Sunday, November 14, 2004
Hawaii, Part 5: Arrival and first full day in Oahu
Everything went smoothly getting checked out of the Wailkoloa condo the morning of October 7th. We loaded everything up into the Kermit-mobile and headed to the airport. On the way there, I saw wild goats near the roadside. Such a fascinating island. I'll never forget it.
We bid a fond farewell to our rented Jeep and proceeded without incident until we went to check our bags in. Apparently there's a 50-pound weight limit per bag, and the suitcase Dan and I were sharing exceeded this by 2 pounds! I thought we were making things easier by consolidating our stuff (fewer items to cart around), but I didn't know about the weight rule. We were charged $25 extra for our bag. I think they should post this in the airports...what a rude surprise.
Even with this delay and a backed-up security line, we still had plenty of time before our flight took off. We picked out some seats at the gate and got comfy. Kona's airport is mostly outdoors, so there was a nice breeze blowing through the seating area. There were also lots of hungry sparrows begging for food, as I found out when I was snacking on some Fritos. First one would hop over, then a few more, and then before I knew it, I felt like I was in a Hitchcock movie! You should have seen them swarm when I dropped a Frito!
The interisland airline we were flying on doesn't reserve specific seats, so it was first come, first served. We inadvertantly ended up at the end of the line because I walk so slowly, but I think we got the last two seats together. The plane was small, but not as tiny as the one I took to Bismarck in February; this one still had an overhead bin large enough (barely) for our carry-on bag. And the flight was short; less than 40 minutes if I remember right. It was nice to not be in too much extra pain exiting a plane for once.
As part of the package we had booked, our arrival in Honolulu included a lei greeting. The flowers smelled wonderful; I wished I could have kept it forever. We also had van transportation to our Waikiki condo so we didn't have to worry about that. I had called the front office earlier to request an early check-in if possible, which they were able to arrange. We were in a high-rise, but our condo was only on the ninth floor, which wasn't too bad. And it was reasonably close to the elevators, which I appreciated.
High-rises may not be terribly attractive on the outside, but they sure do provide nice views! Our condo faced north toward Honolulu; from the lanai, I could see lush green hills covered in private homes. I could also see the pool down on the fifth floor and tennis courts across from us. The condo was smaller and not as fancy as the one on the Big Island, but it had all the basics and served us very well. And the bed was amazingly comfortable.
After some unpacking, we asked the front desk where we might go to eat. She recommended the Tiki Grill and Bar two blocks away across from Waikiki Beach. We were interested in seeing the beach anyway, so we wandered over. We got there at just the right time, between the lunch and supper crowds, so we got to sit on the third-story patio overlooking the beach. What a great place to people-watch! They were also accommodating to my dietary needs; I had a delicious grilled opah with a bay shrimp salsa. We ate there two more times during our stay on Oahu.
There was a small convenience store on the fifth floor of our condo, and I was able to find a few items I needed there, but obviously not stuff like fresh veggies, chicken or eggs, so we needed to go to a regular grocery store. We asked the front desk clerk if there was a full-service grocery within walking distance; she pointed out one on a map and gave us directions. We set out easily enough, but the further we walked, the slower I got, and before long I realized my version of walking distance and the clerk's were very different from one another! It was at least six blocks. When we finally wandered in, I realized there was no way I'd be able to get back if had to carry anything, so I modified my shopping list to what Dan thought he could carry. There were fewer health food items available in this store than in the one on the Big Island, and some of the labels were confusing because half of them were in Asian languages, but I found enough to get me (mostly) through my stay on Oahu.
After we unloaded the groceries and caught our breath for awhile (especially Dan, since he did all the hauling), we decided to wander slowly over to the beach to take pix of the sunset. Waikiki Beach is pretty crowded a half hour before sunset: lots of kids playing on the rock retaining wall (the wall reduces the harshness of incoming waves), young adults learning to surf, older adults walking on the shoreline, and in the distance, catamarans providing sunset sails and cruise ships coming in to dock. It's really not that different from all the photos I've seen: the beach curves to the north with a variety of hotels on the horizon (including this striking pink one, the Royal Hawaiian), coconut palms arch gracefully above the scene, tiki torches provide more atmosphere than light, lifeguard towers hold occupants that look straight out of "Baywatch", and couples of all ages and nationalities hold hands.
Once the sun has set, free entertainment is provided on a stage by the city of Honolulu; this usually involves live music and sometimes native dancing. Also, the buskers (street performers) come to life as the sidewalks fill with window shoppers: the most popular seem to be "robot" mimes covered head to toe in either silver or gold. The temerature stays warm in the evenings, so most people go straight from the beach to the many shops across the street for a very pleasant walk. Naturally, most of these are surf shops, but there are also some specialty stores (like one place that only sells items that change color in the sun), souvenirs galore, and if you're willing to walk far enough, the International Market Place. The International Market Place is an open-air gallery of wares sold by foreign vendors. There's plenty of competition, so the prices are good, especially if you're willing to haggle. The night I went there, I bought two sarongs for $12; the clerk was sweet enough to show me how to wear them.
