Aloha from Waikiki, Hawaii

Well, we made it to America without any hiccups. There was some nausea and sleeplessness, but what do you expect on a 10 hour flight. We've since managed to catch up on some sleep and eat some cholesterol free eggs and turkey bacon. Only joking... us Aussies eat the real stuff.

So, onto our adventures so far. I think we've managed to see every "American" shop that we've heard about including Macy's, and 31 Flavors, but we have resisted the urge to shop. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful. Lots of smiles. Even the bus driver from the airport to the hotel insisted on giving us a sight-seeing tour.

We had our first of many Hard Rock Cafe experiences for the year. Next time the menu says red pepper, I'll know that means red HOT pepper. I did eat most of it though. Adie managed not to buy another mug, but we got a cool photo of the car over the bar.

On the way home from the Internet cafe we will be stopping at Godiva for some oh-so-yummy Belgian chocolates right here in the heart of Honolulu. I'd better not savour them for too long though as the weather is simply beautiful.

Yesterday we thought we'd check out Waikiki beach, just across the road from our hotel. You can hire everything there, from lockers to beach chairs and surfboards. We didn't stay very long though because it was totally packed! We did have a little paddle though, the water was warm and clear, we could see little fish swimming around. I would have thought that they'd be frightened off by all the people, but no... maybe they feed off dead skin cells and toddlers piddle.

The beach was a real treat for me though because we got to see two fantastic sights. The first was this older lady, about 60-70, who had decided to get a tan. Now, most people wear bathers and a beach towel, not this ingenious woman, she decided why buy bathers when a bra will do. So, there she was basking in the sun's warm rays with her skirt hoiked up and her top off. I have to admit though, she did have a great tan!

The second treat was the opportunity to see a 'typical' American family just as I'd always imagined them. Mom, Dad and 2.4 kids. All overweight and posing for a family photo in front of the Big Kahuna. Not only did they look the part, they also acted it. Picture this... the photo has been taked and chubby kid number one has decided he's bored, so he's punching the big metal statue. Mom sees him and starts shouting "Brandon! Brandon stop that!" Dad then also chimes in and then so does the little sister. Eventually Brandon stops and they start walking down the street. Brandon sees a McDonlads. "Dad, can we have McDonalds?" And he just kept saying this over and over again. Fantastic. (I should make a note though. This family, while a definite stereotype, have not been the norm so far.)

And that's it for now. Tonight we're off to Paradise Cove to get laid and see a traditional Hawaiian lu-au before feasting on some pig that's been cooking underground throughout the day. Mmm, yum? Then tomorrow we go on a tour of the entire Island of Oahu. We're looking forward to all of this and will tell you all about it eventually I'm sure.