We Take Ourselves With Us

So, after our lovely, adventure-filled, and truly wonderful but also very long day touring Maui, we considered our activity planned for the next day.  It also seemed truly wonderful: snorkling at Molokini.  However, when we thought about getting up at 6 am the next morning to grab breakfast and get off the boat by 7 am, our enthusiasm waned.  Hmm ... should we push ourselves to the cranky Kress-Davis family peak?  Or should we remember that vacations can also be about not going, going, and going; they can also be about relaxing, too?  Four votes for the latter, and we abandoned the 6am snorkling wake-up call and turned in for a longer night's sleep. Ned and I were still up early enough to wander the POA and watch the sunrise.  I had mentioned the industrial ports.  Here's a good pic of what I meant.  This is the cruise ship port for Maui (in Kahului).  Inviting, isn't it. Because the sun rose opposite the hills a...

The day after Christmas or Boxing Day in England and English countries, Ned and I were up to see the sun rise over Lake Tarawera.   Each morning, we woke up to the sounds of NZ's only native animals: birds.  Their musical calls filled the lakeshore. Our agenda that day was filled with activities that highlighted NZ's adventurous culture.  First up: Zorbing.  What is Zorbing?  You climb in a gigantic inflated ball that is filled with water; then as the ball rolls down a hill, you slosh around inside.  The Zorb was created in NZ, and we've not seen it anywhere else.  The kids got Zorb tickets from their cousins and were beyond-eager to give it a go. They zigged, zagged and sloshed their ways down the hill, eventually giggling and wiggling out of the Zorbs and jumping into the nearby hot tub.  All the kids Zorb'd as did four of the adults--Ash, Ned, and I opted to capture the moment from the shade.  Great...