Hawaii Vacation Those lucky to be in my email address book don't need to read this
Aloha!!!!
It is very pretty here! Photos thus far are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/golddeelox/sets/72157604057801449/
I plan to upload photos every day or every other day to keep the memory card empty enough for more photos as we go along. (I'll keep you updated)
So this is our trip so far:
Day 1: We arrived in Hawaii around 1:30. The airport has these walk ways that go outside and then back inside, and it was just beautiful, warm, sunny. The Flight was 5 hours in a very cramped seat. They only had snack foods for purchase...which they were way over priced. We were pretty much starving. We took a shuttle to our hotel. Which was interesting...the bus driver told us a little about the things we were passing. Food places to try as well as his favorite activities.
Our hotel is right on the beach. We can see a little be of the ocean and beach when we step out on our balcony. http://www.outriggerwaikikihotel.com/ There is a live webcam so during the day time you can see the beach and water.
We ate lunch at a place called Senoir Frog. It was a mexican food kind of place. But it was pretty good. Dinner we ate at puka dog. Hawian hot dog kind of place. It was quite good. http://www.pukadog.com We also walked around some of the shops.
Day 2:
In the morning we had a complimentary breakfast with Expedia at the hard rock cafe. Food was just pastery kind of stuff and fruit. It was really like a big infomercial. Just an agent from expedia rambling on about sites and activities and such. They basically wanted to help set up our vacation. Mind you some of the activities we can get a discount through them....but it was just a big hassle. They also made us take a tour through a jewery place. They specialize in making jewerly out of coral and pearls. It was interesting to see the workers working as you had the chance to go through the factory. But they kind of rush you through it to the shop, so you really didn't get to watch them work on anything.
The rest of the afternoon we spent just sitting on the beach staring out into the ocean. Occassionally going into the water for a swim.
We took a 4 mile (round trip) walk to get some malasadas at a place called leonards. They are simular to donuts. Fried dough with a filling (seasonal fillings - this month pineapple, or cream or chocolate) then sugar on top. They were VERY YUMMY.
Dinner at a nice Japanese restraunt. Then lounging in our hotel room.
Day 3: Rented an umberella and chairs and spent the WHOLE day on the beach.
Day 4: In the morning we went to pearl harbor (we didn't take any photos though) It was a little bit emotional for some people. Very pretty though. It was painted all white and you could see parts of the sunken ships.
After Pearl Harbor we came back to the hotel and just lounged around in our room watching tv and relaxing.
Day 5: We woke up EARLY (515am) to take a morning hike. We hiked up Diamond head to see the sun rise. It is this BIG crater - it is about a mile walk one way. At the top you are at a 761 foot summit and it is very very pretty. My legs are still burning a little from it. There was a part where you have to go through a tunnel - on a bunch of steep stairs. There were people coming down and I became a little clostraphobic. I had to stop for a few mins before I could keep going up. Photos from Diamond head. They loaded in backwards and I didn't want to take the time to fix it. (128 is the first photo and 147 is the last) http://www.flickr.com/photos/golddeelox/sets/72157604074594989/
The rest of the day we just hung out on the beach.
Day 6:
We went Kayaking. It was amazingly pretty. Too bad we didn't have a camera. But didn't want to risk getting the digital wet. It seriously looked like something from a post card. We saw some sea turtles!!! It was cool having a sea turtle swim up next to you! We stopped along an island and climbed around it a little. We got to swim in a tidal pool (?) Saw a crab skeleton. Also saw some sea urchin. Then we went out again - this time stopping on another beach and having lunch. A little swimming. I put on a face mask and swam out to a little piece of reef and watched some fish swim around. Although the water is so clear that you didn't really need the mask except to see the details of the things in the water.