“This Disney destination resort will provide a unique way for families to experience Hawai‘i,” said Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “By blending Disney’s high standard of guest service and creative storytelling, we’ll create a place where all family members can discover the wonder of these special islands.”

Rasulo noted that Disney chose to build a resort on O‘ahu due to the international popularity of Hawai‘i as a family vacation destination. Hawai‘i is among the top vacation choices of Disney Vacation Club members following Disney’s theme park destinations.

Several of Hawai‘i’s elected officials and community leaders welcomed Disney to O‘ahu at the ground blessing ceremony, including Lieutenant Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr.

“We’re excited for this project to begin, knowing the family appeal of both Hawai‘i and Disney,” Aiona said. “We’re confident this resort will attract guests from the mainland and Asia because of the natural beauty of Hawai‘i and Disney’s reputation for delivering unparalleled family experiences.”

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa also attended the ground blessing and said, “From the moment Disney announced that it was purchasing property on O‘ahu, they have shown an interest in our community and have demonstrated they understand the spirit of aloha that we hold dear in our state. I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Disney to Hawai‘i as a new neighbor and employer.”
Planned Resort Features Rasulo noted that plans call for the resort to be built to engage every member of the family, from parents to children, teens and grandparents.

“This resort will be a place where families can escape to reconnect and create lifelong memories,” Rasulo said. “We have kept this vision in mind throughout the design.”

Plans call for an expansive pool and water play area, an 18,000 square-foot spa, a wedding lawn, an 8,000 square-foot convention center, a children’s club and spectacular dining at two restaurants — one of which will provide a stunning view of the ocean.

The design also calls for activities and amenities that aim to engage every member of the family. At the resort’s signature water way, for example, family friendly tubes and body slides will weave through volcanic rockwork and engage an iconic caldera volcano, while a nearby wading pool gives parents with toddlers a welcoming alternative to the sprawling zero-entry fun pool. In addition, more adventurous family members will find vibrant fish species in a saltwater snorkel lagoon.

Beyond activities for the whole family, the resort is being designed to respect and connect with the local culture of the Hawaiian islands. During the past year, the Walt Disney Imagineering team has been researching Hawai‘i and working with local architects and cultural experts as part of the resort’s creative design process. The resulting design is a village celebrating the Hawaiian customs and traditions that lead to a life filled with joy and in harmony with the natural world. To further incorporate Hawaiian traditions, cultural programming in the areas of environmental education, music, dance, history, and arts and crafts; a story-driven, technology-enabled adventure game; and other surprises come together to create a Hawaiian destination that’s uniquely Disney.

Additionally, Hawai‘i’s aloha spirit will influence the many intricate details for which Disney resorts are famous, with stories woven into the architecture, interiors, art, graphics and three planned signature gardens all brought to life through carefully selected colors, patterns, materials and forms. Wood, thatch, lava stone and coral will be among the materials represented in the resort’s two 15-story guestroom towers, each oriented perpendicular to the ocean to maximize ocean views from the strategically angled guest rooms. Façade murals will add to the distinctive look of each tower and will begin to portray some of the stories and legends of the islands.

At the heart of the resort, an open-air lobby building — dubbed Hale Aloha — will draw its design inspiration from a traditional Hawaiian canoe house, visually connecting families to the sea and beyond. Window designs, wall graphics and other details will welcome families with tales of adventure, myth, legend and more, while twin streams flow through the building before uniting as a single cascade into the center garden below.

In October, Disney shared design plans for the new resort with Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is looking forward to the opening of the project in 2011.

“From my first meeting with Disney executives in California, to subsequent sessions in Honolulu, I continue to be impressed with the effort and the time Disney has put into researching Hawai‘i,” Mayor Hannemann said. “Disney leaders have met with Hawaiian cultural experts to gain an understanding and appreciation of our host culture. The end result will be a resort that local residents will be proud to have on our island, and it will be a family attraction that our residents and visitors will find enjoyable and meaningful.”

Disney Vacation Club
Part of the Disney resort hotel in Ko Olina will be dedicated to Disney Vacation Club, a timeshare program that helps families enjoy flexibility and savings on vacations for decades to come. By becoming a member of Disney Vacation Club, families can enjoy vacations at Disney destinations worldwide as well as more than 500 other popular Member Getaways vacation locations around the globe.

Disney Vacation Club accommodations blend Disney’s famed attention to storytelling detail with all the comforts of home. From well-appointed studios equipped with convenient kitchenettes to sprawling, one-, two- and three-bedroom villas complete with full-size kitchens, washers and dryers, luxury tubs and other homelike amenities, Disney Vacation Club Resorts create flexible options to meet the needs of thousands of families from around the world.

Since its inception in 1991, Disney Vacation Club has grown to serve more than 350,000 individual members from approximately 100 countries and all 50 states.

