Gods in Rocks, Mele Mongoose on the loose, Proust on the Beach Aloha!

We were on holiday last week to Waikiki. It was such a surprise that we got to go. We pinched ourselves on the plane, saying I can't believe we are going. Also, while we checked into our hotel, saying I can't believe we are here. Aloha! I can't believe I just said Aloha; I repeated it, Aloha! So almost everything we did was a treat. Mark picked up a Proust book to read, but we were too busy being busy to do much reading. Aloha

Driving in Paradise Drive Nice

I am a big fan of the local driving culture. They make room to let you in or out, and no one honks. But, of course, it is a small world on Oahu; that person you let in could be your aunt. You don't know. Honolulu is a maze of one-way streets. Use a map app to get around, remember it's a nice place, drive nice. Also, road repairs put a choke hold on whole neighborhoods. we got trapped on a beach road, check the news for road work, and avoid it.

In a world of water, this is a sacred place.

There was a horrible movie from the 70s about missionaries going to Hawaii to save the natives.  If ever there was a people who did not need saving, it was the Hawaiians. The language is descriptive and musical. So many places are named for what is there, like salt water or fresh water. Everything on the land is sacred to them, leave the rocks and sand behind, take only memories. I am going to add some books about Hawaii to my reading list. I got a head start on the trip home, the woman in front of me had a  history book of unusual size. I was reading over her shoulder. Sometimes it pays to be tall.

I had planned to go to Maui, but my husband thought it would be nice to go someplace with more services and nightlife for his first trip. Services saved us a couple of times this trip. We settled on Waikiki. Not exactly the white lotus, but we gave everyone around the pool a white lotus story to suit our disposition. Everyone was there it lie, cheat, or kill. We booked this murder mystery tour to paradise thru  Costco including: hotel, airfare, and a daily meal voucher. The kickback from Costco will pay for the advanced membership and give us cash back on future purchases for the year. This is a good deal if you shop at Costco and plan on vacation." No muss, no fuss." Well, a little bit right at the end. We originally booked a car and took it off. the agent did not add our hotel to the airport transfer back in after taking the car off, so there was a half-hour phone call to sort out that detail.

Diamond Head Crater

I had trained for this climb, but between not feeling well and the steepness of the trail, tunnels, and flipping stairs, I only made it partway up 2/3 by effort. I stopped at a lookout and rested while Mark climbed to the top. The crater had previously been used as a gun emplacement. They dug a tunnel through the side; it made me think of the wall in Game of Thrones. Now it's open to the public, but tourists must make a reservation. We took a taxi there and back, only two miles from Waikiki.

Beach Gear

Someone suggested we ask the hotel if they had any beach gear. The porter gave us a couple of chairs, a sweet umbrella, with a built-in table with cups and phone holders. It saved us having to try and pack our own or rent/buy some there. The sun is so much stronger this far south. Wear a sun shirt and slather yourself in the highest SPF sunscreen. I have to avoid the sun. All the east side parks we stopped at had shade trees, but even with the shade, I got zapped pretty well right through my sun shirt.

Pearl Harbor Mighty Mo Memorial

We waited to book our excursions for when we arrived. Our first excursion was to Pearl Harbor. I cried. We were standing on the familiar white memorial over the ship. It is twisted and rusting right to the water line. Much of the super structure was salvaged after the attack. However, the bulk of the ship, now over 100 years old from when it was first launched, acts as the tomb for most of the crew who were vaporied inside the hull. There were no bodies to recover. On the shore they have rebuilt the visitor center over the covid break. There you can watch a movie showing the sailors raising the anchor. Right outside the center is the self same anchor that also made me tear up. It was not so much a downer as a powerful  reminder that war sucks.

Sad takeaway

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, they missed out on striking a decisive blow. For all the people they killed and the damaged ships, they called off their third air strike that would have taken out the fuel storage facilities and dry docks. Most of the sunken vessels were refloated and returned to service. The attack changed public opinion in the states from isolation and anti-war sentiment to revenge. The revenge will haunt us far into the future.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

It's a crater full of ocean water open to the ocean on one side, and lots of fish—some coral in a shallow semi-circle. It was a hassle to get in, even with a paid excursion. We got up at 5 am and dropped off at the park at 7 am. That made for our best sunrise picture. Otherwise, I don't see the appeal. The public beaches on the island's east side were way more accessible. You might see more fish at Hanauma bay. We met our first mongooses at this beach. Someone brought them in to knock down the rat problem in the last century but did not account for mongooses sleeping at night and rats sleeping by day, never the two to meet.

North Shore

This is about a 10-mile drive from Waikiki. You go over the mountains past the Dole Plantation, which looks like a tourist trap from the size of the parking lot. We skipped ahead to the north shore beaches. The waves were huge and crashed several times on the way in. They don't allow swimming; you are likely to be drowned. We went to a few places and had lunch before going back to a big beach where surfers were taking turns riding waves. However, they are so far out you need a colossal camera lens to see them. I took a nap while wild chickens pecked the ground around my feet. What I did see of the surfers was pretty cool. If you are a big surf fan like me, you will enjoy going out to the north shore. I was talking to Mark and be both agree the sound of the waves on the north shore will stay with us a long long time.

Mele Luau Dance Show

Our hotel concierge recommended this excursion link. When we asked about a Luau, we wanted there to be good dancers. The dancers were fun with lots of character. The food was good, and the transport picked us up and dropped us off in Waikiki. Mark thought the backup singers should have had a CD for sale. They were mighty fine. We napped through our pick-up and had to take a Lyft from our hotel which is one of the perks of staying in the "big city." If you miss your ride, there are other options.

It had to come out

After our morning at Pearl Harbor, I had to make an emergency dental appointment. On our flight over, a tooth started hurting. The next day I could not chew or sleep. I ended up getting my tooth pulled. Dentists always want to save your original gear, but this tooth already has a root canal and crown. There was little chance of saving it without waiting for a specialist. I was exhausted and in pain. I asked the dentist what he thought the chances of saving the tooth were, and he agreed that it would not likely be held. I said pull it. I have to say the novocaine was exquisite. The tooth came out without a hitch. I ate a little food afterward and slept hard all night.

Waikiki beach was not as long as we expected. The Waikiki district is packed with people from all over the world. It's the Vegas Strip of the central pacific. I found the east side beaches to be more excellent. They are only a few miles away and are well worth renting a car to enjoy. We hit three beaches on Tuesday. I got a lot of sunshine right through my SPF 50 long sleeve sun shirt. We broke down and bought huge sun hats to protect ourselves for the rest of the week. I promised to wear both on the plane back to Los Angeles, which ended up having room in the overhead bin. I plan to wear mine when I walk the little dog. We are professional beachgoers here at home. I suspect we will also use hats there.