When I was searching for flights back to the states from NZ and looking at a map, I noticed that Hawaii was on the route home, so I looked into flights to Hawaii and then home and noticed they were the same price (a flight from Christchurch to O'ahu & O'ahu to Chicago) as flying straight to Chicago. I have been wanting to go to Hawaii for the past 5 years because my friend from high school and that I played softball with since I was 10, has been living in Hawaii since we graduated high school. I jumped at the opportunity to visit her & was so excited to explore Hawaii as well!
Keiko picked me up from the airport around 11am and we dropped off my things at her apartment. She lives around a 30 minute walk from the beach and in an area with lots of yummy places to eat! After dropping off my things we went to see one of her friend's perform in a children's play-- the play was super adorable. In the evening, we went to her friend's birthday party which was on the beach! We played spike ball, enjoyed some good food and conversation all while I soaked in how beautiful of a place I was in. The sunset was gorgeous. After the party we went back to her friend's house and played some cards against humanity before going back to her place!
On Sunday, we woke up really early and hiked Koko head- a super steep and challenging hike up an abandoned trolly track. It was definitely worth it though because the views at the top were beautiful and we could see the sun rising. After the hike, we went to her church and then out to lunch with her church team. After lunch, we went to Keiko's favorite Shave Ice place called Waiola Shave Ice. Shave Ice is a typical and popular Hawaii treat-- it's similar to a snow cone, but the ice is shaved smoother! I got a mix of the strawberry and mango flavors-- it was delicious! We then went to the beach for a swim and the water was beautiful and the perfect temperature. Keiko then had to go do something for work, so I decided to take a walk down Waikiki beach. Waikiki beach is probably the most popular beach on the island of Oahu, it's in Honolulu, and it's where all of the tourists generally stay. There are really nice hotels, fancy restaurants, and expensive stores. Waikiki is also known for one of the best places to surf, so I enjoyed watching really impressive people surf, I even saw a guy surfing while holding a girl up in the air. Wow. I people watched, sampled cookies at the Honolulu Cookie Company, read my book, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. When Keiko was done with her work, she picked me up and we grabbed dinner at a near by market.
Then We went swimming at the beach and then she left to go editing and I walked down the beach and down the Main Street of Waikiki. I watched volleyball, I read, I watched he sunset, I sampled lots of cookies. I watched the sunset and then met Keiko and we grabbed dinner at a market. Keiko explained a lot about Hawaiian culture to me, which I enjoyed learning about. A few years back she taught me the word "shoots" which is what hawaiians say to mean see ya later. This is a part of the Pigeon language, basically a set of words that they use in hawaii, different from Hawaiian. "Da" is used often instead of "the" and "Kine" is used often instead of "thing." She also taught me about the history of hawaii and how the states basically took over and pushed the american culture onto the islanders. There are many people in Hawaii with Hawaiian blood, but also tons of people who have moved there. The tourists in Hawaii often come from Asia as well as the states, because it's about the same distance from each place. Keiko also told me about how much of Hawaii is getting built up and that people are coming in from either Japan or the states and creating these nice homes, condos, ect, and this is increasing the price of living, making it difficult for locals to be able to afford to live where they are originally from. I really enjoyed learning about all of this!
Keiko picked me up from the airport around 11am and we dropped off my things at her apartment. She lives around a 30 minute walk from the beach and in an area with lots of yummy places to eat! After dropping off my things we went to see one of her friend's perform in a children's play-- the play was super adorable. In the evening, we went to her friend's birthday party which was on the beach! We played spike ball, enjoyed some good food and conversation all while I soaked in how beautiful of a place I was in. The sunset was gorgeous. After the party we went back to her friend's house and played some cards against humanity before going back to her place!
