Day 1= Tuesday 13th August 2013 11:55pm Hawaii Airlines flight to Hawaii. Flight was good as it was not full allowing for Dave and I to have 2 seats each. 1 meal and 1 bagged breakfast. Recent movies cost $7.95 each, luckily there were none I wanted to watch, therefore had a sleep on the 9 hour flight.
Staying at lower class tired hotel in Waikiki. It is clean, has a kitchen and 2 blocks from the beach therefore more than adequate. White Sands Hotel
Wandered down to Waikiki Beach and had sit on the beach and swim in the clear warm water along with all the other 1,000s of people. While swimming saw what I thought was a log till it moved. A turtle swimming amongst so many swimmers seemed unusual.
Day 2. Caught the bus from Waikiki to Ala Moana [Hawaii largest shopping mall] then the number 55 bus to go clockwise around the island. Interesting a cheap way to travel. Cost was $2.50 each from Waikiki to Haleiwa. Need to ask for a transfer pass that allows you to take a bus trip then get off and catch one more bus [only one] within a 2 hour block otherwise you pay another $2.50. The intention was to stop on the North Shore where all those famous surf pipe lines are but the sea was flat calm. Disappointing but we did see turtles coming very close to shore with numerous tourists following them on the shoreline with their cameras. We didn’t even need to get off the bus.
The number 55 stopped at Haleiwa where we paid another $2.50 back to Ala Moana. Round trip 120 miles [180 km] for $5.00 each. Good views and plenty of tourists spots to stop at if you have the time. We were getting thirsty by the end. Plenty of food and drink in Ala Moana food hall.
The temperature here is 87 F [36 degrees] during the day. The same temperature day in day out. For the last and coming weeks the day time temperature is the same = nothing like NZ where it varies constantly. Makes sitting by the sea at Waikiki watching the crowds enjoying the evening sun and no surf, very pleasant.
Day 3 – last swim at Waikiki then to catch the 2:10pm flight to Portland, Oregon