That first evening, we only did a little window shopping as it had already been a big day. I think we were both getting blisters on our feet anyway. We headed back to the condo somewhat early, and after I made some scrambled eggs, I sat down to edit the pix on my digital camera. Predictably, I fell asleep on the couch before I finished.
The next morning, as part of our travel package, we had a breakfast orientation at a neighboring hotel. The convenient thing about staying in Waikiki is that shuttle service is provided for most activities; all we had to do was go to the hotel across the street at the appointed time and wait to be picked up. Basically, the breakfast was a sales pitch for various tour companies that were affiliated with the travel service, but I didn't mind as I'd been wondering how I was going to get to all the things I wanted to see anyway. I was able to eat part of the breakfast, mainly the eggs and the fresh fruit, and I gambled a bit with the bacon and hash browns, but they didn't seem to bother me. I gave Dan my muffin of course. The seating arrangements were kind of fun; I think they intentionally grouped people from different areas together. At our table was a couple from Sydney, a couple from Prince Edward Island, a couple from somewhere in the Middle East, and a couple from Cleveland. After we ate, there was a bit of entertainment, and then a presentation on the various tours and other activities available. I decided against the Polynesian Cultural Center as that was an all-day committment, but instead opted for a luau, a tour of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, and a tour all around Oahu; the prices were actually very reasonable. We set these up for the last few days of our stay.
After we got back, I had an appointment to go snorkeling that I'd booked from home. Dan doesn't swim, so he went shopping. I went to a nearby nature preserve, Hanauma Bay, with a guide and one couple from Arizona. Access to this area is very limited, but if you book a tour, you bypass the lines and are guaranteed entry. Our gear was included as well as snacks and drinks. Hanauma Bay is what remains of an extinct volanic crater, a somewhat peaceful cove full of primarily docile marine life. I was excited for this opportunity but also nervous that I might not be able to keep up physically.
Once I got the gear on, I attempted to swim around a bit and soon discovered that the current was much stronger than I was. Fortunately, the guide was willing to take me by the hand and steer me in the right direction. Snorkeling is a lot harder than it looks! If it hadn't been for the guide's help, I never would have been able to swim out far enough for the best views. What I saw was beyond description....elaborate coral formations, sea urchins, butterfly fish with fins trailing a foot behind them, yellow tangs, huge iridescent fish, entire schools swimming just inches below me. I was trying to take photos with the underwater camera when I hadn't quite gotten the hang of things yet. I ran out of film right before we came across a young sea turtle! Probably just as well....I swam better and exhausted myself less when I wasn't distracted with the camera.
I was determined to keep up with everyone else, so I ignored my rubbery arms and legs and cramped muscles and stayed out for an incredible two hours! The pain was completely worthwhile as I got to glimpse a beautiful underwater world I will likely never see again. The fish were so much larger in the wild than I had ever seen in an aquarium, and some I believe were unique to that area. The best part was as we were heading back toward shore, a huge ancient green sea turtle swam right up next to me! It was so close I had to move out of the way to avoid touching it. The turtle just looked placidly at me, right in the eye, while it munched on some algae. Incredible.
I was massively wiped out when we came to shore, but I hid it best I could. One thing I couldn't hide, though, was when I took off the flippers and promptly fell over because my legs wouldn't hold me! I just laughed and very carefully waded back toward our mats on the grassy area past the beach. Luckily, the couple from Arizona was a bit winded too, so we sat for a little while and had a snack. Turns out the birds at Hanauma Bay are even more bold than the ones in Kona; a dove came up and tried to fly away with my bag of Fritos! Then a pigeon came over to see what he could steal, but I had grabbed my Fritos bag and wasn't in a mood to share. I half expected them to come over and peck at me because I was laughing at them.
We had a pleasant drive back to Waikiki, talking about the upcoming election, admiring the fantastic estates east of Honolulu. The couple from Arizona had been to Hawaii before and gave me some recommendations for good restaurants. I thanked the guide profusely for being so helpful and making sure we had a great time.
While Kona has only about 50 percent humidity, Honolulu is much more humid. Found out that day that when it doesn't rain, it mists....that's the best I can describe it. A light cooling mist hovers in the air for a brief time and then moves on. The great thing about this is that it produces the most amazing rainbows. That afternoon, from the lanai of our condo, Dan and I saw a rainbow form over Honolulu, a huge arc of vivid color. We took several photos of it while it lasted.
