After a 5 hour delay in San Francisco airport due to a mechanical malfunction, I was finally at my first stop, I spent a week in Hawaii. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who lives on Oahu so I had a place to stay! Thank you again Ashley! Coming from a city where the weather was cold and wet and landing in a city that was bright and warm was a nice welcome. Even with the humidity, the temperature was perfectly warm.

The first full day on the island and we had decided to visit a non practicing Buddhist garden, The Byodo-In Temple, a replica of the 900 year old temple in Japan. It had a bunch of stray cats sleeping all over but for some reason it fit. After crossing the bridge entrance we were greeted with the face of the temple dead ahead. Off to the left a giant bell, called the Bon-sho. It is said that the vibrations the bell gives off cleanse one of temptation and evil. Surrounding the entire temple was a pond with hundreds of Koi, turtles, frogs and a couple swans. Supposedly there are peacocks as well, but we weren’t fortunate enough to come across any.

After our leisurely walk though the temple we decided that we would head to Lanikai and hike the pill boxes for sunset. It was a short 15 min hike up a steep hill side but the beauty of the sun setting against the mountains was gorgeous. There were quite a bit of clouds, so it made for a very moody sunset. The joke was made by a few locals that when we got there we would see some Asians jumping on top of the pill boxes for a photo, and when we got there, we did.

The following day we returned to the beaches of Lanikai, which is ranked among the best beaches in the world. It did not disappoint at all! The sand is almost flour like,the water was clear and crystal blue, and the temperature was perfect to swim in. The clouds provided enough cover here and there to prevent a sun burn from happening. For me that is a major feat!

After lying on the beach all day we decided to catch the sunset at a place called China Walls. As we climbed down the hillside we were greeted with waves crashing against the rocks. The wall is a ledge of lava rock that is just high enough to keep the water from sweeping you out to sea. Unfortunately for us, the clouds were so thick that we only got a glimpse of the sunset. After hanging out there for an hour or so the clouds started to clear off and we were able to star gaze for awhile.

My third day on the island, we decided to head west to Kaena point. On our way there we pulled off to a small town that had a whole field of sunflowers that backed up to the mountains. We headed over to the shopping center near by and ate sushi at a Banzai Sushi that had a very nice atmosphere where you had the option to sit on pillows on the ground or in chairs. We opted for the ground. The food was delicious and the service was fairly quick.

When we reached the beach near Kaena point it was a little to chilly to go swimming so we headed straight to the trail. The trail out to the point is actually an Off-Highway Vehicle trail that is still actively used, so you can expect to see people wheeling out there as you walk along the trail.  The Hawaiians have a saying “makai to mauka,” meaning from ocean to mountains. On the hike to the point, that is exactly what you are greeted with. The towering mountains to the left and the crashing ocean to the right.

Along the trail, we had to trek past mud and puddles the whole way. As we got closer to the point we had to pass a gate that leads to a conservation site for the local wildlife. Nearing the point, we came across quite a few albatross birds, essentially very large seagull. There were groups of them doing their mating rituals, clacking their beaks, flapping their wings, and making a very odd squawking noise in groups of threes. They would dance around in circles while doing all this ritual.

Finally we had made it to Kaena Point! From here you had a view of the northern coast and the western coast and it was gorgeous! It is extremely difficult to match the beauty of the ocean and the mountains meeting. While we were at the point we came across a group of monks seals basking up on shore, paying us no attention.

The last couple days on the island were spent relaxing, eating poke, and seeing a good friend and his new little family. We reminisced about old times and barbequed all day long with a good group of people.

The Monday night before I left,I got lucky I had checked to see when my flight was because I was leaving a day sooner than I had thought I was. The time change from Hawaii to New Zealand is around 23 hours. This meant that even though I was to arrive on a Thursday, I did not get a Wednesday on Oahu or New Zealand. This cut my plans short to do both the Haiku stairs and Kokohead trails. There were many things I did not get to do while in Hawaii that I had hoped for however, I had an amazing time with great people before I ventured out into the world on my own!