On Sunday, we woke up really early and hiked Koko head- a super steep and challenging hike up an abandoned trolly track. It was definitely worth it though because the views at the top were beautiful and we could see the sun rising. After the hike, we went to her church and then out to lunch with her church team. After lunch, we went to Keiko's favorite Shave Ice place called Waiola Shave Ice. Shave Ice is a typical and popular Hawaii treat-- it's similar to a snow cone, but the ice is shaved smoother! I got a mix of the strawberry and mango flavors-- it was delicious! We then went to the beach for a swim and the water was beautiful and the perfect temperature. Keiko then had to go do something for work, so I decided to take a walk down Waikiki beach. Waikiki beach is probably the most popular beach on the island of Oahu, it's in Honolulu, and it's where all of the tourists generally stay. There are really nice hotels, fancy restaurants, and expensive stores. Waikiki is also known for one of the best places to surf, so I enjoyed watching really impressive people surf, I even saw a guy surfing while holding a girl up in the air. Wow. I people watched, sampled cookies at the Honolulu Cookie Company, read my book, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. When Keiko was done with her work, she picked me up and we grabbed dinner at a near by market.
Then We went swimming at the beach and then she left to go editing and I walked down the beach and down the Main Street of Waikiki. I watched volleyball, I read, I watched he sunset, I sampled lots of cookies. I watched the sunset and then met Keiko and we grabbed dinner at a market. Keiko explained a lot about Hawaiian culture to me, which I enjoyed learning about. A few years back she taught me the word "shoots" which is what hawaiians say to mean see ya later. This is a part of the Pigeon language, basically a set of words that they use in hawaii, different from Hawaiian. "Da" is used often instead of "the" and "Kine" is used often instead of "thing." She also taught me about the history of hawaii and how the states basically took over and pushed the american culture onto the islanders. There are many people in Hawaii with Hawaiian blood, but also tons of people who have moved there. The tourists in Hawaii often come from Asia as well as the states, because it's about the same distance from each place. Keiko also told me about how much of Hawaii is getting built up and that people are coming in from either Japan or the states and creating these nice homes, condos, ect, and this is increasing the price of living, making it difficult for locals to be able to afford to live where they are originally from. I really enjoyed learning about all of this!
Keiko had an early morning at work ahead of her, but her roomies and a bunch of their friends had a get-together to watch walking dead, so I stayed up and chatted with them for the evening.
Monday:
Keiko dropped me off at Diamond Head, a popular hike, before she went to work. I hiked up around 7 am and it was a relatively easy hike with lovely views at the top. Diamond head is a crater and when you get to the highest point you have views of the ocean as well as the honolulu skyline. The best part of this hike was that I met my first Badger of the trip!!! I hiked down diamond head and then went to get an Acai bowl from a place called Health Bar, which Keiko recommended. I have had acai bowls before, but this was the best one I had ever had. An acai bowl is like a smoothie bowl, made with acai berries and other berries, topped with honey, granola, and bananas. At the health bar, I talked to a local about things to do in the area and after our lovely conversation of all there is to do, I went to a park and took a nap-- it was necessary. I then walked down Waikiki beach and went to a Lei making class in town for free. I made a traditional Hawaiian Lei and sat next to & chatted with a girl from the Netherlands and a woman from Maryland. After making the lei I walked around, people watched, and then met Keiko's friend Matt for a surfing lesson! We went out on Waikiki and I was surprisingly successful for only my second time surfing. When I say successful, I mean I caught the wave my first time, knee boarded my second time, got on my feet the third time, and then was able to catch a wave and get on my feet on my own the 4th time without matts help. Each time I was only up for about 6 seconds, but I was definitely proud of myself-- Matt was also a great coach! The first time I tried surfing was last summer in Ecuador and I was extremely unsuccessful. This time was much better & a lot of fun! After surfing I took a trip with Matt & his friend to Walmart & I got some groceries for the week-- Peanut butter & banana sandwiches would be my daily lunch :)
