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June 20th 2014

Published: September 25th 2014

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Tokyo Airport

There was a whole store devoted to origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. The displays were exceptional.

Instead of rushing home directly from Taiwan and arriving exhausted and jet lagged, we decided to travel halfway, and spend a week in Hawaii resting and transitioning our bodies to the time change. When we travel from Canada to Taiwan or back the other way we are exhausted! Due to the 14 hour time difference, our bodies think that night is day, and day is night. We find the most difficult adjustment is the return to Canada. Spending time in Hawaii would allow us to visit somewhere Maurice had never been before, and allow our bodies to become adjusted to North American time.

Linda was done at school at noon on Friday so we caught the High Speed Rail to Taipei after supper and spent the night in an airport hotel. We left at 9AM Saturday morning. We arrived in Tokyo for a 6 hour layover and spent a peaceful afternoon catching up on reading, checking in with family and friends via internet, and having the occasional nap. As the sun was setting on Saturday, we left Tokyo for an 8 hour flight and arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii at 8AM, rested and refreshed. We headed to the rental car agency

Our Rental Nissan Altima

We were a day early according to the booking, no problem, we were upgraded to a bigger car!

to pick up our rental. Surprise???? We left Taipei Saturday morning, spent the afternoon in the Tokyo airport, left Saturday evening, slept on the flight and arrived in the morning. That would make it Sunday morning, wouldn't it? NOT! said the lady at the car agency, "I am expecting you tomorrow, Sunday"!

I said "Right, it's Sunday morning. "NOPE, it's Saturday morning and you're rental is for tomorrow!" she said. Oh Oh, we crossed the date line, so we got to have Saturday all over again. What about a car then? No problem; she upgraded us to a larger car, added an extra day, and it was only $30 more. Great! Problem solved, though we did realize we would have the same issue with our B&B. It was booked for Sunday as well.

We left the airport in our new Nissan Altima and decided to tour the less popular Southwest coast of Oahu. We drove along the highway till we couldn't go any further, then with the aid of IPad and Google Maps, we made our way back through the center of the island and over to Kailua, where our B&B for the next day was. We were

On the Way to Kailua

We drove to Kailua, where our B&B was located, hoping we might be able to stay a night earlier than our booking, however, no one answered the door.

hoping that she might have a room available for us Saturday night. However, there was no answer at the door, so we went on to plan B.

We headed up to the famous North Shore to find a place for the night there. We drove through the center of Oahu, through the pineapple fields, past the famous Dole Pineapple plantation, and on to the scenic North Shore, home of the "Big Waves". After a wee nap in a grocery store parking lot, we found a B&B just down the road. One of the guests was just leaving for the beach and offered us his phone to call the landlord. His family was staying in one of the rear cottages. We ended up being the only guests in the main house which was large, airy, and very comfortable. We felt like royalty, sitting on the patio enjoying the sunset, sipping our favorite drinks, the warm ocean breeze playing through our hair, all the while admiring the gorgeous view. Our bedroom and private bathroom were right off the main living area and huge kitchen. We had the whole house to ourselves.

Off we went to the grocery store where they

Fields of Interior Oahu

We drove through the center of Oahu, home to the Dole Pineapple Company. Those are pineapple fields in the background.

had a well stocked deli, and bought enough food and drink for our stay at North Beach. Before the sun set, we went for a walk. We crossed the pavement in front of our house, the only road that meanders along the coast. We chose the path on the right and walked among the rocks along the ocean. Once around the point, the beach turned from volcanic rocks to a soft golden sand. Only a few people were either playing in the shallow water, or relaxing on the beach reading. What a peaceful quiet spot, away from the noise and bustle of crowded beach towns. North Shore is known for big waves, surfing, B&B's, and small roadside vendors. There is only one resort, no hotels, and only the occasional store every 10 miles or so. And so, our first day in Hawaii, an unexpected "repeat Saturday", ended on a peaceful and relaxed note. We drifted off to sleep in a very comfortable bed, the window open, the light breeze causing the curtains to sway, and the frogs chirping in the distance.

Next morning, we woke to the sounds of the birds singing and sunshine streaming through our open window.

Beautiful Water off the North Shore

We drove along the scenic North Shore, looking for a small hotel or B&B.

