Hawaii O' Five
Our Thanksgiving holiday week-end officially ended today upon our return from our trip to Hawaii. As usual, we recorded this yearly trip thru lots of pictures.
Click on this to view our slides.
Also, here for nephew E's photos.
We flew out to Honolulu on Thanksgiving day arriving timely for the family turkey dinner at my brother's house. The next day, we headed out to Hanauma Bay, snorkeling and swimming with the fishes then watched a few sprays from the blow hole before heading to Kalihi to visit Grandma.
On Saturday, we got up early to catch a flight to the garden isle of Kauai. Wild chickens and rainshowers welcomed us as we began our drive tour of the island northbound. Our first stop at Hanalei Bay gave us breathtaking views and the ritzy Princeville resort. Hubby was disappointed that his golfing was rained out. After a hearty Hawaiian breakfast, we drove east to Kapaa - Wailua where he and nephew E happily settled to a round of golf at a local golf course while I caught up with my sleep in our hotel. Late afternoon, we continued driving southbound where we lucked out finding a good steakhouse for dinner.
On Sunday, we marvelled at earth's beauty as we drove thru rainforests to our right and the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to our left. Heading southwest, we stopped to take photos of the Opaekaa & Wailua waterfalls and the geological wonder of the Waimea grand canyon. I enjoyed an afternoon snorkeling at Poipu Bay while hubby and nephew followed Tiger's footprints at the Grand Slam golf course nearby.
As we returned the car rental Monday morning before hopping onto our flight back to Honolulu, we felt truly thankful of the chance to visit this island paradise for the first time. God only knows when we can go back to enjoy it again.
A half day back to Oahu gave us an opportunity to drive around the island too. Can't you tell how much we enjoy driving by now? Yep, especially with Ilokano talk radio and Filipino music in the background. We smelled the sweetness of the pineapples at the Dole plantation, then we felt invigorated by the fierce ocean waves bringing excitement to the surfers at Sunset beach in North Shore. We passed by several rural villages, the beautifully manicured golf courses of Turtle Bay, the Polynesian Cultural Center and was reminded of old Hawaiian history at Pali lookout. Even in low season, Waikiki beach and downtown remained crowded with tourists.
Our last full day was a gastronomic delight. The tropical produce has always sparked our greed, getting our fill of the local food from Chinatown to Waipahu - the heart of the Filipino businesses - hoarding goodies to bring back with us to the mainland. While the family gathered at a goodbye Japanese teppan dinner in Waikiki, I felt regret that this trip was ending - hubby's only trip this year that did not involve work. Oh well, there's always a next time and the Hawaiian islands will always be there to restore our tired and worn selves.
