HAWAII, FIRST TIME!

BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS - AUGUST 1996

***

OAHU

Two months later, I was back to New York, this time with Guida and Di. We stayed one night at the Marriot, Newark Airport, and early next morning we're flying to Honolulu, via Los Angeles. The first stop was at Waikiki, and we stayed at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, a very nice hotel that is said to have introduced the world to Hawaiian hospitality in 1901. We practically have no photos, since we were using the video camera to capture the beach, the Dole plantations, Iolani Palace and the rest... The only survival was this one taken to greet us at the arrival...


"ALOHA"



***

BIG ISLAND

Then, we flew to the Big Island. As the video camera was operating, no photos were taken. Unfortunately, after the visit to the Kilauea Volcano the camera broke down until today, and everything was lost... Well, there is one exception:


"KING KAMEHAMEHA'S HOTEL at Kona Beach is on one of the most historic sites in all of Hawaii, as King Kamehameha the Great had his royal residence adjacent to the current site of the hotel. When we arrived the Hotel was extremely busy with the Big Fish Contest, but anyhow we managed to survive... and saw everything that was to be seen: Kailua-Kona, Kohala Coast Resorts, Waimea, Hilo, Lava Tree State Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (one video camera out of order for ever...), and back to Kailua-Kona!"

***

MAUI

The third Island to be visited was Maui, and for us it was the best of all three. Furthermore, the Four Seasons at Wailea is superb!



"IAO VALLEY is a beautiful site. Furthermore, it is also the place where occurred in 1790 one of the most famous battles that changed Hawaii history forever. By then, King Kamehameha the First destroyed the Maui army in an effort to unite the Hawaiian Islands. It's better to bring mosquito repellent...


"IAO NEEDLE is a natural rock pinnacle presiding over the Iao stream and surrounded by the walls of the Pu'u Kukui Crater"


"WAIHEE-HONOKAHUA. The road from Waihee to Lahaina via Honokahua and Kaanapali was impressive. You should pray not to get a car coming in the opposite direction, at least in some of the sections of the road. Some years ago there were recommendations not to bring rented cars to this road, but the views by the sea were superb..."


"LAHAINA - After the thrilling experience of the Honokahua road, we got to Lahaina, the so called «jewel in the crown of Maui». Lahaina town seems to be the second most visited spot on Maui after the beaches, and has an excellent restaurant: David Paul's Lahaina Grill. We managed to get three seats at the bar - tables were completely full - and had a superb meal cooked by David Paul Johnson. It was a remarkable experience"


"SHOPPING - After dinner we went shopping, which is one of the top sports in Lahaina. Crazy Shirt T-shirts and Aloha shirts were some of the buys. We also saved the Planet with Di's Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt, and then we returned home, to sleep at the Four Seasons in Wailea"

AGAIN IN WASHINGTON DC

HOT SUMMER - JUNE 1996

In May, I went back to New York for a trust meeting and profited to revisit old friends and see some new places. This time I did not stay, as I usually did, at the Drake, but quite close anyhow at the Four Seasons - 57 on 57 Street - which I had actually seen getting up from my room at the Drake.
The Pei designed hotel is fantastic and the room - on the 49th floor I believe - with a fabulous view west and northwest to Central Park, a jacuzzi and windows all over the place was unbeatable. Maybe the view from the suite on the top floor of the former Regent, now Intercontinental Hotel in Hong-Kong could match!
Unfortunately, there are neither photos nor videos, which is a shame...

***

In June, once again I went to New York on my way to a meeting in DC. From this trip, with the return via London, there is a one-hundred minute video. However, the photos are very scarce... I leave some of them here for the memory


"GROUP PHOTO - All these guys and galls attended the meeting at the historic Ballroom of the Mayflower Hotel - «Washington's second best address»..."


"ALEXANDRIA - Some of us went to Alexandria for dinner. Here one can see part of the Portuguese and Spanish delegations"


"GREEK RESTAURANT - Dinner was at a Greek restaurant, with lots of yelling - OPA - and broken dishes..."


"THE MALL - Early evening short walk..."

DISNEY WORLD!