It wasn't long before the aroma of coffee was wafting through the kitchen and living room. We sipped our coffee on the front patio while enjoying the fruit and croissants we had purchased the night before. We watched as vehicles drove up and parked on the other side of the highway. They donned their scuba gear, or perhaps just fins and goggles, and disappeared over the edge of land. We thought we should check out what was happening down there. We followed the crowd that took the path to the left. When we crested the edge of the parking spot, lo and behold, there below us, spread like a panoramic painting, was a seascape of people, rocks, and ocean! People were lounging, some with small tents and others with towels spread on any small piece of sand they could find. Many people were out in the water, standing knee deep, watching the colorful fish, crabs and other sea creatures. Lots were snorkeling, and a few people were either leaving or returning from scuba diving. Others, like us, were just gazing at the beautiful scene spread before us. We spent the morning exploring the shallow waters between the rocks. We were

On The Beach

We stopped for a walk along the beach, the weather was glorious, nice and warm, not nearly as humid as Taiwan.

kept fascinated by the vividly colored fish darting about and the crabs scurrying from rock to rock. We eventually made our way back to the B&B, gathered our stuff and drove off to explore the rest of the North Shore. Just a short ways down the road, there was a vendor selling fresh pineapple. He said he wasn't really open, though seeing as we were there, he would cut one up. While we waited, others stopped as well, so he landed up being open after all. We stopped for a late lunch at the Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck. We feasted on scrumptious fresh roasted garlic butter shrimp. An hour later, we proceeded down the highway, stopping frequently to admire the ocean views with the waves smashing skywards against the most interesting rock formations. With the help of the IPad GPS, we navigated our way around Oahu. We made our way towards Kailua and our next B&B, situated in the more populated East side.

This time, Carol greeted us at the door, and showed us to our bedroom located adjacent to the pool. She maintained, hidden behind a wall of trees and flowers a glorious B&B. She took great pride

North Shore B&B

There was a sign in the yard saying call xxx xxx xxxx for a room. We were able to borrow a phone and call. We ended up with a main floor bedroom and bath, and sole use of the huge kitchen and living area. Wow, did we luck out.

in her home, and rightly so; it was beautiful! We spent some time wandering around with her as she described the various plants. It wasn't long before we were in our bathing suits and splashing in the clear clean water. After a relaxing few hours by the pool, we took the car downtown and found Wholefoods, where we stocked up and headed back to the B&B.

Monday morning we headed into Honolulu to visit the "Valor in the Pacific National Monument", home to the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, the USS Utah Memorial, and parts of Ford Island and Battleship Row. The first thing we discovered was that tickets for the ferry and visit to the Arizona were free but available only on a daily basis. We were too late to visit that day. So, we adjusted our plans, and decided to visit again on Wednesday. Meanwhile, we would visit the rest of the site that day. We walked through the elaborate Pacific Theater Museum, absorbing the history of Pearl Harbor. It was extremely well done, full of videos, photos, re-enactments and a lot of displays. We next visited the submarine USS Bowfin.

The

Our B&B on the North Shore

This is the view from the front patio. We ate supper while admiring the sunset, then ate breakfast outside as well.

USS Bowfin was launched on 7 December 1942, exactly one year to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger, so it is fitting that she is now permanently home-ported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was quite an experience to wander through the submarine, home to a crew of 80 men when on patrol. We realized what it must have been like, confined to an extremely small space, submerged and silent as enemy vessels searched above and dropped depth charges trying to destroy the Bowfin. USS Bowfin's 4 World War II commanding officers believed that she sank 179,646 tons (34 large vessels, plus 10 more under 500 tons) and damaged 33,934 tons (five large vessels plus two smaller ones) for a total of 213,580 tons sunk or damaged. She was one of the most successful submarines throughout WWII. We then made our way through the Naval Museum, and ended the somber day sipping a coffee in the shade and reflecting on the atrocities of war!

On Tuesday, we walked what some claim to be the nicest beach in all Hawaii. We walked for miles along the ocean, and when we returned, were

Huge Home

We were the only main house guests, so we had the whole house to ourselves including a large living area with a front patio overlooking the ocean.

quite surprised at how sunburnt we were. After a dip in the pool, Carol took us for a walk through her neighborhood, pointing out President Obama's winter home just a few blocks away. Many wealthy and powerful US citizens maintain a home in Kailua. We spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool, then off to a Thai food restaurant for supper and prepared to return early next morning to visit the USS Arizona.

