After we returned from the Big Island to Oahu, we picked up a rental car at the airport, and drove to our hostel. The driving was easy, but finding a free parking spot was not. After all, the hostel was located in the center of downtown. I circled around for quite a while, and finally got an on-street parking.
On the early morning of the next day, we checked out the hostel, and drove to Pearl Harbor. Before the visiter center opens (7 AM), there was already a long line waiting outside. People, including us, were trying to get tickets for the free tours to the USS Arizona Memorial. For us, we had to get morning tickets, because we had a flight to catch. Since one person can get several tickets, I was anxious while waiting. Unfortunately, when it’s our turn, the earliest tickets available were afternoon. We had to give up!
USS Arizona Memorial
So, we just walked around the Pearl Harbor Historic Site. To be honest, I found myself more interested in Hawaii Plumeria 🙂
USS Bowfin SubmarineHawaii Plumeria
Then, we headed to the airport. I really enjoyed our Hawaii Trip. I actually wish I skipped more sessions in the conference 😉
Hopefully I will visit Hawaii again, and spend more days there.
To me, Mauna Kea Observatories was the main reason to visit the Big Island. Simply because astronomy has been my thing since I was little. Before this trip, I had never been to a real observatory, and suddenly I had the opportunity to visit one of the best ones! So, driving to Mauna Kea Observatories was exciting. On the way, we saw some sheep … wild?
Mauna Kea Observatories Sheep
And, there were … volcanoes! A bunch of volcanoes!! Volcano-looking volcanoes – I mean, they are different from what we saw in the Volcanoes National Park. These volcanoes have a bowl-shaped dip at the top.
Colorful volcanoes have a bowl-shaped dip
After driving for a while, suddenly we were in clouds – and soon above the clouds. We could see more and more volcanoes. It’s a strange feeling – to be close to so many volcanoes. There were also dried lava visible in the far place.
Volcanoes (close) and dried lava (far)
The driving was not difficult, but we liked to drive in the center of the road. It’s a little bit scary when passing cars (only met a few). Finally we arrived at the top. It’s sunny and chilly. And the view was breathtaking!
VolcanoesWhere does this road go to
There are many telescopes. I only knew Keck.
Keck (one of the two)Keck and IRTF
Here are some other telescopes I don’t even know their names.
Other telescopesRadio Telescopes
To me, this place is heaven.
I regret that we didn’t spend one more day on the Big Island. I really want to go inside of those observatories, and see what I can see. I heard they have very good stargazing programs. In fact, on the way there is a complex for amateur astronomers. People there seemed to be waiting for the night. I wish I could join them!
Volcanoes National Park was our first stop after arriving at the Big Island. Since we had an early flight, we were quite early at the national park (open 24h), weren’t we? Anyhow, there weren’t many people in the park. It’s like a lost world. If we had more time (if I go to the Big Island again in the future), I would love to try wondering on that black land.
The lost landDried lava pattern
We drove towards the seaside, hoping to see lava flowing into the ocean. Unfortunately, it was not possible that day.
“River” of dried lava
However, we could see the the path of the flowing lava. Imagine that the black dried lava was boiling red and marching towards the ocean some days in the past…
Lava flowing into the ocean
Then we went to the Jagger museum to see Halema ‘uma’u Crater, one of the most active volcanoes on earth. It was easy to spot from far place, with high and big “smoke” (gas eruption).
Halema ‘uma’u Crater from far placeHalema ‘uma’u Crater Info
The overlook in Jagger museum offers a closer view (still one mile away). I heard that the view would be much more spectacular in the evening. But we had to go to see the Mauna Kea observatories, where we could see a lot of volcanoes (although not nearly as active).
I had one free day after the conference. The problem was there were too many attractions in Hawaii! Where should I go? The Big Island! Simply because the Keck Telescopes are there!
The round trip (HNL – ITO) airline ticket was ~$200 each. Hawaiian Airlines. We had an early flight, at 5:32 AM. It’s a short flight – 49 min. The returning flight was 8:59 – 9:48 PM. From our hostel to the airport, we arranged a shuttle, which came to pick us up. At Hilo Airport on the Big Island, we had a rental car. Originally I booked an economy car from Advantage, for $37. However, at the counter, the Advantage lady highly recommended us to get a SUV (after hearing us going to the Observatories). I forgot how much I paid to upgrade the economy car to SUV. I guess it’s a right decision.
It was an enjoyable early morning flight. We saw beautiful sunrise:
After the sun was up, we were descending.
After picking up the car, we headed towards Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Then we went to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. The garden is close to the ocean.
