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Published: July 19th 2006
Waikiki
Waikiki from my plane to MauiWoke up too early - 7.30am!! Laid in bed thinking:
1> Realised that beer is actually fairly expensive in Vegas - a beer costing $6 = ￡3!!! Hostel is $3 a bottle - better, but still not cheap!
2> I also decided I definitely need a watch! With no mobile phone on me (no need if it doesn’t work in US).
3> Also thought about how I had travelled so far from Oxford and met a Guy called Steve from Botley, Oxford. He said he often drives through Yarnton on the A44 to see his parents. Made me think about all those hundreds of people that pass you everyday on your way to work, etc and how he could have driven past me on the A44 without either us having a thought about one day meeting in a hostel in Vegas… Kept me entertained for a while anyway.
I had to get a taxi to the airport. As the driver took me through the ‘suburbs’ of Vegas I noticed how there were casinos everywhere - miles away from the touristy ‘Strip’. And how the city is littered with slot machines EVERYWHERE - in shops, the airport, probably libraries and hospitals too! Also the huge amount of food options throughout the city - food outlets everywhere and of every type! This is a city full of hungry gamblers - many of them retired, moving to Vegas to spend thier childrens' inheritance!
Also noticed loads of gigantic US flags. Reminded me of the England flag on the side of a house in Yarnton. But these were four or more times bigger, on huge poles, every miles or so. I told the taxi driver about how ‘flagged up’ the UK was at the moment due to the World Cup. He told me how those huge flags had been in Vegas for at least 20+ years and how ‘patriotic’ a nation they were. I said how I had seen the way everyone reacted to the National Anthem at Bellagio fountains. He also told me how everyone came together in the US after 9/11, but now it has gone back to everyone hating each other and being self centred, as it was before...
Reflecting on my stay in Vegas - I did and saw so much, but missed out seeing so much more. There is too much to see, but three days is more than enough in Vegas - I was ready to move on!
I arrived safely in Honolulu airport after a flight from Vegas to LA airport (crap airport) and then onto Honalulu. When I arrived I got a friendly "Aloha!" but no flowery lei for me :-( I also got my snowboard bag there OK, although did get more funny looks… I got a taxi (you can’t catch the shuttle without paying extra $15 for 'boards') to my hostel (The Polynesian) in Waikiki and when I arrived it was already dark.
I dumped my stuff in my dorm (shared with 2 spanish girls) and went out to explore and grab a beer. I sat in a bar over looking the main seafront road, near the pier. It was an amazing sight. A very busy road with palm trees, fire sticks lighting the beach front, lots of people, some carrying surf boards & wearing wetsuits, lots of bars and ABC stores. There are Hibiscus flowers everywhere - very pretty. So many flowers just fall on the floor from the trees that any girl (or guy) can find a fresh one in a few steps to poke over their ear. Then there were the hardcore surfers - some just going out at 10pm - I could just make them out surfing in the darkness on the break opposite the bar. I then saw three people zooming around the street below on Off-Road Segways - expensive two-wheeled balancing gizmos: http://www.segway.com/images/v1/bxte_a.jpg Seems a very... unique place!!
I then went to an ABC store - they are everywhere! You can literally walk out of one and look left or right and you will see the next one! I picked up some cans of beer and went to the beach - there was a circle of people from the hostel. I joined them. What you do is secrete your beer in the sand and drink from a soft drinks bottle to avoid being caught by the police…
I had just buried my stash and opened my first beer when a fat police officer on a quad bike turned up, and then three other appeared surrounding us with lights from the quad bikes. “Pour it away and move on”… I left my stash of beer in the sand not knowing 'what the deal was'. Luckily a girl dug it up for me and gave it to me on the walk back to the hostel. I did find a small spade on the way back though - which will help for my next beer burial… Went back to the hostel hammocks and shared beer for pineapple (amazing taste in Hawaii!) and went to bed. Didn’t sleep well at all - bad back/neck pain - probably from flights and carrying heavy bags round airports.
Tomorrow is a trip to Pearl Harbour...
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Hali
non-member comment
shame shame
You know to walk the streets of waikiki and avoid the pigs who try to ruin your fun.... you drink Jack brah!!! stick it in your liter bottle of coke mix it give it to the trash and have a bit of fun for the night. I would think after all that jack you had in maui you would have done that. Sorry but the pigs.. if i would of known ya then... i would have told ya that.