Hawaii: Day 4
The PMOW sting seems to be in remission. Slightly itchy, but totally manageable now and I don't even notice it.
Woke up at 5:45 to hike Diamond Head. Online reviews indicated it was best to get there before sunset, and Gavin suggested that I try to get there as soon as it opened to avoid the Japanese tourists. Well, really, there is no way to avoid the Japanese tourists, no matter how early you get there. They are all over the place, snapping pictures like crazy. The way up was relatively easy, a quick and not-very-steep 20-minute hike. The only challenging thing was trying not to twist an ankle going up on the uneven terrain in the dark.
Once up there the view is quite nice, although again, the fact that it's so busy subtracts quite a bit from the experience. It's not exactly enjoying nature in serenity up there. I played with my settings as much as possible, but really, I'm not a photographer and I own a point-and-shoot:
From what might be the place with the most Japanese tourists on Oahu to one where there are probably the least -- the Pearl Harbor memorial/museum. Seriously, this might be the only place in Honolulu where I didn't encounter any Japanese tourists; they are everywhere in Waikiki. Unfortunately for me, the USS Missouri (what I think is generally considered the main attraction) was in drydock and thus unavailable for tours. I toured the Pacific Aviation Museum which was good, but small.
I think I spent just the right amount of time in both Tokyo and Hawaii, for my style of travel. Any less and I would have been feeling very rushed; any less and I would have gotten bored and tired of it. Overall, I've enjoyed this trip immensely, and am extremely glad I did it. Not being able to surf was a big downer, but aside from that, I've gotten everything I wanted out of this trip.
I would definitely be willing to do Tokyo again by myself; Hawaii, probably less so. Tokyo is much more interesting for the single traveler because it is more about the experience than the doing; Hawaii is certainly more about the doing. I find I enjoy new and unique experiences just fine by myself, but recreational things tend to be more enjoyable with friends or girlfriends.
Now I'm writing from the airport in Honolulu, which is one of the more spartan and quaint major city airports I've been to in the US. In about twelve hours, I'll be in Nassau for the PCA and the tourism will be over. It is kind of strange; I imagine not many people go to the Bahamas and not consider it tourism, but this being my fourth year there, I don't plan to do much other than play cards and hang out with people.
So, the next update should actually be poker-related! Playing Day 1B, since I'll arrive in Nassau just as 1A gets started. Time to get that three million!
Woke up at 5:45 to hike Diamond Head. Online reviews indicated it was best to get there before sunset, and Gavin suggested that I try to get there as soon as it opened to avoid the Japanese tourists. Well, really, there is no way to avoid the Japanese tourists, no matter how early you get there. They are all over the place, snapping pictures like crazy. The way up was relatively easy, a quick and not-very-steep 20-minute hike. The only challenging thing was trying not to twist an ankle going up on the uneven terrain in the dark.
Once up there the view is quite nice, although again, the fact that it's so busy subtracts quite a bit from the experience. It's not exactly enjoying nature in serenity up there. I played with my settings as much as possible, but really, I'm not a photographer and I own a point-and-shoot:
From what might be the place with the most Japanese tourists on Oahu to one where there are probably the least -- the Pearl Harbor memorial/museum. Seriously, this might be the only place in Honolulu where I didn't encounter any Japanese tourists; they are everywhere in Waikiki. Unfortunately for me, the USS Missouri (what I think is generally considered the main attraction) was in drydock and thus unavailable for tours. I toured the Pacific Aviation Museum which was good, but small.
I think I spent just the right amount of time in both Tokyo and Hawaii, for my style of travel. Any less and I would have been feeling very rushed; any less and I would have gotten bored and tired of it. Overall, I've enjoyed this trip immensely, and am extremely glad I did it. Not being able to surf was a big downer, but aside from that, I've gotten everything I wanted out of this trip.
I would definitely be willing to do Tokyo again by myself; Hawaii, probably less so. Tokyo is much more interesting for the single traveler because it is more about the experience than the doing; Hawaii is certainly more about the doing. I find I enjoy new and unique experiences just fine by myself, but recreational things tend to be more enjoyable with friends or girlfriends.
Now I'm writing from the airport in Honolulu, which is one of the more spartan and quaint major city airports I've been to in the US. In about twelve hours, I'll be in Nassau for the PCA and the tourism will be over. It is kind of strange; I imagine not many people go to the Bahamas and not consider it tourism, but this being my fourth year there, I don't plan to do much other than play cards and hang out with people.
So, the next update should actually be poker-related! Playing Day 1B, since I'll arrive in Nassau just as 1A gets started. Time to get that three million!