All I can say is Hawaii does command the highest “wow factor score” – so do go see the sunset for yourself! Everyone in Hawaii walks around sipping bottled water. Drinking water is mandatory in tropical Hawaii to avoid dehydration. It may even be the law! We quickly got into the habit of drinking WATER instead of cups of tea as we do in England. This, and eating heaps of fresh fruit and salad every everyday, did help settle my bowel movements! ^_^ As I mentioned earlier, I was rather worried about accessibility to the “right foods” when on holiday. I expected the abundance of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, but I wasn’t sure if I should launch my back-to-normal diet while on holiday. In hindsight, being in a totally different environment is exactly what I needed to kick-start my rehabilitation into normality. Fruits were the easiest accessible food and to have around (both in the car and in the condo), and requires no cooking. At this point, I must stress that everyone who visits the beach must bring their own supplies i.e. drinks, food, towel, beach chair, fins & snorkel, and a book to read. Nearly all beaches do not have a café nearby and the car parks are usually a hike away. Unlike most locals who spend an average of two hours on the beach sunbathing or surfing then pack and go, Jack and I choose a spot and camp there for the day till the sun goes down! And so you can appreciate that we would lug along two gallon-bottles of drinking water, a cooler box packed with sandwiches and fruits, a kit bag with several pairs of fins (don’t ask me why when together we only have four feet!), several snorkels (again – Jack can’t decide if the ones with or without prescription is clearer under water!), and another kit bag with several towels, toiletries and a change of clothes (should we decide to go straight to a restaurant for dinner), AND the all-important beach chairs (essential to keep sand off one’s bum!). Yeap! THAT is a LOT of kit to lug from car to beach. I often utter “why do I feel like a camel?” in the midst of this task. But all is worthwhile when you find a good spot to spend the rest of the day. And a “good spot” will be one that is in close proximity to public facility a.k.a. toilets and showers ^_^
One day, Jack chose a rather secluded beach (with no public facilities) known to be a great for spotting dolphins and quite often, enjoy the company of green sea turtles (known as “honu”, who waddle onto the sand on the beach for a snooze. For these duo attractions, I couldn’t say no. We could have limited our stay on the beach but the attractions were far too tempting, and so I made sure I didn’t need to poo by not eating between breakfast and dinner. I drank lots of fluids and that kept me running behind a bush frequently. Soon after we had dinner that evening, I felt the urge to make room for the food I’ve just eaten. And so you see – this simple exercise helped me understand that I CAN control my output to some extend ^_^
