Banana Wind Hawaii

Welcome to Banana Wind

2015-07-01T15:42:00.000-10:00

Aloha! Banana Wind is a gift store in Lahaina, Maui Hawaii; A store filled with unique items from all around the World. We travel, with our kids, to places far away...and find the most interesting gift items to bring to our store. We look for home accent pieces, such as baskets, artwork, candles, incense, jewelry, sea shells, wood carvings, picture frames, and more...
Everything in Banana Wind has it's own story... Where it came from, what it's made of, what makes it unique....or simply why we love it!

Follow Our Travels

Click to see where we've been!!

Italy
Peru
Chile
Cambodia
Vietnam
Bali
France
Spain
Thailand

New Products

Our new container JUST arrived and we're filling the store with everything we collected on our last trip. Come see what we found!

Featured Items

When we return from a long trip, there's always that one thing that we bring back home that seems to be our "favorite". These are our featured items...

Amalfi Coast, Italy

2010-10-23T05:30:00.000-10:00

Aloha or should I say Buon Giorno from the beautiful Italian Amalfi coast!

Patrick and I decided to get away for a couple of weeks without the kids and see Italy again. Patrick likes to plan a get away for just us about this time of year, it started out just San Fransisco, when one winter he noticed that the rates to Budapest, Hungary were the same, if not less. Yes, we actually went there in the dead of winter. Quite the experience, but I digress! Luckily, Italy had the same thing going for it this time around, and here we are!

We are off season, but the weather is just perfect. Right now we are staying in Positano, before heading to Ravello, where our ceramic contacts are from a couple years back. We are hoping to propose some designs and pull together a small shipment to hit in the spring.

Yesterday, we took a water taxi to the island of Capri, and ate for 3 hours. The food here is unbelievable!

------Oops, I ate it (and licked the plate) of the delicious lunch of bread salad, spahgetti with fresh clams, baked penne with eggplant and mussels. this is from a little teeny restaurant called Tinello on Capri.

Ok here's another picture of the food:

---oops! Almost missed the shot on this one, too, before devouring. At least you can see what's left of the puttenesco sauce on my linguini, and the roasted veggie pizza from a wood fired oven (of course), at Lo Guarracino, Positano.

I was hoping to gain 20 pounds or so, so everyone could say "what happened to YOU?" and I would just smile and say "Italy!"; however we are doing so much walking, I'm afraid I'm actually losing weight! Can that be? Well, here's a picture of one set of stairs (271 to be exact) that takes us to our apartment:

Here's a shot of the garden leading to our apartment (it's the peach colored building at the end of the walkway overlooking the harbor. Just beautiful!

Also yesterday, we actually went swimming in the colorful grottos surrounding Capri. The color of the water ranges from an eerie green to iridescent turquoise:

We actually had to buy bathing suits because we weren't prepared to actually swim this time of year. I told Patrick I'd buy a thong if he bought a speedo. Sorry, I will NOT post those pictures, but suffice it to say we looked very Italian....

More later on Ravello and ceramics!

Cusco

2010-08-30T06:19:00.001-10:00

We took the Peru Rail again to Ollytaytambo and our driver picked us up and took us back to Cusco. We were exhausted!

The next morning was our last day in Peru and Edwin wanted to show us around Cusco.

Throughout the city were the incredible remains of the ancient Inca walls that the Spanish Conquistadors left, and built their Catholic structures right on top.

------All these walls were made without mortar- you couldn't even slide a credit card in-between the stones. No wonder they left some up!----

We left Cusco by van to see Saqsawaman, or as we liked to call it "sexy woman". This area used to be a fortification area, they believe, as it sits overlooking Cusco. You can still see a lot of the original walls and what they formed, but they were still trying to restore it.

----Incredible gates with monolithic stones.----

----Overlooking Cusco---

---This is Marley and Zeb sliding down the natural rock slide, a local favorite pastime with the children----

---Riddled with secret tunnels, it is said that they connected all the way to Cusco.---

We walked back to town and went to lunch with Edwin at a really local restaurant. A little obvious that we were tourists, but we had a blast.

