Oahu - our last day

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After living out of suitcases since since 3 January, we've finally reached the last day of our holiday. I know it's not the longest 'career break' ever, but any longer and CJ is going to start thinking this is the way life is meant to be. A couple of weeks ago, he started talking a lot about having his own bedroom with all his toys in a toybox, bless him. He was very good in San Francisco when we had to throw away a lot of the cheap toys we'd accumulated on our journey, or maybe he didn't pay attention and he'll start asking about them soon.
Anyhoo, we flew to Waikiki with very heavy bags necessitating an excess baggage charge. Great. Can't complain though, because we were upgraded to better seats, probably due to the extortionate last minute fare we had to pay.
Honolulu airport is being refurbished and we arrived in a terminal that looked straight out of the episode of the Brady Bunch where they came to Waikiki on holiday. (It wouldn't be the first time I'd be reminded of that one.) The other TV show that would come to mind is the episode of the Backyardigans where they were searching for Tiki Beach (again, sorry to those who don't watch Nick Jr). CJ keeps asking if we're at Tiki Beach yet.
Waikiki is a truly gorgeous beach. Unfortunately, it's also very crowded. Our hotel is a few steps away from the southern end, called Kuhio beach. Every night at sunset they hold a ceremony where sarong-clad locals blow a conch shell and light all the gas torches along the beach. Then they have dancing and singing on a grass stage by the statue of Duke Koanamoku and his surfboard. On weekends, they erect a big screen on the beach and play family friendly films.
CJ and I had a couple of really nice swims - not as many as we would have liked, but it was a bit too windy and cool for swimming on a couple of the days. His confidence in the water is growing, to the extent that on our first day, we walked down to check out the beach without any swimming gear and CJ plunged straight in, fully clothed! There was a small, steep incline, which he fell down, forgetting he couldn't swim. Luckily this didn't put him off beach swimming altogether.
People say Oahu is not the real Hawaii, which I can understand, but it's pretty cool anyway.
We hired a car to tour around the island for a couple of days. The huge green mountains sweeping down to turquoise surf beaches are truly spectacular. Some of the scenery made me feel like I should be looking over my shoulder for 'The Others' (another TV reference, I'm afraid).
Tonight we picked up some souvenirs in the night market and had dinner in Coconut Willie's Bar, which is on an upper level, looking down onto the market under a huge banyan tree. It was the perfect end to a lovely few days, and our long holiday as a whole.
As I type, we're doing our final pack. Nic has just booked a taxi to the airport for 5.45am (groan).
To those in Perth - see you tomorrow - we can't wait! To everyone else, our next blog will be from our final destination...

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Photos

Waikiki
I don't know why he's got that face on either. I think he was just sick of us saying 'stand over there and smile!!'

Comments

[Amber]

Tikki Beach
As a Backyardigans fan, just wanted to say - 'you need rad move's to surf Tikki beach'