Sydney, Australia

Hi honey, we’re home! Getting up at 4am Friday was, of course, a killer – especially considering it was a Friday we’d only see a tiny bit of, losing most of it thanks to crossing the international date line. But it least getting up at crazy o’clock is a helpful way to induce some extra snoozage on the plane. What an amazing journey it’s been. For a holiday this long, I’m delighted to say there hasn’t really been a single bad day at all. Some better than others of course, but none we could look back on and say we wished it never happened. New York was brilliant. Power, energy, pizzazz, and a just-get-it-done feel all combine to make this an amazing place I’ll never forget, and can’t wait to get back to. We saw some incredible broadway shows, enjoyed an amazing city, and will forever be able to annoying crow “been there!” when watching at least half of the TV shows to come out of the US. Vegas is, well, Vegas. Bigger and much more interesting than unexpected – it’s a strange place for so many reasons, but home of some amazing shows, and a built environment that seems to turn the laws of nature on its head and presents a big middle finger to Mother Nature while doing it. Los Angeles is a place that I am on no rush to visit again. It’s sure not the place you see on TV. Difficult to get around without a car, it’s so spread out and the public transport options really aren’t up to he challenge. Yet, we had an amazing time at Universal Studios, and the sunset Farmers Market near our hotel showed a human side of LA, a side LA should show much more often. San Francisco is another city I’m keen to spend more time in and explore further. A few days weren’t enough, for such a beautiful city with a great feel to it. It has so much more to offer than we could soak up on just a few short days. Can’t wait to get back to see more. Hawaii – sure I’ve been here before but it’s still Hawaii – a tourist Mecca with impeccable weather and just made for relaxing. Meeting up with a bunch of friends here added a new dimension to our stay here as well. But, that’s it. We’re done. Soon to return to the real world of Monday to Friday, where all too soon this trip will seem like a distant memory. But it can mean only one thing – time for us to start planning the next adventure!

Honolulu, HI

So here we are… The final day in Hawaii, and the final day of this crazy five week adventure. We breakfasted at one of the “must visit” places, “Eggs n Things”. It deserves its must-visit status – for both the eggs, and the things. Eggs Benedic served with a side of baked potato cubes. If that wasn’t enough. It also came with a stack of four pancakes. Despite the challenge it presented, I put in a big effort and worked my way through most of it 🙂 Due to tomorrow’s ridiculously early start for the flight home, we’re only having two meals today (we’re back to dining Vegas-style!) so a big big breakfast wasn’t a bad idea. That’s been the only big effort for the day. The others went to the beach, but Perry and I opted out – Perry still has an ear full of water from snorkelling, and putting even more water in, then flying home, would probably not be the best idea. So while he napped and we all hope the ear drops we bought did the trick, I headed out to solve a luggage problem – the maximum weight of each bag is 32kg and I think we’re over – so we need another bag to even things out. I never thought we’d get anywhere near the 50kg baggage allowance, but after a bit of judicious bag management we are comfortably under the limit. We enjoyed our last Hawaiian supper at The Cheesecake Factory, where I ordered a Caesar salad which delicious, but big enough for the whole table to enjoy. I stole a bit of Perry’s Red Velvet cheesecake, every bit as tasty as it sounds. For old times sake we all visited Hula’s for one last drink. After that, we bid our farewells to Steve and Michael who are staying on a few more days, finalised the packing, tried to pretend the holiday wasn’t really over, and dreamed about the last five weeks.

