oahu highlights

MONDAY
• explored the island
• walked along the main waikiki "strip" perusing shops and trying not to get overwhelmed at the sheer amount of people [mostly asian tourists] crowding the streets
• discovered TWO baskin robbins' within walking distancee from our hotel!
• sat in stunned silence as eman devoured a pound and a half of crab legs for dinner

TUESDAY
• went to a timeshare presentation...was there for six hours [i had a LOT of questions]
• had dinner at Nick's Fishmarket, a very upscale restaurant we had a coupon for...food was DIVINE

WEDNESDAY
• had lunch with james, an old buddy of eman's from michigan who's in the navy and stationed in oahu
• visited the u.s.s. arizona memorial and u.s.s. bowfin submarine [cracked up coz i immediately thought of the movie "bowfinger"] at pearl harbor
• drove through downtown honolulu and walked on the palace grounds

THURSDAY
• snorkeled in hanamau bay [almost died of embarrassment when eman kept calling after a park official, "excuse me sir? sir! SIR!"...because the park official was a WOMAN, not a man]
• slept in the car ride home, only to wake up and discover that eman had driven to the diamond head crater instead of to our hotel. i was displeased with the spontaneous turn of events [i was beat from snorkeling all afternoon] but got my butt out of the car and started hiking up the freakin' crater. the sign said that it would take about 45 min to an hour to get to the top, but i was so frustrated with eman that i marched right up to the top in half an hour...in my miniskirt. once at the top however, my sullen mood vanished as i was took in the awe-inspiring view. =)
• ate an authentic, traditional hawaiian meal at a family owned, hole-in-the-wall establishment called ono's [got a dirty look and a gruff "are you from the mainland?" from the owner upon ordering just spam and rice]

FRIDAY
• drove the scenic pali hwy
• planned to relax and lay out at the kailua beach park, but got talked into ocean kayaking instead. i was so pissed that i couldn't just lay out and do nothing on the beach that as soon as i got in the kayak i grabbed the double oar and started rowing with all my might. turned out that i was doing all the rowing for a while...i was so frustrated at eman that i didn't notice he wasn't rowing. i took the kayak out to the middle of the ocean by myself! =D

SATURDAY
• explored the north shore area
• ate at a "shrimp truck" [like our taco trucks but the food is practically gourmet] and listened to a brief, impromptu testimony from the owner...turns out he was in an accident, "found God" and started to change his life...his shrimp truck is evidence of God's goodness and grace...neat, huh? =)
• watched the sun set at sunset beach

SUNDAY
• packed up and came home =)