Hawaii tropical botanical garden
The garden is not very big. We followed the trail, and saw a lot of strange plants.
Several posts will be devoted to my Hawaii trip. Here are some general information.
Time: July 2013
– I was attending a conference in Sheraton on Waikiki beach. Why not have some fun? I took my mom to Hawaii as well.
Flight: From Las Vegas to Honolulu (on Oahu island), 6 hours, time difference is 3 hours, ~$ 220 per person one-way.
– Before going to Hawaii, we stayed in Las Vegas for two nights. Our flight to Honolulu was delayed. At first, the plane was called back from the take-off lane to add more fuel (wasn’t it weird?). Then, we had to wait for the storm to pass by. The airline blamed weather for the delay, and only gave us drinks. We were supposed to get to Honolulu by 9PM, but we ended up arriving after 1AM. Not a good start!
Accommodation: Hostel International (HI) Honolulu Waikiki, $25 per person per night.
– I booked two beds in a six-bed female room. Surprisingly, the staff there gave us an individual room! The room has a bunk bed and a restroom. The location of the hostel is super – just two blocks from the BEST part of Waikiki Beach. They also have various beach stuffs – we always borrow a bodyboard.
Hawaii Waikiki Beach
– I hope one day we can take Fu to Waikiki. Beach is surely the heaven for kids!
Hawaii Waikiki beachHawaii Waikiki beach
Places visited: Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor, the Island of Hawaii (Big Island)
– I am so glad that we went to the Big Island. That’s the best part of this trip 🙂
Restaurant: Marukame Udon (丸亀製麺)
– We went there three times. Every time there was a long line. Luckily the line moves fast, as the service there is fast. Basically you pick the type of soup (pre-made) for the udon noodle. They have tasty tempura too!
So it’s already a week. Although we are still getting used to the life here in Espoo, I think we always learn the most in the first week.
Espoo, with no more than 300,000 population, is the second largest city in Finland. It is only 10 km away from Helsinki, the capital and the largest city. Our apartment is in west Espoo. It is furnished, which helps a lot in terms of settling down. We are also glad that the markets are just 5 min walk. Two markets: Alepa and K market. They are not that big, a little smaller than Carrefour City and Simply in Grenoble, France. However, we can get pretty much everything we expect: food and home essentials. To get asian food and more home supplies, we will have to go to asian markets and large supermarkets. There are two supermarkets in the shopping mall that is 1 km away. Yes there are shopping malls here in Finland, similar to US. The two supermarkets are K supermarket and Lidl. Lidl is cheaper, same as in France. We have not yet tried it – we will. The living cost in Finland seems high. The rent is high; food is expensive.
The bus is costly as well – 2.9 euro for a single trip! Luckily one can purchase a long term pass, i.e. ~55 euro for 30 days. D just went to make a such bus card yesterday, and was told to wait for a week to receive the card. I have not yet tried the public transportation here. But I heard that the buses are quite on time, and can get you almost everywhere you want. One of the bus stops that are close to our apartment has several bus lines. In addition, with a baby in a pram, one can travel in public transportation for free! We really need to get a pram then!
The close-by bus stop has several lines
It is early morning now! 4 AM to be accurate. The sky is pink ~ almost sunrise time. Since we are getting closer to summer solstice, the day is longer and longer. It will be like 19 hours the longest. Have you ever seen a 11 PM sunset? People here seem to enjoy the long daylight very much. After all, it’s much better than the long darkness, isn’t it? 🙂 Although the sun is up for long time, it’s definitely not hot here. In fact, it’s still cool – even a bit cold. Let’s see how hot it can be in July and August.
As you know, Finland (and other Nordic countries) is known for design. Design is truly everywhere in life. Even the apartment buildings are like art. I always like Chicago for the architectures, so I was immediately attracted by Finland. Once I get a pram, I want to take our baby to get around the town. The sky is so blue here; the air is fresh; plus we are so close to the ocean! We should enjoy the daylight before it’s gone.
When we traveled from France to Finland, we stayed at the CitizenM hotel at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The review of this hotel is exceptionally good, so I was a bit curious. Now I am convinced that this hotel totally deserves the high rating.
First of all, as a four-star hotel at the airport, its price is very modest. When I booked through Hotel.com about two months in advance, it was only a little more than US $100 (with a 12% off coupon though). Paying just 20~30 dollars more to stay right at the airport – why not? The hotel is located next to Hilton, close to Terminal 3. RER station is close-by. An airport train, TGVVAL, links all the three terminals.