Keiko dropped me off at Diamond Head, a popular hike, before she went to work. I hiked up around 7 am and it was a relatively easy hike with lovely views at the top. Diamond head is a crater and when you get to the highest point you have views of the ocean as well as the honolulu skyline. The best part of this hike was that I met my first Badger of the trip!!! I hiked down diamond head and then went to get an Acai bowl from a place called Health Bar, which Keiko recommended. I have had acai bowls before, but this was the best one I had ever had. An acai bowl is like a smoothie bowl, made with acai berries and other berries, topped with honey, granola, and bananas. At the health bar, I talked to a local about things to do in the area and after our lovely conversation of all there is to do, I went to a park and took a nap-- it was necessary. I then walked down Waikiki beach and went to a Lei making class in town for free. I made a traditional Hawaiian Lei and sat next to & chatted with a girl from the Netherlands and a woman from Maryland. After making the lei I walked around, people watched, and then met Keiko's friend Matt for a surfing lesson! We went out on Waikiki and I was surprisingly successful for only my second time surfing. When I say successful, I mean I caught the wave my first time, knee boarded my second time, got on my feet the third time, and then was able to catch a wave and get on my feet on my own the 4th time without matts help. Each time I was only up for about 6 seconds, but I was definitely proud of myself-- Matt was also a great coach! The first time I tried surfing was last summer in Ecuador and I was extremely unsuccessful. This time was much better & a lot of fun! After surfing I took a trip with Matt & his friend to Walmart & I got some groceries for the week-- Peanut butter & banana sandwiches would be my daily lunch :)
Tuesday:
I woke up early and took a bus to Manoa falls- I patiently waited for the late buses and eventually got to the trail. I hiked up to the falls, which was a pretty easy hike, and when I got to the waterfall I realized there was no waterfall. It apparently hasn't rained in a while so there was no water to run down the falls. It was a lovely rock wall, though. I took a lot of pictures for people of them in front of the waterless wall, which I found funny. I hiked back down and waited for the bus- this time not so patiently, after half an hour, I decided to do what the Kiwis would do, and I tried out hitch hiking. The third car that passed me pulled over. It was actually an Uber driver, Greg. I got in the front seat, and he told me didn't usually pick up strangers & I told him about how common it was in NZ so I thought I would give it a try here. He was a really interesting person who had lived all of the world, loves traveling and hosts people at his airbnb & does couch surfing, so I guess that's why he was willing to pick me up. Hitch hiking is definitely risky-- and everytime I would tell someone I did this, their reaction is generally the same, you're crazy. However, I am 100% sure there are more good people in this world than bad people, so that was my reasoning when I stuck my thumb up on the side of the road.
Greg didn't charge me and he dropped me off where I asked and I'm alive. I got dropped off at the mall- the ala moana shopping center, which is the largest outdoors shopping center in the United States, it's also where all the buses leave from. I planned on taking a bus to do the lighthouse trail hike. I got on the bus and took a nap, and when I woke up it was pouring. I texted Keiko and asked her what I should do & if there was anything around that area indoors, she said that the rain usually passes quickly. I got off at the sea world bus stop because it was closest to the lighthouse trail path. It was raining and I had no coat, so I covered myself with my towel and asked the sea world workers if I could come in and sit in the cafe for some shelter. They allowed me to and I got out my book and read for a while, hoping the rain would pass. After an hour, it was still raining, so I went out to catch the bus. The bus was just leaving so I sprinted after it, it didn't stop. My wallet fell out of my bag into a puddle, I forgot to zip that pocket shut, so when I bent down to grab it, everything else fell out too. I grabbed everything out of the puddle, shuffled my things together and then went back to sea world cafe to wait for the next bus. I eventually got on the bus & made it back to Honolulu. I decided to get off the bus early because it stopped raining and I wanted to walk outside. I went to Leonard's bakery on the way back because because Keiko recommended I get a Malasada/ Portuguese donut with coconut filling from there- so that's exactly what I got, and it was delicious. Then I chilled at her place for the remainder of the night because it was extremely windy & gross outside.
