SPAM JAM Waikiki Beach

Who knew there were so many types of SPAM? Classic, Turkey, Cheese, Bacon, Hickory Smoke, Garlic, Less Sodium, Hot and Spicy, Golden Honey Grail, and Spread – these people take their meat seriously. And who knew the most requested product from the Hawaii Food Bank is a can of SPAM?

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii set the stage for the 7th Annual SPAM JAM Festival to benefit the Hawaii Food Bank. Live music, SPAM merchandise and thousands of Hawaiian-shirt clad revelers made this an event to remember. Who cares that there are 15.2 grams of fat in each slice? It’s a Hawaiian delicacy.

Area restaurants cooked up their best SPAM concoctions for the feast: SPAM Katsu, SPAM Poke, SPAM Ravioli, SPAM with noodles, SPAM Nachos, and my personal favorite – SPAM Burger Babies from Cheeseburger In Paradise, dripping with BBQ sauce and pineapple. YUM!

The best part – aside from the Burger Babies? Over 25,000 people attended and the Hawaii Food Bank was given 3,500 pounds of Hormel product to fill their coffers in addition to the hundreds of cans donated by the festival-goers.

A SPAM-win situation for everyone!

“We’re jumping in?!”
Crystal clear water, deceivingly transparent, as the rocky bottom appeared to be just at the surface. A chilly 68 degrees, but after walking in the Mexican heat with a tank, weights, and a full wetsuit, the bracing cold brought a refreshing “whoop” when we worked up the courage for the plunge. Dos Ojos (two eyes) was the underground world in Mexico we chose to explore while completing the requirements for Cavern Diving certification.

It was as if we were introduced to another world. Incredible shades of blue shot through with rays of sunshine from the cracks and fissures in the rocks above. Water so clear it fooled the mind. “Shouldn’t I be walking instead of diving? I can just reach out my hand to touch…” and what surreal notions surround you when stalactites and ‘mites make it almost impossible to tell up from down.

Shimmering mirrors on the ancient underwater cathedral ceiling absorbed our bubbles as we floated by. Four dives in all. Our goal was to learn to trust the equipment and our training. Lights out in one spot brought on one of the deepest and most profound darkness scenes imaginable. Line drills were completed in sheer liquid with a few curious shrimp dashing by to look in on our tying technique.

Two separate pools, resembling a pair of large eyes, are the beginning drop-off for many to explore this diving specialty. Our day spent in this cavernous system of flooded caves gave us a view into a new world of diving – clear, cool, and amazingly beautiful.

Today we’re sharing these underwater photos with Delicious Baby’s Fun Photo Friday!

After several days of eating and shopping ourselves silly in Playa del Carmen, we decided to hop in the car for a quick hour drive south to the Mayan ruins of Tulum. Accessible directly from the main highway 307, the ruins made an easy half-day trip. Along the way we passed enormous all-inclusive resorts tucked in the midst of sparse Mexican scrub and a few non-eventful military police checkpoints.
The Mayan ruins of Tulum are the third most visited historical site in all of Mexico, behind Teotihuacán and Chichen Itza. The Tulum ruins are often said to be the most well preserved Mayan ruins in the world with most structures actually constructed between 1200 and 1450. The city was occupied by Mayan people up until the Spanish conquest of the Yucatan peninsula, but was fully abandoned by the end of the 16th century.

One of the unique features of these ruins and a welcome relief from the baking sun is their close proximity to the sea. The views and breezes from the crest of the Castillo hill are spectacular. Water in unimaginable shades of blue lap on the small stretch of beach many use to cool off from a day of exploring.

We thought we’d come here to take a break from shopping, but the visitors area held a wealth of souvenirs and other “can’t-live-without” trinkets to bring home as a reminder of the trip. Entrance to the ruins is free on Sunday, and costs $4 during the rest of the week.