Hawaii Part Deux

As we drove the coastal road along the windward shore of Oahu it felt like we were another world away from Honolulu. Where Waikiki was pure glitz, the north shore is all laid-back Polynesian surf culture - shrimp shacks and surf shops line the road. And what a road - it took us along deserted stretches of coastline with empty powder-sand beaches and turquoise water overlooked by craggy volcanos and cliffs - a distinctly Jurassic Park vibe. And breathtakingly beautiful.

First stop was Hanuama Bay - tipped to be Oahu's best snorkelling spot - a stunning, horse shoe shaped bay with a fringing reef that was actually once a volcanic crater (like everywhere in Oahu!). Since the 1960's it's been a marine reserve. We got there early to beat the crowds. Unfortunately, so did the crowds - even at 8am there was a massive queue to get into the marine park mainly because every visitor had to watch a rather non-sensical video before hitting the water about the dangers of snorkelling, including handy tips such as don't 'harass' the turtles or  pet the Moray eels (doh!). When it was finally time to take the plunge, once we'd snorkelled to the outer reef it was stunning - crystal clear water, huge parrot fish, batfish and even an Angry Woman Wrasse who let us follow her for a while.  

Next stop was Kailua Beach -  one of Oahu's lovliest beaches - minimal tourists and turquiose sea. Apparently it's a surfing mecca thanks to its prime location on the windward side of the island, they say some days you can even spot pro surfers hanging ten. It was very calm when we arrived so no chance of that but perfect for swimming.

We drove on to Sunset Beach and because we arrived in the middle of a tropical shower we had it to ourselves. Or so we thought because suddenly, in the distance, we saw a puff of mist, then another - blowholes from migrating humpback whales. As if on request they started rolling in the water, doing a few tail slaps, one even jumped right out. We clapped and cheered. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to Oahu and such a rare treat. 

We rounded the day off watching the sunset from Waimea Bay, four beaches in one day that showed us a totally different side of Hawaii - seeing Oahu at its best I can only imagine how beautiful some of the outer Hawaiian islands must be. Then it was time to drive back to the airport to catch the red-eye flight to Las Vegas... 

I'll update when we've come out on the other side of Sin City,

Love Beth xxx

Aloha Oahu*

*Warning this entry may contain some cliches

There's nothing like chipping up to the airport check-in desk quietly humming the Hawaii 5-0 theme tune only to be told that you don't have a visa for the USA to shatter your hula dreams in one go. Yep, rule of travelling 101 - find out visa requirements before you go anywhere. Yet we had foolishly assumed that the USA welcomed holidaying Brits with open arms. Not so these days - the check-in staff at Sydney informed us it can take 72 hours to get your visa approved by the US border control peeps. Cue a very panicky half hour at Sydney airport filling in online applications and crossing our fingers... only to get the approval email through five minutes before the check-in for our flight closed. I literally ran up to the desk shouting 'They're letting us in!!" to the confused looking staff. I have never been more relieved to get on a plane in my life. We were finally off, by the skin of our teeth...

Landing at Honolulu airport on Oahu, I was fully ready to embrace the kitsch and get totally Maui'd. Not sure what I was expecting - to be greeted from the plane with a flower lei and a cocktail perhaps? I was disappointed when all we got was a sleepy Aloha from one of the ground crew - but it was only 6am, so fair enough.
By 7am we were on the iconic Waikiki Beach watching the sunrise while lying on our backpacks. And what an insane beach - nothing can prepare you for Waikiki - like something out of a 60's film it's a sliver of sand framed by swaying palms and massive high rise hotels and mega-resorts. They are everywhere. They even seem to dwarf the Diamond Head volcano which overlooks Honolulu. Waikiki, It's not beautiful these days but it does have a certain glamour.

As the sun came up I couldn't believe how peaceful it was - just a few joggers and paddleboarders, otherwise we had it to ourselves. An hour later it was a totally different story - as if from nowhere hoards of people arrived to claim a patch of sand and we were surrounded. Literally - if we'd rolled over on our beach towels a little too far we'd have ended up straddling an unsuspecting Japanese tourist.

Waikiki is mayhem - banana boats, novice surfers and paddlebaorders claim every inch of the water and beach towels leave little space for actual sand. Made for some fascinating people watching. Behind the beach is mall upon mall and every designer store imaginable. Exhausting, even for me. But still, I wasn't sensing much of a Hawaiian vibe - we didn't hear so much as a whisper of a grass skirt or glimpse a coconut bra all day. I was beginning to feel a bit disappointed at how un-Hawaiian our first day had been although I think Stef was pretty relieved. Then I heard about a nightly, free hula show that was performed at sunset by the beach. So I dragged Stef along, only to find it wasn't on that night, despite it being 'nightly.'

Thankfully, we found a cheap tiki bar serving $5 mai tais so that helped ease the pain. And as we left we heard the faint strains of a steel guitar and a hula song drifting over from the beach - some local guys had gathered to play, so we had our own impromptu Hawaiian night after all.

Next day we decided to climb up to the summit of the Diamond Head volcano in 30 degree heat. Diamond Head is an extant volcano that overlooks Honolulu. A military base was once stationed inside the actual crater iduring WWII, but these days the crater has been turned into a car park (God bless America!)
We avoided taking the bus to the top and decided to walk the seven mile round trip. It's pretty crazy - part of the climb is through disused military tunnels and you walk through look-outs and gun turrets. The view over Honolulu and Waikiki from the top is amazing. It actually looks quite beautiful.
To cool off after the slog we went (well attempted) stand up paddling surfing, a favourite Hawaiian past time. Mainly just so we could say we'd surfed off Waikiki beach. In reality I spent most of the time falling into the water and trying to avoid decapitating the hundreds of people swimming around me with my board. Stef was more successful and managed a full ten mins without going in the drink. I timed him (I'd given up and was sitting on my board by this stage!)
After a few days, Honolulu is exhausting, even I was experiencing shoppping-fatigue - so we've decided to hire a car and take a trip around the island to discover the 'real' Oahu away from the crowds...
More on that another time,
Love Beth xxx

G'bye Sydney

Three years after our first Big Off - leaving the UK for what we assumed would be a quick nine months in Sydney, (oops) it's time to embark on the next Big Off. This time, an adventure that will take us from Hawaii, Las Vegas and LA to the High Andes in Peru to trek the Inca Trail. Then to the Amazon jungle and an isolated city that can only be reached by boat and finally, on to explore the Bahamas, the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. The stuff bucket lists are made of - especially for two thirty-something backpackers. Who knows, maybe we'll 'find ourselves' at the top of a mountain somewhere - discover that we are indeed an IT consultant and a journalist from Reading after all.

Back packs are packed, we've drunk cholera shots for breakfast (not recommended) and trained for the Inca Trail. I'm hoping to update this blog along the way as we take the long road home to Blighty. So check in from time to time if you'd like to see where we're up to.

Goodbye Sydney, its been emotional, next stop Honolulu...

Love Beth xxx

Au revoir, Manly, we left a little bit of ourselves with you

Cheese Rock in the Royal National Park - a rest from training for the Inca Trail 

Australia, until the next time, g'bye