And the second week of our stay is already over! 😱
It's Sunday, and we've just returned from Sunday service at my friend Mary's church. We attended services last year as well. Religion is lived so differently here than it is at home. On our trips around the island, we've seen countless churches and buildings belonging to religious communities. There are Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Protestants, and others I can't think of right now. There's at least one religious community in every town, no matter how small or large. The Hāmama Community Church is connected to approximately 47,000 other churches across America—as we learned today. This church is open to everyone and tries to help wherever they're needed. They place particular emphasis on missionary work, wherever they're needed. My friend Mary has been with them several times to Arizona to the Navajo Nation, and every time she talks about it, she gets really emotional. Today, we were once again welcomed there very warmly and with open arms. They also remembered us from last year, when Mary had already invited us there. ❤
Link to the Hāmama Community Church
Well, I'll start with my little recap of the last few days (while Hawaii Five-0 is playing on TV – like every Sunday on ion TV). 😉
On Tuesday we were on Secret Island, on Wednesday I wrote on my blog, and we took a rest day. On Thursday, after a leisurely start, we headed north again. Our destination was the North Shore Soap Factory in Waialua. I'd actually wanted to go there for a long time, so I was really happy that we were able to make it happen this time. Handmade soap, bath salts, and a variety of skincare products made with coconut and kukui nut oil. The highlight is that you can customize the soap bars you buy there with your own stamps. If you find that interesting, you can check out the following website:
The Soap Factory is located on the grounds of the historic Waialua Sugar Mill, which was another interesting aspect. Sugarcane used to be grown on O'ahu, and a few of the old sugar mills from that time still exist. Also on the grounds in Waialua, you'll find Old Sugar Mill Brand Waialua Coffee. The smell there is incredibly good because coffee beans are roasted live. If you've ever been to a roastery, you'll know what I mean. You can even taste the coffees they produce there and, of course, buy them. As you can imagine, the prices are quite high – although they're certainly justified (500g of coffee beans cost around $60). They also sell cocoa beans, tea, and plenty of souvenirs. The historic sugar mill is definitely worth a visit!
Link to the Old Sugar Mill Brand Waialua Coffee Factory
Next, we drove back to Hale'iwa and treated ourselves to another delicious Thai food from the food truck we'd visited last week. The food was simply so good that we didn't even consider trying another food truck. 😍 Meanwhile, it had started to rain, and while we were eating our delicious curries under the shady umbrellas in front of the food truck, it poured with rain. Parasols aren't umbrellas, I can tell you that. But we were in good company, because besides us, there were a few other young people there, chatting and laughing loudly as they also enjoyed their food under the umbrellas, not bothered in the slightest by the fact that they were getting wet – just like us. It rains here every day, sometimes for longer periods, usually only for a short time. The big advantage is that the rain isn't cold. 😊
On this very rainy day, we actually saw our first rainbow on the way home. We've had that before, haven't we? Rain + sun = rainbow. I'm as happy as a child about every rainbow, whether at home or here. It's technically very simple to explain, but I think there's something magical about a rainbow.
Oh, by the way, I've just remembered something I've been meaning to tell you. I've heard a few times from people who have been to Hawaii that they find the weather, or rather, the climate, simply terrible. Yes, it's warm here and the humidity is high. Currently, it's so high that the locals are complaining about it. But for us Europeans, it's a completely different story than for those who live here. And here's the thing: you can get used to the weather here! Temperatures fluctuate less than 10 degrees Celsius from night to day. Yes, at first you feel like you have to shower four times a day, but it really does get better after a few days – even without air conditioning in the apartment. After two weeks, you're already coping quite well, and I know it will get even better. Of course, your body doesn't have a chance to adjust to these weather conditions if you're only on the island for a few days. So much for that. 😉
Aloha! 🤙🏼
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