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Got up the morning of October 12th rarin' to go on my last scheduled tour. This one was all the way around Oahu and was to take a little over half a day. I had to laugh, though, when the bus arrived to pick us up, and the driver was none other than "Uncle Bob", the guide we had the previous day for the tour of Pearl Harbor!

We departed Waikiki heading east, past some wonderful beachfront properties costing milllions of dollars. "Uncle Bob" kept us both entertained and informed with tales of the rich and famous. we also passed Hanauma Bay, where I had gone snorkeling, and passed Diamond Head. Our first stop was at what is known as a blowhole, a hollow place in the rock on the coast that fills with pressurized water when the tide comes in and sprays water like the blowhole of a whale. Also in that area was a lovely little cove where the make-out scene in "From Here to Eternity" had been filmed. And a little further east was the famous beach where they shot "Baywatch Hawaii".

We drove past Sea Life Park, where I had gotten to meet the dolphins earlier in the week. Off the coast near the park is a small hunk of rock known as Rabbit Island. Not only does this have a faintly rabbit-type shape, it is (or was) the home of live wild rabbits. Apparently, some well-meaning settler decided Hawaii was a good place to raise rabbits, and everyone knows how quickly they reproduce. Fortunately, he was convinced to release them on this island before they destroyed the countryside.

After traveling a bit further up the coast, we turned inland and stopped in a small town. The most striking thing about this area were the sharp thin mountains blanketed in thick green foliage that seemed to rise out of nowhere. The tops were shrouded in clouds. When we got back on the road, we headed into this mountainous area, where the sheer cliffs are known as the Nuuanu Pali. Legend has it that King Kamehameha the Great drove 1000 enemy warriors over these same cliffs to their deaths. Regardless of whether or not this is true, the views from this area are astounding! We had a fairly long stop here, and I dutifully took many photos.

When we got back on the road, we headed back west toward the Dole plantation. This was to be our lunch break stop, but because I was so very worn out (all the activity of the whole vacation was catching up with me), I misunderstood where the restaurant was at a neighboring plantation and ended up at Dole's concession stand instead. The only thing they had that I could eat was fresh pineapple, so I got a big plate of it. There was a guided tour on a train around the plantation, but I was way too tired for that, so I just walked in their gardens a little. It was interesting....there were different varieties of pineapples in different stages of growth. Dan decided he needed to feed the koi in a nearby pond....those fish were so greedy they practically beached themselves! It was blistering hot out, and before long, I needed to sit in the shade for a bit, so we headed back toward the bus. As I was resting, I noticed a building off to my left and asked what it was. Turns out that was where the restaurant was! I wandered over there, but it was almost time for the bus to leave, so I only had time for a quick glance.

Next, we headed for the coast, known as the North Shore, world famous for its perfect surfing conditions. The best waves arrive in the winter, but October wasn't too bad in comparison. We got out near the Banzai Pipeline to see if anyone was out there. There were some very skilled surfers negotiating waves that looked just huge to me, but they were very far off, so it was hard to get good photos. I had a good time watching them, marveling at their balance and strength. Definitely no place for beginners.

The bus then went from north to east again and curved around south, past the Polynesian Cultural Center. About this time, it began to rain. We stopped at a macadamia nut farm in a nice area with lots of grazing horses. There was sort of a general store inside with samples of their wares. I tried some macadamia nut Kona coffee, which was pretty tasty even though I can't tolerate too much coffee on a regular basis. There were also various flavored macadamia nuts. Luckily, the ingredient lists were readily available so I could determine which ones were safe for me to sample. There were several that tasted pretty good, but the last one was awesome! Cinnamon flavored! Dan and I looked at each other and said at the same time, "We have to get some of these." We bought a large bag, and it was all I could do to avoid opening it on the bus. I also purchased some kukui nut oil.....it is used topically to moisturize the skin, and it decreases the itching somewhat of conditions like eczema.

As the bus hit the road again, the rain came down even harder and was basically a deluge by the time we pulled into the Valley of the Temples. This is the final resting place for many people of various faiths as well as the home of the Byodo-In Temple, an exact replica of a 500-year-old Japanese temple. It was the place on the tour I had wanted to see most, and it was disappointing that the rain was coming down so hard because I really wanted to take some photos. I took a short-sleeved sweater with me to try to shelter the camera somewhat. Dan held it over me while I took a few pix. The temple is nothing short of stunning....lush green mountains in the background shrouded in clouds, perfectly manicured grounds in front. There were elegant black swans swimming in ponds out front. I dodged between torrents of rain the best I could and removed my soggy shoes before entering the temple itself. The interior seemed very welcoming to me, and it was wonderful to be quiet for a bit. Peace seemed to emanate from there. I looked at the chains of colorful orgami cranes and smiled.....my mom used to make those. Before I left the grounds, I went to a nearby side building, made a wish, and rang the giant bell there for good luck. I would love to go to Japan someday and visit the temples there.

The rain was not all dismal, though. On the way back to Honolulu, we passed some of the steep green mountains, and the rain had made all kinds of small waterfalls on them. Quite beautiful.

We got back to the condo about 2pm, and after resting for a few hours, we went to the Tiki Grill and Bar one last time. When we finished, we decided to take a casual walk around an area of Waikiki we'd seen from the shuttles but hadn't visited yet. In the window of one of the surf shops, I saw a long-sleeved t-shirt dyed a really unique shade of blue. It was, in fact, specially made for that area and had a cool turtle print on it. I decided it would make a nice souvenir.