COLD EASTER - APRIL 1996

January 1996 brought a trip to Frankfurt and February one to Paris. In March, I stayed at home and in early April, the whole family went to New York, and then to Orlando... In New York we caught some melting snow; in Orlando it was one of the coldest Easters ever recorded!

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NEW YORK


"CHINATOWN"


"SOHO GALLERY"


"WEST BROADWAY"


"FAO SCHWARTZ"



"MOMA"

***

DISNEY


"SEVEN SEAS LAGOON RESORT, now the GRAND FLORIDIAN"


"POLYNESIAN RESORT"


"EPCOT - MARRAKESH RESTAURANT"


"EPCOT - NIGHT PARADE"


"MAGIK KINGDOM"


"MAGIC KINGDOM - ENTRANCE"



"MGM - NEW STAR"


"MGM - CHINESE THEATRE"


"MARKET PLACE"



"PLEASURE ISLAND"

GREENWICH - LONGITUDE ZERO AGAIN!

BACK IN LONDON - DECEMBER 1995

After Brazil, I flew to Geneva and Brussels; then to New York and, finally, to Paris (no pictures, no videos). In December, the family went back to London. I was there for a conference, and they were shopping! Anyhow, we managed to have some time together, and visited Greenwich.



"FOOT TUNNEL - A nice (and different) way to get to Greenwich is through the foot tunnel under the Thames. You take the Underground Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf station, a work from Sir Norman Foster. Then move to the Docklands Light Rail and get to Island Gardens station, on the Isle of Dogs. There you walk the 371 meters of the 15 meter below water foot tunnel - entrance on the photo - to get to the Cutty Sark..."



"CUTTY SARK, FERREIRA, MARIA DO AMPARO AGAIN - This time with the young lady"


"AT THE WHEEL - Sailors in command"



"GREENWICH: 51° 28' 38" NORTH 0º 0' 0" E/W"


"NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM and Canary Wharf at the distance"




"SNOW in the park"


"TOWER BRIDGE"


"TOWER OF LONDON"


"MR.ROOSEVELT, MR. CHURCHILL, WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND and THE YOUNG LADY"


"NINEVEH at the British Museum"

BRASIL - NUM PAÍS TROPICAL...

AMAZONIA AND NORDESTE - NOVEMBER 1995

One day I'll YouTube the videos. For the time being, enjoy the photos - not a great achievement...

***

AMAZONIA

After a long Lisbon-São Paulo flight, we changed planes and flew to Manaus. Manaus is an interesting city to visit, a duty-free port and a curious fish market near the river. After some time in Manaus (no pictures) we sailed to the Amazon Village.


"ON THE WAY - The world-known explorer in a new expedition..."





"DRY SEASON - the water level was so low that we had to use this kind of boats to get to our destination. At a certain point it was even needed a pushing for the boat to move forward. In Manaus, where we stayed at the Tropical Hotel, the river was fourteen meters below the usual highest point of the wet season..."


"ARARA - Low waters are not a problem for the coloured birds..."


"DRY AMAZONAS - We would be sub water standing at this place during the wet season"


"AMAZON VILLAGE - A Swiss investment in Amazonia!"

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FORTALEZA

The Varig flight from Manaus to Fortaleza was delayed and the itinerary was amazing: Manaus - Santarém; Santarém - Belém; Belém - São Luís; São - Luís - Fortaleza. UGH!


"TATU - Zoological lesson at the Praia das Areias Coloridas (Coloured Sands Beach)"



"AREIAS COLORIDAS"


"SWIMING POOLS - The Sea was far from being inviting"


"HOTEL DA FALÉSIA"


"A VER O MAR Restaurant"


"BUGGY at the marginal from Fortaleza"


"MARGINAL BOULEVARD, FORTALEZA"


"PORTUGAL SQUARE"


"ALENCAR THEATRE"

***

SALVADOR DA BAHIA

From Fortaleza, the Manaus flight from Varig carried on: Fortaleza - Recife; Recife - Maceió; Maceió - Salvador...


"HOTEL TROPICAL Seen from the Souto's house"



"IEMANJÁ - The best moqueca de camarão of the world!!!"