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Mamili National Park was going to be the last on my list in this
country. It was almost completely flooded and looked deserted. A few
successful river crossings finally led to an unsuccessful one. My team
and I found ourselves spinning our wheels in what the locals call
“black cotton” - fine black mud. The guys tried everything: branches,
logs, even rubber mats from inside the car, but it all just sank.
After three hours of hard work, sunburned and
up-to-their-necks-in-mud, Alexander and Vladimir had completed jacking
up one wheel, were almost done with another, and were about to start
digging out the front axle. Out of the blue, a jeep with elephant
hunters showed up and pulled us out. I wouldn’t have anything to do
with them if I had a choice, but beggars can’t be choosers.

It could have been a miserable and sad finale to my time in Namibia -
a failed expedition to a national park and a rescue by killers. But,
as things often turn out to be, it was only for the better. Tired and
dirty, I suddenly realized that we were alone in the middle of a
heavenly oasis. Birds and frogs were chirping. Away from the muddy
pools, other water basins framed by reeds had crystal clear waters
sprinkled with water lilies. There were only small crocodiles around,
so I could swim in cool water and then peacefully rest in the sun. At
night, not wanting to risk drowning the car again, we made our way as
far into the park as we could on foot, careful not to surprise any of
its predators (or have them surprise us.) The walk was rather
uneventful, but so peaceful I didn’t even raise my camera when we
encountered a herd of elephants with their young. I just watched as
their caravan quietly passed by. Almost back at the tent, I got the
final and greatest surprise of Namibian wildlife - in the corner of
his eye Vladimir spotted a pangolin. The most peculiar animal I’ve
ever seen, it’s a tad like an armadillo, but its entire body is
covered with large thick scales, making it look worthy of sitting at
Arthur’s round table. It is like a giant spruce cone, with tiny eyes
and soft soles.

Please note the dreadful choice to have my glasses propped up on my head like that. However, I appreciate the casual feel of Mexico.

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Sounds nice, and I have to agree that the mate here IS the best I have experienced.  I understand now why the Uruguayans don’t use all of the sugar that many Argentines do in their mates.  But I am not much for deciding between waters - when back in California I drink the tap water as easily as I do Evian or some other bottled and branded water.  Although I can tell the difference between Californians water and water in a few parts of Mexico because of the, um, missions to the restroom.

But the beef here - this is of utter importance clearly.  I loved the steaks, bife de chorizo, that I completely destroyed when traveling through parts of Argentina. And upon hearing that Uruguay was on the same, if not higher, level of steak quality my mouth has already directed me to a few places in town.

I haven’t found it yet though.  Sure, I have tasted some good meat here.  But nothing like the steak I had in Salta, Argentina, for example.  I went to the same restaurant three consecutive nights  and asked the mesero to serve it up more rare each night. On the third night, I actually experienced the meat melting in my mouth - so soft, so juicy, so unbelievably enjoyable (with a glass of wine…all for under eight dollars).

I am still on the path to finding this here, but I have been disappointed two times thus far.  I will find it though, or not.  And either way I will report the truth…my truth at least…hasta la carne mejor de Uruguay…

The fact is, the world doesn’t hate us. What they object to is government policies descended from the ‘my way or the highway Cowboy Diplomacy’ Reagan years, only without the diplomacy.

In my travels I’ve experienced much kindness and good will interacting with people on a one-to-one basis. Sure, there have been moments it wasn’t – like the afternoon I was walking the streets in Marseille at the height of the second Iraq war, or the screaming teenagers in the suburbs outside Paris.

I’d like to think our government is now changing, just like Dave, and moving away from these polices that separate our global community. It’s been just two weeks and time will tell us the answer.

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If in Costa Rica, I recommend a camera with a dry bag and the spirit of adventure. Please note that baby turtle did make into the sea even if the golden retriever puppy almost stepped on the turtle.

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I mean—under other circumstances—duck has remained a favorite of mine. Peking duck is a staple of Chinese American restaurants. In Paris, there are certain places that marinate their duck in such delicious sauce, that one can only sob and lament the smallness of an exquisite fowl. I’m sure that duck in olive oil is akin to a new religious experience, but I have not seen it on one family table in Greece—it’s just not traditional Greek cuisine. So what is?

Scouring the countryside from the breadbasket of Thessaly to the olive and citrus fields of Laconia, I always encounter variations of these essential and scrumptious concoctions: pastichio, mousaka, youvetsi, yemista, and dolmades.

Pastichio is my all-time favorite Greek food. Sauteed ground beef with onions and spices is skillfully spread between two layers of the longest macaroni I’ve ever seen. The uppermost layer is then drizzled with a rich cream sauce and a dash of cinnamon is sprinkled on top. Fresh from the oven, pastichio is the ultimate pasta experience of all my trips to Greece. The only time I steer clear of it in a restaurant is when some unfeeling kitchen aide has left it out to dry.