I woke up early and took a bus to Manoa falls- I patiently waited for the late buses and eventually got to the trail. I hiked up to the falls, which was a pretty easy hike, and when I got to the waterfall I realized there was no waterfall. It apparently hasn't rained in a while so there was no water to run down the falls. It was a lovely rock wall, though. I took a lot of pictures for people of them in front of the waterless wall, which I found funny. I hiked back down and waited for the bus- this time not so patiently, after half an hour, I decided to do what the Kiwis would do, and I tried out hitch hiking. The third car that passed me pulled over. It was actually an Uber driver, Greg. I got in the front seat, and he told me didn't usually pick up strangers & I told him about how common it was in NZ so I thought I would give it a try here. He was a really interesting person who had lived all of the world, loves traveling and hosts people at his airbnb & does couch surfing, so I guess that's why he was willing to pick me up. Hitch hiking is definitely risky-- and everytime I would tell someone I did this, their reaction is generally the same, you're crazy. However, I am 100% sure there are more good people in this world than bad people, so that was my reasoning when I stuck my thumb up on the side of the road.
Greg didn't charge me and he dropped me off where I asked and I'm alive. I got dropped off at the mall- the ala moana shopping center, which is the largest outdoors shopping center in the United States, it's also where all the buses leave from. I planned on taking a bus to do the lighthouse trail hike. I got on the bus and took a nap, and when I woke up it was pouring. I texted Keiko and asked her what I should do & if there was anything around that area indoors, she said that the rain usually passes quickly. I got off at the sea world bus stop because it was closest to the lighthouse trail path. It was raining and I had no coat, so I covered myself with my towel and asked the sea world workers if I could come in and sit in the cafe for some shelter. They allowed me to and I got out my book and read for a while, hoping the rain would pass. After an hour, it was still raining, so I went out to catch the bus. The bus was just leaving so I sprinted after it, it didn't stop. My wallet fell out of my bag into a puddle, I forgot to zip that pocket shut, so when I bent down to grab it, everything else fell out too. I grabbed everything out of the puddle, shuffled my things together and then went back to sea world cafe to wait for the next bus. I eventually got on the bus & made it back to Honolulu. I decided to get off the bus early because it stopped raining and I wanted to walk outside. I went to Leonard's bakery on the way back because because Keiko recommended I get a Malasada/ Portuguese donut with coconut filling from there- so that's exactly what I got, and it was delicious. Then I chilled at her place for the remainder of the night because it was extremely windy & gross outside.
Wednesday:
Thankfully, the weather was better! I woke up and took the bus back to sea world- I walked from there to the lighthouse trail and did the hike up to the lighthouse for some beautiful views of the ocean, the coastline, and you could see the diamond head crater that I hike up on Monday. There was also a whale watching spot and I might have seen a whale or I might have imagined it. After hiking to the top, I went down an unpaved path to the Mokapu'u tide pools and went for a swim in the tide pools. It was a steep walk down but at the bottom it was a beautiful hidden gem-- large rock formations that had created pools of water from when the waves crashed in. I met a young couple from Chicago down there & we hiked back up together. I walked with them back down the lighthouse trail and talked to them about hitching and my trip to NZ. We said goodbye- they got int their car, and I contributed walking down the highway to the next beach I was planning to go to, it was nice out so I didn't mind the hour walk ahead of me. However, as they got onto the road, they pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride. To save time, I gladly hopped in and they told me about a hidden beach they had visited so I had them drop me off there. It was another hidden gem, called cockroach cove- a beautiful cove with big waves, lovely water, and wandering caves and spots. When I came back from caving, climbing and exploring around the rocks, the couple was at the beach. They had gone into town for food & then come back to where they dropped me off. I sat down and talked to them and then we all went into the water via jumping off the rocks. The waves were huge & it was so much fun to jump into the waves & ride them into the shore. I read a little, chatted with them, and then they offered me a ride back to the city, which I gladly accepted. They were actually staying with a family friend near where Keiko lives.
