Hawaii
3.06.2008 by Colee
OH MY GOODNESS! I have never been to a more beautiful place in all my days. I am sorry there are no pictures yet, but as soon as I find the cord, I'll move them over.
We got to Hawaii yesterday. Our flights were mostly boring, which if you ask me, is the way flights SHOULD be. We only got lost once in LAX. There really should be more signs in a place that big. We landed in Honolulu and, of course we couldn't find our shuttle representative. Luckily, I am getting better at asking for help - AND I remembered to bring the super handy travel info that was provided by the agency.
Our driver was actually really cool. He filled us in on where stuff was on our way to the hotel and apparently he is freakishly athletic, as he can do the Diamond Head trail from the park and back in just over an hour. The hotel is lovely. The lobbies are very open. The weather has been perfect. It is humid (compared to SLC, everything is humid), but it's only been about 83-85 degrees. Our rooms were not quite ready, as we got here right around noon, so we wandered over to the first ABC store we found and got a bite for lunch. It's true what they say, "Milk is like,$5 a gallon." Fortunately, we were not there for milk.
After we were able to check in, we left everything in the room and went across the street to the beach. Holy people, Batman. I can only imagine what it looks like during the busy season. It was great people-watching, though. Between then and the ocean, I could be content for a very long time. The beach near the hotel is lovely white sand, which of course, they bring in from somewhere else. There is no real sand in Waikiki. The waves are ever present, but not very big. That night we wandered with some of the Truro group and went to Chili's for dinner and then came back to our first "mandatory meeting," the cocktail party. It was fun to put a few more names and voices with a face.
This morning was our second meeting. It really was a business meeting, and, thanks to Leah, it lasted exactly one hour. She actually got Jeremy to stop talking ;) After that, we had arranged to go to the swap meet, but we decided it was just a lot of sunny hot shopping, and the deals were just as good, if not better at The International Market, which is just a few blocks from the hotel. Soooo, instead we went to Punchbowl Memorial Park. It is a military cemetary, very much like Arlington - except with out all the white crosses. It is the burial site of military service men and women from 3 wars (WW2, Korea, and Veitnam). It was very humbling.
From there we continued on a drive up to Pali Point, from which you can see some of the most amazing scenery I have ever witnessed. Then we (not we so much as Leah - we just kind of rode along) up to the east side of the island. We followed the highway up to Lai'e. We stopped at the LDS temple for a few minutes and then continued up to the north shore. We stopped at Turtle Bay and Sunset Beach. The surfers at Sunset Beach were fun to watch. Crazy people, but fun to watch. There are big signs all over the beach warning of unsafe swimming conditions - completely ignored. Also, I know I am a bit of a geek, but it was cool to see the different sand on each beach. They are probably not more than a mile apart, but the sand on each spot is completely different - different texture, different color, different whatever else sand can be. I saved a bit from each, so come over, I'll show you what I mean.
After Sunset Beach we continued the circle and came back down the western side of the island. Again, completely different. This is where the agricultural part of the island is. Friday, Mom and I will go back up. We've booked a tour that will include the DOLE plantation as well as some more sightseeing along the north shore.
Tonight, after dinner, we went shopping at The International Market.... I am not sure what international means, except it felt like we were in Cancun again, with every vendor trying to get you into their shop and give you "good price" on what they are selling - which is exactly what the store next door is selling, too. It was fun though. We got all kinds of goodies :)
We got home a couple of hours ago, and I broke down and finally checked my work email. I made it 2 days. I am feeling pretty good about it ;-)
We got to Hawaii yesterday. Our flights were mostly boring, which if you ask me, is the way flights SHOULD be. We only got lost once in LAX. There really should be more signs in a place that big. We landed in Honolulu and, of course we couldn't find our shuttle representative. Luckily, I am getting better at asking for help - AND I remembered to bring the super handy travel info that was provided by the agency.
Our driver was actually really cool. He filled us in on where stuff was on our way to the hotel and apparently he is freakishly athletic, as he can do the Diamond Head trail from the park and back in just over an hour. The hotel is lovely. The lobbies are very open. The weather has been perfect. It is humid (compared to SLC, everything is humid), but it's only been about 83-85 degrees. Our rooms were not quite ready, as we got here right around noon, so we wandered over to the first ABC store we found and got a bite for lunch. It's true what they say, "Milk is like,$5 a gallon." Fortunately, we were not there for milk.
After we were able to check in, we left everything in the room and went across the street to the beach. Holy people, Batman. I can only imagine what it looks like during the busy season. It was great people-watching, though. Between then and the ocean, I could be content for a very long time. The beach near the hotel is lovely white sand, which of course, they bring in from somewhere else. There is no real sand in Waikiki. The waves are ever present, but not very big. That night we wandered with some of the Truro group and went to Chili's for dinner and then came back to our first "mandatory meeting," the cocktail party. It was fun to put a few more names and voices with a face.
This morning was our second meeting. It really was a business meeting, and, thanks to Leah, it lasted exactly one hour. She actually got Jeremy to stop talking ;) After that, we had arranged to go to the swap meet, but we decided it was just a lot of sunny hot shopping, and the deals were just as good, if not better at The International Market, which is just a few blocks from the hotel. Soooo, instead we went to Punchbowl Memorial Park. It is a military cemetary, very much like Arlington - except with out all the white crosses. It is the burial site of military service men and women from 3 wars (WW2, Korea, and Veitnam). It was very humbling.
From there we continued on a drive up to Pali Point, from which you can see some of the most amazing scenery I have ever witnessed. Then we (not we so much as Leah - we just kind of rode along) up to the east side of the island. We followed the highway up to Lai'e. We stopped at the LDS temple for a few minutes and then continued up to the north shore. We stopped at Turtle Bay and Sunset Beach. The surfers at Sunset Beach were fun to watch. Crazy people, but fun to watch. There are big signs all over the beach warning of unsafe swimming conditions - completely ignored. Also, I know I am a bit of a geek, but it was cool to see the different sand on each beach. They are probably not more than a mile apart, but the sand on each spot is completely different - different texture, different color, different whatever else sand can be. I saved a bit from each, so come over, I'll show you what I mean.
After Sunset Beach we continued the circle and came back down the western side of the island. Again, completely different. This is where the agricultural part of the island is. Friday, Mom and I will go back up. We've booked a tour that will include the DOLE plantation as well as some more sightseeing along the north shore.
Tonight, after dinner, we went shopping at The International Market.... I am not sure what international means, except it felt like we were in Cancun again, with every vendor trying to get you into their shop and give you "good price" on what they are selling - which is exactly what the store next door is selling, too. It was fun though. We got all kinds of goodies :)
We got home a couple of hours ago, and I broke down and finally checked my work email. I made it 2 days. I am feeling pretty good about it ;-)
Ah... insanely jealous I am... Oh, and I have an invention for you that will make your cord irrelevant - ebay - between $2-7
http://search.ebay.com/SD-Card-Reader_W0QQ_trksidZm37QQdfspZ1QQfromZR40QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ34QQsbrsrtZd