2015-May-17 USA, Hawaii, Honolulu: What A Week On Oahu

Aloha

We’ve had a fantastic start to our adventures in Hawaii.  We stayed with Jean’s ex-boss, Saxon, who she hadn’t seen for around 17 years.  Thankfully we all got on like a house on fire and Saxon was extremely generous and a fabulous host. He kindly drove us to great sites on the weekends and lent us his car through the week. It’s a red mustang convertible so the PERFECT ride for a week of touring the island.

(Laraine, Pipeline was so flat we could hardly imagine the story you told of being choppered out to sea to catch waves!)

Anthony at Waikiki with Diamond Head in the distance

We’ve done some of the normal tourist stuff, like the Pearl Harbour memorial, Punchbowl Cemetery and snorkelling in Hanauma Bay but we’ve also been taken to some great local experiences by Patrice who has lived on the island for many years.   

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour

Apart from a lovely walk and being driven up to an outlook after dinner to see ‘Honolulu by Night’, we also attended a local talk at the Bowfin Submarine facility on finding the submarines involved in the Pearl Harbour attack.



Patrice and Saxon

 

Walk above Hanauma Bay - Note the groovy hairstyle!

We have also managed to taste some local delights such as Ahi Poke (citrus cured fish - YUM), and Shutome – an insanely cheap and delicious local swordfish.  Not to mention the papaya from the tree in the garden that Walter, the landlord, gave us.




So far we are still looking at ourselves daily and saying “it’s really happening” and then grinning like little kids – and we managed to come in slightly under budget for the first week so all in all it’s a great start to the year ahead.

Tomorrow is our last day on Oahu island so we will head off to the beach and a lunch at one of the many shrimp food trucks.