CitizenM Paris CDG outsideCitizenM Paris CDG decorations
Secondly, the hotel is very modern and high-Tech. I found the painting on the outside wall very attractive. The inside decoration is also stylish – every touch is full of design. The words on the walls are interesting. I believe that every single piece of decoration is picked/collected carefully. People, including me, cannot help taking photos. The checkin and checkout are done at a round table with computers. Not sure about the checkin, but the checkout is self-service. You just put the card key on a reader, and then check out on the computer. It takes a few seconds. Every room is equipped with an iPad mini, which can be used to control almost everything in the room: light, shades, TV, etc.
CitizenM Paris CDG checkin
Thirdly, the staffs are nice. Since we traveled with a baby, the staff assigned us an accessible (larger) room, and offered a baby cradle. At the bar & restaurant, the bartender gave us a free beer 🙂 BTW, the food is good, and the price is ok – €24. Breakfast is about €18, with good selections of high quality.
Lastly, the room is extremely clean and quiet. The king bed and pillows are very comfortable. Wifi is stable and fast. Additional freebies include two bottles of water and MOVIES! Old movies and relatively new movies. I watched Passengers.
If I will stay at CDG again, I think I will go for CitizenM again. I heard it’s a chain hotel as well, so I will also look for it whenever I need a hotel.
Thanks to our failure in the lottery for the Wave, we had plenty of time in Zion National Park. Being different from other national parks in our Grand Circle trip, Zion has more plants, and seems more family friendly. Zion is only 40 minutes away from Kanab. Private cars are asked to park in the big parking lot close to the visitor center. Shutter buses are running every 10-20 minutes, depending on the season and time.
Zion National Park checkerboard mesa
There are numerous hiking trails in Zion. The two most famous and difficult ones are called The Narrows and Angel’s Landing. We did both!
The Narrows
The trail is actually a section of the Virgin river running in the canyon. It is thus very important to check the weather and the flood potential. There are special preparations needed to be done as well. Keep in mind that the water may be cold! Even in early September when the sun is out and people are wearing shorts, the water is cold. This is because the river runs in the narrow canyon, and does not get much sunshine. Also, prepare “special” shoes because they will get wet for sure. The other thing may be useful is a stick, as walking in the river is difficult – you cannot see how deep the water is or what you are going to step on. We didn’t have sticks, so we were quite slow.
Two ways to hike The Narrows. One can either hike top-down or bottom-up. Top-down is an overnight hike, and requires permits. Bottom-up is easier, and requires no permits. Therefore most people, including us, choose the bottom-up hike. We took the shutter to Temple of Sinawava. After hiking the 1 mile riverside trail, we reached the starting point of The Narrows. I could see that people were excited to hike this special and unique trail! The first step into the water was really cold. After a while, I kinda got used to it. Walking in the river was more difficult than I thought, but it’s a lot of fun! My mom and I sometimes had to hold hand to stabilize each other. We reached the starting point of Wall Street, and then decided to return. In total, we hiked about 5 hours.
Zion National Park the narrows
Angel’s landing
This is also a unique trail. The first half of the trail is paved road. However, the rest is rocks. There is a thick chain along the trail, so I don’t find it very dangerous. In fact, I liked it a lot! :). It reminded me the Yellow Mountain in China! The trail to one of the highest peaks, Tiandu Peak, is a bit similar. But it’s a lot more steeper on Tiandu Peak! (I recently revisited Yellow Mountain, and I will write about it. D had already finished his blog about Yellow Mountain.) The end of Angel’s landing is the top of the mountain. Many people were sitting there and enjoying the view. We didn’t stay long, because we had to drive to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Zion National Park angel landing chainZion National Park angel landing top
I am sure everybody can find some trails that they enjoy in Zion. I just feel lucky that we could do the two most unique ones!
One more thing about Zion. There are a lot of restaurant in Springdale. We tried one Thai restaurant (Thai Sapa), and the food we had there were surprisingly good!
If you cook Japanese rice (or any rice), you can use a rice cooker. Of course, there are many good rice cookers available anywhere nowadays. But you may not have a rice cooker when you want to eat steamed rice suddenly!
Don’t worry, you can use a normal cooking pot to cook tasty steamed rice. I want to introduce the way to cook Japanese rice with a cooking pot in this post. The method may be okay for other types of rices but I cannot guarantee the taste 😉
Wash Japanese rice
If your Japanese rice is not written as no-wash-rice (無洗米), you need to wash rices. You can take about 500 ml of rices for 4 people, then put them into a bowl. You can add a lot of tap water into the bowl and wash the rices by pushing with a hand. You can do it strong as row rice is very hard. After pushing several times, you can exchange the water a few times to remove the white clouds in the water.
