Up early and a quick trip from Princeville to Lihue to fly back to Honolulu.
We had debated whether or not to take the bypass to miss the traffic jam in Kaapa’a and ended up taking it. However when we came back out on the main road we saw that they had made two lanes going south by putting cones up to take a north bound lane and make it a south bound lane. If you think that is confusing to read then imagine how it is when you are driving and driving on the wrong side of the road anyway.
Dropping the hire care off was a breeze and a slick operation. We drove in and there was a guy there to scan the number plate so he had our details and check the car over. He directed us around the building where we hopped on the bus and were driven 3 minutes across to the airport. Alamo Car Rentals.
The rain had followed us to Waikiki and for the next two days it bucketed down.
Our transfer driver dropped us at the Outrigger, however it was a different Outrigger to the one that we had left 2 suitcases at earlier in the week! That was the outrigger reef and this was the Outrigger. How amazing that they had taken our cases and not even checked if we were guests. So if you happen to be in Waikiki and need your bags stored just drop them at the Outrigger Reef Hotel. It will cost you $5 for the concierge’s tip. Cheapest luggage storage we have ever had!
Earlier in our trip an old friend had made contact to say that he was working in Honolulu and would be back from Xmas with the wife and kids when we return to Waikiki. Geoff flatted with me about 35 years ago and it was so great to see him. The years slipped away and we were all laughing and being silly again like only kiwis can. I am sure that the people around us at Dukes bar thought we must be drunk at lunch time.
We dined together both nights and stopped in at the Lewers Lounge in the Halekulani Hotel. It is a posh bar and the band that night was Maggie Heron and Ricky Holmes and they were excellent.
Remember on our first day in Waikiki we missed our Pearl Harbour tour, well we managed to get there on the 12th. The thing that stuck out for me was that the Japanese made a genius attack, I had never thought about it that way before. The information movie was really great and quite moving, we both expected more from the boat trip out to the sunken Arizona. The most amazing thing for me was that it is still leaking oil after 79 years. And as the veterans die they have their ashes placed in the sunken vessels. There are only 2 veterans left now.
The walk through the submarine was a bit squeezie!
Funny thing is that we had been told the first time we went there that we couldn’t do the tour because our guide had the tickets and we were too late. However this time we had tickets and at no point did anyone ask for our tickets. We could have just strolled on in and got on the boat.
I have a little list of things that I have forgotten to tell you:
Every time Lance and I take a flight together I am reminded that he has rough elbows that feel like baby hedgehogs. I keep getting poked with these prickles. Next time I am going to take some time to sand and moisturise him before we travel.
When we went to Walmart we had to stand in a queue before we could leave the shop to show our receipt and she scanned it and our beers!
A young couple that we were talking to in Kauai had been hiking and thought that they could hear a goat. As they got closer they found that it was a young woman who had lost her way. They left the path to find her and then the three of them were lost for a while. Obviously they found their way out otherwise we wouldn’t be talking to them at dinner.
I can’t remember if I have already mentioned this but every day in Kauai we passed some road works. After a while we realised that the truck that was parked inside the traffic cones was actually holding the power lines. The pole must be on order.
When ever I am in the USA I am perturbed by the large gap between the toilet door and the wall. It is the length of my first knuckle (yes I measured it). It is not so bad when you are in there but when you are standing in the queue you can’t help but be nosey and find yourself studying the person in the cubicle.
On this subject I was in the toilet at Pearl Harbour and was looking at how high the frames were holding the toilet cubicles whilst I was going about my business. Suddenly the person in the next cubicle shut their door and the walls started moving. So much in fact that the lock on my toilet door lost its connection with the wall and the door opened!
Tipping, what a pain in the butt. We are so conscious of getting it right that we end up tipping way too much. It’s not the percentage calculation that is the problem it is different rules for different situations.
Hawaiian people
Talking to one of our drivers was really interesting. The true Hawaiian born people are the indigenous people and call themselves Hawaiian and have their own culture and ways that have been passed down along their line. However people who come and live in Hawaii (in particular Americans) call themselves Hawaiian because that is where they live and maybe even were born there. But that would be like me calling myself Maori because I was born in NZ.
And so we come to the end of our trip. We will definitely be back in Honolulu at some stage and will maybe venture to another island. Great food, great bars, great shopping and great company. Thanks for coming with us and if you happen to win lotto you could sponsor us so that I can write more blogs about more places.
If you are keen to read past trips before you take the journey yourself check out our experience https://reestra.blogspot.com
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