---Edwin and Patrick sipping the chicha. Again. Remember that's the "spit" beer. I had water.----

After lunch we bid Edwin goodbye, and sadly, Zeb started feeling really sick. So we left him to rest at the hotel while Patrick, Marley and I cruised into town for some last minute souvenirs.

-----As much as Marley would have loved to take home this little guy, she had to be happy with just a picture.----

Well, that's it, folks! Our South American journey was at an end. The next morning, we flew to Lima where we spent our layover holed up in the hotel across from the airport. Zeb had a terrible night the night before, and Lima proper was about an hour away by taxi. So we all decided just to veg.

It was an incredible journey. Hopefully, we can return again whether it's for more Banana Wind purchases, or just to see more of this incredible country.
Maybe next time, we will all speak in Spanish (well, maybe not Patrick...)! We feel lucky and blessed to be able to spend time together as a family. Patrick coined it when he said that we have spent more time together than most families do in their entire lifetimes. Thank God we all enjoy each other so much, and thank God you continue to support Banana Wind, which enables us to keep on traveling, and bringing you the best of our discoveries.

Keep posted for our next trip coming in October- Amalfi Coast, Italy! Pasta, anyone?!

Machu Picchu revisited

2010-07-29T03:40:00.002-10:00

By the time we finished breakfast at the wee hour of 4:00 am, Zeb had decided he wanted to climb Machu Picchu instead of Waynu Picchu. But because we were up, we wanted to get going so the boys could make their hike. Marley threw us all a loop, and announced that she wanted to make the hike with the boys. Which meant I had to go, too. Oh no. So we took the bus up all together to the ruins and started viewing the sunrise as we made our way towards the base of the mountain.

-----sunrise from the ruins of Machu Picchu----

----On the terraces, with Machu Picchu peak in the background, a staggering 14,000 feet elevation. This is where we began our ascent.----

Did you really think I could do it!?! HA! Zeb was gracious to say I made it halfway, but I could barely breathe. Cant tell you how steep the trail was- I wasn't hiking; I was climbing! Patrick, Zeb, and determined Marley sprinted up while I found myself the perfect vantage.

---Here's where I called it quits while the rest of the family forged on ahead to the peak. Ahhh! But what a view! That's the ruins with Waynu behind them.----

I whipped out my iPad and started blogging. With each wheezing group that passed me by, they asked if I had service. Duh. So I just them that I plugged in the iPad to the outlet located on the rock I was sitting on. Some even believed me. And behind me, I could see the peak, but it was so high up there, I couldn't make out anyone on the top.

----I heard some very distant yelling and snapped this photo, hoping it was my family at the top.----

After a rather restful period, I was joined by Zeb on his descent. He said they all made it to the top and it was incredible. Finally, we all made it to the bottom where we signed in, so we could sign ourselves out.

---Marley surprised us all by not only making it, but with 8 sprains to her ankles, and in record time- 1 hour, 15 minutes!----

We played a little with the llamas, and found a nice grassy area to rest.

After a while, we headed back down on the bus to have lunch. People were stopping by our table exclaiming,"Hey! Aren't you the ipad lady?"

Our time at Machu Picchu was at an end. It was time to head on back to Cusco.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Dinner in Aqua Calientes

2010-07-28T22:00:00.001-10:00

So after we got back to the hotel, we went out to dinner with Edwin to celebrate Peru Independence day. We went to a really great restaurant called Inkawasi. It had live music and a great atmosphere. But first we started out with a round of pisco sours.

We decided to order the cuy, or guinea pig, since it was getting close to the end of our journey. It was served roasted whole with even its little teeth intact. It tasted heavy in cumin and kind of like rabbit, but it had tons of tiny bones. Fun to eat, but not very filling.

---My, what big teeth you have!"---

Everything came with these really nifty carrot sculptures.

Then the band started playing traditional Peruvian music, and Marley joined right in. Soon, she was given a flute and the music sounded even better! Edwin then showed us a fun bar trick and taught the kids how (at least they'll be prepared for their later college days...). A bottle of beer was set on the table sideways. The cap was bent in half and put just on the inside of the mouth of the bottle. Trick is to blow the cap so it goes all the way in without using your hands.

