Diamond Head

Saturday we moved from our AIRBNB hosts, Brian and Merv's lovely condo to our weeklong timeshare  in Waikiki. Since checkin wasn't until 4 p.m. we had a half day to kill. Brian kindly offered to drive us to Diamond Head. I'd seen this hill in the distance out their condo window and asked what the climb was like. "No problem - 80 year olds do it." Actually, I did see some folks approaching 80. An amazingly fit 80. With lungs like leather bellows. Of course that was on the way down. They might have begun in their early 30s.

Brian slipped us into the park on his annual pass (They go there a lot, lucky dogs) and dropped us off at the trailhead. It really didn't look too bad, maybe a couple of hundred yards up and lots of switchbacks visible along the hillside. Did I say hillside? More like mountainside. My sense of scale had severely malfunctioned. In truth it only took about an hour. The worst slope was softened by stairs no longer than the ones up the Washington monument. Somehow I didn't get many pictures on the way up but the panorama fron the top was breathtaking.

As with any other ordeal in life, we met and befriended some fellow sufferers, A retired Navy Commander, Jeff and his wife Mary. Also a charming pair of Canadians Dan and Carolann. These were a pair of seasoned travelers. She has a travel blog of her own - http://www.maturetraveler.blogspot.com/

Well worth checking out and a whole lot more professional than this amateur effort.

Once the item was checked off our bucket list, we hiked down into town and looked for sustenance. Sushi again. A delicious, inexpensive lunch! The fish couldn't be any fresher and the service friendlier. A  pox on McDonalds.

After lunch we once again did battle with the Oahu bus system. This is a wonderful transit system. Wherever you look, these conveyances are visible, often several at a time. Not terribly cheap - $2.50 a ride, $12.00 for 4 days or $60.00 a month. Since  this will be our main transportation for 14 days we plunked for the big ticket.The main problem lies in figuring which bus goes where. There is even a web site to aid you. Here, try it out for yourself - http://www.thebus.org/   . When I first saw this thing I felt like a third grader looking over a basic calculus textbook. Fortunately, the bus drivers couldn't be friendlier and more helpful. Just give them a vague idea of where you want to go, then listen VERY carefully. Eventually we located a master map (in a McDonald's of all places) and it all started to make sense. On the other hand, I've seen the Army Museum and the Zoo from every possible angle several times, ususlly going in the wrong direction.

We finally stumbled upon our timeshare, Aqua Island Resort. Getting on in years, a little shabby, that little bit far away from the beach, yet completely serviceable. The 43rd floor, the very top. Hell of a view!

Even watched a High School football game across the canal.

Once we were settled in and Brian delivered our bags (Did I mention He and Merv go way beyond the call of duty making a visitor feel welcome?) we called it a night. More later.