Honolulu, HI

Ahh…snorkelling. Who the hell thought that was ever a good idea? It goes like this: you put on funny shoes that prevent you from walking. Then you strap a whole bunch of silliness on to your head – a mask that slowly allows seawater to leak into your nose, and a snorkel that almost but not quite allows you to breathe, and makes cool Darth Vader noises, as you wonder why you’re not quite getting enough oxygen. So you gasp, and you struggle, and you trip over underwater, wondering which piece of coral is going to cut you to ribbons first … Then you look down, and suddenly as if out of nowhere, there’s a giant, beautiful Sea Turtle majestically swimming by less than a metre away… and for a fleeting moment all is forgiven, and it’s just incredible. I also had the good fortune to see many different kinds of colourful fish, and an eel of some sort that lived in a hole in the coral that was no wider than itself. According to google I learned two things – (a) it’s a “Magnificent Snake Eel” and (b) I was a bit lucky to have seen one in such shallow waters. This all took place at Hanauma Bay – a bay formed by a volcano some 30,000 years or so ago, which was then half erodes by the sea, forming a semicircular bay. Traditionally it was the private hunting ground of the King and Queen. Now however it is a protected environment, with no fishing or taking of coral allowed. It is also completely closed to visitors on Tuesdays to give the fish a break. As a result, it is positively teeming with marine wildlife that look upon humans basically as a curiosity, rather than a threat. One thing about snorkelling though – for the elite super-fit sportspersons among us it probably presents no challenge. But for our little party of marine adventurers … We were exhausted! After returning to the hotel around 1PM, Perry and I went out for a quick lunch … Then next thing you know a nanna-nap has taken me over ’til about 6PM! There were vague plans for a big night out, a chance to celebrate our time on this island with our friends, but after dinner we were nearly all “nah, too tired…” and all went back to the hotel to crash, and it wasn’t even 9PM. So that’s us, a bunch of crazy party animals for sure…

Honolulu, HI

Another day, another early start. Out of the hotel by 7:15 for a tour to Pearl Harbour. It was as interesting and poignant as it was on my last visit 21 years ago. This time I also had a look on board the USS Bowfin – which made it pretty clear much much fun it would not be to serve on a submarine. The tour also took us for a quick spin around some of the historical parts of town, to see Iolani palace, which was the residence of the final King and Queen of Hawaii. Lunch was some particularly delicious pizza at California Pizza Kitchen. Despite not being in California they still did an amazing job, and serves cider in 650ml bottles. The fact it was called (I kid you not) “ACE Perry Hard Cider” was beside the point. In the afternoon we all went for a swim in the ocean at Waikiki – yes I actually went in the water, don’t all faint at once 🙂 It was lovely, my sunscreen worked, and a good time was has by all. We swam in a semi-walled-off bathing pool section, but the surf was up, and it was cool watching the waves break over the wall as they rolled in to shore. Once we all rolled into shore as well, it was time for dinner at the hotel next door – the Aston Waikiki Tiki Bar and Grill, and to ensure we were all back on form, off we went to Hula’s for a beverage. Within minutes of getting back to the hotel, we hear this bang, and look outside… To see a massive fireworks show taking place at Waikiki, basically right in front of our hotel. Couldn’t have asked for a better location, really! I found out later it was to celebrate the 26th anniversary of a Japanese cosmetics company opening it’s doors in Waikiki. It went for a good ten to fifteen minutes, and was most impressive. A very fitting way to end the day, I’m sure!

Honolulu, HI

Again, not a big action-packed day, the only big plan we all had was to head out to Ala Moana for a bit of shopping. As luck would have it the “pink line” trolley stops right near our hotel. Ah, the trolleys. I haven’t seen this anywhere else in the world (yet), but Honolulu is full of these buses that masquerade as old-fashioned trolleys, quite similar to the old San Francisco cable cars. But instead of grabbing a cable that runs under the street, or connection to overhead wires like a tram or a trolley-bus, these are just regular old diesel buses with a trolley-shaped body. Weird, but I guess they must be popular with all us tourists. Most of them are run for he benefit of Japanese travel companies, but the pink line is open to anyone. As for Ala Moana itself… Well it seems to have lost a little of its sparkle since 2009. On my last visit I spent a good two and a half days there wandering around and taking it all in. This time, Perry and I were as good as done by lunchtime. Still, I managed to pick up a few t-shirts, and a ‘rashie’ shirt should I end up venturing into the water. I didn’t buy any watches which was a good achievement in itself… I’ve probably overdone it on that front already for this trip. 🙂 Once we returned to Waikiki we stopped by a tour place, and organised some activities for the next two days. And the day after that is … I can hardly bare to type it … our last day of holidays. Dinner was at Keoni’s – a mostly Thai restaurant with things on the menu like burgers and spag bol – but we all opted for the Thai food which was delicious. I’d had dinner there back in 2009, and it was just as good as I remembered. After a brief wander through the International Marketplace again for touristy stuff, that was it – time for bed, we have an early start for tomorrow’s tour!

