You find as life takes drastic turns that finding simple things to enjoy can be trickier, but once you find something it opens the gate for more joy. On our very first full day there we went to the beach. We were both tired, and mopey, there is no distance great enough that makes it so that you can run from grief. Being on the beach just made me want Archer there even more, the longing as powerful as the waves that thundered against the beach. After sitting for a while, drinking in the magnificent surroundings, lack of other tourists and the bold colors we decided to go down to the water. The waves there were not gentle, but knocked us flat time and again. It made us laugh and broke the misery we had been feeling. It also made us realize we were not at the right beach for body surfing. We enjoyed our time there a bit longer, drinking in the sun, watching a translucent crab pop its head in and out of its hole, and breathing before heading back to our condo to clean up for the next adventure for that day.
It was good that we got knocked flat a few times to understand we were not ready for the beaches of Oahu. One of our bucket list items was to go snorkeling, and we had heard that Hanauma bay was the place to go, so we decided we needed to practice before we went. We went to where Disney’s Aulani resort was located at Ko’Olina and practiced snorkeling in one of the four gentle lagoons. We put our sunscreen on and swam around the pool for about an hour, then Peter put his swim shirt on so he would not get burnt. However, he got a really funky burn on his back because of the water and how the sunlight reflected off of it. We had a really nice and relaxing day at Ko’Olina and we would have gone back if we had the time. However, we had other things to do and places to be, and we were ready for snorkeling at the reef.
Hanauma Bay is a very popular location for tourists to go and they get many visitors from all around the world. We were especially fortunate to have a special guest there the day we went, it was one of the rare Hawaiian monk seals that was taking in some sun on the beach. The seal had VIP treatment where it was blocked from the tourists. After we got our look, we went snorkeling. We saw many different types of fish that had many different designs. Peter’s not a fish person, but he enjoyed watching them up close and personal. After we were there, Peter got a new swim shirt, which would cause Peter to get another weird tan line on his arms. By the time we were getting ready to leave, the place was full of eager people to snorkel and enjoy the beach.
One of Peter’s goals was to enjoy the pineapple in Hawaii. One day we decided to go on a hike, called the Banyan Tree, not knowing that there are many things named the Banyan Tree around the island of Oahu. We ended up in the middle of Waikiki, grateful we weren’t staying there with the masses. It did give us a chance to laugh, go on a wild goose chase, go shopping for a few souvenirs and enjoy our first soft serve pineapple dessert. This soft serve would not be the last, but the first of many enjoyed on our Archie Adventure. Our favorite place, Angel’s Ice Cream, served pineapple soft serve with pineapple juice called a pineapple float; it had enough sugar to make my head swim. We had to have a pineapple float before our flight out on our last day there. Iam Tongi was having his American Idol parade and it took us a bit to get to our desired destination, but it was worth it!
We saw and did many other things, going on hikes, visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center, having a delicious drink in a fresh pineapple, various activities on Kuaola Ranch, kayaking, paddle boarding etc. It was a good introduction to the adventures we want to continue to take Archer on. We love and miss him, but carry him with us wherever we go.
Comments