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Published: December 3rd 2021
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This morning we are up at 6 am for our flight to Honolulu. We have already checked in, uploaded our vaccine QR codes and completed the form to obtain our Safe Travel Hawaii QR code, so once we have dropped off the hire car, we can go straight through security to the gate. Here, we are offered the chance to show our QR codes to obtain a pre-clearance bracelet, thus negating the need to wait in a 1-3 hour queue in Hawaii. Sounds like a no brainer, although it feels a bit weird when the government official applies the wristband. In the past, wearing such a wristband meant festival access (in my youth) or all-inclusive hotels (in middle age). Now it’s proof I’ve been vaccinated against a virus…. At least it will be something for my scrapbook. It has to be said, daughter no 1 is not fully onboard with the constant need to collect tickets, brochures and other souvenirs of my travels. Although she is more onboard than daughter no 2, who tells me that when I die, she intends to use my not inconsiderable pile of scrapbooks to create a funeral pure.
We’re in plenty of time, so
eat our high end breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, which we purchased yesterday in Target, at the gate. Then it’s time to board. As it’s technically part of the USA, it’s easy to forget quite how far away Hawaii actually is from the mainland. From San Francisco, the flight is almost 6 hours. Shortly after take off, drinks are served. The man next to me orders 2 double whiskies and a beer – it’s 9.30 am. We make do with soft drinks until we hit Waikiki - then it’ll be mai tai o’clock. But first, a long flight to endure.
We’re travelling with Alaska Airlines and it’s like they’re trying to give us a little taste of Alaska in plane form. The cabin temperature is so cold that I shiver all the way there. Arriving in Honolulu on an Alaska Airlines flight is a bit like having a hot flush. All of a sudden it’s 28 degrees and I’m ripping off my layers in a panic to cool down.
Our non festival, non all-inclusive hotel wristbands allow us to pass through the airport swiftly and soon we are on a bus to Waikiki, via Honolulu. The first
part of the journey is far from the exotic island paradise I’d envisaged. We drive through streets lined with tents and tarpaulins and lots of homeless people before reaching the more affluent area of Waikiki. We alight from the bust after a 10 hour journey, during which we have eaten a bagel and a bag of crackers. First stop is, therefore, a food court where we buy teriyaki with rice. I’m asked what side I want. I’m thinking the choice will be something live vegetables or salad. I’m offered pasta or potatoes. I ask for potatoes and get pasta.
We check into our hotel – our wristbands, which were not allowed to take off before reaching the hotel, exempt us from a 10 day quarantine. There are some very fancy hotels in Hawaii – this isn’t one of them, but it’s perfectly pleasant and even has a heated toilet seat – because let’s face it, when it’s hot outside, nobody wants their bottom temperature to drop rapidly when they sit down to do their business.
After we’ve eaten our carb fest, we walk to Waikiki beach for a swim in the lovely warm ocean. The power of the
waves exceeds my own swimming power, so much as I try, I cannot manage to swim forwards – it takes all my effort to avoid swimming backwards. We follow our swim with a brief wander along the strip, but it’s been a long day, plus there’s 2 more time zones to acclimatise to, so we buy sandwiches and mai tais from a general store and return to the hotel. Daughter no 1 moans briefly about not getting to explore more, then falls asleep. At 6 pm.
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