Las Vegas (Dec 26-28, 2006)

Day 1: We arrived Las Vegas at around 2pm in the afternoon and first order of business is to check into our hotel at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. MGM Grand is the largest hotel located along the Las Vegas Strip. Since we had tickets for the David Copperfield show at MGM that night, we opted to have dinner at one of the nice Japanese restaurants, SHIBUYA. Shibuya offers traditional ingredients with a modern twist and it offered a big selection of sake. Rod and I enjoyed their kani salad, Australian wugyu steak, salmon and black cod and a nice sushi platter. Rod wanted to try their Kobe Beef from Japan, but we almost choked on our drinks when our server said that an 8oz piece of beef costs US$320, hahaha. So we opted to go with their Australian beef instead, which was really good as well. David Copperfield’s show was performed at the intimate Hollywood Theater, and after all these years, he still looks the same. Although I’ve seen his show previously in Singapore, he still managed to make me say “wow, how’d he do that” with his magic acts.

Day 2: Spent the day showing Rod around the different beautiful hotels along the strip. We visited Caesar’s Palace (and the Forum Shops), the famous Bellagio, New York New York, and Monte Carlo just to name a few. We also got to see Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio. The show was simply breathtaking, complete with a magical stage that changes from water to land, and graceful dancers and acrobats performing.

Day 3: It’s our final day in Vegas before we leave for Vancouver tonight. We spent the day walking around and had lunch at Emeril’s. Wanted to try his food, just to know why he’s so famous on tv. The food served was not bad, but I won’t say it’s great as well. I enjoyed Shibuya more than this meal. Before leaving for the airport, Rod played a few rounds of Paigaw at the casinos and lost US$400, ouch! Good thing we had a plane to catch or he would’ve lost more. I guess lady luck wasn’t on his side this time.

Los Angeles, CA (Dec 23 – 26, 2006)

Day 1: This was my first time to meet Rod’s Go-i. She is Mama’s youngest sister and she also happens to have a twin Si-i. She lives with her husband Uncle Valentin, but Uncle Valentin left for a business trip and Goi wasn’t able to join him because she wasn’t able to get a leave from work. My first impression of LA was that people there were not as friendly and laid back as people in Hawaii were. The drivers there were crazy as well! They drive fast, as in really, really fast on the freeways it’s scary. Anyway, this day was a rest day for us. We just had lunch with Uncle Valentin’s sisters at a local Chinese restaurant and had dinner at Whole Foods Grocery store. Rod said the food at the Chinese restaurant was good, but the food at Whole Foods was yuck. Guess he didn’t enjoy all the organic food they were serving for take out.

Day 2: We joined a tour group for the next two days as Goi does not really drive on the freeways of LA yet. First day was going to be spent at Universal Studios, but since we were a bit early, the driver took us for a drive around Hollywood. We dropped by theKodak Center where they hold the Oscars, Graumann’s Theater and Rodeo Drive. After half an hour of taking pictures, we were off to Universal Studios. The whole day was spent enjoying the rides and movies. Some of the attractions we went into were:Shrek 4D, Studio Lot Tour, Jurassic Park Ride, Waterworld, BackDraft, and The Mummy Ride. Jurassic Park featured a huge drop at the end of the ride, while The Mummy Ride was a fast roller coaster, zigzagging its way through tombs and dark alleys. It was the first time that I’ve ever heard Rod scream, hahaha. We had a lot of fun.

Day 3: It’s Christmas Day and we are off to Disneyland! As expected, there were so many people today as most people like spending Christmas at “The Happiest Place on Earth”. We were off to spending the day walking around, going on the rides and eating lots of junk food. We went into rides like Indiana Jones Adventure, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain. We also had a chance to watch the Parade where all Disney characters came out in beautiful and colorful carousels. We ended the night by watching a spectacular fireworks display at Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. This was definitely a Christmas Day to remember. We are off to Las Vegas tomorrow.

Maui, Hawaii (Dec. 19-22, 2006)

Day 1: Our plane arrived Honolulu at 7:45am after a 10-hour flight from Manila. Whew, it was tiring! After going through immigration, we had to catch a short 30-minute flight to Maui, which got Rod worried. Short flights within the States usually mean small airplanes, which carry less than 100 passengers! True enough, it was a really small plane, but the ride was smooth. After getting our luggage and picking up our car from Budget Rent a Car, we’re on our way to our hotel. The drive to the hotel was about half an hour, but it was an easy drive… nice weather and beautiful scenery and beaches along the way.

For this leg of our trip, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. This is probably the nicest hotel that I have ever stayed in. The resort features tropical landscaping and exotic wildlife within the grounds. The staff and the service are top-notch. Our room also featured a beautiful view of Kaanapali Beach. Once we’ve checked in, we immediately went to sleep as we were so tired from the long flight. After a short nap, we drove down to Whaler’s Village to have dinner at one of the seaside restaurants. Food was just ok, but we enjoyed walking around and visiting some shops.

Day 2: We were planning on going to Hana today, as all guidebooks feature the Drive to Hana as the place to visit in Maui. But we were so tired that we woke up late and decided to postpone the trip to the next day. So we just stayed at the hotel today and lounged at the pool. There are two free-form outdoor pools with an underwater cave. We spent the morning and the afternoon lazing around, walking around the resort grounds and just relaxed. Our nighttime activity was the Drums of the Pacific Luau, which featured a full buffet and a traditional Polynesian show. It was a high-energy show, complete with hula dancing, singing and fire-knife tossing.

Day 3: Road to Hana

We woke up early and set off for a one day trip to Hana. The Hana Highway is a 60-mile stretch of road that connects the small town of Hana to the rest of Maui. The Hana Highway winds its way past waterfalls, beaches, bridges and spectacular ocean views. The road going to Hana initially was smooth and wide. But the closer we got there, the roads became narrower and more winding than we’ve ever seen. Many parts of the road would only fit one car at a time so the drive was really slow. We stopped by some beautiful spots to take pictures and rest like the Hookipa Overlook, Hana Bay and finally Haleakala National Park. All places featured beautiful waterfalls, hiking trails, streams and the Pacific Ocean. Our drive from the hotel to Hana and back was a total of 160 miles, that’s why this was a whole day affair. We left the hotel at 8am and got back at around 5:30pm

After the long drive, we decided to stop by Kobe Japanese Restaurant for some authentic tepanyaki style food. We ordered Kobe steak, lobster tail and some sushi. The chef showed some impressive cooking skills and the food was delicious.

Day 4: It’s time to say goodbye to Maui. Our next leg of the trip is Los Angeles. We’re going to stay with Rod’s aunt in Monterey Park. Our flight arrives at 8pm LA time so this day was totally spent on travel.