More From Hawaii

Ok, here goes. I'll try not to write too much because it could get boring. Here is a shot of Waikiki Beach, literally just outside our hotel.

This place is so clean! There are people on every street corner with cleaning trolleys and they do everything from cleaning to gardening to windows. It works really well.

We went to a Lu'au at Paradise Cove. It was really good, apart from the slightly lame Hukilau (pulling in the fishing net), because that was just cheesy. Adie got a tattoo and I made a woven head band, which I'm embarrassed to say I wore all night.

At the Lu'au we drank Mai Tai's and Pina Coladas, but we didn't get caught in the rain because the weather was perfect. We watched demonstartions of traditional Hawaiian stuff, including watching the pig being removed from the pit in the ground and then paraded around. The smell was fantastic, the sight... not so great.

We then all sat down to eat a delicous meal before watching the performance, which included some beautiful costumes, phenomenal fire-twirling and some of the most elegant and fast-paced but wiggles we've ever seen! We were sitting with other people on the tour so we had a chance to meet some people. In this instance it was Michelle and Tom from Iowa. Tom was an ecomomic advisor in the Clinton years. He said that Clinton really was a nice guy. I don't think he's that big a fan of the current party though. They were really nice. Michelle and I got up on stage at one point to learn how to hula. That was somehting I never thought I'd do, but there were 80 people on stage with me so no big deal. All in all it was a great time!

The next day we went on a tour of the island of Oahu. What a beautiful place! So much green and blue! It is winter though, so everything is really lush.

The first place we looked at is called Maunalua Bay, I think. It used to be a volcano until a section of it crumbled into the sea, now it's a bay filled with marine life and a gorgeous beach. (Do you like my bright yellow souvenir Hawaiian t-shirt?)

We also visited the Halona Blowhole, but it was too calm so no blowing, Waimalano, Nu'uana Pali and the Dole Plantation. It's a pineapple plantation, so Noshie got to eat ridiculous amounts of pineapple. Yum! We had lunch here, and while the food wasn't really all that spectacular, the service was unique because they use this as a place to give adults with mental disablity a place to work. I've never had such great service.

From lunch we went on to Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach. We were allowed off the bus at Sunset Beach provided we promised not to go near the water because the currents are so unpredictable that two professionals in 2005 died there. We stayed away from the water. We then checked out a nut farm (macadamias mostly) and the Byodo-In Temple. We were a little shocked at the nut farm when three bus loads of young men got off to stretch their legs. It turns out that they are all new recruits who have been stationed on Hawaii, where there is a large barracks. I found it kinda sad, but our bus driver seemed to be pretty proud and patriotic.

All in all we really enjoyed Hawaii and would definitely come back to check out the other islands, especially Hawaii itself so that we can get up close and personal with a volcano.