POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

Continuing on day 3 of my Hawaii trip...

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a theme park/museum which celebrates the culture and tradition of the Polynesian triangle featuring the islands of Hawaii, Samoa, Aotaeroa (New Zealand), Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and Marquesas.  In this park, one gets to experience authentic villages and mingle with natives of the featured islands.  Aside from learning a lot of things about the Polynesian culture first hand from natives, there are so many activities to do such as learning how to throw a spear, how to husk a coconut, how to make fire, how to cook the Polynesian way, how to dance the hula, get free tattoos, etc., so it can really get exhausting but at the end of it, the trip is definitely worth it.

Our PCC tour started with a buffet lunch which served authentic Hawaiian delicacies including poi and kahlua pig.  We then walked around the park, stopping on villages to watch shows and participate on activities such as spear throwing and basket weaving.  We also had a guided canoe tour around the park which allowed us to catch an overview of all the villages.  After that, we watched the canoe pageant which again showcased the featured islands and various performances from the natives while riding a canoe going around the park.  Every island has their own unique tradition and culture, but my favorite is Samoa because I loved the natives' sense of humor and fun-loving nature.  I envied the Tahitian ladies the most because, wow, if only I could learn how to sway and bounce my hips in a Tahitian dance, man, that would be sweet!  I fancied the gracefulness of the Hawaiian hula dancers as well as the easy-on-the-ears Hawaiian music.

Samoan guy

Canoe ride

Spear throwing challenge

Basket weaving lesson

Canoe pageant show

Canoe pageant show

The pregnant me was beyond tired, nauseated and winded at the end of our day trip, and to think, we didn't even get to see all the shows.  If you think I had enough by then, of course not!  Our PCC experience did not stop there but continued on until about 11:00 p.m...  which I will tell more about in a separate blog post.  Sorry to keep you hanging, guys!  Thank you for taking time to read ;)  Stay tuned for more of my Hawaii vacation.  Until then, ciao! ☻

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HONG KONG TRIP

Not mine, but my mother's and my cousin's. Hehe!

I have yet to complete writing about my Hawaii vacation, but I wanted to take a break from that -- not that I didn't have enough hiatus in blogging already -- and take this chance to share my mother and cousin's first out of the country trip.

Traveling was not something I or my family grew up doing.  Every year, my family would go on outings but nothing big of a trip, mostly just going to resorts in Laguna or visiting relatives in Pampanga and Ilocos.  One time, in the summer (my birthday) of 1993, we went to Leyte -- I really enjoyed that because of the ocean -- but that was the first and last time we traveled that far within the Philippines.  Having said that, my first out of the country travel was obviously when I left in 2005 for good, and it wasn't until I met my then-boyfriend-now-husband, Vince, that I started exploring the world ♥

Recently, Vince and I had to send my mother on a trip to Hong Kong.  Sending our parents to trips have always been part of our plan since we got married, but my mother's trip was rather unexpected.  For valid reasons I will not divulge at the moment -- don't worry nothing fishy or suspicious here -- it was just imperative that my mother travel outside the Philippines PRONTO!

And how did my pretty little cousin, Kate, get involved here you may ask?  Well, the travel agent advised us that it's better for my mother to have a travel companion rather than going solo.  Apparently, solo travelers raise a red flag in the Philippines border.  I was told that it had happened at times that a solo traveler would be "off loaded" from the flight - meaning not even allowed to board on the plane simply because of the tendency that one might not return to the country (mag TNT *tago ng tago*).  It's unfortunate that no one in my immediate family could travel ASAP with my mother because none of them has a passport -- I told you we didn't grow up traveling -- and fortunate for my dear cousin, Kate, that she has a passport.  So, I guess you can all conclude what happened and how she ended up traveling to Hong Kong with my mother.  Lucky girl!  Anyway, Kate always has been like our little sister, and me, my sibs and her are really close, and since she also recently passed her nursing board exam and graduated cum laude, Vince and I thought that she well deserved a"gift" from us ☻

So, originally it was a Hong Kong/Shenzhen trip, but what do you know, true enough, 5 of the 12 travelers in my mother and Kate's group went TNT.  One was off-loaded and four went missing in action when they arrived in Hong Kong.  Tsk tsk.  The travel guide did not allow my mother and Kate to go to Shenzhen anymore -- I'm assuming because of the bad impression of the TNT-ers in their group -- so the twosome stayed in Hong Kong.  My mother got a little rattled with her first-time experience with the border officers on top of the fact that her supposedly travel mates went MIA, and then she told me she also was "babysitting" Kate throughout the trip, but it sounded like she enjoyed it albeit.  After we heard her whole story and how she was "traumatized" from her border experience, I teased her that I'm willing to send her to another trip if she likes... uhmmm, Singapore maybe, to which she replied with a laugh.  Hehe!

Anyweiz, what's a trip without pictures?  Is there such?  So, without further ado, allow me to share some pictures from my mother and cousin Kate's Hong Kong trip.

The face that launched Papaleng's ship!

This pic made me smile because MamaRose is a big fan of Jet Li :)

...and of course, Bruce Lee!

MamaRose seemed to have enjoyed this "happy" place a lot ;)

MamaRose was quite disappointed because she said they only had few Disney character photo opps.  

Well, MamaRose, hopefully, God willing, we can take you to Walt Disney World one day, and there you can take all the pics you wish with any Disney character you want ;)

Okay, that's it for now.  I'll be back to continue on day 3 of my Hawaii vacation ... and all my whatever ☻ Ciao!

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You can read my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

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