Hello and Aloha

[I wrote this post 8 days ago, but I only have the opportunity to publish it now. The next one will be faster and with lots more pictures of Hawaii.]

I am sitting here on the veranda of our vacation house, a few kilometers away and below me lies the Pacific Ocean. Maurice is peacefully taking his morning nap in the stroller next to me, Matthias is resting inside the bed, and a gentle breeze is tousling my hair. The hardships of the long journey from New York City to Hawaii were definitely worth it :)

But let's start from the beginning, we stopped at Niagara Falls. After that, we made a few more stops before heading to Hawaii:

Discovering French Canada in Montreal

With a small stop at Lake Ontario, we set off from Niagara Falls towards Montreal. The city is located on a peninsula in the St. Lawrence River, which is known for its rapids.

Driving in Montreal was just as nerve-wracking as in New York City, especially since they use traffic signals that I couldn't understand. If the traffic light is blinking green, it means it is safe to turn left because the oncoming cars on the opposite side have a red light. But beware: this rule only applies in Quebec. In other parts of Canada, blinking doesn't have a special meaning.

I got this valuable information from Karl, our tour guide. Karl is a friend of friends, he has also visited us in Leipzig before and professionally offers excursions into the Canadian wilderness. He took advantage of his day off to show us his city.

We strolled to the old port, where we took a ride on the Ferris wheel and enjoyed a great panoramic view of the city. Afterwards, we went to the trendy neighborhood of Plateau Mont Royal, where we indulged in some delicious bagels - a local specialty. Well-fueled, we then took the bus to the mountain of the city, where several cemeteries, churches, and a beautiful park are located. We ended the evening on the veranda of a pub. In Montreal, children are not allowed inside pubs. But the weather was good enough for us to sit outside.

The next day, we mainly spent our time in the botanical garden. In the evening, I visited the meditation center, where I participated in a guided meditation as the only participant. Montreal has a lot to offer, both culturally and culinarily. We decided to extend our stay by one day and still only saw a fraction of the city's interesting sights. Then it was back to the United States, where I had a special destination in mind.

Visiting the Buddhist World Peace Temple

With a brief stop in the town of Troy on the Hudson River, we headed to our next destination, which was very close to my heart: the Buddhist World Peace Temple in the mountains west of New York City.

We stayed two nights in a small and cute bed and breakfast right next to the temple. There were hardly any people in the mountains, but plenty of deer and other wildlife. The temple is an oasis of peace and tranquility, and the people there were exceptionally friendly and open-minded. Maurice enchanted everyone as usual, and I had the opportunity to receive teachings on equanimity. For those who are interested, equanimity is a mental attitude that does not differentiate between friend, enemy, and stranger, but looks at all people with equal appreciation.

Not far from the temple, there is a completely different type of cult site: the grounds of the world-famous Woodstock Festival. We also made a pilgrimage there, visited the museum, and had a very quirky drink at a pub. After mentally and physically recovering, we ventured back into the urban jungle of New York City, from where we were supposed to continue towards Hawaii three days later.

Saying Goodbye in New York City

Unfortunately, our second stay in New York City was overshadowed by the loss of a friend. On the day of our arrival, we met this friend at a local brewery. I have known Andrew for about 3 or 4 years, we are both community managers and active in the same network. In 2019, we also met in person at the CMX Summit in California. There, Andrew was a guest speaker in my first podcast recording. We spent a relaxed evening at the brewery, and Andrew gave us some tips for activities in the city. When we said goodbye, I wished him good luck in his job search.

The next day, we spent most of our time walking on the New York Highline and across the famous Brooklyn Bridge (on Andrew's recommendation). In the evening, we enjoyed delicious Japanese snacks at a Japanese bar. The following day was supposed to be our last day in New York City. We had to return the rental car, then we planned to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and meet my friends Jamie and Jeremy for dinner.

Then I received the terrible news: on Wednesday, the day after we met Andrew, he was hit by an SUV and unfortunately didn't survive. Andrew was riding a bicycle, and the driver of the car was under the influence of drugs and didn't have a driver's license. I'll spare you the rest of the details. It took me a few days to even realize that the person I had a nice chat with just a few hours ago was no longer alive. Andrew was 33 years old. So, folks, be kind to each other, because you never know if it's the last time you will see someone.

And to end this post on a positive note, let me tell you something about Hawaii...

Aloha in Paradise

To reach this paradise, we had to endure a 20-hour journey. Six hours of flight to Seattle, a few hours of layover at the truly beautiful airport, followed by another five and a half hours of flight to Kailua-Kona on Big Island, Hawaii. Maurice handled takeoff and landing much better this time. And he was very calm on the first flight. The second flight was a bit more challenging, but with a lot of patience, carrying him around, and hiding in the bathroom to sing him a lullaby undisturbed, we managed.

Our first accommodation was called Surfer's Paradise. Located above the town of Kona, not far from the airport, it offered us stunning views of the sea and bearable temperatures for sleeping. There were also plenty of geckos, Coqui frogs, dogs, horses, goats, chickens, and cats :D We took it easy and strolled through art galleries, bought some necessities, and admired our first sunset on the beach (which Maurice slept through completely).

On the second day, we ventured into the jungle further up the mountain and hiked for 90 minutes among huge ferns and ginger roots. In the evening, we browsed through souvenir shops and marveled at the performances of the dancers at the resort hotel at the harbor.

Yesterday, we continued south with a stop at the beach. Matthias and I took turns watching the fish in the sea while Maurice enjoyed the sand. Our current accommodation is located on a cooled lava flow and offers breathtaking views of the sea. We also have an outdoor shower and a whirlpool at our disposal. The property where our little house is located belongs to a nursery, so we're surrounded by the most beautiful tropical plants. It's also less humid here than in the jungle, which means fewer mosquitoes. The perfect place to celebrate my birthday here in two days :)

That's it for now from us. We're heading back to the beach and to a coffee plantation or whatever else comes to mind. The next post will probably come from Vancouver.

Aloha, dear friends!