ritler will. >> i'm voting for my enter into the ironman in hawaii. >> reporter: he's fast but not konaronman fast. >> but he used to be slow, really slow. slow and. >> i was a the fat guy. >> reporter: a fat guy who two years ago had this happen after surgery. >> my wife was crying next to my bad bed and said you have to change. >> reporter: it's one thing to make a vow, another to keep it. greg kept. so what did you do? >> i started running, riding my bike, swimming, playing ultimate frisbee, anything i could do to keep moving. >> reporter: the fat guy isn't fat anymore. >> it worked. i slowly but surely have lost 85 pounds the last two years. >> reporter: he's run, biked and swam in races and now has his sights set on the kona ironman world championship. >> i didn't dream that i could ever be anman. >> reporter: race organizers offer slots to people who symbolize the ironman spirit. they have to make a video to convince people to vote for them. >> little by little the weight started woman coming off and i began -- the weight started coming up. >> for a guy like me to do that in the s

the austrian firm kona -- cona supplies the components. they also hold the patent. more than 80 such units are already used throughout nicaragua, providing farmers with an environmentally-friendly alternative. >> our solar system allows us to solar power, rather than log buyers, to dry cocoa beans. in the julala area, for example, the forest is being recklessly cut down to provide wood for the drying process. since no one is taking about 34 station, the trees will soon be gone. -- since no one is thinking about reforestation, the trees will soon be gone. >> one of the most powerful units in the country can be found at the university of leon. the 40-square meters of solar panels produce a great deal of hot air. university's department of food technology is studying the stoler dryers -- the solar dryers. students and professors are testing out new farming methods methods such as processing dried fruit. try this way, pineapples and bananas can not only be conserved and further process, they also fetch a higher price. solar energy helps farmers deal with other challenge

the big island of hawaii, the sheraton kona, it's $1, 007 for four nights.two-hour scenic road trip, then hit the crater rim drive. beautiful vistas, lava, incredible experience. hawaii. you can't beat it. >> first, let's stop at golden gate national park. >> another urban escape, a beautiful hotel. it's the galleria park boutique hotel right off of union square, and golden gate, it's not always great weather in san francisco, so when it is, hit this park. alcatraz is there, muir woods, beautiful on every level. a great deal. >> then if you have more money to spend, let's go to wyoming. grand titan park. >> you can stay at the snake river lodge and spa. expect in summertime to see bears, bald eagles, elk, and of course some scenic road trips with the family. a photographer's dream, and if it gets too hot, fly fishing for everyone. it's an incredible escape, a really great value. peak season, so this is a good deal. >> gosh, it really is. courtney scott, thanks so much for giving us this little break from mid town manhattan. great to see you. >> thanks. >>> m