Wednesday morning, we said goodbye to Carol and left Manu Mele. We headed back into Honolulu. By 10:30 AM, we were on the ferry to the memorial. The crowd was silent as we made our way from the ferry onto the memorial which is built right over the top of the sunken vessel. At 7:55 AM, Hawaii time, on December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan launched one of the deadliest attacks in American history. The assault lasted less than two hours, but claimed the lives of more than 2,500 people, wounded 1,000 more and damaged or destroyed 18 American ships and nearly 300 airplanes. A total of 1,177 men lost their lives on the naval

Talk about a Beautiful Kitchen

Too bad we were only staying the one night, this place was fantastic.

battleship USS Arizona, which was hit four times by Japanese bombers. A wall in the memorial lists the names of all those lost. We watched the water beside us as small drops of oil would appear and spread in rainbow colors along the surface of the water. The USS Arizona had just taken on a load of fuel the previous day, and 70 years later, continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day. The oil that surfaces adds an emotional gravity for many who visit the memorial and is sometimes referred to as the “tears of the Arizona,” or “black tears". They closely monitor the condition of the vessel to ensure that there is no major environmental risk, yet are reluctant to drain the remaining fuel. Of the 2,512 men aboard the Arizona at the time of attack, only 335 men survived. We left shortly after the tour, found a nice spot in the shade of a huge tree in the park, ate lunch, and decided it would be a great time to climb Diamond Head, the Le'Ahi volcano crater. After a half hour brisk climb, we emerged atop the ridge. We were treated

Sand and Rocks

We went for a walk, and discovered sandy beaches as well as rocky ones.

to a gorgeous view of Waikiki Beach and Honolulu. We stood in the bunker that housed the cannons overlooking the harbor and marveled at how fit the men who manned it must have been.

Afterwards, we drove to our hotel in Waikiki, checked in and dropped off our luggage, then we made our way to the airport rental car agency to return our car. We caught a bus back into Waikiki, but on the way, noticed we were passing through"Chinatown", which was one of the locations we were hoping to visit. We jumped off the bus, and started wandering the streets. We stopped and visited a store owner who told us that things pretty well shut down about 4 in the afternoon, which explained how quiet the streets were. We stopped at the Pho Saigon Restaurant for supper before continuing on. After climbing Diamond Head, then walking over 3 miles from Chinatown back to our hotel, we were glad to be able to jump in the pool for a swim. Thursday, we were sore from all that walking, so it was the perfect day to check out the famous Waikiki Beach. What a gorgeous beach; it is no wonder

North Shore

It is known for it's surfing and scuba diving. There is a reef just off shore, and then the coral rocks along the beach provide a wonderful haven for all types of sea creatures and fish.

people come from all over the world to lay in the sun and take in the sights. We swam, laid on the beach and read, and visited with people from Europe and other countries.

Linda has always wanted to see Bishop Museum, so on Friday we checked out of the hotel but left our luggage, and caught a local bus. The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science located in Honolulu. Founded in 1889, it is the largest museum in Hawaii and is home to the world's largest collection of Polynesian Cultural artifacts and natural history specimens. We made a stop in the planetarium and learned how sailors navigated just by using the stars. Fascinating! I would be lost forever out there. We then went to the Science Center where we sat in on a demonstration of volcanic activity including the melting and cooling of lava. We wandered through the biological collections which are split into 7 separate sections: Entomology (insects), Botany (plants), Vertebrate Zoology (animals), Invertebrate Zoology, Ichthyology (fish),Malacology (shells) and the Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity (DNA). We visited Hawaiian Hall, a newly

Crowds

Next morning, we notice that divers would come along, park on the side of the road, gear up and head down to the rocks. They would swim off to dive and explore the depths.

renovated historical building that offers visitors deeper insights into ancient Hawaiian culture. We had no difficulty filling the 5 or 6 hours we had to spend at this interesting place. The Museum’s treasured collections, together with Hawaiian interpretation and perspectives were terrific!.

We then took the bus back to the hotel, gathered our luggage, and managed to catch a shuttle headed for the airport. The plan was to fly overnight leaving at 10PM, and sleep on the flight to Denver. After a short layover, we would fly directly into Saskatoon, landing at 6PM, relaxed and rested. Alas, the United Airlines flight leaving Honolulu was 4 hours late. We couldn't make the connection in Denver. After 2 hours of negotiating, United managed to get us on a flight to San Francisco where we transferred to Air Canada for the flight to Saskatoon via Vancouver. It was interesting in San Francisco airport, as it seemed no one could tell us where to connect with Air Canada. We were told to exit this terminal, then we were told we had to re-enter that terminal, after which we were once again told we had to exit to another terminal. Good thing we had

Crowds and Rocks and Sea

People were laying on towels on any piece of sand, others were watching colorful fish in the ocean, and others snorkeling or diving

a 3 hour layover, it took us that long to discover where we were supposed to be. We landed in Saskatoon at 11PM, frustrated and tired.

Oh well! We made it home safely, and it was wonderful arriving in Saskatoon and being greeted at the airport by both our families! We looked forward to spending the whole summer visiting with our families and friends!

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