I got dropped off and was drained by the sun. I laid on the carpet under the fan and then took a shower. Keiko had a late night of work, so I decided to go on an evening walk to Waikiki. There is always lots going on in the tourist zone, so I brought my camera, took some photos & read my book until Keiko picked me up.
Thankfully, the weather was better! I woke up and took the bus back to sea world- I walked from there to the lighthouse trail and did the hike up to the lighthouse for some beautiful views of the ocean, the coastline, and you could see the diamond head crater that I hike up on Monday. There was also a whale watching spot and I might have seen a whale or I might have imagined it. After hiking to the top, I went down an unpaved path to the Mokapu'u tide pools and went for a swim in the tide pools. It was a steep walk down but at the bottom it was a beautiful hidden gem-- large rock formations that had created pools of water from when the waves crashed in. I met a young couple from Chicago down there & we hiked back up together. I walked with them back down the lighthouse trail and talked to them about hitching and my trip to NZ. We said goodbye- they got int their car, and I contributed walking down the highway to the next beach I was planning to go to, it was nice out so I didn't mind the hour walk ahead of me. However, as they got onto the road, they pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride. To save time, I gladly hopped in and they told me about a hidden beach they had visited so I had them drop me off there. It was another hidden gem, called cockroach cove- a beautiful cove with big waves, lovely water, and wandering caves and spots. When I came back from caving, climbing and exploring around the rocks, the couple was at the beach. They had gone into town for food & then come back to where they dropped me off. I sat down and talked to them and then we all went into the water via jumping off the rocks. The waves were huge & it was so much fun to jump into the waves & ride them into the shore. I read a little, chatted with them, and then they offered me a ride back to the city, which I gladly accepted. They were actually staying with a family friend near where Keiko lives.
I got dropped off and was drained by the sun. I laid on the carpet under the fan and then took a shower. Keiko had a late night of work, so I decided to go on an evening walk to Waikiki. There is always lots going on in the tourist zone, so I brought my camera, took some photos & read my book until Keiko picked me up.
Thursday:
I took a bus to Kailua, a beautiful city on the east coast of O'ahu. I stopped at Lani Kai juice for an acai bowl and then walked over to the Pillbox hike and began the ascent up to the top. It was a gorgeous hike, my favorite so far, it was so beautiful and it never ended. I met a man who was visiting his son that lives in Honolulu- he gave me his son's phone number and told me I could reach out if I wanted someone to do something with while my friend was working. (I ended up never contacting him, I was really enjoying the time on my own.) There were Pillboxes (barriers that the soldiers used to hide in during war) to sit on and enjoy the views, I continued on past where most of the tourist go and there was pretty much no one who continued on, so it was incredibly peaceful. I found a big rock, sat on it, took in the breeze and the sun, with no one around to obstruct the views or my thoughts.
I hiked back down and made my way to the beach. After the long hike, it was nice to relax & lay on the sand and read. After the sun had warmed me up, I put my suit on and hopped in the water. Not many people were swimming, but the water was perfect and I enjoyed floating with the waves.
I walked back towards town to catch a bus, and I got shave ice on the way- the best combo yet- coconut, lilikoi (passionfruit), and mango flavors, ice cream at the bottom and condensed milk on top. Near the bus stop, I saw girls at their softball practice so I took a seat on the bleachers to watch and then caught the bus to the ala moana center mall- I walked around until Keiko finished work and we got Ramen at a restaurant in the mall.
Friday:
I woke up and went to Hanauma bay to go snorkeling. I stopped at a cafe for a pastry for breakfast and then stopped at the snorkel rental place and picked up a mask and flippers (much cheaper to rent from the local store, Bob's Snorkel Rental, instead of at the bay), then I caught the bus to the bay.
I woke up and went to Hanauma bay to go snorkeling. I stopped at a cafe for a pastry for breakfast and then stopped at the snorkel rental place and picked up a mask and flippers (much cheaper to rent from the local store, Bob's Snorkel Rental, instead of at the bay), then I caught the bus to the bay.
