I have never gone to Hawaii for my birthday before and there we were in a Hawaii that looked straight out of a postcard. It was my best birthday ever.
Daughter D treated us to a stay at the Marriott Hotel on the Kona side of the Big Island. I sipped a Mai Tai from a fresh pineapple while overlooking the pool. We swam, we snorkeled—my first time since being here. We saw Kunakunukinukiahpooahah fish, once thought to be Hawaii’s state fish, but apparently that is debatable. We enjoyed the luxury of abundant water, great food, and an exquisite ambiance.
What was it the lady at the Pond’s Restaurant told us? Living as you are will make you appreciate everything. Here we live off the grid, with diminishing water supply, electricity that goes off if we use too much of it, no refrigerator, a house in need of work, and then we go to the grandeur that was that hotel. The Queen’s shops adjacent to the hotel, (The King’s is across the street, we will hit it another time) with its outdoor cafes and the many flowers in blossom, felt, in some small measure, like Disneyland
On the Hilo side of the island people think resources are slim. At the hotel they did not look slim. Whoever built a number of Hotels on the Kona Coast took a strip of Black Lava and carved out an oasis of palms, lush greenery, pools and lavish hotels. The rooms at the Marriott were grand, the grounds exquisite, manicured, all coconuts cut from the trees, all dead fronds taken away. The pools are wonderful, warm, some salt water, one fresh, a couple of hot tubs--open 24 hours a day. I looked around at the hardware, the door handles, the bathroom fixtures, the marble, the tile, all imported. How did it get there? The ships must have worn a swath in the sea. Or was it flown in? I know it took a lot of courage, money and trust that “If I build it they will come.”
On Sunday Husband Dear and I soaked in a hot tub, Darling Daughter, Baby Darling, HD and I had a marvelous buffet breakfast, we snorkeled in the sea, swam in a pool, and bathed in their bath tub. All before our 1 o’clock check out time.
I would say that was a productive morning.
Back at the Ranch:
Two days later I fell to the ground in shock and dismay when the building inspector came to close off two permits that had been open on our property since the 1980’s. While we are in the final stages of getting a loan on this property they tell us the open permits must be closed. One was for an Ohana house (Family house, like a mother-in-law apartment) that was never built. No problem, the inspector would close that one. The other was for a Gazebo. We looked around. What Gazebo? Well, it turned out that our beloved Tiki Room was first intended to be a Gazebo. It was later enclosed, well partly enclosed, part is screened, but even screening is considered enclosed. First the inspector lady said the siding will have to come off. I couldn’t take it. That was too much. I was ready to run to the hills that is if I could run, for I was limp on the ground.
But wait all ends well.
The lovely lady inspector lobbied our cause and we can keep the Kiki Room with its siding. (And DD’s new real bonified closable door) The inspector closed the permit with a Gentleman’s agreement that we would take out the toilet, including the connecting pipes. We did that, and then the plumbing inspector said, “Oh, you will have to fill in the cesspool that services that toilet.” We have done that. Lovely lady came again, okayed the permit, that is if we repair the stairs, but we have months to do that. The permit is closed. Whew!
I bow to the Great Spirit.
* We took George a stuffed frog with us to the Marriott. He was mailed to us by a 5th grader from Wilmette Illinois, who has sent George to travel the world and report his adventures back to his class. If you are interested in taking George on a field trip, contact me, as he must go to someone else who will keep him traveling. The plan is to send a post card back to the class and then send George on his way. His journey lasts until April of 2011.
