365 Days (roughly) in Photos

I just left Vancouver after having lived there for a year. While I was driving back east, I had a few kilometres worth of time to think about the last little while.

This was me just about a year ago. Moving to Vancouver, knowing  a grand total of 4 people. As you can see, I have my Magic Bullet, so I was confident about making friends:)

Everything...check!

I drove for five days to get to Vancouver and still wasn’t quite sure if I had made the right decision until I saw the sunset two blocks from my place. Warm, sand, water, doesn’t get much better than that.

Sun setting over Vancouver

I enjoyed the summer in Vancouver, but since I had never been to the West Coast before, rooooaaaaad trip!

Stepping out to check out the Pacific Ocean in Oregon on Highway 101.

Checking out the Pacific Ocean

You cannot go through California without checking out Napa County. Come to think of it, I still have one bottle left from one of the vineyards.

Napa County

Haven’t watched Karate Kid in a while, but I was inspired to work on my crane position during an early morning run along the ocean.

"Crane-ing" it with the Pacific Ocean

I did work when I was in Vancouver. I managed the arena that was used for training by all the men’s Olympic hockey teams. Welcome to Britannia, a great local community rink in Vancouver. It was not in the job description, but how often can you paint the red line of Olympic ice?

Check out my red line...

So going by the pictures, it may not look like it, but I did work . During the Olympics, it was easily 100+ a week, so once the Olympics were over, had to try something new, surf’s up anyone?

Surfin' in Maui

So that’s it in a nutshell, twelve months via photos. Vancouver gave me great weather, amazing friends, fun times and the opportunity to begin Tastes Better With Friends.  Thanks to all and i’ll be coming back for sure!

Coconuts and scenery along the Road to Hana

Why am I drinking two coconuts? Please join me on the Road to Hana…

Enjoying some local flavors!

I had a few must-do’s in Maui. I wanted to eat/drink a coconut from a stand on the side of the road. Luckily, I got to do it along the Road to Hana. In Maui, there is a small town called Hana which is on the far east side of the island. It is often referred to as the old Hawaii since it hasn’t been developed like the rest of the island. Known as the Road to Hana, it is a stretch of approximately 50 curvy miles that takes you through a tropical rainforest  with the Pacific Ocean keeping you company.

The winding Road to Hana

When I saw this coconut stand, well, this was where I would have my coconuts. So it was two for $5, so I opted for the two different types (I didn’t even know there was two types). The first one was a young/tender coconut, which is not like the typical brown ones we are accustomed to, basically it’s green before it becomes the hard, brown version we all know.

Coconuts galore!

The fellow slicing and dicing the coconuts, well, let’s just say it was not his first day on the job. Wielding a massive knife that I’ve seen cut down sugar cane, he just got down to business. First, he chose a good coconut (or so he said), then he hacked the top off of it. The tender coconut is very heavy and thick, so it took a bunch of whacks to get to the middle. And then of course, using the same knife, he dug a little hole for the straw.

Cutting open a tender coconut

The “water” of the tender coconut was simply magical. Close your eyes and imagine sitting by the Pacific Ocean, sipping out of a coconut and tasting sweet water. Once I was done the water, I was able to ask the fellow with the big machete to slice it open so I could taste the flesh on the inside. The “meat” of the coconut was soft and chewy and didn’t really taste like anything. But I would have asked for a gallon of the liquid if I could have!

Ready to drink coconut

Next was the ripe, brown coconut that we all picture when we think of coconut. Well, I was disappointed, the coconut water was bitter and murky and really not that good. I drank more than I should, just to make sure I was giving it a fair chance and the taste did not change. Once I was done the liquid, I asked for it to be split open. And than, I almost witnessed a man slice off his own hand! Coconut in one hand, machete in the other, he proceeded to strike the coconut while tossing it in the air to rotate it so he could get an even cut to open it up. Again, like I said, not his first day on the job!

The coconut we know

The inside of the coconut looked familiar and I immediately pictures shredded coconut and that’s essentially what it tasted like, minus the additional sugar. It was good, but there was no way I was going to eat all of it. It was the perfect thing to nibble on during the drive, but it was given back to mother nature for some little creature to enjoy.

Welcome to Hana

A great day with sun, good food and friends driving the open road.

A thank you to Leslea for some pictures along the way!

Aloha from Maui

So my recurring thought as I’ve now been in Maui for a week is that I cannot believe this is how people live. Perfect weather (and I mean perfect), amazing views, a leisurely pace of life (from what I can tell) and some great food. Here are some highlights over the first few days, more to surely follow.

Aloha, welcome to Maui!

A Hula show

Don’t you have weekly Hula shows in your mall?

Shaved ice

A massive snowball of shaved ice with 1/2 strawberry and 1/2 Blue vanilla syrup and hiding underneath is vanilla ice cream. Basically, an absolutely delicious and refreshing creamsicle perfect for any of the 365 hot days in Maui.

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm

Welcome to the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm where I learned that goats are basically dogs, they want to be fed, scratched and loved. Their cheese must be that good from all the love they get! I had to try it and I was floored with my fresh ping pong size goat cheese balls served on a bed of local mango chutney.  The mango chutney, possibly one of the finest things I’ve ever tasted.

Ping pong goat cheese balls & mango chutney

If you’re nearby, stop in and enjoy!

Rainbow tree

On the famous Road to Hana, I found myself a rainbow tree. You look at it and can’t help but smile.

Loco Moco

Yes, I ate it all! Fried rice, topped with a hamburger patty (which you cannot see) because the patty is topped with two fried eggs and an obscene amount of heavenly gravy. It’s called a Loco Moco, it’s a traditional Hawaiian dish and it’s for breakfast and it was great!

Maui sunset

Every night, we’re treated to this. Life is good and hope yours is too wherever you are right now. Mahalo for stopping by…