weekends

i have been lazy to blog and haven't really found time or thoughts to write about.  

recap of what we did the last few weeks:

we went cherry picking in brentwood under the scorching heat of the east bay sun!  buti nalang may konti pang cherry sa puno at hindi naman kami nalugi.  the cherries were soooo good.  this summer i noticed that the fruits taste so much better.  much sweeter and juicier.  maybe it was all the rain we got this year.  well, whatever it is, thank you for giving me delicious summer fruits!

we also went to great america this past weekend.  it was intel family weekend and intel provided tickets and lunch and ice cream to intel staff and their families.  we had fun, although i know paul secretly wishes my brother went with us para may kasama sya sa rollercoasters.  he can't count on me to ride with him.  hindi pa kaya ng powers ko.  

i rode this ride tho...

it's the closest thing to flying i've ever experienced.  i would ride this again!  =D

here are a couple more pictures...

we are buying a new bed!  yippeeee!  we found a bed at macy's that's on sale and a bed frame on overstock that we really liked.  i ordered the bed frame last night, we're buying the bed either tonight or sometime this week. 

then my aunt, uncle, and niece are coming over from the philipppines!!!  yey!  i can't wait to see them!

maui, day 4

our last day in maui, i woke up feeling sad.  bilang na ang oras namin!  paul drove to the nearby mcdonald's for breakfast which we then shared with the birds that were nesting around the trees outside our hotel room.  we squeezed in another hour of pool time before we got ready to leave for the airport.

so here's a recap of the hits and misses in maui:

hits:

the ritz carlton kapalua - beautiful, relaxing resort.  this is a great place to go if you want some peace and quiet and don't like crowds.  i didn't think there was a lot of people, the pool was never crowded, and the staff is very attentive.  

star noodle - great food at a great value.  food is presented real well so it not only tastes great, it looks pretty too.  =)  

pineapple grill - if you're looking for a relaxed, yet upscale type of setting this is the place to go.  the crab cakes are really, really good

kapalua resort - the ritz is part of a larger complex called kapalua resort.  they have a free shuttle service that takes guests all over the resort.  we went to the valet and they called the shuttle.  we never had to wait longer than 5 minutes when we went to the different areas of the resort.  

maui gold pineapple - i don't eat pineapple, but in maui, you have to.  so i did eat a few bites of really sweet pineapple.  i was mostly sucking the juices and spitting out the pulp.  

pleasant holidays - we got a great deal for our trip to hawaii.  booking with them was a pleasant experience.  will book again...soon...i hope!

misses:

plantation grill - the views are beautiful, but the food really isn't.  

kahului airport - we walked a looooooooooooooong way from the check-in counter to the gate.  i was sweating like a pig by the time i sat at the gate. sana may airconditioner na malakas para naman komportable.


the beaches were not as pretty as the beaches i've been to in the philippines, but this vacation is high up there in my list of most relaxing vacations. =D  i hope to really go back soon.

maui, day 3

we woke up at  around 630 am this time and slowly adjusting to the time difference.  the day before, we stopped by the concierge desk to check which tours we could take that will not use up the entire day.  paul and i were dying to go snorkeling.  but all the snorkeling tours were about 5 hours long and it would be challenging to keep a 3 year old entertained on a boat for that long.  rather than risk having a frustrated child (which will bear frustrated parents), we opted for the shortest tour we could find....a 1 hour submarine tour in lahaina.  

the 'submarine' was scheduled to leave the dock at 11:15 and we were supposed to be at the dock by 10:45.  since we didn't have a lot of time in the morning, we decided to just stay in the room, relax, and watch tv.  we then drove about 15 minutes to lahaina.  as we were walking on front street, we saw a shave ice store and decided to try this island delicacy.  sooo good! parang ice candy na hindi masyado matigas yung yelo.  =D  after we finished our shave ice, we went to the dock and walked under the large banyan tree.

 we sailed for a few minutes and began seeing coral reefs (no, not the kind you see on the discovery channel) and several large fish.  before long, schools of fish were fluttering around the boat.  michelle enjoyed it a lot while i thought i was going to pass out from the heat inside the vessel.  they claimed to be air-conditioned but i highly doubted it.  they had 2 fans blowing at opposite ends of the 'submarine' part of the boat but it was not enough to keep the place cool.  i had to go above the surface to catch some air.   anyway, michelle had fun, we paid $70 for the 3 of us ($35 each person, children 3 and under are free) so it was worth it.  

we then had lunch at star noodle which i would say value and taste wise, was the best meal we had in maui.  we had the ssam of the day, steamed pork buns, and fried saimin.  everything we had was good.  the staff was really friendly and very attentive.  i wish there was a star noodle here in san francisco!  

after lunch, it's back to the hotel for a nap and a trip to kapalua bay beach.  this beach had calmer water and better snorkeling.  i wish we had gone here instead of d.t. fleming beach.