That night, I was far too exhausted to cook, so we went back to the Tiki Grill and Bar for a sunset supper. Afterward, Dan and I window shopped and people watched until we had blisters on our blisters. We called it a night about 9pm, and I drifted blissfully off to sleep....
We bid a fond farewell to our rented Jeep and proceeded without incident until we went to check our bags in. Apparently there's a 50-pound weight limit per bag, and the suitcase Dan and I were sharing exceeded this by 2 pounds! I thought we were making things easier by consolidating our stuff (fewer items to cart around), but I didn't know about the weight rule. We were charged $25 extra for our bag. I think they should post this in the airports...what a rude surprise.
Even with this delay and a backed-up security line, we still had plenty of time before our flight took off. We picked out some seats at the gate and got comfy. Kona's airport is mostly outdoors, so there was a nice breeze blowing through the seating area. There were also lots of hungry sparrows begging for food, as I found out when I was snacking on some Fritos. First one would hop over, then a few more, and then before I knew it, I felt like I was in a Hitchcock movie! You should have seen them swarm when I dropped a Frito!
The interisland airline we were flying on doesn't reserve specific seats, so it was first come, first served. We inadvertantly ended up at the end of the line because I walk so slowly, but I think we got the last two seats together. The plane was small, but not as tiny as the one I took to Bismarck in February; this one still had an overhead bin large enough (barely) for our carry-on bag. And the flight was short; less than 40 minutes if I remember right. It was nice to not be in too much extra pain exiting a plane for once.
As part of the package we had booked, our arrival in Honolulu included a lei greeting. The flowers smelled wonderful; I wished I could have kept it forever. We also had van transportation to our Waikiki condo so we didn't have to worry about that. I had called the front office earlier to request an early check-in if possible, which they were able to arrange. We were in a high-rise, but our condo was only on the ninth floor, which wasn't too bad. And it was reasonably close to the elevators, which I appreciated.
High-rises may not be terribly attractive on the outside, but they sure do provide nice views! Our condo faced north toward Honolulu; from the lanai, I could see lush green hills covered in private homes. I could also see the pool down on the fifth floor and tennis courts across from us. The condo was smaller and not as fancy as the one on the Big Island, but it had all the basics and served us very well. And the bed was amazingly comfortable.
After some unpacking, we asked the front desk where we might go to eat. She recommended the Tiki Grill and Bar two blocks away across from Waikiki Beach. We were interested in seeing the beach anyway, so we wandered over. We got there at just the right time, between the lunch and supper crowds, so we got to sit on the third-story patio overlooking the beach. What a great place to people-watch! They were also accommodating to my dietary needs; I had a delicious grilled opah with a bay shrimp salsa. We ate there two more times during our stay on Oahu.
There was a small convenience store on the fifth floor of our condo, and I was able to find a few items I needed there, but obviously not stuff like fresh veggies, chicken or eggs, so we needed to go to a regular grocery store. We asked the front desk clerk if there was a full-service grocery within walking distance; she pointed out one on a map and gave us directions. We set out easily enough, but the further we walked, the slower I got, and before long I realized my version of walking distance and the clerk's were very different from one another! It was at least six blocks. When we finally wandered in, I realized there was no way I'd be able to get back if had to carry anything, so I modified my shopping list to what Dan thought he could carry. There were fewer health food items available in this store than in the one on the Big Island, and some of the labels were confusing because half of them were in Asian languages, but I found enough to get me (mostly) through my stay on Oahu.
After we unloaded the groceries and caught our breath for awhile (especially Dan, since he did all the hauling), we decided to wander slowly over to the beach to take pix of the sunset. Waikiki Beach is pretty crowded a half hour before sunset: lots of kids playing on the rock retaining wall (the wall reduces the harshness of incoming waves), young adults learning to surf, older adults walking on the shoreline, and in the distance, catamarans providing sunset sails and cruise ships coming in to dock. It's really not that different from all the photos I've seen: the beach curves to the north with a variety of hotels on the horizon (including this striking pink one, the Royal Hawaiian), coconut palms arch gracefully above the scene, tiki torches provide more atmosphere than light, lifeguard towers hold occupants that look straight out of "Baywatch", and couples of all ages and nationalities hold hands.
Once the sun has set, free entertainment is provided on a stage by the city of Honolulu; this usually involves live music and sometimes native dancing. Also, the buskers (street performers) come to life as the sidewalks fill with window shoppers: the most popular seem to be "robot" mimes covered head to toe in either silver or gold. The temerature stays warm in the evenings, so most people go straight from the beach to the many shops across the street for a very pleasant walk. Naturally, most of these are surf shops, but there are also some specialty stores (like one place that only sells items that change color in the sun), souvenirs galore, and if you're willing to walk far enough, the International Market Place. The International Market Place is an open-air gallery of wares sold by foreign vendors. There's plenty of competition, so the prices are good, especially if you're willing to haggle. The night I went there, I bought two sarongs for $12; the clerk was sweet enough to show me how to wear them.