---You know you are dying to try it. Both zeband marleuy mastered the art!-

Anyway" the kids had a blast and it was a fun nite, but Zeb had not yet decided on climbing Waynu Picchu or Machu Picchu peak the next morning. Only 400 people were allowed, on a lottery system, to climb Waynu, due to the ruins on that peak. Machu Picchu does not have ruins, but is significantly higher, harder, but with more rewarding views. Marley and I decided that we'd let the boys hike which ever one, and that we would pet the llamas and alpacas until they returned. The lottery line began close to 3:00 am, so we had to turn in just in case.....

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Machu Picchu- first day

2010-07-28T19:35:00.001-10:00

After arriving Aqua Calientes and dropping our luggage off at our hotel, we took one of the last buses up the dustly switchback road to Machu Picchu.

----We made it! The classic photo from the Caretakers Hut. You can see the entire city, with Waynu Picchu "Young Peak", behind it.

OK, so here' s some info about Machu Picchu for those of you who don't know:

Machu Picchu is a city located high in the Andes Mountains in modern Peru.
Machu Picchu (which means "Old Peak") was most likely a royal estate and religious retreat, built between 1460 and 1470 AD. The city has an altitude of 8,000 feet, and is high above the Urubamba River.

Machu Picchu is comprised of approximately 200 buildings, most being residences, although there are temples, storage structures and other public buildings. About 1,200 people lived in and around Machu Picchu, most of them women, children, and priests. Most of the structures are built of granite blocks cut with bronze or stone tools, and smoothed with sand. The blocks fit together perfectly without mortar, although none of the blocks are the same size and have many faces; some have as many as 30 corners. The joints are so tight that even the thinnest of knife blades can't be forced between the stones.

---No mortar!! Wayna Picchu "Young Peak" in the background---

The houses had steep thatched roofs and trapezoidal doors; some of the houses were two stories tall; the houses, in groups of up to ten gathered around a communal courtyard, or aligned on narrow terraces, were connected by narrow alleys.

At the center were large open squares; livestock enclosures and terraces for growing maize stretched around the edge of the city.

--The growing terraces are just behind us, the great Machu Picchu, the mountain, is behind that. In front of us sprawls the actual city.---

One of the most important things found at Machu Picchu is the intihuatana, which is a column of stone rising from a block of stone the size of a grand piano. Intihuatana literally means ‘for tying the sun", although it is usually translated as "hitching post of the sun". As the winter solstice approached, when the sun seemed to disappear more each day, a priest would hold a ceremony to tie the sun to the stone to prevent the sun from disappearing altogether. The other intihuatanas were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors, but because the Spanish never found Machu Picchu, it remained intact.

---the mystical Intihuatana----

---Here we are under the Temple of the Sun, at the royal tomb; over 100 mummies were found in this general area, mostly women----

Few people were actually aware of Machu Picchu’s existence. Before the Spanish conquistadors arrived, the smallpox spread ahead of them. Fifty percent of the Incan population had been killed by the disease by 1527. The government began to fail, part of the empire seceded and it fell into civil war. So by 1532, Machu Picchu was already forgotten.

Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a professor from Yale. Bingham was searching for Vilcabamba, which was the undiscovered last stronghold of the Incan empire, and instead discovered this magnificent site.

We were the last to leave the site that day. It was a perfect time to visit, as there wasn't anyone there but us. On that day, it was Peru Independence Day, and we celebrated by wearing the national pins that Edwin gave us, greeting everyone with "Viva el Peru!", and then going out to a fabulous dinner with Edwin.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU!

Ollantaytambo towards Machu Picchu

2010-07-28T06:00:00.002-10:00

The charming town of Ollantaytambo captured our hearts. No high rises, no fancy restaurants, just a quaint little town at the base of an incredible Incan fortress.

---It's about as modern as Ollantaytambo gets, folks! Pat awaits his coffee---

So after a restful sleep in our charming bed & breakfast, we head on over to explore the ruins.

---Marley rests as we make our ascent to the top of the fortress - getting ready for the big climbs ahead at Machu Picchu----

---Our transport, "The Batman" mobile, to the rail station--

---Marley & Zeb on Peru Rail- huge seating, skylights highlighting the incredible journey towards Machu Picchu-----

----Peak of Veronica towards Aqua Calientes----

Next stop: Aqua Calientes and Machu Picchu!

