Day 38
After breakfast we walked up the road to Thrifty Car Rentals and hired a mid size car, a Chrysler Sebring (pictured above), a nice car, which I found similar to a Honda Euro. We also hired a GPS unit that takes the stress out of trying to navigate and drive on the other side of the road, and I would recommend this option when driving in America. Trust me; you will really appreciate the advanced warning when it’s time to take those freeway exits.
Soon we're on the coast road heading past some spectacular scenery; those well known steep green mountains on the left, reminiscent of the movie, Jurassic Park, and on the right, golden beaches, and beyond, the brilliant aqua coloured sea. I'm sure tourists simply drive off the road, distracted by the views.
Two hours later we arrive at Turtle Bay Resort (pictured above) on the North Shore, which is where they filmed the hilarious comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. After a delicious buffet lunch overlooking the water, we head down past the pool, to the beach, where turtles (pictured below) are playing in the surf.
White beach villas stretch along the water’s edge, bordered by lush green grass, with wide hammocks hung between palm trees. The only sound is the gentle lapping of the waves, and the occasional bird call. This is our idea of paradise, and we will definitely be coming back here to stay.
Louise was very interested by this cute wedding chapel (pictured above) on the cliff overlooking the ocean. The hotel does wedding packages and she made sure she picked up a wedding information kit, which kept her occupied the whole way home.
Up on that hill, where the white domes are, was the radar station that detected the Japanese planes on route to Pearl Harbour. Sadly, the warning wasn't passed on to avoid the tragedy. At the time the United States were not confident in the value of the technology, which is surprising, considering the contribution radar provided earlier to the English victory during The Battle of Britain.
We arrive at Banzai Pipeline (pictured above) expecting those famous big waves, and find there is barely a ripple. Continuing on we stopped at the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens – a lush Hawaiian rainforest. The North Shore of the Island is so tranquil, the scenery is breathtaking, and the best part is that there is hardly anyone there. If you’re put off Hawaii, because of the crowds, then you should definitely head here.
My graduate American driving test was successfully negotiating the Honolulu freeway, and then Downtown Honolulu during peak hour to find a service station, and return the car back to Thrifty in one piece. I'm not sure whether Honolulu has beaten New York yet, for the worst traffic, but they are well on their way. I think it took about an hour to go four miles, and the poor people heading out of the city, well, they weren't going anywhere, in a hurry, at least.
At dusk there was a Hula show (pictured above) at Waikiki Beach. The performance began with a red robed man turning to face each direction, and loudly sounding a Conch shell, and then the Hula dancers started swaying to the music. We must admit we got bored and left after fifteen minutes, (we prefer Broadway to tell the truth), although I do admire how Hawaiians have kept their tradition; after both their language and The Hula was banned by the Missionaries.
With the sun slowly setting over the beach (pictured above), it signals the end of our holiday. Tomorrow, we are faced with that long flight home that always seems twice as long coming back. This was our best holiday yet; Europe was about culture, scenery, and Cathedrals – this was trip was about pure fun. I now know why America is the entertainment capital of the world – they just do it so well, and Las Vegas and New York are the big draw cards, because the shows are just so good, and they alone would just keep you coming back again and again. Also, the United States is just so easy to move around, and there’s no problem with language, or culture, and nothing is ever a problem in a country when the customer is “always right’.
