Island Fever!

by Sarah and Richard Chell

We arrived at Oahu International Airport in the early evening. Oahu is the most populated of the Hawaiian Island and actually has 75% of the total population of the Island group, with about 1,000,000 people. As it was already dark, our initial impression of the city of Honolulu was that it was very like Hong Kong, mainly high rise apartments and skyscrapers densely packed into the costal plains between the mountains and the sea. In order to reach our accommodation, which was a Youth Hostel, we took a shuttle bus to Waikiki, which was $6 and would drop you off at the door. As the journey progressed we began to feel more and more uncomfortable, because the driver would announce each destination volubly with a great flourish. It turned out that the rest of the passengers were staying at places like the Sheraton, The Hilton, The Marriott, the Hyatt etc, etc. We started to dread a public announcement of our own humble abode and had visions of his calling out "slum, slum" or "cheap, cheap". Fortunately we were spared this public humiliation, as we were the last passengers to get off the bus. Phew!

 

Having been conditioned by the obvious comfort and luxury of the hotels en route, we were not in the best frame of mind to appreciate the benefits of our own choice. Initially we suspected we might have made an error, when the first room we were given did not seem to be in the best state of repair, and had a constant high pitched whine, which appeared to be emanating from the plumbing system. It reminded Richard of an interrogation facility for the CIA. However, a quick word with the manager and we were given a very reasonable room, which was basic, but clean and comfortable with en suite facilities. Over the next few days we discovered that there were a number of advantages to our location in terms of being very close to the beaches and the centre of town, and we were only paying $49 a night not $350.

 

Daylight revealed that Waikiki was a busy, vibrant place with beautiful sandy beaches, lots of shops and restaurants. It is, of course, very touristy but the quality of beaches is excellent, and a short walk out of the centre of town will bring you to quieter areas. The weather is around 80 degrees and quite humid; so it always feels warm even if it is cloudy. Although hot, there is always a steady trade wind blowing which makes it comfortable. The evenings are beautiful and the town is very romantic, with torches burning outside most hotels and restaurants. There are street performers and lots to do and see.

 

A few miles west of Waikiki is Pearl Harbour and we took the opportunity to visit the Harbour and the memorial to the USS Arizona, which was sunk during the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941. If you are out this way it is worth noting that there is no cost involved in visiting the memorial, so don't be tempted to take a tour. Just get on a bus or hire a car. It gets very busy, so an early morning visit is recommended. It opens at 7:30am. The memorial is actually on the wreck of the vessel and you are ferried to it by boat. The whole experience is quite moving. Richard also visited the world's last battleship, the USS Missouri, which saw action in the last Gulf war. There is something about battle ships which just appeals to men. It is probably something to do with the sense of power it engenders and the ability to fire 9 tons of high explosive over 23 miles and make a big bang! Boys will be boys! Sarah on the other hand sunbathed with a book.

 

Wanting to explore the rest of the Island we hired a car, and as we traveled round the coast we came to appreciate how beautiful the landscape was both on the landward and the seaward sides. There were many beautiful sandy beaches, particularly in the north of the island. We found one idyllic little spot called Turtle Bay where we spent a pleasant afternoon. A word of caution, we did notice that many of the beaches had warnings about strong currents and powerful waves. Also, the beaches tend to drop away very sharply, so you need to be very careful. On one occasion we decided to chill out on a beach called Sandy Beach (now there's a clue). Richard (Mr. Cautious), on seeing the size of the waves, questioned whether this would be an ideal spot if we wanted to take a dip to cool off. Sarah indulged him and we drove on only to find problems with some of the other beaches several miles further on, including Portuguese Man O’ Wars [very nasty jellyfish]. Admitting defeat, a hasty return was made to Sandy Beach, where Sarah attempted to rescue a large rubber ring from the sea, only to be warned by a surfer, who rescued the aforementioned ring, that this was the most dangerous beach on the island, and that last week a bodysurfer had been killed. On hearing this Richard smirked quietly to himself. Sarah was just quiet.

 

The second biggest attraction on the Island is the Polynesian Cultural Centre in the North, where we spent a day enjoying the seven villages which depict the culture of the South Sea Islands, including New Zealand. The ticket price included an early evening Luau, a meal with typical Hawaiian food including a pig roasted in a pit wrapped in banana leaves. The food was good and so was the entertainment with Hula dancers and Hawaiian music. In the evening we went to a show which again depicted music and dance from the various Islands, including fire dancing and hula dancing from Tahiti. This Centre is manned by students from BYU Hawaii and the funds are used to support Polynesian students at the University. Again if you come to Oahu visiting the Centre is a must!