was pretty dang good!! It had yams in it so it counts as a veggie...right?

This is how most of our days ended. Looking out the windows at the ocean, writing in our journals and checking in with our phones. We visited and joked and laughed about the days adventures. It was a really good day.

And just in case you needed a good chuckle.... I'm always asking Jim to please smile with his teeth. He has a nice smile and looks less constipated. This is what I got. Better luck next time!!