Athena (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
everlastingsoul) wrote2004-10-07 12:29 am
everlastingsoul) wrote2004-10-07 12:29 am
Hawaiian vacation
I keep forgetting to put this up. This is my little journal from when I was in Hawaii.
September 2, 7:49 am
Music: "In the Land of Twilight, Under the Moon"
We arrived at the airport three hours earlier than our flight. After eatinglunch breakfast at the insane hour of 6:30 (okay, insane for me), we settled in the air terminal to wait.
I was about to turn my attention to playing Avram's Gameboy SP when Aziel coaxed us into playing card games. We played games for approx. an hour, as shown by this entry.
I'm tired and still anxious. I want to get on the plane...
September 2, 8:54 pm (Hawaiian time)
It's ... been a long day. I feel suitably tired, considering everything that's happened.
The airplane ride was very exciting -- I took a lot of pictures once Avram gave me his much-easier-to-use digital camera.
Once we landed in Waikiki, we went to the Hale Koa Hotel. It's a military-exclusive hotel, with a private stretch of beach, pools, and restaurants. Very nice.
We went swimming at both the beach and swimming pool. We also dined at Bibas, comtemporary restaurant in the hotel.
Sept. 3 (Friday)
Went to the continental breaker with Daddy and Alyssa after waking up at 7:20 am. (I guess I'm still on PST or something. It's a three hour difference.) The tour guide was amusing, to say the least.
The tour guide mentioned the Atlantis Discovery submarine adventure, which piqued Daddy's interest, and he bought tickets for the submarine ride, the luau dinner on Monday, and a Magic in Paradise magic show/dinner on Tuesday.
After getting breakfast for the others (and sampling this interesting dish--Huevos Rancheros--made up of eggs, salsa, and cheese), we procrastinated and sat out on the balcony while Aziel cursed at me for waking him up before noon. :P
We went to the Koko Cafe for the first time -- for lunch. Aziel ordered this exotic drink called Shaka that I fell in love with, and we ordered some awesome (and diverse) dishes.
The Atlantis Discovery trip was, well, okay. After killing two hours walking around and napping, we headed to the Port Hilton (next to the Hilton Hotel, which right next to Hale Koa) and boarded the Discovery ship to be taken out away from the coastline to board the submarine.
It was on that boat that I found out the hard way that I get seasick. It's totally different from, say, riding a ferry; the ship rocks so much that it plays tricks on your equilibrium.
After that, we headed back to the hotel, where I was knocked out for two hours while I tried to recover from the submarine ... experience. We went to dinner at Koko Cafe that night, where we discovered their dinner menu was also quite awesome. (Teriyaki steak and mashed potatoes... Yum.)
Aziel, Avram, and I went shopping after that -- around 9:30 or so. It was at that time we bought insanely-priced souvenirs -- including $10 Hawaiian Hello Kitty dolls. It was durign this trip we went to The Tube in the Galleria Plaza, which had fish and rays in it. That sight was much easier on my stomach than the submarine.
Sept. 4 (Saturday)
Went out in the morning w/ Daddy and Alyssa to grab breakfast for everyone else. I grabbed a Poor Boy's Deli sandwich while Daddy got Huevos Rancheros and siopao for the others, and then we lounged around until 12 or so before heading to a "swap meet" or bazaar away from the resorts.
The items over there were much less expensive than the stuff we bought yesterday (Whoops!). I looked at some great daggers and even though about buying them, even though I ultimately didn't.
After we headed back to the hotel from there, we ate at Happy's Snack Bar and then made plans for the rest of the day. Alyssa and I went to the swimming pool, Azvram and Aziel went boogie-boarding at the beach, and Mommy and Daddy stayed at the hotel.
After dinner at the Koko Cafe, Avram, Aziel, Alyssa, and I walked around the resort stores on Waikiki Walk again. We stopped by the Hilton's "ritzy lil village," full of Louis Vuitton, Estee Lauder, and all those frighteningly expensive stores, and looked at the flamingoes and penguins they had over there. We went to the plazas and walked around at an earlier time (approx. 7:30 pm) and took pictures and ate Coldstone ice cream.
We headed back when Alyssa started complaining about her feet, and the boys rented The Musketeer and Anger Management. (It was a sucky selection at the Exchange.) We watched Anger Management, and then headed to bed after midnight.
Sept. 5 (6:10 pm)
We woke up at 8 am due to my dad's insistence that we get to Hanauma Bay early We arrived a little after 9 am and then stood in a bloody line until 10 am. We walked down to Hanauma Bay, which has coral reefs right by the shore, and rented snorkeling gear.
I suck at snorkeling. Given, it was my first time, but I really sucked at keeping my snorkel up and out of the water. Avram and I buddied up while Aziel took care of Alyssa, and we swam out and away from the beach. The view underwater was awesome; little striped fish feeding on the coral, some fish as long as my forearm...
We ate lunch about noon at Subway, a fair distance away from the Hanauma Bay Tourist Trap prices. (Chicken sandwich for $12.95? Yeah right. I felt sorry for the Japanese tourists that were actually buying the udon.)
