Hawaiian Vacation II

We enjoyed staying here because it was not too expensive and was 2 blocks from the beach and Ala Moana Mall. The hotel has a small pool and a large koi pong with extremely large fish, along with a restaurant. The rooms were clean. The only bad thing was that one morning there was a large cane spider staring at me in the bathroom.

This was supposes to be a quick jaunt through the hilly jungles outside of Honolulu to see some falls, and to swim in the deep lagoon fed by these waters. We started on a journey that was to be 2 hours, and we were on the trail for 4 hours. As the locals would say, we were truly "hauly!" We got lost, needless to say, on a trail that was split in two directions. There were signs that led us in the wrong direction, so beware.

We traveled down a steep ravine, and then there were signs all over saying that the water has bacteria in it, and we still had not reached the falls, but we could hear what sounded like huge water flows. Later we were told that the wind in the mountains sounds like rushing water. We finally made it too the falls, or what you could call a trickle from a water faucet, and we were sorely disappointed! Then we started back up the steep ravine. Mind you, I was 6 months pregnant, and the heat in May was unbearable.

Hanama Bay is a beautiful place to snorkel. There is an admission fee, which is nominal, to go into the bay, where they make you watch about a 10-minute video on protecting the reef and what not to do when snorkeling. You are also able to rent snorkel gear and rent lockers, both of which are not too expensive. We brought ours along, but I would advise renting a locker, because there are thieves around. But don't let that get you down, as the beautiful fish and underwater reef are really spectacular. The water is clear for several feet and not too deep, so this is a great way to see Hawaii inexpensively, and if you are a beginner.

We visited this historical sight the last day of our trip. This was a very fitting way to end our trip because we were already sad we were leaving and this place reminded me of how important Hawaiian history is. Finding this place was not difficult, just follow the signs, and when you park your car lock up your belongings. We entered the main building, grabbed a ticket stub which told us when we would be riding the boat (at least a 1 hour wait, arrive early!) And looked around at all the mini replicas of ships and some documents, but nothing really prepares you for the little movie that you watch before riding on the pontoon to the USS Arizona. It was so moving, that i cried. The movie basically summarized how unprepared we were for an attack and how devastating a blow it was.We took the quiet 5 minute ride to the monument, from the boat we could see markers in the water where the other ships were docked. We were then escorted, one by one, off the pontoon by soldiers onto the pristine white monument. It was really tragic watching the oil floating on the the waveless water. We experience a moment of quiet remembrance. We were then brought back on the boat, and we went on our way. This experience is free. Besides being hot and waiting for a very long time this experience was well worth the trip.