Because we're massive rages, we managed to have exactly one cocktail each whilst in Las Vegas.... and I had to drink Chris' cause she didn't fancy it. So after 4 nights of not sinning in "Sin City" it was time to bid lights of Vegas a fond farewell and hightail it to somewhere a little more our pace.
Aloha! And welcome to Hawaii. We'd only been there 5 minutes and we all got laid (lei'ed) - see what I did there?
Chris is a seasoned Hawaii visitor and so it was left to her as to where we stayed on this leg of the trip. She chose the lovely Outrigger Waikiki On The Beach which is absolutely awesome.
This is the view from our balcony.
I've only got one question for you..... does she get any better than this?
This is the our hotel from the beach. We're on the 7th floor, so high enough to not hear the riff raff below
and low enough to hear the fabbo music played by the live band in the afternoon.
(I did have a video to add in here with the music and a virtual view, but I can't get it to load - apologies)
I'd love to say we went straight down to the beach the minute we got there, but the truth is that we all got our laptops and iPads and iPhones out and sat in the hotel room checking in on Facebook, face timing kids and updating blogs.
When we did eventually get down there it was incredible. The temperature is just right and the water temperature is the same in as it is out.
The locals here are very laid back and definitely on island time. They don't seem to be too fussed about anything. However these two lifeguards might want to look up from the paper and perhaps turn around.... and take his noise cancelling ear phones off?!
This chap slept quite happily as people were walking around him...
and these chaps made a little sectioned off VIP area for the themselves - apparently they do this every morning before the sun comes up. Obviously a fan of personal space.
Us? We're just happy to be here!
Outrigger deck chairs and brollies.....
I think there's one there with my name on it.
Something tells me that I won't be seeing much of this lady out on the sun beds though. It's about 7am - I'm surprised she has taken her shoes and gloves off - the sun is sure to burn her now.
Bless her.
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku
(August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968)
was a Hawaiian competition swimmer who was also known as an actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. Duke was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.
(thanks again Wiki)
Now there are restaurants named after him all over Hawaii and there happens to be one underneath our hotel on the beachfront.
So breakfast had on our first morning - a lovely buffet and I even tasted my first "American" black coffee and I hate to say it, but I liked it. We were greeted by our server, Kevin from Arizona and he was super psyched to be serving us today. Everything we asked for, he answered "You got it!"
I love Kevin from Arizona.
After brekkie we popped a few doors down to the trolley stop which was in front of this bus and waited for the pink trolley to take us to a shopping centre that Chris knew of.
Marie managed to push a few tourists out the way so we could get on the trolley first and thank goodness she did because she was a full bus with standing room only (after we got seats!) The driver on this bus was hilarious. He was telling jokes and having us yell out to the people waiting at the next stop that we were full. He gave some advice about crossing at the crosswalks and made general comments all the way to the shops. He had a microphone on a head piece, so his every thought was broadcast to whoever was in earshot.
We're just three young shells riding the trolley.
For those of you who don't know, I have a small fridge magnet collection from all the places I have visited and when we got to this shopping centre, I couldn't contain my excitement when we came across a whole magnet shop. The shop was completely magnetic! All the walls, the stands and the counter. Wall to wall magnets. I was in magnetic Heaven..... but only purchased a couple, I mean, It's not an obsession or anything.
Trying to keep all our food intake American, we lunched at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co - the fictitious company made up for the movie Forrest Gump, staring the award winning Tom Hanks. This restaurant chain is everywhere and is apparently quite popular.
There is movie memorabilia all over the place and Forrest Gump quotes written on plaques, and on tables and walls.
This is a fun little thing. Each table has two number plate signs - one blue with Run Forrest Run and the other is red with Stop Forrest Stop. When you require the assistance of a waiter, you turn it over to the red sign so that the server can see that you need something and when you don't need them, you turn it to the blue sign. I wonder if we could introduce these signs into other places of work?
We were all pretty happy with our lunch choices. I mean, look how happy Marie looks?
I think that says it all.
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