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU!

The Sacred Valley

2010-07-27T07:15:00.002-10:00

We started our journey to the Sacred Valley today by viewing the entire city of Cusco from Blanco Christo- the White Christ. This incredible figure is made of white marble and glows over looking the city each nite. From the city down below, He looks like he is floating. An incredible sight coupled with all the lit cathedrals. Cusco is just beautiful at nite.

We drove through the hills and made a stop in the village of Corao. Corao is a picturesque Andean Village, best known for its Sunday market, The market retains much of its local charm, at least in the part where villagers from miles around gather to barter and sell their produce. Marley was thrilled, as there was a fenced in area housing some alpacas, and some babies, too!

---Marley feeding the alpacas in Corao----

After buying WAY too many souvenirs, including alpaca slippers,
sweaters, and scarves- all those things coming so handy in Maui- we heading into the Sacred Valley. Then we headed into the town of Pisaq where we ate empanadas hot from an old colonial outdoor oven.
We also tooled around the outdoor farmers market and enjoyed the traditionally dressed locals selling corn, quinoa, veggies and meat.

----Zeb holds a dried Llama fetus. Llama regularly abort their young, so these are common for purchase, especially in traditional markets. Llama fetuses are used a sacrificial offerings to Pachamama, the goddess of mother earth.----

We continued onwards driving through scenic dusty roads, past farming communities and herds of grazing sheep, until we reached Moray. Moray is known for several deep concentric terraces carved into a huge earthen bowl, each layer of which apparently has its own microclimate, according to how deep into the bowl it is. Some theorize that the Incas used them as a kind of laboratory to determine optimal conditions for growing crops of each species.

---the fascinating concentric bowls of Moray------

Still onward, we arrive in Salinas where thousands of salt pans have been used for salt extraction since the Inca times. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt-laden water, which is diverted into salt pans and evaporated to produce salt for cattle, and for human consumption.

---Marley in front of thousands of salt pans in Salinas------

Should we have arrived any sooner that the setting sun, the salt pans would have been so bright from the sun reflecting onto them, it would have been blinding to see. We then headed onto the quaint village of Ollantaytambo, where we were to spend the night.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Arriving Peru- Cusco

2010-07-26T06:30:00.001-10:00

Well, it was time to leave, and give tearful goodbyes to our guide, Fino. We were now heading towards our next adventure- Peru.

----Best guide, ever, Fino!!!!------

We arrived Cusco, and immediately started feeling the altitude, well, at least I did. Cusco's elevation is 12,000 feet above sea level. We got into the hotel and in the lobby we noticed the hot coca tea available, and a bowl full of dried coca leaves. We started sipping the tea like no tomorrow before our guide, Edwin, arrived. The tea was slightly bitter, yellowish in color, and illegal in the United States. Although it does not give you the effects of cocaine, it is an ingredient used in the production of the drug. It does have some benefits, mainly it combats altitude sickness. So as I sat and sipped, I started gnawing on a couple of the dried leaves. Zeb joined me and he started eating them like potato chips. When Marley joined us, I asked her to ask the front dest clerk to clarify how exactly we were to be consuming these crunchy leaves. As Zeb and I were picking the dried bits out of our teeth, the clerk showed us how you're supposed to take several leaves and wad them together, placing them against the back of your teeth- like chewing tobacco. Zeb asked, "Are you supposed to swallow them?" and the clerk said "Oh no! Never swallow them!". And Zeb and I just stared at each other and started laughing.

Edwin arrived and decided that we should see a more local than tourist event. In the neighborhood close by, Santa Ana, there was a celebration of the saint. There are more than 18 cathedrals in the city of Cusco, and most everyone is profoundly Catholic. Street food, parades and music, he assured us that this was so much more of the local life than seeing the regular tourist things, which we could do later. We walked for a while and reached the top of a hill. The street was packed with hundreds of people, and all along the sides of the street were many makeshift food stands. People were drinking and eating and celebrating.

