We arrive in Hawaii from Fiji
Today we live twice!
Have you ever wanted to enjoy a day so much that you live it twice? We leave Fiji and fly over the International Date Line and we have the same day ALL OVER AGAIN!
Now we are in Hawaii and have an opportunity to experience the joy of being here on a single parent travel adventures all over again. Though we have flown all night, I have not been able to sleep on the plane. So when we get to the airport, I tell myself that I will not get into the driver’s seat. I am too tired and I feel it is not safe driving in this state. I have once heard luxury travel experts mention that there is a way you can always condition your body to adapt to the current time in the country you visit while on such a family travel but it needs to be done strategically. As a result, instead of getting some nap, I decide to go for some action.
After all, crossing the International Date Line means we have two Sundays so let’s go live a little!
We are staying out of Honolulu, and I was wrongly told you can drive around the whole island in just two hours! If this is the case, then it can only be in a private vehicle since it takes too long for a public transport vehicle to get to the bus station. As I come to learn, the buses only come hourly. It is so hard to understand why buses marked with the same numbers operate both ways.
I also discover that it is so rare to find a taxi in the suburbs. In fact, the suburban shopping centers near us do not have any cab ranks. Since our cell phones are still not yet set up with local SIM cards, we feel stuck here as we wait for the next bus. To make matters worse, there is no shade. It is a very long wait.
Finally, a bus arrives. So we head for downtown Honolulu, where we will change buses to Waikiki Beach.
With crossing the International Date Line we are going to explore on this our second Sunday.
©Exploramum and Explorason – crowded Hawaiian beach
I cannot believe the number of people at the beach. This is a bit of a shock after leaving Fiji.
©Exploramum and Explorason – busy Hawaiian beach
We need a swim – it is as hot and dry as an Adelaide (our home city in Australia) Summer’s day. It is a different heat from Fiji, which is more humid.
©Exploramum and Explorason – enjoying a Hawaiian beach
My son is invited onto the water slide at the Hilton and is given an armband to allow him on any of the slides. He is in heaven!
©Exploramum and Explorason – Hilton swimming pool – water slide
There are numerous, different slides and he really doesn’t want to leave. He is on a quest to find every water slide in Hawaii – well so he tells me!
©Exploramum and Explorason – Hilton swimming pool – more waterslide fun
We find the Duke Kahanamoku Beach and Lagoon. Here you can hire a paddle boat for $50 US or a stand-up surf paddle – which is the current rage in Hawaii. So we decide to save our money and head off to explore.
Under the trees, we find musicians jamming – the park is packed with people flame grilling chicken and enjoying a drink and a jam session. There is music everywhere.
©Exploramum and Explorason – jamming on the beach
We find ice-cream whip, and they are BIG. And we have BIG smiles – we are starting to adjust to Hawaii – nicely.
©Exploramum and Explorason – enjoying ice cream
Next day we head for Ala Moana Shopping Mall in the Centre of town. Everything is big, and so this big thong/flip-flop has to be in our photo.
©Exploramum and Explorason – Big shoe
We decide to take a bus – but the driver gives us the wrong information. For anyone heading to Hawaii – do NOT take the 55 bus and think it is a tour around the coast. It took us 4 hours (along with many other misguided tourists) to get to the
Dole Plantation – a famous pineapple tourist destination.
We had two driver changes on our bus as it takes so long. The first driver (after one hour and a lot of begging) stopped the bus for us to quickly use the Porto-loo (portable washroom) at a park.
The next driver took himself off to a public bathroom and never said anything, but we all sat. This was about 2.5 hours into the ride. A lady from South Dakota was nearly purple in the face at the moment. So we dashed off too. He told the lady’s husband he was not going to wait for us! But he obviously persuaded him to wait.
We finally arrive at the Dole Plantation with 1 hour to go, so hungry we down a huge pineapple whip – yum.
©Exploramum and Explorason – Pineapple Whip
We find the maze and have a 2 for one coupon and so we head inside – still trying to get through the massive whip.
©Exploramum and Explorason – Pineapple garden maze
We are given a maze map with eight stations to find and mark off on cards. We have less than 45 minutes left.
©Exploramum and Explorason – Pineapple garden maze – where to go?
My son finds the first station – yeah!
©Exploramum and Explorason – Pineapple garden maze – finding our way
We end up cutting through small paths in the bushes – not sure these are even on the map!
©Exploramum and Explorason – Pineapple garden maze – sneaking through
Checking off the last symbol at the final station.
©Exploramum and Explorason – Pineapple garden maze – station
We head out and find the maze already closed. We didn’t know it was a public holiday! The buses are not running after 5 because of the public holiday. Again, no one has told us, and we are in the middle of Oahu. We start to panic and ask a lot of cars leaving the Dole Plantation if they can give us a ride. They look like we are murderers and jump in their cars and lock their doors. We have just left Fiji where everyone stops to give you a ride and this is hard to deal with. We sit at the bus stop and decide to pray. God, please help us! In about 2 minutes a taxi driver turns up. He says he was going down another road and something prompted him to turn and come to this road instead. He is our answer to prayer and then he tells us he wants us to pray for him and his daughter.
We find out if we head to the bus interchange there is an hour wait to get to town. Then another hour wait until we get a bus to our area – but the buses can’t be seen from 6.30pm.
So we sit at the meter ticks over – the taxi ride was nearly $100! He gives us some discount – down to $83! It is early days – Hawaii is burning a hole in my pocket money-wise already and I have to do more research on things.
Lesson learned – stay central – the $$ you save staying out of town can prove to be no saving in time wasted on buses and on waiting for buses.
The taxi drops us at the local shopping center so we can buy supplies for dinner. We race home through the dark lane – this is not Fiji and it is not safe at night and people do not give rides. Subtle culture changes we have a hard time getting used to.
There are two people yelling at each other in the car park – I have not heard an angry person in the streets of Fiji in 2 months – it is a sign of weakness to lose your temper there – it feels strange.
So back to our snug accommodation for spaghetti and crusty bread. I am still pleased because after all – we have been driven around the whole island and managed to race in the biggest maze in the world (2008). The maze is great – anyone coming to Hawaii should try it (It is not expensive).
Hoping to explore more of Hawaii in the coming days. However, for tomorrow, I think we will stay indoors as I do some home-schooling, washing, and resting. After all, International Date Line means I’ve had Sunday twice, and I’m exhausted!
Questions and Comments
- Have you crosed the International Date line before
- How did it feel living a dy twice?
- Share your experience and comments below.
