In this final blog I would like to talk about the comparisons and differences I saw in the cultures I have expereinced.
First, within the places I have been in the United States there are so many differences. In terms of work characteristics Hawaii had a very laid back attitude while Washington D.C. was always bustling with people. Alaska was also pretty relaxed.
Besides the language difference France has some differences from the United States that I think would be nice here. For instance stores and businesses close on Sundays and shops close pretty early in the evening. However, I do like how the states do not have as much cigarette smoke around and that there is a wide variety of food to eat. France had zero Mexican food.
Australia was kinda the same way but it was more Japanese, British, and seafood types of food.
Australia's payment for employees is better than here in America. There minimum wage is at least $14 and their guest worker programs seem to work better than the U.S.
Whatever the place though I encourage you to take the new experience. I know I loved being able to travel to the different cultures and learn more about the world.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Alaska; how to get there
I was in third grade when my family made a trip to Alaska. It is still one of my favorite trips though. In this blog I'm going to discuss how I actually got to Alaska. First, my family took a plane. Not directly to Alaska though. We instead flew to Bellingham, Washington to catch a ferry.
When we arrived in Bellingham we went to the grocery store because unlike a cruise ship you feed yourself on a ferry. So we loaded up on tons of food and then boarded the boat to find our cabin. Our cabin consisted of two sets of bunk beds. I don't recall the bathroom situation so either it was really bad and I've blocked it out or it wasn't worth remembering.
Anyway the rest of the ferry was quite fun. If you took the elevator all the way to the bottom there were tons of cars and storage items. On the front of the ferry was a large viewing room with huge windows so you were able to stay inside and be warm while still viewing the ocean. There was also a small game room for kids and places on the side of the ship where you could scout for whales.
The only thing I remember about scouting for whales on the ship is that my sister, my uncle, and I would get our rain gear on and sit outside for hours watching for whales. Then when we would finally spot one the captain would get on the loud speaker and say, "Humpback whale off the port side." And all of a sudden my great view of the whale on the empty deck became me being pushed by grown people back from the deck so they could see the whale. This always struck me as funny considering I was about four feet tall maybe and everyone towered over me.
My favorite part of the ship was the top deck. It had an amazing view... of tents! On our ferry you didn't have to rent a cabin. You could go the cheaper route and just put up a tent right there on the deck. There were so many of them it was unbelievable.
After traveling up the Alaskan Channel we finally reached Juneau, Alaska's capital. We didn't stay here even a day because we were flying from that airport to Anchorage. To get to the airport though was a feat within itself. We had originally booked a large safari van to get the six of us and our luggage to the airport. We had 22 pieces of luggage since we were going fishing and were staying about a month. This luggage included 6 huge fish boxes that would carry our fish home.
My uncle went to pick up our vehicle but when he returned in a bright red convertible we were a little suprised. The renting agency had forgotten to save us a van and this was all they had left. We made about 5 or 6 trips between the harbor and the airport before all of our luggage and all of us finally made it.
Then we flew with no problems to Anchorage. From there we rented a motorhome so we could travel from town to town for the next month.
When we arrived in Bellingham we went to the grocery store because unlike a cruise ship you feed yourself on a ferry. So we loaded up on tons of food and then boarded the boat to find our cabin. Our cabin consisted of two sets of bunk beds. I don't recall the bathroom situation so either it was really bad and I've blocked it out or it wasn't worth remembering.
Anyway the rest of the ferry was quite fun. If you took the elevator all the way to the bottom there were tons of cars and storage items. On the front of the ferry was a large viewing room with huge windows so you were able to stay inside and be warm while still viewing the ocean. There was also a small game room for kids and places on the side of the ship where you could scout for whales.
The only thing I remember about scouting for whales on the ship is that my sister, my uncle, and I would get our rain gear on and sit outside for hours watching for whales. Then when we would finally spot one the captain would get on the loud speaker and say, "Humpback whale off the port side." And all of a sudden my great view of the whale on the empty deck became me being pushed by grown people back from the deck so they could see the whale. This always struck me as funny considering I was about four feet tall maybe and everyone towered over me.
My favorite part of the ship was the top deck. It had an amazing view... of tents! On our ferry you didn't have to rent a cabin. You could go the cheaper route and just put up a tent right there on the deck. There were so many of them it was unbelievable.
