ALOHA

FRIDAY - BEACH & SHOPPING (AGAIN )

Another late-ish start to the day.
We bought coffees and fruit smoothies and headed down to the  beach for an hour or so.
Tony gave up first to go back to the hotel and enjoy a couple of quiet ales on the balcony.
We were all showered and dressed ready for a shopping expedition by 2.00pm.
Our adventure took us to Macy's,  the Duty Free Shops, H&M and other small shops encountered along the way.
It was all too tedious for Tony so once again he abandoned us in favour of a beer and a DVD.
Amber also decided to go it alone so she could search for any bargains there were to be had.
We managed to get everyone together again to meet for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.
This place is an iconic restaurant,  famous for its amazing array of delicious cheesecakes.
The queue is always a long one so we were given a buzzer and told it would be an hour wait  for the table.  We managed to find a seat in the bar so had a round of drinks while we waited.
Dinner was delicious with enormous servings. We chose to order our cheesecake to take with us so walked back to the hotel via a few more shops before we got to taste how good it was.
It's our last night in Hawaii.  We need to leave for the airport at about 9.00am tomorrow,  so no more beach or shopping for us.

THURSDAY - WAIKIKI BEACH & SHOPPING

Thursday was a day off. We started with a sleep in, then walked along the street to find a place for breakfast.
Our choice was the Hula Grill in The Outrigger Hotel. It was delicious!  Excellent food with a view over Waikiki Beach.
A few hours enjoying the sun on Waikiki Beach was next. We like the lagoon area with its aqua water and golden beaches.
We then left Tony in the hotel room with two DVDs and a six pack of Crownies while the girls headed to Ala Moana shopping centre.
The girls found plenty of bargains, including Asics shoes and a Michael Kors watch.
We ended our expedition early to get back to Tony at the hotel by 9.00pm. (Shops stay open until at least 11.oopm.)
For dinner we chose Eggs 'n' Things located under our hotel. We were very impressed!  A hungry Amber declared it was the best meal she'd had all week!

STREET PARADE

With drinks on our balcony we watched another magnificent sunset.
We were treated to a street parade that passed right by our hotel.
The parade consisted of about 8 bands, complete with band masters and flag twirlers!
It was a real treat!

WEDNESDAY - PEARL HARBOUR

It was an early start to be at the tour pick up point by 6.30am.
The bus took us through the cemetery of war graves then onto the USS battleship Missouri.
That was a fabulous history lesson that involved viewing the decks of the ship,  with a guided tour to provide details of the signing of the peace agreement on the deck of the ship.
From there we visited the Pearl Harbour site and the USS Arizona memorial.
Again the museum and exhibits were an incredible history lesson. 
It was a boat ride across the harbour to the memorial for those who died on the ship during the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941.
The memorial sits above the sunken ship and contains the names of the sailors who are buried with the ship.

TUESDAY - WAR MUSEUM & LUAU

We had a late start today and then caught the $2 trolley to the War Museum.  Here we spent more than 2 hours viewing the exhibits and learning about Hawaii's history and its involvement in WWII.
From there we returned to the hotel to meet the tour bus for the Hawaiian Luau at Paradise Cove.
We were greeted with leis of fresh flowers and a Mai Tai before joining in a variety of traditional Hawaiian activities.
We all tried spear throwing and we girls also plaited palm leaves to make bracelets and head bands adorned with frangipani and fresh flowers.
Dinner was a buffet that included roast pork that had been cooked in the pit.
The after dinner  entertainment was excellent with Polynesian dancing and fire throwing.
It was a great night!

DINNER AT LULU'S

On the recommendation of our tour driver,  we headed to Lulu's for dinner tonight.
It's a restaurant popular with tourists and locals so was packed. There was a band playing live music (they were really good but very loud! )and people everywhere.  The restaurant has a view over the beach which is another great place to witness the sunset.
We sampled more cocktails : Mai-Tai, Liquid Lava, Mohito and Pina Colada. All delicious!
After dinner Tony went back up to the room while the girls headed for Duke's Markets.  Lots of stalls all selling similar items, in very narrow alleys.  Bargaining was the way to go, but nothing took our fancy so we left empty handed.
We walked for many blocks along the street. People were everywhere,  with street entertainers,  hawkers, homeless people and tourists filling the streets.
It's been a long day so we'll all sleep well tonight.