Freaky bugs, Queen's baths and Crazy Storms - Lydgate to Anini

We make our way back up the island, but first, a quick stop at Mickey D's for some cheap breaky and to mooch their power outlets and wifi.

Before long we've arrived at Lydgate park.  The vibe is completely different from the previous places.  The sprawling grounds actually feel like a 'traditional' campground with assigned sites equipped with a picnic table and barbecue.  It becomes immediately apparent why it was so much more expensive than the other parks.

We stroll the park and frolic in the waves.  We hit the grocery store and treat ourselves to barbecued sausages, veggies and wine.  As the sun sets, we listen to soft music and play a heated game of rummy.  We begin to notice a couple strange creatures crawling around the table; they look like a moth/flying ant hybrid of sorts and are quite taken with our lantern.  We opt to ignore them until mere minutes later when suddenly there are MILLIONS.  They've covered the table to the point that we can't see the wood underneath; they crawl all over our bodies and into our clothes and drinks, all the while shedding their disgusting wings everywhere.  I can't extinguish the lights fast enough and when I do I can still feel them nuzzling into my hoodie.  Mike rushes to build a hasty fire on the grill and we watch them take turns head diving into the open flames.  Stupid creatures. 
The trauma associated with the incident effectively puts an end to our night night and we retire to the safe confines of our tent.
As I type this I swear I can still feel them on me.

~~~

We're sad to leave Lydgate so soon, but the park is fully booked for the following night so we make our way up towards Anini.  On the way, we stop to check out a farmer's market and the local lighthouse and decide to treat ourselves to lunch.  I get my first taste of Tuna Poke and I'm immediately obsessed. 

I haven't slept much over the past few days so I treat myself to a nap.

Mike sees a guy drinking a beer and holding an extra fishing rod and instantly makes a new friend (they actually even catch some fish!)  Chasity and his girlfriend, Esperanza are great company and we're sad to hear they're headed home the following day.  We hangout and chat and realize that we all were are at the same tour of the Hindu Monastery and we laugh about how ridiculously commercial the entire experience was.  We find out that they both also stayed at Salt Pond and had a similar experience with our favourite gypsy kids.  Chasity retells the story of how they were invited to join the group by the friendly ring-leader Crispy.  After a couple beers, Chasity pulls out some hash to share with the group, but makes the mistake of turning his head for less than a minute, when he turns back, the hash has mysteriously disappeared and the group are all silently snickering.  When he dares to ask who took it, a member of the group tells him, "It's not in the aloha-spirit to go around accusing people."

With that, Chasity and Esperanza politely remove themselves from the group and are then subject to an onslaught of verbal abuse during the remainder of their stay.

I feel slightly vindicated knowing that our instincts were correct.

~~~

We wake up to nasty weather so we drive around to kill some time.  We don't feel like cooking canned soup in the rain for an hour, so we decide to treat ourselves to another meal out.  Mike goes for Chicken in a Barrel and I go around the corner to a different barbecue place.  I decide to try the 'loco moco' since it is a traditional Hawaiian meal and because it is so heavily touted at every restaurant on the island.  And well... it stays true to its description: white rice topped with hamburger patties, gravy and fried egg.  No frills here.  I don't know what I expected, maybe for it to be sort of fancier, but it's rather bland.  It comes with a spoonful of macaroni salad.

I think the girl I overhead at Koke'é said it best: "You know it's bad when the macaroni salad is the best part!"

*Side note: Linda Vu has since informed me that when she tried Loco Moco she LOVED it, but she pointed out that she tried it at less-known local eatery, so perhaps I should give it another chance.

We finish the day off with a visit to Queen's Bath.  We're expecting a quick jaunt down to the rock pools, but instead are greeted with a steep, slick and narrow path.  By the end of it I've abandoned my flip flops and I'm covered in mud.  It's well worth the journey, exploring the jagged black rock faces while the ocean sprays explode all around us is my best experience of the entire trip.  Even the stern warning that over 30 people (read: dumb tourists) have died at this location can't kill my spirit.

We jump into the frigid pool and scream/laugh nervously when the huge waves crash in over the rock wall and send us flying.

"I don't know what to do with my hands"

~~~

We wake up to the aggressive flapping of our tent caught in a storm.  The poles bend under the strain, contouring the tent into concerning shapes.  At one point, Mike gets up and moves a picnic table to secure one side, but it's of little help.  We spend the rest of the night awake, hanging on for dear life.  Eventually, the damn roosters start sounding off and we take solace in the fact that it will be daylight soon. 
Once there's enough light, we throw all our wet, dirty, sand shit into the car and head to our final location: Koke'é State Park.

Lo Zio Dino Pie

For those of you who got the opportunity to eat at Maffeo's or those friends who attended any of my childhood birthdays, I don't need to tell you how good my dad's cooking is.

For those of you who were not as fortunate, I'll fill you in: my dad's an amazing cook.

All my most impressive culinary feats are thanks to my dad: pasta puttanesca, caprese salad, spaghetti vongole, the list goes on.  So every time I see him I try to gather as much information as I can for my personal cooking arsenal.  

Strangely enough, the day before I left to visit my dad I was chatting with my godmother, Julianne, and she asked, "Does your dad still make that delicious Easter pie?" 

"The one with ham and egg?" I asked (Pizza Rustica).

"No, it was a sweet one with ricotta."

I couldn't recall it for the life of me.

The next day, when I walked into my dad's apartment he informed me, "We're going to make a pie together, it's one of your mom and Julianne's favourite."  It's almost as if he knew...

For your cooking (and eating) pleasure, I present: 'Lo Zio Dino Pie' or as it's "officially" known: Pastiera Napoletana.

Makes one pie:

Pie Crust

Ingredients:

330 grams of flour 

130 grams of sugar

130 grams of butter (softened)

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions:

Sprinkle the flour in an even circle and add the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in the centre.

Starting close to the centre of the circle, gently begin kneading the ingredients, slowly adding more and more flour until thoroughly mixed.

Roll dough out using a rolling pin until thin and then lay across pie pan, removing any excess dough from the sides.  

Poke the dough a few times with a fork.

Roll out the remaining dough and cut into thin strips, these will be used for the top of the pie.

Filling

Ingredients:

150 grams of cooked barley and milk (let sit in the fridge overnight)

60 grams of sugar

2 eggs

100 grams of ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions:

Stir the filling ingredients gently and then ladle into awaiting pie pan.

Gently lay slices of dough across the top of the pie

Bake at 300° F on the centre rack until golden brown (about 30 minutes), try to avoid opening the oven door as much as possible.  Drop the oven temperature to 200° F and allow to cook through for another 20 minutes.  

Remove and allow to cool, cut into slices and serve.

Best enjoyed with a cup of espresso.  Just don't do what I did and eat half the pie and then have to go to bed with a tummy ache.

Enjoy!