Hawaii Trip: Part I

It might take a few posts to get everything in from our trip to paradise because there was so much that happened.  Eric and I have a certain style of vacationing:  we like to get in as many activities as possible, and we definitely accomplished that this trip.  Every day was filled with at least one main event with other filler activities to keep us constantly on the move.  I’m writing all this from the plane from Honolulu to Los Angeles, and I have to admit, it feels nice to sit and do nothing for a little while…though it would be nicer to sit and do nothing on a white sand beach surrounded by blue skies and palm trees rather than a crowded plane with seats that don’t recline.

On Thursday, we said goodbye to our first home.

We began our trip early in the morning that Thursday with our flight from Juneau to Anchorage to Honolulu.  We arrived on the island around 7:00 pm, but by the time we picked up our bags and got a rental car, it was around 8 or 9 by the time we finally settled into the condo in Waikiki we stayed at.

Clara's doppleganger!  I used my super sneaky spy skills
to take this picture.

The following morning, due to being used to waking up early and due to the two hour difference between Alaska and Hawaii, we both woke up around 5:30 unable to fall back asleep, so we decided to get the day going. 

Our first stop was the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, where we had a great view of Honolulu.  Apparently, a battle took place here and the losing side was knocked over the edge of the mountain.  It’s a long way down.

Depiction of the battle that took place here.

We then made our way over to the Byodo-In Temple, a replication of a Japanese temple by the same name.  It was a very serene and peaceful place.

Ringing this bell helps you prepare to enter the temple by
clearing your mind of all negativity.

Koi!  Someday we'll have a koi pond.

Inside the temple was a statue of Buddha.

A black swan in the koi pond around the temple.

Afterwards, we visited the nearby Haiku Gardens.

We accomplished all this visits by 11:00am.  Wanting to keep up our roll, we drove over to the base of Diamond Head, hiked up to the visitor center in the crater of the volcano, then hiked to the tallest point of the edge.  I would be lying if I said it was easy.  Coming from Alaska—land of rain and clouds, where 60 degrees is crazy hot—the 85 degree, sunshiney weather was killer.  But as we made our way up, we saw many—erhm—more mature folks making their way down, who were not panting or sweating but acting like the hike was the easiest thing in the world.  Eric said to me often (or rather called down to me because I was always behind) that if they can do it no problem, we could do it too.  This kept me motivated, even if they probably turned around before the top or took breaks along the way.  We made it to the top at a reasonable pace and were rewarded with great views.  Totally worth it.

The crater.

The city.

The husband.

At each place we visited, I put a souvenir in
my hair.

The rest of the day was more relaxing.  We visited one of the many acai bowl vendors in Waikiki.  Most of these restaurants offer “Hawaiian bowls,” but the one we visited is owned and operated by a Brazilian who made them like the ones in Brazil.  Eric served his mission in Recife, Brazil, where acai na tigela (acai in a bowl) is a popular treat, so it was fun to experience a small part of his mission. 

(picture of the acai bowl to come)

For dinner, we had nachos at a snack shack along the beach then went back to our room and attempted to watch the fireworks from the Hilton…which unfortunately were blocked by the Hilton itself.  So instead, we watched the fireworks’ reflection on the buildings around us.  It was a pretty cool effect.

Reflection of the fireworks.

 And that was day one…

Day two.  Saturday.  Much easier to write about.  We began our morning with a beautiful drive along the east side of the island.  Our destination was Laie.  We visited the Latter-day Saint temple, and had a few relaxing and spiritual hours in there. 

We then had a picnic at Laie Point. 

The rest of our day was spent at the Polynesian Cultural Center, a must-see of Oahu.  The whole afternoon, we “visited” the Polynesian islands, learning about each one’s culture.  The evening, we had a delicious buffet followed by an evening show that brought all six islands’ cultures into one production.

Hawaiian hula dancing.

Tahitian drumming and dancing.

With the Fiji dancers.

Samoan guide showing how to start a fire.

Climbing a coconut tree.

A fish made out of  leaves that I found...

...and released into its natural habitat.

Eric posing on one of the stages.

Part II to come soon!