Honolulu, HI

I really don’t have much to report today – this was very much a ‘holiday’ kind of day. After crepes for breakfast, we walked with Steve and Michael over to the Diamond Head Beach – about three kilometres each way, so I guess that counts as a bit of effort, especially when it’s about 30 degrees. It’s no wonder practically every shop her sells sunscreen – you go through so much of it, it’s a necessity. That trip was a bit exhausting, and the perfect opportunity for an extended nanna nap. For dinner we went to the Cheesecake Factory, via Duke’s Bar (nice cocktails!) and Jimmy Buffet’s bar (no service, not happy Jan!), while we waited for a table to become available. It took a little over an hour, but boy was it worth it. And the cheesecake? Yep, to die for. It was hard to choose from the 35 or so on offer, but I settled for white chocolate raspberry truffle. Every bit as good as it sounds. After dinner, shock horror, we didn’t go to Hula’s! We just waddled back to the hotel, full as googs, after that cheesecake. So that was it – a slow walk, to end a slow day.

Honolulu, HI

Today was “Honolulu Pride” – like Sydney’s Mardi Gras, but different. Very different. It was funny in a way seeing the Americans do something on a tiny scale compares to Australia. But considering the island we’re on has a total population of less than a million, the fact they have a pride parade at all is commendable in itself. As always with these things it’s the message not the medium, and the message is important as ever. But when it comes to the medium, what can I say, Sydney wins by a long shot! Regardless, it was good to he community out there showing it’s support, and good to see the city of Honolulu showing its support by closing the main drag (no pun intended!) of waikiki down for an hour or two so the parade could go ahead. Nice one. The other cause for celebration today was the 40th birthday of Craig’s sister Kristi. We all went off to a luau at Paradise Cove, where the food was plentiful, the entertainment entertaining, and the company wonderful. Just in case going to a luau wasn’t touristy enough, we also got our photo taken with real live genuine tropical birds ™, which was actually kinda cool, especially for the poor bird that kept trying to get some sleep. It laid back in Perry’s hand and a few seconds later its head was back and it was having a good old snooze. No need for Monty Python references, this was no dead parrot, it genuinely was just resting 🙂 We were among the last of the tourists getting pictures so I’m sure polly had a good old nap after that. The buffet food was nice – the pulled pork was excellent, regardless of whether it was cooked authentically in a hungi (or the Hawaiian version thereof) or not – who knows, what matters is it was delicious. The dancers really knew how to dance, and how to look pretty. One thing about the hula, as they said, is that it is primarily expressed through the hands. And it’s true – when done properly, it really is a graceful and elegant dance. After we returned from the Luau we decided to try something a bit crazy and different… Yep, over to Hula’s for a drink, before calling it a night.

Honolulu, HI

Another beautifully sunny day, starting with a buffet breakfast at a nearby hotel, and a lovely chat with our server Florence. Florence greeted us all, poured our coffee and made us feel welcome. During the conversation she was telling us that, a while ago, she had a wonderful holiday through 11 different countries in Europe … It was a celebration for her 79th birthday! So good on her for still being up and at ’em! The main aim of today was shopping – the Waikele Outlet Centre. It was a little way out of town – not that anything is too far away on this little island, but I found a shuttle bus service that got us there for $10, instead of an estimated $50 taxi fare each way. So the bargains were rolling in even before we started shopping :). We all spent a good few hours there buying this and that – by this stage I may end up needing another suitcase to put it all in… After we returned and dumped the spoils of today’s outing back at the hotel, I took off for a wander around the main tourist drag of Waikiki. I found the hotel I stayed in on my first visit to Hawaii, some 21 years ago now! It’s actually looking better now than it did in 1992 – I guess it’s gone through quite a number of facelifts since then. Dinner tonight was at Chili’s, a chain restaurant that serves, of course, ridiculously sized portions – even after ordering one of the “lite choice” meals I was completely stuffed to the gills. The evening ended, just for a change, with a couple of drinks at Hula’s.

