Day Four

I started early enough to watch the sun rise over Diamond Head. It is always worth it.

Another over priced breakfast buffet, you would think I was in Las Vegas. I am at the point where I don’t think I can put down one more pint of pineapple juice or island orange juice (which tastes totally different than Florida grown.)

There are birds everywhere picking up crumbs or in cages. If the bird flu really takes off, I expect that Hawaii will be hit very hard.

My morning plan takes me to the Hilton van rodeo where busses and white vans pull into a small parking lot, load people as fast as possible, and pull away. I amazed at the number of people who go through the car port – maybe a thousand every hour.

If you have ever read that email that was passed around for years – the one that talks about the percentage of people in the world represented in to a group of 100; Most of them are Asian or Black, half are women, and there is a half a person who is a white American. That was me at the van rodeo.

My van pulls up and I am the only one to get on. We make one more stop, then go to the airport. Before the main entrance we turn left down the airport perimeter lane. The van pulls into a small shack on the water. Our driver is the pilots wife and tells me all about how great he is: a former bush pilot in Alaska, one of the highest rated pontoon plane pilots in the world, owns a couple historic planes, and the list of celebrity name dropping never ends. The pilot license from his grandfather is posted on the wall - it is number eight and signed by the Wright brothers.

The plane is small – like the size of my VW with wings. Take off is a hoot. I am the co-pilot. The view is amazing. But the first pocket we hit and I think that overpriced breakfast might come back to visit. I am good after our hour around the island. And I got some great shots.

When I get back to the hotel – I only feel like sitting around until I get my bearings back. So I sit by the pool, talk to hot moms, and flirt with the trophy wives. It gets me nowhere. I log on to the wireless and catch up on some emails, and read some news. I get through a few chapters of my vacation book “The Caine Mutiny” which takes place in the pacific. Ideal book for this trip.

In the evening I walk down to last years hotel, The Hyatt, and go to a few favorite shops. I also watch the free Hawaiian community dancers. I love corny and hokey stuff like this and find it a hoot.


A very attractive woman sits next to me and it goes a little something like this:

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2729812

My walk back to the hotel I stop at a famous sandwich shop (little known fact – p2 loves sandwiches!) The place is packed out – I get my order to go. Back in my room, it is the wrong order.

Waikiki is a true international city. When I retire, I may come here to be a tour guide.