I got there and waited in line to pay and watch a video about respecting the wild life. Then I hopped in the water and watched all of the fish as they swam around the coral. I saw SOOO many different types of fish, it was really incredible. I was amazed at how many different types of fish species appeared so close to the shore. My favorite fish that I saw was the humuhumunukunukuapua'a, which is the Hawaiian state fish. I also saw huge parrot fish and loads of other beautifully colored species of fish.
I spent a lot of time reading and enjoying the sun and breezy weather, which resulted in my first terrible sun burn of the entire trip.
I took the bus back, got shave ice, showered and walked to Waikiki. I took some photos, and sampled cookies. Matthew, Keiko's friend, picked me up and we went to their friend Nolan's birthday party. Keiko was still working and met us there a bit later. At the party we hung out, ate food, and played some games! It was fun to hang out with other people, after spending most of the week on solo hikes with tons of alone time.
Saturday:
Saturday:
In the morning Keiko & I grabbed coffee at her favorite cafe and went to Keiko's work. Keiko works for Hawaii 5-0 and we got to go to set because they were filming an episode downtown. I really enjoyed seeing how the set works and watching everyone prepare to film. I met some of her co-workers, saw an unannounced explosion, a car crash, and heard a guy yell action and cut (which was my favorite part). Even though I don't really watch the show, I really liked seeing what kind of things Keiko does at work. They also had some amazing catered food which Keiko & I snacked on.
Then we took a road trip up to the north shore. We went to the town of Haleiwa for lunch and we ate at a restaurant called uncle Bo's and Keiko knew one of the waitresses so she gave us drinks, I had an amazing cucumber pear cocktail, and an app on the house. Lunch was yummy and then we headed over to Waimea valley and took a walk through the state park and had a swim under a waterfall--I was happy the water was actually flowing this time. After that we stopped by Waimea bay and then made our way towards sunset beach where we did a hike through the woods to a pillbox with a lovely view of the ocean.
We headed back down and drove to turtle bay resort, a fancy hotel that's known to have great sunsets. We wandered around and then found the spot where all the guests were. There was live music and people surfing into the sunset as well-- a beautiful evening.
We were hungry for dinner though, so we went to a Thai restaurant that Keiko's co-worker had recommended to us, earlier in the day. It was a really neat place to eat because even though they had menu's the guy who owned the restaurant came to our table, asked us what types of thai food we know, asked us if we liked certain foods & flavors, and then crafted us a surprise meal based on what we said we liked. We ended up with a thai peanut salad, a fried noodle app, a pad see ewe dish, and a curry. They curry was a bit spicy for me, but everything else was delicious. When I told the owner that the dish was a little spicy he responded that I was eating at a thai restaurant. True. Overall, it was an awesome experience & I was proud of myself for letting go & trusting he would make something yummy.
Sunday:
In the morning we went to breakfast with one of her roomie's, at a place called Sweet E's right near where Keiko lives, I had some yummy french toast! Keiko then went to church and I decided to stay at her place and pack while she was gone, since I was leaving later that evening. When she got back from church we took a drive to the east coast. It was a beautiful region I hadn't yet explored. The mountain ranges were unlike any I had ever seen before. The were extremely steep with no gradual incline. I had read in some blogs about an awesome hike called the Crouching Lion so we decided to give it a go. We parked on the side of the road and ascended up. It was pretty steep and the rocks would often slip out from under our feet. There were some ropes along the way to hold on to, which helped us keep our balance. We got up to the clearing and it was a beautiful view of the mountains as well as the ocean. My favorite view of the trip, perfect for my final hike & last day in Hawaii. We then continued hiking up a bit farther, away from the people and found these large rocks to sit on & take it all in. We sat up there for a while & admired the beauty before sliding all the way down to the bottom. If you think climbing up a steep path is hard, it's even more challenging to figure out how to get down. I was a bit dirty by the time we got to the bottom.