Honolulu, HI

I’m happy to report that Perry and I woke up alive and well this morning – no hangovers, so yay for something resembling a sensible approach to alcohol consumption. 🙂 Today, Steve and Michael arrived in the mid-morning so we dragged them around for a while to see the sights until their room was ready. We spent a bit of time at Waikiki beach – the water was so blue it looked like it had been photoshopped. It also felt like,someone had turned the sun up to ‘scorching’ – very warm out there but so far the sunscreen is holding up OK. In the afternoon Perry and I walked through the International Marketplace – I.e. a rabbit warren of little stalls designed to part tourists from their money. It’s all good fun though – we did end up getting an amazing pineapple juice though. The process they followed was basically as follows: They grabbed two pineapple from the shelf, cut the tops off, cored the inside, cut out the remaining pineapple flesh, and put it straight in a blender. Once done they poured the contents back into the pineapple, and added a straw. That’s it. You really couldn’t get much fresher than that. Sure enough, it tasted fantastic – cold pineapple on a hot day.. Very Hawaiian, I guess Dinner was at “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, proving yet again that even small servings are massive. Then after a brief wander through the shops it was back to Hula’s to enjoy a “Welcome to Hawaii” drink for Steve and Michael. I guess these daily entries will become shorter and shorter as we do less and less – but sometimes doing less and less is what a holiday is all about.

Honolulu, HI

I’m really not loving these 5am starts – still, it’s all for a good cause: Hawaii! The flights were fine – the first leg from San Francisco was on a little jet Perry could only just stand up in, but the second was on a proper-sized 737. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Alaska Air as I hadn’t heard of them before. They were pretty impressive, handing out Mimosas as soon as we boarded, and Mai Tais shortly before we landed, to get us in the right frame of mind for Honolulu I guess. One refreshing change about this visit to Hawaii is that we were of course a domestic flight not international – so within 15 minutes of landing we had our luggage, were out the door and in to a taxi. Our friends Craig and Jase flew in to Honolulu from Sydney just a few hours ahead of us. So we caught up with them as soon as we arrived and went for a wanted around Waikiki. It hasn’t changed all that much since my last visit in 2009 – though to my surprise it was raining… I didn’t know that happened in Waikiki 🙂 We settled on a late lunch/early dinner at The Chesecake Factory – a place many people said was a ‘must visit’. They were right – delicious food, we didn’t even have cheesecake. But should you want Chesecake they have about 35 different kinds on offer. Scary! To help walk of some of the food we wandered around the shops, next thing you know I has acquires a new cap. a pair of sneakers ($32 for Skechers, good grief!), and a some small gifts. A little late we headed out to Hula’s, one of Waikiki’s few gay bars, and enjoyed a couple of drinks. They seemed to have some difficulty with accurately measuring their spirits I think, but in a good way – all the drinks were certainly strong! It also helped that Smirnoff were doing a promotion for their new flavoured vodkas, so they had people delivering free shots as well. Who would have thought a flavoured vodka called “Iced cake” would actually taste like, well, an iced cake? We eventually walked or staggered (depending upon which member of our party you were looking at) out of Hula’s, and back to the hotel for sleep. It had been another long day for us – due to the 3 hour time change we effectively enjoyed a 27 hour day. Tomorrow, some more friends arrive – Steve and Michael, and Craig’s sister Kristi and her family.