A first glance, I wondered if I had arrived at the correct mountain top. The entrance turnstiles to Machu Picchu are a few yards away from the Sanctuary Lodge. Once visitors clear the entrance, they climb a short hill and suddenly the ancient city spreads out beneath one of the most famously photographed sites in the
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Getting To Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is perhaps the best-known tourist destination in Peru. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and named one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu hosts approximately 2,500 visitors a day. That’s about 300,000 people tramping around the sacred site each year. Last month, I was one of them.
LIMA – City of Kings
I’ve been recharging my creative batteries – away from home without an agenda. Specifically, the Handsome Bloke and I visited what writer Patrick O’Brian called the “far side of the world,” and our itinerary identified as Lima and Machu Picchu in Peru and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. It’s a long way from Hawai`i to Peru. Actually,
CALENDRICAL TRIVIA
Oh, the joys of winter, especially if the lake freezes. In the 1820s, Jane Austin’s contemporaries frolicked in snow and ice. Clearly these young men are showing off, while the boys in the background focus on their own games. January is the month of Janus, the Roman god who looks both forward and back, supervising
REASONABLE RESOLUTIONS
Each Resolution that I make My conscience sorely troubles Because I find they always break As easy as soap bubbles. It’s happened again. Another perfectly good year coming to a close. Another chance to start over again with a new set of goals, or maybe recycle ones from last year. Actress and screenwriter
WASSAIL & WINTER SOLSTICE
Yesterday, December 21st, marked the ancient observance of Winter Solstice and the more recent traditional fourth Sunday of Advent. If you’re curious about the source of customs related to winter and Christmas, look no further than December 21st. In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice marks the longest night and shortest day. The day which marks
Twelve Days of Gifting
There are nine shopping days left before Christmas Day, UNLESS you subscribe to the ancient custom of celebrating Christmas for twelve days instead of one. That gives you until January 5 to complete your gifting A total of twenty-one days. Of course, everyone expects their presents on December 25th, but if you run late, explain
Entertaining the Bride-Elect, 1939
On Sunday, December 3, 1939 the Hilo Tribune Herald noted that “being a very popular bride-elect of the winter season, Miss Helen Henderson is being entertained at one party after another each week by her many friends and relatives in Hilo and the Big Island. The wedding will take place on December 16 at the
Francis Hyde I’i Brown: “The Last Ali`i”
This is a story about family, love, and history, with a light touch of scandal. The story happened at the Eva Parker Woods Cottage Museum, a wooden structure that rises above fishponds to face the sea. But the story isn’t about Eva. It’s about Francis Hyde I`i Brown, a public man who lived a secluded
YE THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
Once upon a time on November 11th, 1620, a ship called the Mayflower dropped anchor at the tip of Cape Cod. The 102 passengers thought they were going to Virginia, but things don’t always turn out as expected. The Pilgrims made the best of a bad situation and built shelters on shore. It was a
BLACK CATS & NUTCRACKERS
Spoiler Alert – Don’t read this blog if you dislike Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. Today’s image shows what happens when holiday decorations crash into each other. This phenomenon often occurs at craft and card stores, where we’re sure to find Valentine’s decorations and cards on January 2. But such confusion is seldom on public display at
Kilauea Lodge & The Fireplace of Friendship
Kilauea Lodge may be the most famous structure in Volcano Village. Visitors and tourists comment on the excellent food and serene atmosphere. Only a mile from Volcano National Park, the lodge is a pleasant place to stay while exploring the area. Hiloans often drive approximately thirty miles southwest on Highway 11 for a brief “staycation.”
BONFIRE NIGHT: The 5th of November
Remember, Remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot! Once upon a time, thirteen conspirators decided to blow up the House of Lords. Known as the Gunpowder Plot and foiled at its source, Catholic sympathizers wanted to kill James
THE 100-TH POST
If I gambled, I’d bet you expect me to write about Halloween again. Normally I would, but this post is even more special than things that go bump in the night. This is my 100th blog post. WoW – Triple Digits! It all began with the first post on September 17, 2012. I
Witches, Broomsticks, & Hallucinogenic Drugs
We recognize a witch when we see one, right? Take the one on this sign, innocuously travelling by broom. We know her by her conical black hat, hooked nose, and pointed chin. This witch has pretty good posture – no hump on her back. Do you think she practices yoga? The dead giveaway, of course,
HALLOWEEN WASN’T ALWAYS FUN
Halloween wasn’t always a children’s holiday. It wasn’t about dressing up in funny clothes, wearing masks and/or heavy makeup, and hitting your neighbors up for candy. And it definitely wasn’t fun. All Hallows Eve was a very serious night when the souls of the dead returned, flying through the air to find relatives or enemies