Water Absorption
Now you can transfer your rice into a cooking pot (Or, actually you can do 1st step in a cooking pot). Cooking pot can be anything if it has flat bottom and a good lid. The cooking pot is slightly better if it is teflon coated, but not necessary. I am using below metal pot recently. You can soak the rice about 1 hour in same amount of water as rice (~500 ml in this case) to absorb the water. You may want to use filtered water if you are living in a big city. Water absorption step is very important when you cook the rice with a pot. Otherwise, you will get undercooked rice!! A cooking pot for steamed rice
Cook
After waiting 1 hour, it’s time to start heating the cooking pot with a lid closed. Middle to high heat is good at first depends on a cooking top you have. Once you start to see the bubble from the water you can change the heat to low. Then, keep cooking 10 minutes. After 10 minutes you can turn off the heat. But don’t open the lid yet. Wait 10 minutes to steam the rice by remaining heat. After 10 minutes, open the lid and mix the rice. Now the rice is ready to eat 🙂
The rice may be a little hard or soft for the first time depends on your cooking top and/or cooking pot and/or kinds of rice. You can play with your heating way to get the best rice from your cooking pot 😉
BTW, it’s easy to get good Japanese rice in US or in Europe. US has good rices from california while Europe has good ones from Spain. Imported rices from Japan is, of course, very good but they are very expensive.
Monument Valley kinda represents The West, as one can see in some movies about Westerns.It’s the second major stop, following Arches National Park, in our Grand Circle trip.Driving from Moab to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park takes almost 3 hours.We were hoping to catch the sunset!So we kept driving, except for a brief break at Mexican Hat.The weather was actually not promising.When we got closer to Monument Valley, we were caught in a storm.My plan of taking a photo of the straight road going towards those iconic sandstone buttes vanished!
When we arrived at the park, the storm has just passed.After paying the entrance fee ($20), we went ahead to the hotel – The View Hotel – the only hotel inside of the park.It’s the most expensive hotel we booked in our entire Grand Circle trip, almost $300 (on top of that, we also paid for the breakfast).Obviously we had high expectations for it.The style and color of the building match the surrounding very well.The hotel is almost like part of the park itself.The terrace is big, providing good views of the valley.The room is a typical American standard room.Not a bad size!The best part – also the most expensive part – is the private balcony!We could see the whole valley without going out of the room.Plus, the balcony faces east, which means sunrise can be seen directly from the room as well!To be honest, I have never been to a balcony that gives such extraordinary view…The whole valley was there for me to enjoy, in peace.
Sunset was not possible that day.But the air felt fresh after the storm.The temperature was very pleasant!And the valley looked more peaceful.I couldn’t help to admire those sandstone buttes, which have been standing there for who knows how many centuries.We didn’t go to the restaurant for dinner.Somehow we had a crave for instant noodles 🙂
The sky got darker and darker.We saw a few cars (lights) were driving in the valley.Were they local Navajo residents?
The second day, I got up early, and went out to the terrace with my camera (+ tripod).Yes, sunrise again!Why not?No need to drive, no need to hike – it’s probably the easiest sunrise (although people often miss the easiest things).I took many photos, with different settings.D and my mom didn’t come out.They saw sunrise on the balcony – a slightly different angle but equally good.I had to come out because I wanted a bigger view.It was a bit cloudy!But not too bad.The sun rose behind the center butte.
As mentioned earlier, we bought tickets for the breakfast buffet.The restaurant has big windows so people can enjoy the view of the valley while enjoying their meals.However the buffet was normal… not many choices.I kinda missed the breakfast in Best Western.
After the breakfast, we checked out.But we didn’t leave!Instead, we went for hiking.The only hiking trail in the park is called Wildcat, starting from the hotel.We spent some time looking for the start point of the trail.It was not as straightforward as we thought.Anyways, we found it!We hiked around one of the sandstone buttes.The closeup view was a totally different experience!We had to look up the sandstone butte –it’s so tall.Also, we got to get close to the local plants and animals.The temperature raised quickly as the day proceeded towards noon.We took many water breaks, and enjoyed the company of a dog (may belong to somebody).
Then we went for the 17 miles scenic drive. The road condition was much better than we thought. A 4WD was not necessary. Since hiking is not allowed without a guide, we basically stayed on the main road, and finished the loop quickly. I am surprised that I don’t have much to say about the drive… but it’s definitely worthing going!
With all the good memories of Monument Valley, we hit the road towards Page, Arizona.
