Amazingly, we arrived in Honolulu two hours before we left Perth, due to crossing the international date line from west to east! The flight went well, although the inflight entertainment was a bit on the old side on the international flight.
We're seeing Oahu, (I believe it's the main island, though not the biggest), by bus. That's a difficult task, because the buses run very inconsistently here, since the locals mostly drive, like in Australia.
After finding our accommodation, an airbnb with a very nice host, we went to the local shopping centre and got acquainted with the Hawaiian way of doing things, which included the first of many bus errors.
Next day, we went into the Waikiki shopping centre and bought a few necessities, bathers, visors, thongs, cosmetics, then had a really nice walk back along the beaches, which go for several k's. I felt good about Waikiki, even though it was not highly regarded for surf when I was young.
Hannelore enjoying a beer at Waikiki.
We're seeing Oahu, (I believe it's the main island, though not the biggest), by bus. That's a difficult task, because the buses run very inconsistently here, since the locals mostly drive, like in Australia.
After finding our accommodation, an airbnb with a very nice host, we went to the local shopping centre and got acquainted with the Hawaiian way of doing things, which included the first of many bus errors.
Next day, we went into the Waikiki shopping centre and bought a few necessities, bathers, visors, thongs, cosmetics, then had a really nice walk back along the beaches, which go for several k's. I felt good about Waikiki, even though it was not highly regarded for surf when I was young.
Next day, were went out to the north shore which has the famous surf beaches, but had a bit of bus trouble, and got there too late to see much. A little at Haleiwa, and Sunset Beach, just bypassed Waimea Bay. You can't see the Pipeline unless you get out of the bus, it's hidden behind residences.
On the way out to the north shore, while going up the East coast of the island, before the bus trouble, we had a nice swim at Kailuha Beach.
We also went to Pearl Harbor, where we had a terrific free tour of the Arizona Memorial, including a poignant movie showing the conflagration and sinking of that ship, with the loss of all hands, when the Japanese crazily brought America into the war.
This is a picture of the memorial, which straddles what is left of the Arizona, taken from the boat that takes you out there.
We also did a paid tour of the Missouri, the battleship on which the surrender was signed.
Looking from the bridge of the Missouri, which is pointed directly at the Arizona.Afterwards, we went to Diamond Head, and climbed to the top of the crater rim, and appreciated the great all round views while wondering if it was worth the effort.
We have had nice impressions of Hawaii, lovely even climate, between 22 and 27 degrees night and day, a little rain but mostly sunny, with green and black sawtooth volcano's remnants everywhere, and friendly, helpful people.
Now off to the mainland, Eugene Oregon, where we expect conditions to be completely different.
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