231: The Coconut Episode
A GREAT time was had by all at our inaugural PodCastaway Retreat with these amazing humans! Saying goodbye was bittersweet, but the retreat weekend was only the beginning of Team 10K helping these new podcasters amplify their voices in the world of podcasting! And our Discord group has kept us right there by their sides for feedback and assistance ever since they left!
I’m totally on board with Lulu’s current obesession! Hot in Cleveland is an hilarious show with 4 incredibly talented and funny actresses, including the one and only TV pioneer, Betty White. And her outtakes alone are side-splitting! She’s a classic!
Sometimes it’s the simple things you can count on that make you most obsessed. And that is the case with Alison lately. The allure and simple yumminess of a Chicken Caesar Salad has her hooked!
The older you get, the more a good nap sounds appealing. Lulu has been rolling pretty hard lately with rehearsals and travel and a steady 10K podcasting schedule. So, she deserves to have her wishlist of a personal nap pod come true. Click on the image’s hyperlink, Lulu and you’ll see the dimensions and features.
Alison’s current stick-on iPhone card holder has given up the ghost and is no longer able to keep her cards secure. So, click on the image’s hyperlink, Alison and have a gander! You may find one you really like!
There was some question over whether Jason Momoa was Samoan or from New Zealand, but he identifies as Native Hawaiian and Polynesian. His father was Native Hawaiian and Samoan, but he was brought up by his mother, who is of German, Irish and Native American ancestry. And, because I just think it’s a good idea…I’m leaving these pictures of Jason AND Dwayne Johnson right here…Grab some Teremana Tequila & do with this what you will. :)
Indonesia is the world’s largest coconut-producing country with coconut production reaching 17.1 million tons. The area with the largest production is Riau, so that’s where Alison went for her 10K adventure! And speaking of adventure, she stayed at the Private Island Yoga Retreat & Diving Experience. And it’s actually the WHOLE secluded private island! With a capacity of 15 people, it’s a perfect spot to relax, dive, swim or get your zen on at the beach! Modes of transportation on the island are either on foot or swimming.
Alison rented a boat from Sailco with a shaded foredeck perfect for hanging out, surf watching or eating and it has a bluetooth enabled sound system too. The top deck is a perfect spot for sunset beers. The saloon area is for movie watching, evening relaxation and bad weather refuge. It has a well-stocked beer and drink fridge and breakfast bar, where coffee/tea and snacks are on the ready day and night. And just how Lulu would like it, inside is air-conditioned throughout.
With an Asian/European fusion menu, she went to La Fusion to eat after a lovely boat ride. Post lunch was a visit to Tanah Lot in Kediri, Indonesia. Similar to Mont St. Michel (where Alison & I collaborated on 222: The Collaborate Episode) and the floating Itsukushima Shrine in one of my top travel spots in Miyajima, Japan, there is a tidal element to the location. “At low tide, Tanah Lot can be approached on foot. The outer sanctum of the temple is open to visitors (holy men receive and bless you), but the inner sanctum of the temple itself is forbidden to any non-Balinese visitors. The small caves exposed by the receding water can be explored, for those who are not concerned by snakes (real or otherwise). There is a cave within a cave on the beach where visitors may approach and receive a blessing from the sacred snake.” Not one to brave this too much on her own, Alison got a Viator car & driver. And since she didn’t want to take her chances with those snakes, real or not, she got some Snake Chaps & Steel toed boots. And to take her on a tour of the place, she flew Mr. & Mrs. Coconut over from New Zealand. They create sustainable products using coconut and providing a lot of jobs for local workers.
Inspired by (my favorite) the Samoas Girl Scout cookie, Lulu chose to visit Samoa for her 10K day this week. She stayed at the Coconuts Beach Club Resort and Spa in an ‘over the water FALE’ that has a living room open on 3 sides to the water, a waterfall shower with inside/outside, natural light. She made sure to get the Coconuts Meal Deal at the resort as it not only covers all her food but includes unlimited beer and wine.
Ready for adventure, she rented a Ford Ranger truck from Blue Pacific Car Hire and was off to the Alofaaga Blowholes. “In this area, lava flows have created a series of tubes connecting a flat clifftop of lava rock with the ocean below. Waves breaking against the lower end of the lava tubes send water at high pressure up through the tubes, creating fountains that spray every few seconds. As most of the land in Samoa is under customary ownership, the village charges a small admission for entry to view the blowholes.” You can even pay the locals to throw coconuts in the vent right before the big blow, causing the nuts to rocket even higher than the water jet, easily reaching 100 feet.
Enthralled with the idea of a massive amount of coconuts flying out of the blowholes, Lulu paid ALL the vendors to chuck coconuts in! And the good former Disney employee remembers, ‘Safe-D begins with me!,’ so she got them all Zenith X air helmet hard hat and provided some Visiontron folding stand mount yellow safety stanchions to protect the surrounding crowds.
All three of us are Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) fans, so Lulu purchased some of his Teremana blanco small batch tequila to accompany some pastries from Sula’s Bakery. And to close out the day, she did one last touristy thing and visited the Robert Louis Stevenson house. He is famous for writing Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Originally from Scotland, he was known to the Samoans as the man with great ‘manas’.
One perk of Lulu’s new show is that she doesn’t have to style her own hair for the show! They taught her how to specifically roll her hair then all she has to do is show up at her appointed time and they do their cosmetology magic! Gotta love a great team!
Alison is happy about the positive interaction her daughter, Hannah had at the local Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru recently. Hannah was curious how the woman with the headset knew that a new car had arrived. So, Alison told her to just ask her when they pulled up to the window. The woman was elated at the question and proceeded to explain the whole process to Hannah. Keep an eye out in a few years; this might just be Hannah’s 1st job!
Photo credit: Andrea Canny
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