-----yes, this is Marley in front of one of many food stands selling "cuy"-roasted guinea pig, complete with little teeth and stuffed with peppers for garnish----

Edwin insisted that Patrick try a low alcoholic beer that many people were selling out of big plastic buckets. It was called "chicha"' and made out of corn. Tradition dictated that the first sip be spilled on the ground to give thanks to MotherEarth, and then you could drink away.

---Patrick discovers that the fermentation process of chicha is started by spit.----

Then we walked around for a bit and came up to the parade. The parade had a lot of traditional costumes and local bands. At one point, one group of performers stopped to rest because the streets were so steep, and Marley stepped in for a photo.

---Marley in the middle----

At this point, maybe the altitude was getting to me (or maybe it was those cocoa leaves I ate earlier...) but I was getting an enormous migraine. Marley graciously came back to the hotel with me while the boys tooled around Plaza de Armas and downtown Cusco.

---Patrick & Zeb, Plaza de Armas, downtown Cusco, Peru-----

Throughout the town are the ancient Incan walls that still exist. When the Spaniards took over the city, they tore down most of the Incan temples and looted everything. But some of the fine architecture and incredible walls were so strong, they left some and just built on top of them, adding many churches and other fine colonial buildings. So many buildings in this city are incredible colonial examples, and others even older highlighting the fascinating in can history that predated the Spaniard invasion.

----these Incan walls we made without any mortar----

Later, after a well healing nap, we all went to dinner in the Plaza, enjoying the cosmopolitan and bustling Cusco.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Day 3- Amazon Journey Part 2

2010-07-25T15:40:00.001-10:00

We went on a trek to find the mysterious Kapok tree. On the way, we say many howler monkeys and spider monkeys. Howler monkeys, our favorite, make this low growling sound, but it is so loud, it resonates throughout the forest. They sound like dinosaurs. And then Marley and I started taking pictures of the 1000's of mushrooms we saw.

-----Mushrooms, everywhere! All different colors and sizes!-----

As we continued through the jungle, we finally reached what we came to see- The Giant Kapok tree. This incredible tree reached to about 138 feet- a 10 story building is about 100 feet. Fino, our guide, said it was about 800 years old. The oldest trees in the forest were the few remaining ironwoods at about 1300-1500 years old but this kapok tree was by far the tallest.

----The Ginormous Kapok tree-----

-----Marley & Zeb under the huge Kapok. We couldn't even see the top!---

We trekked back thru the jungle back to the lodge to rest up for the next adventure to visit a working agriculture farm down the river.

We saw several white caymans along the shore on the way there, but when we arrived, the farm had been abandoned. Fino said there must have been some sort of dispute between the owner of the farm and the owners of the plot next door. There was a small grove of starfruit trees, laden with fruit, the floor covered with rotting starfruit. The tangerine and orange trees were weak from lack of pruning and not receiving any sunlight. Even the cocoa trees had jungle vines wrapping around their trunks. The farm grew similar items that we have in Hawaii, so we felt we really didn't miss much by not seeing it in working condition. We just felt bad for the food going to waste.

However, on the way back to the lodge on our boat, we were rewarded with the most glorious sunset on one side, and behind us, the rising moon.

It was strange seeing our day end the same way we started but in reverse. This time we watched the moon rise and the sun set.
Spectacular...

As tired as we all were, after dinner, we couldn't refuse the scary night trek that Fino offered. The night trek was really scary. We were all tired and we were told to be extremely quiet. The only sound was our crunching feet against the rainforest floor and the millions of creatures and insects of the rainforest. The forest was so dense, it blocked out any moonlIght, so we had to rely on our little flashlites, which between Patrick, me, Marley, and Zeb, we only had 2. Once in a while Fino would stop and we would all gather around to see what he spotted.

----As I leaned closer to get the picture, Zeb stops me and says "You shouldn't get that close, Mom. Those are wandering spiders. They are about 8 times more poisonous than a black widow spider. And they jump."

Needless to say, I stopped taking pictures, and was content just making it through with our lives. Oh, and by the way, these spiders were everywhere!
But the frogs were cool....

