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| Next, we went to the Bowfin, which is a submarine that you can explore. It was interesting to see how they must have to live in that cramped space. We even got to try out the bunk beds that were stacked three high and head to foot. We also had fun playing with all the levers and stuff (yeah, we’re a little immature). After that, we went over to the USS Missouri. It’s a retired navy ship that you can take a tour of. The first thing we noticed is it was much more spacious than the Bowfin! :o) It also reminded me of the Titanic (my all-time favorite movie which I have seen an embarrassing number of times), so Henry did a little Titanic reenactment for me. How sweet of him! |
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| We then went back to the hotel and took a walk down the street to an outdoor market (I think it was called the International Marketplace). At first it looked like just a little marketplace, but we kept walking and there were tons of people selling tons of junk as far as the eye could see. We actually got lost back there! We ended up buying some t-shirts and went back to the hotel. |
| September 11- We spent part of the morning remembering what happened a year ago and watching some 9-11 shows on TV. Then, we headed for Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. The guidebooks said to get there early to beat the crowds. Well, I guess 9:30am isn’t early enough because it was already packed. There were people everywhere! We had to wait in line to pay our $3/each to get in. Then, we watched a movie about protecting the reef and walked down a very long, very steep road to the beach. We picked our way among the sunbathers and finally found a spot to park our gear. Then, we got our snorkeling stuff and hopped in the water. There were a lot of really beautiful fish! But, the current was pretty strong and we kept getting pushed up against the reef which scared me (since I’m a wimp). We stayed in the water about 45 minutes and then got out. We decided this beach was not for us- just too many people. So, we left. |
| We stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation next. It was very similar to the Guava Kai Plantation, except the gift shop was bigger and there were more people. There was a big maze to go through, but we were both exhausted and have no sense of direction, so we skipped it. We left without even a free pineapple! Then, we headed to the north shore, hoping to see some surfers. We drove through Haleiwa, but no waves. We ended up going to Sunset Beach and just sitting and looking out over the ocean. That was really nice, but there weren’t big enough waves to surf on. We took the scenic route along the windward coast on the way back to the hotel. It was beautiful driving along the shore. We checked out Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach and headed back to the hotel, only getting lost twice on the way. |
| September 12- I felt like doing some shopping, so we went to the Ala Moana Shopping Center. It is a big open-air mall and it was really confusing. It had 4 different levels, but the map only showed 3. Some stores were only reachable by going through another store- very weird. But, we found Hilo Hattie which is a store that sells Hawaiin stuff. I bought a couple of things and we went back to the hotel. We took a dip in the pool and met a few interesting people. We then went for another walk and checked out more junk stores. There is literally an ABC store on every corner. They sell souvenirs and other various stuff. September 13- We checked out of the hotel and went to another confusing mall- the Ward Center. There are 6 different buildings which are fairly far apart and hard to tell what is where. Then, we headed to the airport. After only 11.5 hours of travel and me getting searched once, we were home sweet home. |
| Me peeking through a doorway on the Bowfin |
| Henry playing with stuff on the Bowfin. |
| Henry checking out the cramped sleeping quarters on the Bowfin. He made the unpleasant realization that some guys feet would be right in your face. |
| Henry doing his Titanic reenactment for me. He doesn't look scared enough,though! ;o) |
| Henry on a big gun. |
| Me and MO (the USS Missouri). |
| Me and Henry after going snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. |
| Henry at the Dole Plantation. Everyone else was taking a picture here, so we thought we should too. ;o) |