Friday, 12th June: Oahu & Maui, Hawaiian Islands

ALOHA!! Couldn't start this entry any other way. Wonder how many times we're going to hear that? Disappointed that we weren't greeted with Leii at the airport (I think you have to be famous or VIP these days - flowers are expensive!).

Spent a few days on Maui - rented a condo on the internet and I think Andy and I were both disappointed to realise that it was in the middle of a very touristy area. Lovely, but full of tourists (yes, I know that's what we are too!).

Drove out (as fast as we could) and towards the mountains (always Andy's moto: head for the hills!). Several 1000 bends in the road later we eventually found a beach with absolutely no facilities (unfortunately that included toilets which is always an indication that sooner or later one of the girls will need to go big time!); not before Andy managed to swim next to a (green?) sea turtle (well he would wouldn't he!).

Didn't really do Maui justice as we wanted to get to Honolulu in time for the King Kamehameha I celebrations (no I didn't make the name up); so we took a quick (cheap, maybe too cheap when I saw that the pilot was only just out of nappies and there seemed to be a GAP year student as the flight attendant!) on Oahu.

Couldn't believe that the OK price hotel was actually only one block from Waikiki beach and we could see it from our hotel balcony (sorry couldn't help mentioning this). Waikiki just as touristy, but somehow it is OK here. Think it could be because the beach is just SOOO gorgeous. Crystal clear, warm water.


Celebrations this afternoon were worth the journey over here (we girlies think). Cute children doing hula dancing in front of the huge statue of King H as they drape him with huge leii. Katy just kept saying how amazing the dancers were because they were so perfectly synchronised.








Hula dancing, crystal clear waters, sea turtles, leii and lots of friendly people. That's our Hawaii so far. Maybe Pearl Harbour tomorrow to jolt us all back to reality!



Aloha and mahalo (that's goodbye and thank you BTW - seems you can say Aloha to mean anything you like!)