We explored a little near the coastline before hopping back in the car. We made a pit stop at the Chinaman's hat which is a large rock structure in the ocean that actually looks like a hat. Then we went to Keiko's favorite beach called Sherwood Beach. We layed there for a bit, and I decided to go for a quick swim because it would be my last opportunity to get some salt water before heading back to the mainland. After relaxing we went to find a place to eat. We ended up at Kona Brewing Company, which was perfect because we were able to eat outside wit a view of the sunset. I had a yummy salad and Keik's got some fish tacos. I also decided since I was at a brewing company I should try some local hawaii beers. I thought getting a flight was appropriate before my flight that evening. I really enjoyed all the beers I had, and then we ended the night with shave ice- my favorite Hawaii treat. The size of the shave ice was about the size of my head, but I of course demolished all of it. We went back to her place, I showered, gathered my things, said my goodbyes & thank yous to all of her roomies and then we hopped in Keiko's car and made our way to the airport.
I had such a wonderful time in Hawaii! It was so nice to reunite with my long-time friend, Keiko, and I also really enjoyed having the alone time to hike during the week. I had a lot of reflections, met a lot of people, and found a new appreciation for solo travels.
Overall, a huge thanks to Keiko for hosting me, taking me around, and introducing me to shave ice. I'm so thankful I got to have the hawaii experience as a local & as a tourist.
As the Hawaiian's say, Shoots!
Sending smiles from O'ahu,
Rebecca
Sunday:
In the morning we went to breakfast with one of her roomie's, at a place called Sweet E's right near where Keiko lives, I had some yummy french toast! Keiko then went to church and I decided to stay at her place and pack while she was gone, since I was leaving later that evening. When she got back from church we took a drive to the east coast. It was a beautiful region I hadn't yet explored. The mountain ranges were unlike any I had ever seen before. The were extremely steep with no gradual incline. I had read in some blogs about an awesome hike called the Crouching Lion so we decided to give it a go. We parked on the side of the road and ascended up. It was pretty steep and the rocks would often slip out from under our feet. There were some ropes along the way to hold on to, which helped us keep our balance. We got up to the clearing and it was a beautiful view of the mountains as well as the ocean. My favorite view of the trip, perfect for my final hike & last day in Hawaii. We then continued hiking up a bit farther, away from the people and found these large rocks to sit on & take it all in. We sat up there for a while & admired the beauty before sliding all the way down to the bottom. If you think climbing up a steep path is hard, it's even more challenging to figure out how to get down. I was a bit dirty by the time we got to the bottom.
We explored a little near the coastline before hopping back in the car. We made a pit stop at the Chinaman's hat which is a large rock structure in the ocean that actually looks like a hat. Then we went to Keiko's favorite beach called Sherwood Beach. We layed there for a bit, and I decided to go for a quick swim because it would be my last opportunity to get some salt water before heading back to the mainland. After relaxing we went to find a place to eat. We ended up at Kona Brewing Company, which was perfect because we were able to eat outside wit a view of the sunset. I had a yummy salad and Keik's got some fish tacos. I also decided since I was at a brewing company I should try some local hawaii beers. I thought getting a flight was appropriate before my flight that evening. I really enjoyed all the beers I had, and then we ended the night with shave ice- my favorite Hawaii treat. The size of the shave ice was about the size of my head, but I of course demolished all of it. We went back to her place, I showered, gathered my things, said my goodbyes & thank yous to all of her roomies and then we hopped in Keiko's car and made our way to the airport.
I had such a wonderful time in Hawaii! It was so nice to reunite with my long-time friend, Keiko, and I also really enjoyed having the alone time to hike during the week. I had a lot of reflections, met a lot of people, and found a new appreciation for solo travels.
Overall, a huge thanks to Keiko for hosting me, taking me around, and introducing me to shave ice. I'm so thankful I got to have the hawaii experience as a local & as a tourist.
As the Hawaiian's say, Shoots!
Sending smiles from O'ahu,
Rebecca
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