Lucky me! I was able to take a trip to Hawaii with my school in January right after the Christmas/new year ski trip with Ryan. It was a special trip belatedly celebrating the school's 5th year anniversary (The school is actually going into its 9th year now...so VERY belated).
We spent 5 days in Waikiki just enjoying a break from snow and cold. Actually, Waikiki was a bit overcast and cool though we did get some warm and sunny moments. I spent all five days waking up before the sunrise just to fit everything in. But somehow I still felt pretty rested. Was it island magic?
We arrived at 7AM so the first thing we needed to do was have breakfast and where better to have breakfast than at a mall?! We went to Ala Moana shopping center and while I wasn't very interested in shopping I did get my fill of American mall food and my coworker was able to find a pair of boots that I wanted at an incredible sale price. So now three of us own the same boots. Hahaha.
We were favored on our first day by fair weather so we headed to the beach and Mio and I took a surfing lesson. After my first surfing lesson, I decided that I would surf every day of the trip, even the morning of the day we left. The waves weren't so great at Waikiki but enough for my coworker Mio and I to get the basics down. Another downside was the coral. Fortunately I got out of surfing without scraping myself on any. We were able to surf 3 out of 5 days...the other two days we missed because on one day the rental tent was closed when we got there (before closing time!) and on another day we were boating and snorkeling.
On the second day we woke up before sunrise and headed to Diamondhead. Originally we were all supposed to put our running shoes on and run to the crater but on that morning our group of five runners became two, Tony and me. Everyone else took a cab. Hahaha. Our run was about 2.5km, mostly uphill and in the dark. It was pretty fun though! When Tony and I got to the park, we paid our entrance fee and started our hike. But guess what? Tony and I ended up taking the wrong path and not only us- a young couple followed us! By the time we realized this (aka realized the path was going downhill and we ended up at a locked fence), we could tell the sun was rising and our friends were already waiting at the top. We could also see the flashlights of the the hikers on the true path. That in itself was a pretty cool sight to see- like stars climbing the sky.
With no time to lose, Tony and I ended up practically running up Diamondhead, slipping a bit on the wet dirt/clay and loose rock. I would have to say the worst part physically was the stairs. At one point during the first set of stairs, I joked with Tony that we would have another set to climb. And then we did and my joke backfired on me. Heh. Anyway, we met up with our friends, took some pictures and made a slow descent along with all the other sunrise viewers. We even bumped into the couple that we led astray and found that the man was also carrying a baby! What a trooper!
I have to say that the sunrise was nothing spectacular but the rest of the experience was pretty awesome. Also, I was happy that we didn't go up the same time as the rest of the company because they said it was pretty miserable hiking up single file with everyone else. After our run and hike, we ended up at the nearby KCC Morning Market for a delicious breakfast and other treats. Then we headed to the beach to surf some more and in the evening we ate Tony Roma's ribs and I introduced Mio to Coldstone Creamery.
Our third day had the best weather and we ended up going on a whale and dolphin tour and snorkeling. We weren't able to see any dolphins but we did get a good whale showing. The boat sailed from Ko'Olina Bay on the west coast toward Ka'ena Point. Snorkeling was definitely the highlight of the trip. We saw a baby sea turtle! And I was able to hold two different types of urchins. The photographer joked about eating it for lunch and was surprised at how gung-ho I was about it. It's true- I love sea urchin!
On the fourth day, I ended up taking a trip by myself to Kailua beach on the east coast. I had originally wanted to kayak to Bird Island but ended up not having enough time after spending half an hour just searching for the kayak store. Plus I kind of wussed out because I would have to take the trip by myself and it seemed as if a storm was brewing, though the area is pretty protected and the water was super calm. Still, it was best just to take a dip and enjoy the peace of Kailua beach.
When I got back, Mio and I ran to the surf rental tent in Waikiki and found the tent closed even though the waves looked great! We were crushed!
The fourth day was also the day we went to the famous Eggs 'N Things. I ended up getting a Loco Moco and not the famous pancakes. I don't know why! Luckily, my coworkers are the sharing type.
For our last dinner in Hawaii, we went to a buffet restaurant at one of the hotels. I can't remember the name of the place now...but it was a nice restaurant with a huge aquarium and delicious food. It was also the birthday dinner for Tony and me so our coworkers paid for dinner and wine. And there was a mermaid in the aquarium!
Our last morning was beautiful. Mio and I got up early and were on our surfboards in time to watch the sunrise over Diamondhead. The water was completely flat that morning but it was still a treat to be in the ocean.
When we got back to Tokyo, we were told our plane might have to turn back around if we couldn't land in Chitose. Our plane circled Chitose airport for at least half an hour but fortunately (or unfortunately) we were able to land safely to the snow heaven that Sapporo had become while we were away.
The end.
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