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Day 3- Amazon Journey- Part 1

2010-07-25T07:49:00.001-10:00

This morning's wake up call was 4 a.m. again, in order for us to trek to the canopy tower to see the sunrise. We needed flashlights because it was still dark, and ran into a leaf cutter brigade as they carried bits of leaves from the uttermost branches down to the forest floor into their nest. There were literally millions of them, all working their hearts out, and the surrounding "soldiers" were keeping patrol.

----Leaf cutter ants; the trail was at least a foot wide, and stretched all the way to the top of the canopy (where the most tender of leaves exist), trailing miles towards their nest which was about a 30 square foot patch on the forest floor.-----

-----After climbing the 120 foot tower gain, we were on top of the jungle canopy, waiting for the first shafts of lit to appear.-----

The sounds of the jungle awakening was something we will never forget. We all stood in complete silence as howler monkies howled, spider monkies cheeped and thousands of birds were waking up. As the magnificent sun made its debut, we watched as every second something changed.

----Zeb and Marley on top of the jungle canopy at sunrise------

----first morning light----

Looking over the unending canopy, everyone said how we expected a giant brontosaurus head to come put, lazily chewing on some grass. It was so u real, it felt like Disneyland.

We climbed down and trekked through the forest again, this time to another bird watching shack, where we waited for parakeets. After a few moments, they came in a flurry.

----Marley waiting for parakeets-------

----Voila! The parakeets eating the red clay-----

By now, we were starving, so he headed back to the lodge. It was only 7 a.m..

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Day 2- Amazon Journey

2010-07-24T06:44:00.001-10:00

Wake up call was 4 am. That was tough. But we were headed to 3 Chimbadas Lake (sometimes called Oxbow lake) to see the sunrise and to hopefully see the rare giant river otter. There is a family of 8 that live in this lake, that used to be part of the meandering river but the water from the river diverted over time and finally cut off the pool of water left behind.

-----Sunrise over 3 Chimbadas Lake----

We floated around for a while seeing a black cayman, and several species of bird, but no otters. The sounds were incredible, it was a truly pristine place. After a bit, we pulled over to a shady area to go fishing for piranhas. Zeb and Marley were pretty excited as Fino, our guide, pulled out a hunk of raw meat and started hooking it onto rustic poles made of bamboo. He showed them a 1-2-3 dip, drop technique, and we began to fish. Fortunately, we found a spot that had a school of yellow bellied piranhas, and unfortunately, they were all so small, they couldn't get their mouths over the hook. Patrick, being the cool dad that he was, pricked his finger so some fresh blood might draw out bigger fish. But the kids could see them frantically chewing the meat and they could feel their tugs. Finally, our guide caught one! He assured us that the tiny fish could be out of the water for up to 5 a minutes before it was in any danger, and so everyone was able to see it's needle like teeth.

-----yellow bellied piranha-------

---Zeb, fishing for piranhas------

After fishing, we headed back and hiked around the primal forest for a while. The sounds of the forest were deafening. We saw enormous termite nests, moss and exotic mushrooms growing on almost every trunk, all the while Fino pointing out the various birds and insects crawling everywhere you looked. We were all humming the theme from Jurassic Park, which Fino found funny.

We found our way to a thatched bird-watching shack near the clay cliffs on the river. The red clay cliffs are actually ancient sea beds, and contain a lot of salt. The macaws, parrots, and parakeets of the jungle (along with many other species of birds), eat the clay. This phenomenon is known only to occur in this part of the world. We brought some books to read as waited for the macaws, as we had to be extremely quiet. After about 45 minutes, they flew in, chattering like crazy! Out came the cameras! We were all so excited, as the macaws were difficult to track when they came to the salt licks. Zeb had a great idea, to put the camera lens right up to the binocular lens, and we all got some incredible shots.

-----Lucky us! We got to see the macaws!-----

Whew! We had seen and hiked so much, it felt like it was dinnertime, but it was only noon! We hiked back to the lodge to eat and rest before the next adventure later that evening.

We all rested a bit after lunch in the hammocks, and then we boarded to boats to go downstream to visit a the Infierno Shaman.

We saw the weirdest creatures along the banks called capybaras, A whole family of them were luxuriating in the mud, and then they all jumped in the river and started to swim. Of course, Marley was especially thrilled, as we all were.

