We arrived in Honolulu and I was Lei'd...FINALLY!
After we got the rental car we headed out to find the cache across america for Hawaii....in my world it is always best to get the caching out of the way! It was a beautiful drive..and I made Rich pull over a couple of times to take pictures of breathtaking vistas.
Hawaii is so unique....the gorgeous ocean one one side...the mountains on the other...the magnificence of the scenery of both right there....SO amazing!
We got the cache (well..Rich got it, I sat i the car and read my kindle book) and checked into our hotel which was a block off of Wakiki Beach. We walked down to the beach...watched the surfers and the guys rowing in canoes...and those diving off a pier...we watched the mixture of people from so many cultures and subcultures of our own culture all mingled on this one beach. It was so cool. I could have sat there for hours..all day. I love people watching. But....we hadnt eaten...so we walked down the street towards the international marketplace. We walked through, not buying anything but enjoying the local crafts....eating frozen yogurt...to tide us over ya know. I had the most delicious green tea frozen yogurt - YUM! After browsing for a while we decided to eat at The Cheesecake Factory. I know...so lame....eating at a chain in Hawaii.....but...in my defense...the restaurant had an outdoor patio that was right on the street where everybody was walking to and from Wakiki Beach..it was really about a feast of entertainment while eating some good food.
I had a Mai Tai for Aunt Janice..because she did make that request, but due to it containing whisey (shivers) I didnt finish it. Dinner was delicious and the waiter was funny and fun..and the Manager chasing the pigeons away was amusing and the people watching was top notch. Great Dinner. After dinner we were exhausted....I mean...it was only 7:30 local time...but it was 1:30 AM in our world....do we sat on the beach some more, then on the balcony of our hotel room that overlooked the beach for a while longer...then headed to bed at 9 PM local time.
We got up on Friday morning with a full day planned....first on the agenda was Pearl Harbor. It was a sobering experience...I wouldnt trade having visited any more than I would trade having visited the world trade center...but..it was sobering nonetheless. Fitting for Memorial Day Weekend.
We then went to the restaurant suggested by my Cousin in law Chrissy...called the Rainbow Diner. I wanted to try Loco Moco and she suggested Shiyu Chicken.....Rich had one, I had the other...and we ate off each other's plates as usual. Both were tasty and the restaurant while looking like a dive was obviously a favorite of the locals...there was always a line at the order window! We then went to the bottom of the diamond head crater.....I have now been inside the crater of a volcano..cant say I had ever done that before!
We then headed out to drive on the winward side of the island around to the Polynesian Cultural Center for a Luau. The drive was gorgeous. The trip was worth doing for the ride alone. We ended up seeing most of the island this way...and rode through the mountains to the other coast. Annoyingly I kept asking Rich to stop for me to take pictures....I mean..thats what you get at the end of the trip..as Jim Croce said...photographs and memories.
The Cultural Center was really really nice.....little sections set up for each of the polynesian island nations..with shows and displays. Watched a funny man make coconut milk and explain that in Samoa the Man does all of the cooking for the whole family! That would never happen in my house - I would starve! The Show was great...really a good example of dancing from all of the island nations..magnificent costumes. Nice trip. I slept all the way back to the hotel...so tired...and went straight to bed. Time Zone kicking my butt.
Yesterday (Sat) we had a nice morning at the Aloha Towers little cultural shopping center....and then onto the ship where we had a nice lunch waiting for our room to become available. We then did the mandatory life boat drill (groan).
After that we did the pub crawl. 5 of the bars on the ship in 55 minutes...and a drink in each. They named us with masking tape on our chests - I was dubbed 'Slippery when Wet' and Rich was dubbed 'The Mop'. Lots of laughs about that! Then, as if being slippery when wet wasnt a blush worthy enough event....Rich had us sit down with the Three Bears..Mama, Papa, and Baby.....and ironically...the baby bear was a girl i taught some years ago! Cant get away from work even in hawaii! We had a great time on the pub crawl...laughing and joking and meeting all kinds of folks. Great way to start the cruise.
We had Dinner in the Asian Fusion Restaurant...East Meets West....delicious. After all of those drinks and wine with dinner...we both fell to bed and to sleep easily and early.
Today we will be driving the Road to Hana.....excited about that! Ok...so I need to get to it!
Off to Hana......until tomorrow....
