HAFA ADAI!

Bet you all thought I had forgotten about my blog......I didn't and I'm back!!!

Two more days and Audra will be back.........yippee!  She won't recognize her apartment.  I've been busy decorating it for her and it looks pretty darn good.  It was fun going out and finding all the pictures and stuff I put in it for here.  Sure beats her previous "white wall" decor!

I know her "sons" will be happy to see their mama again.  They have been a handful to babysit but we've had fun.  They have quite a story to tell their mom about their summer vacation.  To help them out I made a flip-book album all about their vacation time with grandma for them to give to Audra when she gets back.  It turned out really cute:)

I've just been hanging around enjoying island life.  I joined a gym so have been working out and am back on Weight Watchers so losing weight.  I just need to stay on the program this time........that's the hard part!  I must be doing something right because Audra's friends have noticed there is less of me.

This past Friday I went back and re-visited sites I saw last time I was here so drove on down to the north side of the island which has not been developed at all and is covered with the jungle.  My first stop was at Suicide Cliff where the Japanese people jumped off when it was evident the American soldiers had gained control of the island during WWII.  They were told they would be tortured if they were caught by the Americans plus it was a huge dishonor to their country if they were caught so they chose to jump off the cliff and kill themselves.  Very sad seeing the pictures in the museums here from when it happened.  They have build a memorial for peace below the site and it's beautiful.  I walked along the walkway for a spell (it goes all the way up to the top of the hill which is quite a hike.  Since my knees are so rotten I couldn't go very far but I did enjoy the scenery along my walk.

I saw this really cute little girl there who was on a tour of the northern part of the island with her family.  Isn't she adorable? Her mom couldn't speak any English but she finally figured out what I was asking her and agreed to let me take her pic.  I wanted her sister beside her but she was too shy so just hung out in the background.

Along my walk I came upon this really cool looking rock and immediately saw a face in it.  Can you see it?  He definitely needs plastic surgery on that nose!  I loved this rock!!!!

The next place I visited was Bird Island.  It's on the northeast side of the island where the waves crash against the cliffs.  There is a little reef by the island and I'd love to go snorkeling there but you have to shimmy down ropes to get down the cliffs to get to it which I could never do now.  I never see many birds hanging out on Bird Island but I guess there was a time years ago when it was covered with birds.  I've always been the only whitie visiting these places among the Japanese tourists.  I offered to take several pictures of various groups and they were thrilled I offered.  I used my self-timer feature on my camera and took my own picture.  Turned out pretty good! 

From there I drove back to the most northern part of the island to Banzai Cliff (which is below Suicide Cliff).  This is another area that the Japanese people jumped off of into the ocean when the island was won by the Americans.  I read in the museum that there were so many people floating in the water the military boats had a hard time getting through them.  There is another peace memorial here with lots of various memorials standing along the cliff line.  I spend about an hour here listening to the waves crash against the rocks.  I also saw a sea turtle floating along the waves.




 It is going to be so hard to leave paradise.  I'm getting kind of sad since my time is almost up.  I honestly could stay here longer but have that round trip airfare already paid for so have to go back to Az.  I will be back though.  This is where my soul belongs!


Hafa Adai my friends and hopefully you all will be able to come to paradise some day too!