Mousaka is the runner up in the creamy foods department. It is similar to pastichio but substitutes slices of baked eggplant and potatoes for the pasta layers. However, I prefer my eggplant baked in fresh tomato sauce with herbs and a bit of feta cheese on the side. This tomato and olive oil based approach is good for everything from giant snap green beans (fasoulakia) to baby okra. Either is an excellent companion dish for any cream-topped main course.

Youvetsi is a traditional meat dish made from saucy stew meat and rice-like pasta called manestra. The test for youvetsi is the meat—the tenderness of the meat can be judged by whether or not it is already falling apart in the sauce. My preference is to be able to separate a piece of that succulent meat with a flick of my fork.

A boon of visiting Greece in the summer is all of the fresh, organic produce that makes its way into Greek kitchens. Shiny red tomatoes that ooze juice when sliced open are perfect for making yemista. Tomatoes, green peppers, and green squash are hollowed out and then stuffed with either rice or a combination of rice and ground beef. Naturally, the tops are restored and the whole thing is cooked in the same pan with the original innards—making for a real treat when digging into the finished product. Sometimes, yemista will be made exclusively with giant stuffed squash and covered with a lemony white sauce. This is avgolemono sauce and might well be classified as nectar from the gods. The avgo (egg) is whipped to a frothy peak and then splashed with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Dolmades are comprised of deep green grape leaves wrapped around rice and meat (or just rice) and are usually slathered with avgolemono sauce. They are often classified on menus as an appetizer but can be consumed as a main course. I am generally careful enough to ask if avgolemono sauce is included—as without it, I lose the joy of savoring these delectable hors d’oeuvres.

One of the secrets to eating superb food in Greece is to go to a place where they invite you to make your selection by looking at the actual food. I have never been disappointed by a meal, where I got to gaze through the glass and scope out the freshest, most mouth-watering dishes on display in their steaming pans. Indeed, this is how I typically make my lunch selections from traditional Greek cuisine—and I have yet to see a cooked duck.

Except by the time we finished walking around and decided on a place, it was already 11PM. 

“Do you usually eat this late?” 

‘Yes, I like staying up late.’ 

“So how often do you eat in a day?” 

‘Breakfast, Lunch, an afternoon cafe with milk and a piece of bread, then Dinner.’

And that dinner is usually after 10PM for my friend.  I am amazed that more of these people here aren’t seriously LARGE.  Eating late at night usually packs the lbs on from what I have, uh-hmm, read.  But then again, comparing what Americans eat (in their giant portions as well) to the Uruguayans it’s not too hard to understand the differences.

Although just last night I was speaking with an interesting artisan on the main walkway - he was from Buenos Aires.  Always one to get the opinion of the difference between the Argentines and Uruguayans, I threw out the question.  To that he replied, “Uruguyans are fat.  They have a lot of really good food here.  Just look at that family [it was a larger mother, a father, and a skinny 10 year old daughter] - the daughter will turn out just like her bigger mother.  That’s Uruguay.”

Not sure that I am in agreement with his take on the people here, but I feel full, fat, and definitely satiated.  Time for bed and the oncoming street market tomorrow morning…

We’ve all heard of Tuscany and the world famous wines it produces. Government policy ensures this purity with a rating system, which until recently, has been unquestioned. That was before a scandal erupted in the hilltown of Montelcino, where unscrupulous producers were left to guard their own henhouses. The shortcuts they took tainted the reputation of that town’s most famous wine, Brunello di Montalcino. However, not every vineyard was involved in this dishonor. I found a brunello on this trip made at a small family owned estate untouched by this, Podere San Giacomo, which continues to use traditional methods. Some people prize brunellos with a bright cherry-red color, but others, like me, prefer a darker, sweeter brunello with a velvety texture, and they have achieved this spot-on. Keep an eye out for their Brunello di Montelcino 2003 in the US market soon.

My other favorite is produced in Umbria, another stellar wine region directly east of Tuscany. It has a wetter climate than Tuscany, and because of that some call it the Green Heart of Italy. You’ll find this favorite at Paolo Bea Estates in Montefalco, where town archives report the family has been living for over 500 years and today their descendents run a fattoria. After you look at the impressive vineyards and hear of their unique natural production, have Giampiero pour you a taste of Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco 2003, a wine that best expresses his artisan approach to winemaking. Layered with flavors of berries, plums, spices, and herbs, you’ll quickly fall in love with this deep and dark vino like I did.

These are wines to stash in your suitcase and carry home with you, if you can just resist the urge to drink them before you leave!

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