We then drove around the island of Oahu in its entirety. It took approx. 5 hours to drive around the perimeter of the island. It makes me wonder how long it would take to drive around Whidbey.
Afterwards, we sat around the hotel until 7 pm, when we went down to the international district to eat dinner. I grabbed some bubble tea as we were leaving, then read a Newsweek magazine until 11:45 pm.
Sept. 6 (4:24 pm)
We spent the beginning of the day in the hotel; I woke up at approx. 8:14 am, and we didn't leave until approx. 10. We ate breakfast in the hotel lobby, then went to drive towards Diamond Head, a crater that overlooks the resorts on one side. We took some detours due to a Labor Day parade.
The hike up Diamond Head took about 40 minutes; the hike only seemed extremely daunting near the top of the crater's edge, where the incline became so steep that the trail became tunnels and long, long staircases. Mind you, the temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing at this time.
We went to T.G.I.Friday's after the 1 hr & 20 min. hike. (Damn, their prices were expensive. Well, for the drinks, that is.) We then came back to the hotel to rest for an hour before heading to the 5 pm luau.
We arrived late to the luau and ended up standing in line before getting into the luau garden. We were given exotic drinks before being seated, and then given dinner before the actual show. I didn't eat any of the appetizers (which consisted of seaweed, vinegar-ized papaya and cucumbers, and poi), but I enjoyed the fried rice, mahimahi (tuna), and very tender Kalua pig that they served. Dessert considerted of coconut gelatin and cake, which were okay.
Glenn Medeiros was the luau host, and he introduced each of the dances from Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, and Tahiti--different dances from Polynesia.
Glenn Medeiros himself was also a great entertainer. He sung impressions of several famous male singers, as well as his own "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love" (which was his big hit back in the 80's).
All in all, it was a great experience. I'm looking forward to the magic show tomorrow--hopefully there's something that can beat out the amazing fire dancer from tonight.
Sept. 7 (2:32 pm)
This has been a very slow and lazy day. I haven't left the hotel room once yet. I'm currently sitting out on the balcony overlooking the Hale Koa park/picnic area, the private beach, and the Hilton Hotel complexes to the right. I'm kinda trying to tan my legs while I'm sitting here, listening to CDs and writing.
My hair's still wet from my shower, but the Hawaiian heat works well for natural hairdrying.
I haven't had time to really think about stories. I wonder if I'm actually going to keep my interest in writing as I reach adulthood and go on to a professional life. It'd be a shame if I didn't; then I'd have to say I wasted half my life writing without continuing it.
What a depressing thought...
And that's it. Maybe someday I'll actually put up the pictures I took. Soooo lazy...
September 2, 7:49 am
Music: "In the Land of Twilight, Under the Moon"
We arrived at the airport three hours earlier than our flight. After eating
I was about to turn my attention to playing Avram's Gameboy SP when Aziel coaxed us into playing card games. We played games for approx. an hour, as shown by this entry.
I'm tired and still anxious. I want to get on the plane...
September 2, 8:54 pm (Hawaiian time)
It's ... been a long day. I feel suitably tired, considering everything that's happened.
The airplane ride was very exciting -- I took a lot of pictures once Avram gave me his much-easier-to-use digital camera.
Once we landed in Waikiki, we went to the Hale Koa Hotel. It's a military-exclusive hotel, with a private stretch of beach, pools, and restaurants. Very nice.
We went swimming at both the beach and swimming pool. We also dined at Bibas, comtemporary restaurant in the hotel.
Sept. 3 (Friday)
Went to the continental breaker with Daddy and Alyssa after waking up at 7:20 am. (I guess I'm still on PST or something. It's a three hour difference.) The tour guide was amusing, to say the least.
The tour guide mentioned the Atlantis Discovery submarine adventure, which piqued Daddy's interest, and he bought tickets for the submarine ride, the luau dinner on Monday, and a Magic in Paradise magic show/dinner on Tuesday.
After getting breakfast for the others (and sampling this interesting dish--Huevos Rancheros--made up of eggs, salsa, and cheese), we procrastinated and sat out on the balcony while Aziel cursed at me for waking him up before noon. :P
We went to the Koko Cafe for the first time -- for lunch. Aziel ordered this exotic drink called Shaka that I fell in love with, and we ordered some awesome (and diverse) dishes.
The Atlantis Discovery trip was, well, okay. After killing two hours walking around and napping, we headed to the Port Hilton (next to the Hilton Hotel, which right next to Hale Koa) and boarded the Discovery ship to be taken out away from the coastline to board the submarine.
It was on that boat that I found out the hard way that I get seasick. It's totally different from, say, riding a ferry; the ship rocks so much that it plays tricks on your equilibrium.
After that, we headed back to the hotel, where I was knocked out for two hours while I tried to recover from the submarine ... experience. We went to dinner at Koko Cafe that night, where we discovered their dinner menu was also quite awesome. (Teriyaki steak and mashed potatoes... Yum.)
