Off The Beaten Path

While on vacation, I enjoy striking a chat with locals and strangers I meet. People share a slice of their lives with me. Sometimes, this leads to strange connections, coincidences and common interests. I also love the small towns which are tucked away from the big cities and touristy spots.

HAMAKUA:
On our driving trip to Hilo, we stopped by in a small town called "HAMAKUA" to have a snack and pickup our picnic lunches to eat at the waterfalls. This is a very small town with Mom & Pop shops. It looked as if this town was stuck at 1950s and never changed. Loved the antique look of it. This town also reminded me of the many coastal New England small towns we used to visit from Boston.

The owner opened this shop 4 years ago and is absolutely enjoying making and selling fudges and ice cream and
having customers from all over the world.

This Sandwich shop lady just had her grandson born and was proudly showing the photo of her grandson to all the
customers and her friends visiting her at the shop. This lady told Swetha and Shreya that a Mom sacrifices
a lot for their kids and advised them never to fight with Sheila :) The shop has a beautiful mural on one side.

A Guy sitting outside a shop:

A middle aged white guy was sitting out side enjoying the Sun. When I passed him first I smiled at him and he smiled back. On our way back, he stopped us and asked if we are all from India. He told that his wife is from Kerala and he enjoys visiting India. When I asked him what work he does, he told that he is working as a hiking guide to tourists. What a way to work, have fun and enjoy the beauty of the Big Island everyday!!!

A Japanese Couple at the Luau:
When we attended the Luau @ the Hilton, we all were dressed up for the event in flashy, colorful attire.  Sitting right across from me at the dinner table was a middle aged Japanese couple, dressed in normal, simple dress. After few minutes of conversation, he told me that he has visited Mumbai and Delhi. When I asked him if he was visiting as a tourist or for business, he said he visited for business. He then handed m his business card and said he is the Chairman of an Airport Construction Company in Kansai.!!! Can't help noticing how humble and simple he was.  He asked me to visit him  when we visit Japan :) and I ended up inviting him to San Diego. After the Tsunami, I sent him an email inquiring about his family, friends and company. He replied that his family is not affected as they are all living in Osaka but few folks he knows were affected by the Tsunami.

PUNALU'U Bakery:

When I told my friend at work that I am  visiting Big Island, he asked me to stop at the Punalu'u Bakery which is at the southern most tip of the big Island. He especially recommended the Coconut Bun which is similar to the தேங்காய் பன் we get  back home. After visiting the Volcano National Park, we drove another 2 hours and stopped by the bakery @ 4:59:59 pm. As we parked the car, some one said, "they are closing the shop". Sheila ran in to the shop and pushed through the door as they were closing. We were the last customer that day and were able to enjoy the தேங்காய் பன் :)). Apparently, this is a famous bakery and so many folks came after the shop was closed and were disappointed.

Retired Guy on Bike:
While going for a morning walk at the beach with Sheila, met a retired guy on a bike. While chatting up with him, he mentioned he is from Connecticut but lives in Big Island for 5 months from Jan. to May. Hmmm. That sounds like a good retirement plan for me. Looking forward to it :) :) :)