After traveling up the Alaskan Channel we finally reached Juneau, Alaska's capital. We didn't stay here even a day because we were flying from that airport to Anchorage. To get to the airport though was a feat within itself. We had originally booked a large safari van to get the six of us and our luggage to the airport. We had 22 pieces of luggage since we were going fishing and were staying about a month. This luggage included 6 huge fish boxes that would carry our fish home.
My uncle went to pick up our vehicle but when he returned in a bright red convertible we were a little suprised. The renting agency had forgotten to save us a van and this was all they had left. We made about 5 or 6 trips between the harbor and the airport before all of our luggage and all of us finally made it.
Then we flew with no problems to Anchorage. From there we rented a motorhome so we could travel from town to town for the next month.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Hawaii Native Wildlife
Kapola Native Forest State Park consists of 615 acres. The park is considered one of the few native forests left in Hawaii because it contains mostly native trees, shrubs, ferns, and other forms of life. These plants and animal life were in Hawaii before the islands were discovered and colonized by Polynesian people. Out of nearly 1,000 native Hawaiian plants about 89% are endemic or are found no where else in the world.
Here are a few pieces of wildlife I was able to see:
Here are a few pieces of wildlife I was able to see:
Monday, November 24, 2008
Is spam considered cuisine?
There were three main places we ate in Hawaii. They were Hang Loose, a restaurant with no name, and the French Bakery.
Hang Loose was a fun place right off the ocean and had one waiter, Adam. They had great food so we ate there more than once. My favorite dish was the fish Mahi Mahi with rice and fresh steamed vegetables. It was absolutely delicious. My uncle preferred the poupou platter. Also at Hang Loose were delicious drinks. I had a virgin pina colada every night!
At the restaurant with no name they also had great fish. They taught us how to say the Hawaiian state fish in Hawaiian. It was hard and very long and now I can't even remember how you begin to say it! At this place everyone really loved spam. I am not a huge fan so I never got on the bandwagon with that Hawaiian delicacy. The Hawaiians LOVE it though!
I ate breakfast at the French Bakery several times during our trip. It had the best pastries I have ever had! If I didn't eat at the French Bakery for breakfast it was because the Farmer's Market was open next door to my hotel. It sold fresh fruit almost everyday. There were all the regular fruits but it all tasted much fresher than fruit I receive at a grocery store. My favorite part was buying what was called apple bananas. I have not succeeded in finding these anywhere within the states since I returned but they are my favorite fruit to date. They were slightly smaller than a regular banana and once you bit in to them they had a slightly pinkish-red center like an apple color. Absolutely amazing!
Finally there was the place that sold Donkey Balls. This place was called Surfin' Ass Coffee Shop. Donkey Balls are just chocolate covered macadamia nuts and have been voted Kona's best treat for the past four years. This place was a riot. They sold interesting shirts saying witty things about their Donkey Balls. You can also write anything pretty much anywhere in that place. In the bathroom, on the walls, on the floor, where ever you can find room pretty much. The nice thing about this place is they only sell products native to Hawaii.
Hang Loose was a fun place right off the ocean and had one waiter, Adam. They had great food so we ate there more than once. My favorite dish was the fish Mahi Mahi with rice and fresh steamed vegetables. It was absolutely delicious. My uncle preferred the poupou platter. Also at Hang Loose were delicious drinks. I had a virgin pina colada every night!
At the restaurant with no name they also had great fish. They taught us how to say the Hawaiian state fish in Hawaiian. It was hard and very long and now I can't even remember how you begin to say it! At this place everyone really loved spam. I am not a huge fan so I never got on the bandwagon with that Hawaiian delicacy. The Hawaiians LOVE it though!
I ate breakfast at the French Bakery several times during our trip. It had the best pastries I have ever had! If I didn't eat at the French Bakery for breakfast it was because the Farmer's Market was open next door to my hotel. It sold fresh fruit almost everyday. There were all the regular fruits but it all tasted much fresher than fruit I receive at a grocery store. My favorite part was buying what was called apple bananas. I have not succeeded in finding these anywhere within the states since I returned but they are my favorite fruit to date. They were slightly smaller than a regular banana and once you bit in to them they had a slightly pinkish-red center like an apple color. Absolutely amazing!
Finally there was the place that sold Donkey Balls. This place was called Surfin' Ass Coffee Shop. Donkey Balls are just chocolate covered macadamia nuts and have been voted Kona's best treat for the past four years. This place was a riot. They sold interesting shirts saying witty things about their Donkey Balls. You can also write anything pretty much anywhere in that place. In the bathroom, on the walls, on the floor, where ever you can find room pretty much. The nice thing about this place is they only sell products native to Hawaii.