Aziel, Avram, and I went shopping after that -- around 9:30 or so. It was at that time we bought insanely-priced souvenirs -- including $10 Hawaiian Hello Kitty dolls. It was durign this trip we went to The Tube in the Galleria Plaza, which had fish and rays in it. That sight was much easier on my stomach than the submarine.
Sept. 4 (Saturday)
Went out in the morning w/ Daddy and Alyssa to grab breakfast for everyone else. I grabbed a Poor Boy's Deli sandwich while Daddy got Huevos Rancheros and siopao for the others, and then we lounged around until 12 or so before heading to a "swap meet" or bazaar away from the resorts.
The items over there were much less expensive than the stuff we bought yesterday (Whoops!). I looked at some great daggers and even though about buying them, even though I ultimately didn't.
After we headed back to the hotel from there, we ate at Happy's Snack Bar and then made plans for the rest of the day. Alyssa and I went to the swimming pool, Azvram and Aziel went boogie-boarding at the beach, and Mommy and Daddy stayed at the hotel.
After dinner at the Koko Cafe, Avram, Aziel, Alyssa, and I walked around the resort stores on Waikiki Walk again. We stopped by the Hilton's "ritzy lil village," full of Louis Vuitton, Estee Lauder, and all those frighteningly expensive stores, and looked at the flamingoes and penguins they had over there. We went to the plazas and walked around at an earlier time (approx. 7:30 pm) and took pictures and ate Coldstone ice cream.
We headed back when Alyssa started complaining about her feet, and the boys rented The Musketeer and Anger Management. (It was a sucky selection at the Exchange.) We watched Anger Management, and then headed to bed after midnight.
Sept. 5 (6:10 pm)
We woke up at 8 am due to my dad's insistence that we get to Hanauma Bay early We arrived a little after 9 am and then stood in a bloody line until 10 am. We walked down to Hanauma Bay, which has coral reefs right by the shore, and rented snorkeling gear.
I suck at snorkeling. Given, it was my first time, but I really sucked at keeping my snorkel up and out of the water. Avram and I buddied up while Aziel took care of Alyssa, and we swam out and away from the beach. The view underwater was awesome; little striped fish feeding on the coral, some fish as long as my forearm...
We ate lunch about noon at Subway, a fair distance away from the Hanauma Bay Tourist Trap prices. (Chicken sandwich for $12.95? Yeah right. I felt sorry for the Japanese tourists that were actually buying the udon.)
We then drove around the island of Oahu in its entirety. It took approx. 5 hours to drive around the perimeter of the island. It makes me wonder how long it would take to drive around Whidbey.
Afterwards, we sat around the hotel until 7 pm, when we went down to the international district to eat dinner. I grabbed some bubble tea as we were leaving, then read a Newsweek magazine until 11:45 pm.
Sept. 6 (4:24 pm)
We spent the beginning of the day in the hotel; I woke up at approx. 8:14 am, and we didn't leave until approx. 10. We ate breakfast in the hotel lobby, then went to drive towards Diamond Head, a crater that overlooks the resorts on one side. We took some detours due to a Labor Day parade.
The hike up Diamond Head took about 40 minutes; the hike only seemed extremely daunting near the top of the crater's edge, where the incline became so steep that the trail became tunnels and long, long staircases. Mind you, the temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing at this time.
We went to T.G.I.Friday's after the 1 hr & 20 min. hike. (Damn, their prices were expensive. Well, for the drinks, that is.) We then came back to the hotel to rest for an hour before heading to the 5 pm luau.
We arrived late to the luau and ended up standing in line before getting into the luau garden. We were given exotic drinks before being seated, and then given dinner before the actual show. I didn't eat any of the appetizers (which consisted of seaweed, vinegar-ized papaya and cucumbers, and poi), but I enjoyed the fried rice, mahimahi (tuna), and very tender Kalua pig that they served. Dessert considerted of coconut gelatin and cake, which were okay.
Glenn Medeiros was the luau host, and he introduced each of the dances from Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, and Tahiti--different dances from Polynesia.
Glenn Medeiros himself was also a great entertainer. He sung impressions of several famous male singers, as well as his own "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love" (which was his big hit back in the 80's).
All in all, it was a great experience. I'm looking forward to the magic show tomorrow--hopefully there's something that can beat out the amazing fire dancer from tonight.
Sept. 7 (2:32 pm)
This has been a very slow and lazy day. I haven't left the hotel room once yet. I'm currently sitting out on the balcony overlooking the Hale Koa park/picnic area, the private beach, and the Hilton Hotel complexes to the right. I'm kinda trying to tan my legs while I'm sitting here, listening to CDs and writing.
My hair's still wet from my shower, but the Hawaiian heat works well for natural hairdrying.
I haven't had time to really think about stories. I wonder if I'm actually going to keep my interest in writing as I reach adulthood and go on to a professional life. It'd be a shame if I didn't; then I'd have to say I wasted half my life writing without continuing it.
What a depressing thought...
And that's it. Maybe someday I'll actually put up the pictures I took. Soooo lazy...