June 28, 1992--A Little Paradise

[Our goal in stopping in Hawaii on our way to Australia to see our son was to hopefully cut the jet lag a little bit. I loved our time there.]

Journal Entry: Sunday, June 28, 1992

            The skeptic in me has been cured. With the morning comes a beautiful day. Hawaii is truly the paradise people have tried to describe. We eat breakfast outdoors on the restaurant terrace. A warm gentle breeze filled with the freshness of the ocean air makes it seem like a dream that we are here.

              We begin our day with a trip to Diamond Head. Inside the crater, across from the small military installation, we find the beginning to the trail that leads to the top. Signs warn of a steep climb and the need to be in decent physical shape. The trail starts up and bends back and forth. A good breeze cools us every so often but our body temperature is definitely rising from the exertion. About the time we feel we are getting close, a wall of steps appears in front of us. I call “Time out.”

              What an exercise but worth the effort. The ocean is so blue. The sky clear. The city of Honolulu stretches before us. The mountains rise up behind it. Lush greens with patches of bright purples, reds, pinks and yellows are everywhere. We descend, a feeling of triumph from the conquest and renewal from the natural splendor of the view.

              The sun warms us as we drive the scenic road in a little red Mustang convertible. A Hawaiian tan would be nice. We head for Waimea Falls Park at the north end of Oahu. The park is actually a botanical garden. We see giant stems of ginger, heliconia and other large flowering tropicals. Many plants are endangered species being nurtured through the park’s program of conservation.

              Inside the park we see a short program of hula dancers and sit beside the waterfall to watch the cliff divers as they soar through the air dangerously close to the jagged rocks before disappearing into the pool of dark water below.

              We drive the shoreline along the east side of the island enjoying the views of the mountains, the ocean and sugar cane and pineapple fields. We arrive at the Hilton Kahala where we decided to spend the next two nights. It is away from the congestion of Waikiki. Our room looks out over a golf course in one direction and a glimpse of the ocean from the corner window.

              We dine in an open air restaurant partaking of the large variety of seafood offered at their buffet. I courageously sample sushi for the first time. We sip our coffee as dusk fails and the torches along the beach are lit. The strains of Hawaiian music softly float through the air to mix with the gentle rush of the waves touching the beach. Truly feeling like we are in paradise.

              Tired, we return to our room to find the bed turned down and, in place of the usual mint on the pillow, a fresh cut pineapple on the nightstand.