Waikiki

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My three days in Hawaii were relaxing, but not without incident! The most ‘exciting’ day was today, I woke to an alarm on my phone - an emergency alert, indicating that a ballistic missile was heading for this island and we were to seek ‘immediate shelter’. I quickly threw on some clothing, grabbed a few essentials and headed for the lobby, where people gathered for breakfast. There was no panic but, clearly, this was not a normal gathering! After about 45 mins of high anxiety, we were very relieved to hear all was well. ‘Human error’ was the reason, and the ‘wrong button’ had been pushed, throwing the normally peaceful island into chaos. Hawaii is generally a wonderful place to relax. Everything about it is conducive to relaxation: the idyllic weather, the people, the slow pace of life, the island’s natural beauty... On the first day here I explored Waikiki, finding places visited before. At the far end of the beach, I spotted the hotel (pink building), the site of a Research Conference, where Paul Carlin (RIP, 2016) and I presented a paper about 10 years ago. Other landmarks, too, invoked memories.

On day two, I signed up for a tour of the magnificent beaches of the North Shore and circled most of the island. Among these beaches is the well known surfing site, Sunset Beach, where waves occasionally reach 65 ft. Our guide was well-informed and keen to share her knowledge and love of Hawaii. It is probably safe to say that no one in the group regretted taking this tour. It was certainly memorable! (The Buddhist Temple on the west coast is modelled on a Japanese temple and built to honour the contribution of the Japanese to Hawaii.)

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