We walked as far as a little area called The King's Shops. In it were various stores, but also a small museum dedicated to the King's Royal Guard. They used to patrol the royal palace and until recently still performed many of their rituals in front of Iolani Palace. I was surprised to find out they still did the changing of the guard nightly at 6pm in front of the entrance to the shops. It was nearly 6pm at the time, so we went to the appointed place and waited. It was actually quite elaborate and impressive, and I wished I had brought my camera. So many little surprises in Waikiki.

We looked around a little more, and then I got tired, so we started to head back. Somehow, though, after it got dark, we'd made a wrong turn someplace coming out of one of the shops. You wouldn't think a person could get lost in a little place like Waikiki, but we did! We actually went the wrong direction for quite some time, and then when we got our bearings, we were really far away from the condo. By the time we got back to the condo, I was hobbling pretty badly. So much for my navigation skills.

The rest of the evening was spent slowly getting everything ready for check-out the next day. We had to check out by noon, but our flight didn't leave until 10:30pm, which really presented a dilemma: what to do with all that time that wouldn't completely wipe me out? I decided a mall would be a safe bet: I could stay cool and dry indoors, find places to sit, etc. What I didn't know was that Ala Moana mall was all one building, all right, but it was an open air mall, so I still got all hot and sweaty anyway. And this place was HUGE! I'd find a store I wanted to look at, we'd consult the directory and find out it was twice as far away as we thought. We had lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, which wasn't too bad, and did have air conditioning, so I felt a bit better. I found two books about my great great great uncle, Mark Twain, and his visit to Hawaii, so I bought those. I also found a gorgeous small heart-shaped box carved from koa wood in one of the specialty stores. We did a lot of slow wandering around, resting whenever I got tired, just killing time.

I got hungry again about 6pm, and knowing I probably wasn't going to find anything I could eat on the plane that night, I looked around the mall's food court since I was too tired to go back to the upper floors where the sit down restaurants were. Food courts are a very bad idea for anyone on a gluten free diet. Most of the Asian food contains soy sauce, and most of the American food is either a sandwich or full of suspect chemicals. Finally, I tracked down a place that served rotisserie chicken. I made it clear to the lady behind the counter that I could not eat wheat, and she indicated she understood. The chicken came with a choice of three side dishes, and I asked what would be safe for me to eat. She said the salads would be ok, so I chose two salads and plain white rice. I was tired and grumpy and not paying very close attention, so I was quite surprised when I took a bite of one of the salads and tasted a very salty piece of tofu. I went back to the counter and asked the lady what that salad was cooked in. She replied, "Soy sauce." She had no idea soy sauce contains wheat flour. I was too tired to argue with her. I threw that salad out and everything that had been touching it. My stomach was a bit upset after that, but fortunately nothing further happened. I will never risk eating in a food court again.

After that, we decided to go back to the condo and wait for the shuttle to pick us up for the airport. I was soooo tired and sore. The ride to the airport wasn't too bad....we talked with a couple from New Zealand, who had to change planes in Australia and take a bus to get back to their home town and would lose a whole day in the process. Made my overnight excusion sound like no big deal.

Honolulu Airport is surprisingly busy at 8pm on a Wednesday night. Long lines for check-in, security, and the required agricultural check. I should not have tried to lug such a heavy carry-on bag with me...it completely sapped what little energy I'd had left. By the time I got through security, I was barely walking and really should have arranged for a wheelchair transport. But I saw we had Gate 7, with gates 6-11 splitting off to the left, so I thought I had a short walk to the gate. What I didn't know was that the gates STARTED with 11 and went backwards to 6! Also, the distance between gates was huge! Fortunately, we'd gotten there quite early, so I had time to rest several times. Still, I honestly thought I would not make it, and when I finally collapsed into a chair at the gate, I swore I would never travel through another airport without wheelchair assistance.

Our seats on the plane this time were in the middle (there were three rows of seats). There was an in-flight movie, but I couldn't see it because the seats in front of me blocked my view. There was also some music stations that you could listen to with headphones, but the controller next to my seat didn't work. Later, when Dan was asleep, I listened to tunes through the controller by his seat.

The meal situation on this flight was even worse than the one going to Hawaii, and the flight attendants were just as rude. When I asked if there was anything available that didn't contain wheat, the woman just handed me a sandwich! I of course gave it to Dan. Fortunately, they gave us Fritos later on, so I could eat those, and I'd brought the cinnamon-covered macadamia nuts. Weird meal, but it was the best I could do.

I started to read my book after that, but they turned the lights down low on the plane because they were expecting everyone to go to sleep. The little lamp over my seat didn't help very much, so I decided to try to sleep like everyone else. Impossible. The seats are far too uncomfortable for that, and it was freezing in there. I drifted off several times for a minute or two but couldn't accomplish more than that. Like on the flight out, I was in considerable pain after a few hours despite frequent stretch/restroom breaks (which really annoy the flight attendants, by the way). Again, I was in tears before we landed. And about an hour before we arrived in my hometown, the flight attendants came around and gave everyone pastry! I just glared at the woman who handed me one. Would it be so difficult for them to provide a piece of fresh fruit, like an apple??

All the same, I didn't let my lousy experience with the flights spoil the whole vacation. I will always have memories of some amazing adventures, like the sea turtle who swam up to me when I was snorkeling, the breathtaking scenery of the Big Island via helicopter, the incredible Kohala sunsets, tootling around the island in the Kermit-mobile, the playful spinner dolphins in the bay on Oahu, people watching on Waikiki beach, and swimming with a bottlenose dolphin. I have hundreds of photos to remind me as well. My only challenge will be to equal this vacation.