The unbelievable beauty of the Maui sunset is as good of an expression of my time here with Shane and the beauty of Hawaii as I could hope for.

Only two weeks ago I heard my first "Aloha" from the local Hawaiians . Now, I say goodbye to all Hawaii has shown me and my wonderful time with Shane. We did so many things and he was a fantastic host. During these two weeks we added to the long list of memories we have shared over the years.

On our last couple of days together, we went on several hikes in the mountains. One was through a bamboo forest. It was really a unique hike. I have hiked many interesting hikes but never through a bamboo forest. It was really great.

Later the same day, wanting to make the most of our time left, we hiked to a beauty of a waterfall (3 falls) where Shane went swimming. I waded out a little distance but the water was just too very cold.

We took a bicycle ride through the lava rock fields. It was a pretty site. I think the lava rock formations are just so interesting. There were hills to climb and the ocean was at our side for most of the ride. Shane rode his $3,000 bike built for speed and comfort . He got me a junker to ride. Fat tires, bad seat and few gears. I guess he needed the advantage. 

As the night settled we sat on the outdoor patio of a nice restaurant and watched the sunset on the beach just across the street from his apartment.


The two weeks went by so very fast. I am sure I imparted a lot of wisdom to my young nephew in just two weeks time. His navigation skills, whether in the mountain trails or in the city traffic could use some fine tuning. He will not have me there to help him out now. I wish him the best. I thank Shane for all the effort he put into making my visit such a great one. He was a good host and a lot of laughs.

The next day it took me an hour and a half to get through security at the Kahluilu, Maui airport after Shane dropped me off.

I transferred planes in Honolulu and was off to Japan . I transferred planes in Japan on my return trip to the States in June, but did not leave the airport to explore the country. This time I will.

I found some facts about Japan that makes me anxious to see this country for myself.

Here are some of my favorite facts:
*Japan has the world’s third largest economy behind the US and China.

*There are 127 million people living in the country. 

*Tokyo itself has more inhabitants in its metropolitan area than there are in the entire nations of Portugal or Greece.

*The greater Tokyo area is the largest metropolitan area in the world with over 35 million people.Tokyo city has 13 million people in it.

*The founding of Japan dates back to 660 B.C. Japan is 70%25 mountainous.

*There are over 200 volcanoes in Japan . Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is also an active volcano.

*Sumo wrestling is Japan’s national sport.

*Slurping your food is a sign that the food is delicious and a compliment to the cook.

*There are over 1,500 earthquakes in Japan each year, though most of them are very minor.

*Japanese people live an average of 4 years longer than Americans.

*Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is the world’s largest fish market and the majority of fish in the world go through here.

*In Japanese, geisha means “performing artist” and the first geishas were men.

*Many Japanese companies have morning exercise sessions for their workers.

*A very popular food in Japan is raw horse meat .

*Japan has the second-lowest homicide rate in the world.

*Japan is the only country in the world that has had atomic weapons used against it.

*The Japanese constitution includes an article completely renouncing war and aggression.

*In Japan tipping is a major faux pas.

*Tokyo is the 2nd most expensive city to live in in the world.