---Capybara! The largest rodent in the world, kind of half pig, half rat----

When we arrived at the shaman complex, we had a brief introduction to the
to their facilities, which essentially was the hospital.

------Amazonian Shaman's complex----

He then took us into the jungle to point out various medicinal plants he used
for a variety of ailments from a common cold, to certain "dysfunctions", virility, and even cancer.

----playing around with natural dyes in the jungle-----

After the trek, he brought us back to the main hut where we were all able to sample some of his potions, including the famous para-para, for virility.

----Pat enjoying some Para-para, along with the rest of the men.

We then scooted back on the boats for a well deserved sleep.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PERU

Day 1 Amazon Journey

2010-07-23T09:50:00.004-10:00

Puerto Mondalado, Peru, is so hot! We love it! We landed and met our guide, Fino. He said it was only 48 degrees fahrenheit 2 days before- it only happens like that here every 20 years or so. But we missed it, thank God, because we only packed our "Maui/Indiana Jones" clothes. It is truly Amazonian weather now-hot and sticky, 85 degrees, and complete with lots of bugs!

We took a bus to a waiting station and then drove to the place where the boat was docked.

-----Our boat. You could unbalance the boat easily- making a
very nervous ride, especially for Marley.-----

The road was all mud- there are no paved roads here yet, as we are in the buffer zone. The buffer zone butts up against the protected area, where humans cannot interfere, but the displacement of some animals, due to deforestation, and the polluted mercury-laden river have effected the indigenous tribe that has lived here for centuries, called the Infierno. The community consists of about 600 people that live together on their land, with no electricity and only the river and forest that sustain them. As technology increases, the community has lost much of what used to sustain them fully. Deforestation has effected the wildlife, and the panning of gold using mercury, has polluted the waters quite badly. The community was suffering. The rainforest conservatory that operates the lodge built the operation, and have taught the community how to operate the lodge, with the agreement that the lodge and all its proceeds would go back to the tribe after 20 years. Currently, 60% of the profits go back to the community, with the intent for the community to educate them on eco-conservancy, to build schools, and improve their living situation. They have 6 more years left before it is handed down. In the beginning, the tribe did not understand how it all would work, they partied and took advantage of the lodge and its operators. But now, the entire lodge is operated by the people, and they understand its value. Things look good that the lodge will remain as an Eco-lodge, maintained by the community, and helping them create jobs and a way of life, that is sustainable while giving awareness to the tourists who venture into the Amazon.

The lodge consists of 30 rooms, all built on stilts, because of the rainy season muds. They are primarily made of bamboo and have tall thatched ceilings. The rooms have no official walls, only bamboo dividers. Each room has 2-3 beds, with mosquito nets, a hammock, and a bathroom, but no hot water, so showers are very exhilarating.

----- The picture above is the hallway to our room; then a shot of our room; and finally Marley relaxing in a hammock in the main lobby.-------

On our first night here, we were given a chance to turn in, or to catch our first Amazon sunset from a 120 foot metal tower.

------Yikes!!!! Thought we'd never make it, especially because the tower is supported by cables and VERY rickety!!!!-----

Didn't think Patrick would make it, with his fear of heights, but he did! The rewards were fantastic! After a quick dinner, we headed off to sleep for our 4 a.m. wake up call the next morning.

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Playing in the Andes Mountains

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We left Vina Del Mar on Wednesday morning so we could hit the Andes for the early afternoon. Weather was super cold with slushy rain predicted, so we decided not to ski, and instead go play in the snow. We drove through Santiago, and headed right to the mountains. The only road to all the ski lifts reminded us of the road to Hana, but with snow- lots of curves and tight turns. And no guard rails. 'Nuff said!

---------Nina, Zeb, Marley, Katja, and Patrick playing in the Andes snow!---

We played until our feet and fingers were frozen then headed down the mountain towards Santiago to spend the nite at Vanya's house (Katja's sister). An evening of traditional razor clams, fresh shrimp and scallops led to karaoke, and all of us exhausted and ready for bed for the next day with our Chilean agent.

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Preview of products for Banana Wind- expect them This November!