That first evening, we only did a little window shopping as it had already been a big day. I think we were both getting blisters on our feet anyway. We headed back to the condo somewhat early, and after I made some scrambled eggs, I sat down to edit the pix on my digital camera. Predictably, I fell asleep on the couch before I finished.
The next morning, as part of our travel package, we had a breakfast orientation at a neighboring hotel. The convenient thing about staying in Waikiki is that shuttle service is provided for most activities; all we had to do was go to the hotel across the street at the appointed time and wait to be picked up. Basically, the breakfast was a sales pitch for various tour companies that were affiliated with the travel service, but I didn't mind as I'd been wondering how I was going to get to all the things I wanted to see anyway. I was able to eat part of the breakfast, mainly the eggs and the fresh fruit, and I gambled a bit with the bacon and hash browns, but they didn't seem to bother me. I gave Dan my muffin of course. The seating arrangements were kind of fun; I think they intentionally grouped people from different areas together. At our table was a couple from Sydney, a couple from Prince Edward Island, a couple from somewhere in the Middle East, and a couple from Cleveland. After we ate, there was a bit of entertainment, and then a presentation on the various tours and other activities available. I decided against the Polynesian Cultural Center as that was an all-day committment, but instead opted for a luau, a tour of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, and a tour all around Oahu; the prices were actually very reasonable. We set these up for the last few days of our stay.
After we got back, I had an appointment to go snorkeling that I'd booked from home. Dan doesn't swim, so he went shopping. I went to a nearby nature preserve, Hanauma Bay, with a guide and one couple from Arizona. Access to this area is very limited, but if you book a tour, you bypass the lines and are guaranteed entry. Our gear was included as well as snacks and drinks. Hanauma Bay is what remains of an extinct volanic crater, a somewhat peaceful cove full of primarily docile marine life. I was excited for this opportunity but also nervous that I might not be able to keep up physically.
Once I got the gear on, I attempted to swim around a bit and soon discovered that the current was much stronger than I was. Fortunately, the guide was willing to take me by the hand and steer me in the right direction. Snorkeling is a lot harder than it looks! If it hadn't been for the guide's help, I never would have been able to swim out far enough for the best views. What I saw was beyond description....elaborate coral formations, sea urchins, butterfly fish with fins trailing a foot behind them, yellow tangs, huge iridescent fish, entire schools swimming just inches below me. I was trying to take photos with the underwater camera when I hadn't quite gotten the hang of things yet. I ran out of film right before we came across a young sea turtle! Probably just as well....I swam better and exhausted myself less when I wasn't distracted with the camera.
I was determined to keep up with everyone else, so I ignored my rubbery arms and legs and cramped muscles and stayed out for an incredible two hours! The pain was completely worthwhile as I got to glimpse a beautiful underwater world I will likely never see again. The fish were so much larger in the wild than I had ever seen in an aquarium, and some I believe were unique to that area. The best part was as we were heading back toward shore, a huge ancient green sea turtle swam right up next to me! It was so close I had to move out of the way to avoid touching it. The turtle just looked placidly at me, right in the eye, while it munched on some algae. Incredible.
I was massively wiped out when we came to shore, but I hid it best I could. One thing I couldn't hide, though, was when I took off the flippers and promptly fell over because my legs wouldn't hold me! I just laughed and very carefully waded back toward our mats on the grassy area past the beach. Luckily, the couple from Arizona was a bit winded too, so we sat for a little while and had a snack. Turns out the birds at Hanauma Bay are even more bold than the ones in Kona; a dove came up and tried to fly away with my bag of Fritos! Then a pigeon came over to see what he could steal, but I had grabbed my Fritos bag and wasn't in a mood to share. I half expected them to come over and peck at me because I was laughing at them.
We had a pleasant drive back to Waikiki, talking about the upcoming election, admiring the fantastic estates east of Honolulu. The couple from Arizona had been to Hawaii before and gave me some recommendations for good restaurants. I thanked the guide profusely for being so helpful and making sure we had a great time.
While Kona has only about 50 percent humidity, Honolulu is much more humid. Found out that day that when it doesn't rain, it mists....that's the best I can describe it. A light cooling mist hovers in the air for a brief time and then moves on. The great thing about this is that it produces the most amazing rainbows. That afternoon, from the lanai of our condo, Dan and I saw a rainbow form over Honolulu, a huge arc of vivid color. We took several photos of it while it lasted.
That night, I was far too exhausted to cook, so we went back to the Tiki Grill and Bar for a sunset supper. Afterward, Dan and I window shopped and people watched until we had blisters on our blisters. We called it a night about 9pm, and I drifted blissfully off to sleep....
Comments:
Post a Comment
