Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Travels | Hawaii Part II


    Hello Loves! Sorry this post is so late, but I ended up getting sick for a week :( But I'm better now, so here is the second instalment of the Travel Series: Hawaii.

    Day Four: VARSHA’S 21ST BIRTHDAY! Today, after breakfast in bed, we planned to go to a lu’au held at Paradise Cove.  So in the afternoon, we boarded a coach bus and headed to the venue. We got (shell) lei’d, and got free mai tai’s upon entering. After watching an introductory performance and the bringing out of the pig, we got traditional Polynesian tattoos, watched a fishing ceremony, made flower bands, and drank! We even saw a man climb a palm tree and release traditional Hawaiian flowers, which was a beautiful sight. By the time all of the events were done, we’d worked up an appetite so we sat down to fried chicken, macaroni salad, mahi mahi, and a taro roll while watching a show of Hula Girls and Samoan Fire Dancers. We both went up on stage and got hula certified! J After a long night, we headed back on the bus to the hotel. It was a great way to end Varsha’s birthday.





    Day Five: This marked the beginning of our favourite part of the trip. We rented a car and took a drive to the North Side of the island. This side is the nature-y, local, authentic part of the island. This is where the water falls, food trucks, and surfing takes place. It was absolutely beautiful and didn’t take long to drive around either. By the time we were done we’d driven around half of the island! Up north we stopped at food trucks to indulge in spicy shrimp, shave ice, and coconut water. The shrimp truck, Giovanni’s, had a really cool tradition where whoever visited could sign the outside of the truck. It was covered in signatures and messages from everyone that had been there. It was totally awesome to see messages of people from all over the world! After eating and taking in the beautiful, natural side of Hawaii, we jumped in the car and headed back to Waikiki.




    Day Six: Today, we continued the nature vibe, and visited lookouts, Hanauma Bay & Sea Life Park. First up was Sea Life Park. Here, we saw the vast array of marine animals. It was all outdoor, which made for a different experience than the aquarium on the first day! While there we were told that this was the same park featured in the movie “50 First Dates”, which was pretty cool. The coolest part of the entire day came next: we got to play with the dolphins. Our dolphin, Kaleo, happened to be a dolphin featured in the movie as well! These animals were so incredibly beautiful, playful and kind. Although I debated going to the encounter because of a documentary I’d seen, it only solidified my love for these creatures, and the desire to one day have them be free.  After the amazing experience at Sea Life Park, we went over to a natural preserve called Hanauma Bay. Hanauma Bay is a bay created inside a “volcanic cone”, and it was amazing to swim inside a naturally created secluded area. It’s a protected area, harboring tons of sea life and coral. Hawaiian culture stresses the importance of maintaining the balance between all living things, which is why we love it so much! After a bit of a hike down a steep walkway, we got to the bay. It was serene and very carefully taken care of by the Hawaiian people. We swam for a bit, and then took off for the hotel after a long day of new experiences.


Kissing my new movie star friend :)
    Day Seven: Today was our last (partial) day in Hawaii. We were leaving for Toronto in the afternoon. We took the day to relax, and take in the sights we couldn’t back home. So after breakfast, some of us changed and took to the beach for one last hoorah. I opted for hanging on the sand instead of swimming, so I wouldn’t have to deal with being soaking while heading to the airport. It was a nice way to end the trip. After the beach, all we had time to do was pack our stuff and check out.



Sum Up:
- Lu'au
- Road Trip to the North side of the Island 
- Food Trucks
- Look out points

            So there you have it! Our week in Hawaii! Hopefully this gave you guys some insight into things you can do if you ever visit the beautiful island of Oahu.

Do you think there’s anything we missed out on?
Let us know in the comment box below!

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