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Our meeting today was great! We were able to view products that were produced in villages that were too far for us to travel to this time around. So our agent organized all the samples that we requested to be sent to the offices so we can view them, make changes, and place orders.

The kids were terrific, as usual, they participated in some decisions, and helped refine designs. Katja was there also, offering her expertise in design.

----these copper bracelets are from a local artist in the near area. One of the most indigenous craft of Chile are handicrafts made of copper. Copper art is a not only an art form, but a way of living. They will be engraved with Traditional Hawaiian petroglyphs.--------

------- from local artist Jorges Monares. Smoothed by the rivers of Chile, these river rocks are lovingly collected and then hand etched with traditional Hawaiian petroglyphs.-----

-------Sterling silver adjustable glass rings are made for us by artist Jessica Palacios from Limanche. The ocean and bubbles collection also includes pendants, earrings, hair picks, and hair ties, designed by Jessica, just for Banana Wind------

-----Made for us exclusively by the artists at Contempla, these table turners include two designs, the honu (pictured) and the starfish will be available in November in limited quantities.-----

------Post Colombian handmade pottery by Licau in our hometown of Vina del Mar is producing a series created just for Banana Wind. This plate will come in ivory, ochre, olive, and slate. Other products are in development.---

A crazy day, our meeting was around 5 hours, and off to the airport for our next adventure to Peru!!!!!

Location:Santiago, Chile

Hola everyone from Chilly Chile!

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---Can't keep those Mehring's off the water for too long! Here we are from a boat in the Valparaiso harbor. Lots of sea lions and steep hills, just like San Fransisco. ---

We decided to travel to South America this summer! Marley, our daughter has been pining for cold weather, and it's winter over here, plus we have a very dear friend, Katja, who lives here. She generously offered to house us in her apt. in Vina Del Mar, a small city next to Valparaiso. We missed her so much as she missed her annual trip to Maui last year, we thought we'd come to her! To make things even better, we found a terrific free trade organization that can help us import our new goodies for Banana Wind!

We've been here for 2 weeks so far. The first week we spent in the Santiago area visiting workshops of several artists, and viewing products. The highlite was the children got to make their own ocarinas.

----Marley, Veronica, and Zeb making ocarinas. These colorful little instruments are vessel flutes that make a cheery sound. Ocarinas have been a staple musical instrument in Pre-Colombian, Meso-American, and South-American cultures and date back to before 2000 BC. Veronica and her husband keep this art alive using only pure clay that they collect themselves from the hills, and using only natural paints. Our very own Katja is producing our own Hawaiian twist with designs that include plumeria, starfish, and our honu (sea turtle)-----

Then we all took Spanish immersion classes as a family. Zeb has his Grandpa's - nina's dad - gift of languages, Marley is a whiz with any number, I just couldn't keep from saying everything in French, and Pat, well, let's just say language is just not his strength. But we all had a blast with many laughs and giggles, and it is amazing how much we learned!

----our Spanish tutors-----

Then we travelled to Rancagua, the city that Katja grew up in. Her parents and sister hosted us in their incredible home. The most generous of hosts, we thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality and the incredible grounds. We certainly felt spoiled!

------Zeb & Marley in a view from the back. Thank you Silvana and Pedro! We can't wait to see you in Hawaii!!!!----

Tomorrow, we are headed to the Andes to hopefully ski, or at least play in the snow. We say goodbye to our home in Vina del Mar, and are staying in Santiago to wrap things up with our agent on Thursday.

More later!
-Nina

Location:Central Chile

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Banana Wind video

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Here's a quick peek at some of the great things you'll see when you visit Banana Wind!

Banana Wind Video

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Our new container will be here at the end of June! Come see what we've got!!

Banana Wind - A Polynesian Trader

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Banana Wind is a gift store filled with unique items from all around the World. We travel, with our kids, to places far away...and find the most interesting gift items to bring to our store. We look for Home Accent pieces, such as baskets, artwork, candles, incense, jewelry, sea shells, wood carvings, apparel, musical instruments, etc. etc. Everything in Banana Wind has it's own story... Where it came from, what it's made of, what makes it unique....or simply why we love it!