 

for dinner, we went to pineapple grill.  we had crab cakes, prime rib and fish for dinner and their pineapple upside down cake.  masarap lahat!  

it was an action packed, yummy in the tummy, beautiful 3rd (and last full day) in maui!

maui, day 2

we woke up at 5 am (local time) on our second day in maui. we skimped on breakfast by buying bread and juice and bringing spam and vienna sausage with us.  we were already going to spend a lot eating out for lunch and dinner so, saving $$ on breakfast i think was a good way for us to save a little.  there was free in-room coffee and we're not picky eaters, we didn't need much.

after breakfast, we walked over to D.T. Fleming beach, just down the path from our hotel.  the water was too choppy so paul and i didn't try to go snorkeling.  we settled for building sand castles, playing in the sand, and splashing water in the tide pools. 

as the sun got warmer, i convinced michelle it was time to head back to the hotel and spend the rest of the morning in the pool.  it didn't take much to convince her.

the pool is perfect for toddlers.  it was only 1 1/2 feet at the deepest end.  parents didn't need to be in the water with the kids to know they'll be safe.  although in michelle's case, she insisted on having both paul and i in the water with her most of the time.  i had to sneak out while she's preoccupied for a few laps in the big pool.  the pools were cleaned every day (i saw the pool guy with his net and vacuum thingie each morning).  they had towel service and there were plenty of chairs and cabanas for the guests.

the kiddie pool 

after our morning dip, we had lunch at plantation house which is also within the kapalua resort. sad to say, it was the most disappointing meal we had in maui.  i spent $17.50 on a fish sandwich that had no flavor, i had to drown it in tartar sauce so i could eat it.  paul's pulled pork sandwich was just so-so.  the view was spectacular though...so we ate and paid for the view.

the view from plantation house

 

after lunch we went for a drive to iao valley to see the iao needle.  when we were heading up the mountain and i looked out the window, i said to paul, 'it looks cold outside.' it was gray and foggy and misty.  i was worried because none of use brought a sweater.  when we parked and i stepped out of the car i said to paul, 'hindi pala malamig.'  it was still warm, but cooler than coast.  konting picture-picture, and michelle said, 'i want to go back to the hotel and swim, mommy.' we headed back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.

 

for dinner, we went to aloha mixed plate in lahaina.  the food was ok, the drinks were strong, the view of the sunset was gorgeous. it was a beautiful end to our 2nd day in maui.

maui, day 1

we went to maui to enjoy some r&r during the memorial day weekend and celebrate my 30th birthday.

the flight to maui was about 5 hours, which was just long enough for michelle to get really anxious and ask us several times, 'are we there yet, mommy?'  and 'i want to go to hawaii!'

as soon as the plane doors opened, i thought to myself, 'ah...heat! just like good old, philippines!'  at nagsimulang pagpawisan ang kili-kili ko. hahaha =)  it took a while for our luggage to come out and some time to get to the car rental...and then some time to get the car.  it's a good thing i was told that service is slower here on the islands...that's just how it is.  i needed to slow down, that's why i'm here!

our first impression of hawaii was this:  you take the heat, humidity, mountains and beaches of the philippines...then you take the things that make america great - diversity, freedom, cars, and all the other conveniences, mix them all together and you've got hawaii.  =)

it was another hour to get from the airport to the hotel.  we stopped by walgreens to get some bottled water and some munchies.  we are staying at the ritz carlton in kapalua...it's a beautiful resort which kinda reminds me of tagaytay highlands and the shangri-la mactan in cebu.

pine trees at the kapalua resort

when we arrived, we were greeted by the staff and given kukui leis.  staff's very friendly and always chatting with guests.  when we  arrived in our room, we had a view of the pool and the ocean from right out our balcony.  michelle couldn't wait to get into her swimsuit and head for the pool.  so as soon as the bellman arrived with our bags, off to the pool we went!

the view of the ocean from our room

the pool from the hotel lobby terrace

we spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool then headed to dinner at sansei which was right at the kapalua resort area, just a few minutes walk from the hotel.  the sushi was good, we would have enjoyed it more michelle had not fallen asleep on her dad's shoulder as we were eating (she already had her rice, miso soup, and tempura).

dinner at sansei

we went back to the hotel and fell right asleep.  this was our first day.  =)

 pool view from our room at night