|
|
Honolulu
©
...with
the balmy evenings,
the sea breaking gently on the beach and brilliant orange sunsets,
Honolulu can be almost magical. |
 |
Honolulu, out in the middle of the Pacific is ideally placed to be part
of a multi-destination holiday and not just on the other Hawaiian
islands, it can be a convenient stepping stone to Australia.
En-route, you can even stop off to enjoy the American West. Flights
go through Los Angeles or San Francisco and a side trip to Seattle can
be practical.
The image of swaying palm trees and the equally mesmerising grass skirts
were much in mind when we touched down at Honolulu International Airport.
The sweet scented garlands of flowers, that were placed about our necks
when we arrived, heightened our expectations but what we found when
we headed into Honolulu was a bustling busy holiday city.
It was full of high rise hotels and motor-ways, but we were fortunate
enough to be booked into a hotel that looked directly on to the famous
Waikiki Beach. It was only 3 miles east of the city centre.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach had exotic birds in the
grounds and we relaxed amid Flamingos and Tropical Penguins from South
Africa.
Happily we had arrived on a Friday, which tends to be a rather special
night when people gather to watch a fire and hula dancing show.
The chanting gets to you as you enjoy a wonderful program. It's named
the King's Jubilee after King David Kamehameha who was known as the
'merry monarch.' 
He promoted Hawaii to other countries, started tourism and in wooing
both America and Britain some how left his country with a flag that
is a mixture of the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes.
Rounding off the evening there was a fireworks show and when the sparkle
of last of the rocket faded into the sky we became aware of the blackness
of the night and just how bright the tropical stars could be.
The next day we headed north and followed a stream of cars carrying
surfboards. Tuning into the local radio we listened to advice on which
beaches were due to get the best waves.
The mountains were covered in thick vegetation and I thought immediately
of Jurassic Park which was filmed on the neighbouring island of Kauai.
The fantastic hills were clouded in steam and not much imagination was
needed to conjure up dragons. It certainly it seemed an apt location
for the prehistoric monsters.
We passed little cedar tiled houses with mail boxes at the road side
and stopped at a petrol station with a corrugated iron roof and a sign
offering, sarongs at bargain prices.
While we filled up with gas, the girls dived into the shop to emerge
later clad in the bright wrap-a-rounds and hulla-ing their way back
to the car. They were good, but couldn't quite get their motors going
like the Hawaiians the night before.
The further north we went the stronger became the waves that crashed
in on the sandy beaches. There were picnic tables by the public beaches
and long surfboards and boogie-boards available for hire. I  soon
heard about the types of waves, names like 'Himalayas and Avalanche'
didn't exactly fill me with confidence. After a few fun filled attempts
close to shore, we watched the youngsters, who, with hair bleached blonde
by the sun, rode the surf with great skill. If you want to see really
impressive surfing the greatest activity is in November when three world-class
surf competitions take place.
These are known as the Triple Crown.
The rest of the afternoon
I enjoyed beach combing and the feel of warm sand slipping through my
toes.
Honolulu was of course brought to the world's attention by
Pearl Harbour. In December 1941, more
than 350 Japanese planes attacked and destroyed key ships of US. Pacific
Fleet.
The memorial draws a great number of visitors and in summer it is best
to arrive early. It can quite a moving experience, you take a boat ride
out to where the battleship USS Arizona rests in some 40 foot of water.
Most of our fellow tourists were Japanese so it felt rather strange,
particularly during the part of the commentary about the surprise attack
on the American ships. A couple of Japanese teenage girls in the group
greeted this with the kind enthusiasm normally reserved for an "away
goal." It seemed a little lacking in taste.
If you want to end your stay in Honolulu with a touch of class, then
toast the sunset at Diamond Head. Just hail one of the milk white stretched
Lincoln limousines that cruise around. Inside you will find an ice bucket
for your champagne.
They have dark tinted glass, so no one can look in to your plush little
world as you sip your drink and fiddle with the lights that pulse to
the music from the multi disc CD.
Make sure you fix a price before you go. Japanese have been known to
pay $200 an hour but we found that the average rate was $75 an hour(£50)
. The same trip to Diamond Head on the bright motor trolley that runs
from downtown costs around £1.
Honolulu, with the balmy evenings, the sea breaking gently on the beach
and brilliant orange sunsets, was almost magical.
Report by Allan Rogers
Fact
File
Hawaii Visitors Bureau
http://www.gohawaii.com/
Honolulu and Oahu
http://www.visit-oahu.com/default.asp
Honolulu Web-cam, at Waikiki Beach
http://live.waikikitimes.com/
Recommended reading: Lonely Planet: City Guide Honolulu
|
