Posted by My husband and our adult son are both surfers and they invited me to join them on their surfing safari throughout the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, home to the fabled North Shore, Waikiki, Diamond Head, and Waimea Bay. We rented a van, surf boards, beach chairs, and settled our suitcases in one shared Waikiki hotel room a few blocks from the beach; we nicknamed it our “home base.” It included one shared bathroom!
Waikiki beach actually has eight different unique sections. Some are known for their snorkeling, while others provide endless gentle waves about one-half mile out to sea. We zeroed in on Fort DeRussy Beach because of the grassy park, shade, picnic tables, rentals, and of course, surf. While the boys were busy surfing, I was fascinated with the broad array of darling Japanese swimwear designed to cover up the body from the sun. The children even had matching swim fabric hats to coordinate with their swimwear! Why hasn’t that caught on in the USA?
I learned that Hawaii is our number one state in terms of longevity. The fresh fruit, iron rich soil, Asian diet, and healthy lifestyle all contribute to bonus years of life. Scott and I ate at several of the local Vegan restaurants and found the food incredible. I had a tempeh, kale, avocado, vegan-cheese panini to die for!
On our day trip to O’ahu’s North Shore, the men decided to play basketball with Scott’s buddy, Mark, who is an avid surfer and former high school player. Hunter was kind to the elder men in letting them play “H.O.R.S.E” instead of an actual game. I’m sure you know who won.
The boys surfed by day, and my son managed to explore the city by night. Of course, drama ensued, which is all better left unsaid.
Some notes on the one shared bathroom;
- 3 people taking showers create a lot of steam. Blow drying hair in a hotel room with steam is like running uphill in roller skates,
- Trimming a beard to make it look “cool” creates an unlimited number of tiny hairs all over the sink
- A Japanese automatic toilet is super neat until it makes its self-cleaning noises throughout the night when several people are sharing it
- Hip Hop music sounds louder on a portable speaker in the bathroom … even from the hotel hallway
As I left Oahu (the boys stayed) I was ready to have some alone time, girl time, peace and quiet. Sometimes you need to escape the vacation to relax.
North Shore Wedding; Land of Rainbows, Waves, and Hula Dancers