The Volcano and its offerings
I had the opportunity to see an active volcano while touring Kona. This volcano is not a composite one which means it looks like the cylindrical cones you normally associate with volcanoes. Instead it was a caldera. A caldera is a large hole in the Earth where there was once a powerful explosion or eruption of a volcano. This volcano is called Kilauea.
Within this volcano is the active volcano called Halema'uma'u Crater. Both are located in Hawaii Volcano National Park.
The crater last had some activity in 1974 but is still considered active. Between 1832 and 1923 a lake of lava was in constant motion in the crater. Hoever in 1924 this motion discontinued. During that period of time people could still walk right up to the rim of the crater and look into the fire pit.
There was also constant hot steam coming up from it and surrounding areas. The ground is very hot here and steam escapes through the tall Hawaiian grass.
The eruption that created the caldera was huge but the crater is still considered a volcano even without the caldera. It's floor is 3,421 ft. about sea level.
We also drove by offerings the Hawaiians had made to Pele, the volcano goddess. They usually leave fruit, bread, and flowers.
We also drove by a road that has a lava flow that has blocked it from the once public road.
Within this volcano is the active volcano called Halema'uma'u Crater. Both are located in Hawaii Volcano National Park.
The crater last had some activity in 1974 but is still considered active. Between 1832 and 1923 a lake of lava was in constant motion in the crater. Hoever in 1924 this motion discontinued. During that period of time people could still walk right up to the rim of the crater and look into the fire pit.
We also drove by a road that has a lava flow that has blocked it from the once public road.
The Greenwell Coffee Plantation
My family and I were driving from one side of the island, Kona to the other, Hilo. As we were driving we past a coffee plantation and since my mom and aunt are coffee fanatics we had to stop. It was a very pretty place and I have never learned more about coffee in my life. Plus surrounding the many coffee trees was some great wildlife.The Greenwell Coffee Plantation has been in the Greenwell family since its opening in 1850. The plantation is owned and operated by the generations of the Greenwell family and many of their coffee trees are over 100 years old. The plantation is extensive and reaches over 2,200 acres.
At the plantation we took a tour and they explained how coffee is made. First, we looked at the coffee trees which at the moment had coffee cherries on them. I travled to Hawaii in April so it was too early for the coffee trees to bloom but you could suck on the coffee cherries, which gives off a strong taste.
After looking at the trees we moved on to how coffee cherries are processed and roasted. First, the cherries go through a machine called the "wet mill" that puts them through a pulper. The beans are then put into 100 lb. burlap sacks to dry. After they sit there for several days they are emptied into the cofffee tanks where they sit for several hours. Then they are pumped into a drying area.
These drying areas are called hoshidanas, which means moving roof. These roofs are very high for close exposure to the sun. To check the dryness of the beans you walk along them and listen to the crackle they make.
Then the coffee is roasted. A light roast takes 7-10 minutes while a dark roast takes 16-20.
We purchased come great coffee and also tried their chocolate-covered coffee beans. While we were sitting there we saw some beautiful flowers. We also saw several birds you rarely see in Wyoming and a wild turkey wandering around.
Orange Tree
Wild Turkey
Mango Tree
Red Cardinal
Hawaii; The Big Island
When I was a freshmen in high school I organized a trip with my family and two family friends to go to Hawaii. I did this for the Congressional Award which is a program you earn hours in various areas to earn an award from Congress. I decided to go to the Big Island in Hawaii because it has a lot of culture that has not been changed too terribly much by the constant tourists coming through. In my Hawaii section I'll tell you all about my first time snorkling, visiting a coffee plantation, active volcano, macadamia nut production site, and tasting authentic cuisine.
Let's start with snorkling. I'll try to scrounge up some of my underwater photos for the blog! I was staying in the city of Kona. A few miles down the street from our hotel was a slightly popular snorkling area. It has break water so it is a calm and clear area so its great for snorkling. It's also almost right next door to a popular surf spot.
I was able to see so many amazing things! There was coral, many types of fish, and my favorite, sea turtles. These turtles were either sunning themselves or swimming and once while I was snorkling one was swimming right next to me! Around the same area was a place you could see tidal pools with coral and crabs. It was pretty amazing to see all the different life.
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