Not a lot to do today. In the weekends it so busy with the locals coming out to the shops and beach. On saying that we went into Ala Moana mall to look for a bag that Jen wants us to buy but not a lot of luck. Could find the right bag but not the right colour. Then over to Macy's to get a couple of T-Shirts for PT. We can't get over how big the Ala Moana shopping complex is now. So many new up market shops way out of our league. its such a big area goes on and on and on. Amazing place now. I seem to recall years ago the place seemed to be going to the pack. Shops closing down. A bit like a ghost town. Not now. Des you wouldn't recognize it.
Had a couple of swims and that was our day.
SUNDAY 10th September.
Went back to the mall to change one of PT's shirts as it was too big and I brought a couple of pairs of shorts back for a swim and that was that for the day. Too busy out there.
MONDAY 11th September ...911..
Yes the big 911 day. A week building up to this day we have had fighter jets taking off in the mornings going their different directions and returning about mid afternoon.
If you look hard in the distance on the horizon you will see a war ship. A few of these have been sitting along the coast as well. Ever since 911 this seems to go on every time we have been up here.
First day for us to vote so off to Honolulu to the NZ Embassy. Didn't open until ten we were early but they eventually open the doors for us so Dave you will be pleased to hear we were the first Kiwi's to vote in Hawaii.
View from the NZ Embassy windows. Very smart office in a very smart building with very smart lifts which were finished two two days earlier. You go to a key board in the foyer of the lifts and press the floor you want. Next it talks to you and says go to lift whatever number it is. So we were told to go to lift G, you walk in don't press any buttons, door shuts and it takes you straight to level 20 where the Embassy was none stop doors open and you leave. The same on the way down so quick no stopping at each floor. There were about eight lifts operating People were just walking up to push their floor and its so quick you don't seem to wait. Its like a busy train station.
Waiting for our voting papers then into another room to do our voting, all so easy and straight forward.
Downtown Honolulu is all very smart. Lots of the newest looking office high rises. and nice gardens, flowers and very manicured lawns around the bottom of the buildings with places to sit in the shade under the trees, all kept very well. It seems a nice clean city. I think years ago it wasn't the case particularly in the Chinatown area. I seem to remember the first time we past through Hawaii in 1972 it was a dirty looking city. Mind you I am going back a long long time.
Lots of these trees around the grounds of the buildings. They have lovely hanging bunches of white flowers. You can always fine a shady place to sit.
A couple of the walking only roads. Lots of eating places, had our lunch here.
PT with his shopping.......
TUESDAY 12th September.
Off to Pearl Harbour. Last time we were here two years ago we pre booked our entrance tickets from home so we didn't have to wait for hours for your turn to go through. Unfortunately we had to go on the day we booked and it was a shocking day with thunder and rain. We went anyway but they had closed off the boats out to the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. So we were off to try again. A perfect day very hot out there as we had to wait two and half hours to get our turn for the boats to the memorial. Not a lot of trees to wait under. We went round reading some of the memorials to try and fill in time. It was so draining, a long wait but a least this time we knew we were going.
The harbour where the U.S.S. Arizona was bombed and sunk. So many of the crew couldn't get out as they were below deck. Many of them are still down there with their ship. Poor guys thought they were in this beautiful warm location when on Sunday morning at 6.00am on the 7th December 1941 then the Japanese made their attack, and several ships in the harbour went down.
The memorial building across the harbour in the distance was built over the sunken U.S.S. Arizona.
PT reading the memorial plaques of each ship and all the names of the men who lost their lives. Arizona Memorial in the distance.
U.S.S. Bowfin
On our boat heading out to the Memorial.
Arizona's stern anchoring point. She was 608 feet long.
You can easily see the small oil slick with the oil still leaking from the old ship.
Wall of Memories of the men who lost their lives on that morning. So sad to see so many names in one attack.
Battleship behind is the USS Missouri on which the Japanese Surrender documents were signed. It is being fully restored by order of previous US President. On the right is the Arizona's bow anchoring point. (She was headed towards the open sea.)
Again USS Missouri with all her superstructure under wraps while work is being carried out. At 887 feet long and 106 feet in width the Mighty Mo was a big unit.
On the deck of the memorial built over the Arizona where you can stand and look down over the ship which is sitting there just several metres below the water.
Standing on the deck looking back through the the V entrance to the wall of memorandum.
Looking back the other way looking towards our arrival point. Where we were dropped off.
Looking back as we left on the boat to take us back to shore.
Long hot day. Took us an hour each way in the bus. By the time we got back later in the afternoon we thought that we were too tired and hot to walk down to the beach, then we thought we must as it will make us feel so much better.
WEDNESDAY 13TH September.
We hadn't been down to Waikiki central the main tourist end of the beach. We don't usually go down that end but always do it once during our holidays here. We walked from our hotel along the beach and board walks in front of the beach side hotels. It always seems a lot hotter along there and we put it down to all the high rise hotel buildings right on the edge of the beach sheltering it from the wind. You feel like there is no air making it extremely hot and with the heat coming off the sand. I just don't know how people can lie on the beach without a breeze going through. We much prefer our end where the breeze flows around the building. The centre of Waikiki beach is also too busy with tourists, too many people around. We feel we are at the best end where it is quieter.
This is the Hilton Hotel area building on the right. A beautiful part of the beach. The hotel has all their lounger chairs out in front but we swim at the beach in the far distance about a five min walk from out hotel. Although our hotel is on the waterfront its not a beach. It has the boat harbour in front of it. Next blog I will take photos of the area we swim and the area more in front of our hotel although most of you would have already seen them in previous years.
Similar shot as above but closer in. You can see our swimming beach curving around to the left.
Still walking along the waterfront to the main Waikiki beach towards Diamond Head in the distance.
This walkway goes past in front of a couple hotels.
A beach between walkways in front of a hotel.
PT made this young man turn round to have a photo with him I wonder why!!!!!
Poor guy didn't understand English and he thought PT was asking him to take our photo.
Just going back a bit where the Hilton is far left, took this to show how the hotels are all along the beach front with their eating areas almost on the beach.
Really into the busy area too many people for us. The old hotel Pink Palace.
The street running through Waikiki beach central. Lots of new shops being built here since we were here last. So much improvement going on.
Well Dave and Jen guess where this shot was. Can you see Ernie........
And this place the Waikiki Banyon where we all stayed many years ago I think Dave you were 15.
I think that today was probably the hottest we have had. I just melted down in Waikiki.
Went back to the hotel had lunch chance to cool down in the aircon then later went down for our swim. The water hasn't been so warm. We think it has always been warm but today was extra warm almost didn't cool you down. Maybe it's because the swells have dropped back which was probably bringing in the water from the deep. No waves today so the water feels hotter as its still and the sun is probably warming it up more. Who knows.......
Last few days we have had a couple of small turtles swimming around in our bay and coming quite close to the swimmers. They vanish for a while then their little heads pop up out of the water and look at you then pop down again. The Asians get very excited.
We went downstairs tonight to the Hotel restaurant for dinner. We have been here for two weeks today so half way through our holiday already. Its all down hill from here. This is only the second time out for dinner. We usually eat in our Condo.
Yummy cocktail called Blue Hawaiian
Our meal. I had the shrimps, salad and chips on the left and PT had a big steak in a tomato sauce mixture, coleslaw and chips. Big meals. We are in America now, they know how to eat.
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