You go this way, I'll go that way

Well, Hanauma Bay is as fabulous as its reputation proclaims.  It looked a bit dubious as there are lots of people there, but once you are in the water with your head down, you just don’t notice them.  Just a few feet off the beach, before you are even on top of the reef the tropical fish are swimming around you.  We went out to where the reef dropped off hoping to see turtles, but no luck with them today.  However, no disappointment either because what we found were schools of tropical fish and a huge variety and size.  We were literally right in amongst them – like being inside a tropical aquarium.  It’s really cool to be floating over the reef and coming up to an edge, when a fish who is cruising up the side comes to the top just as you come to the edge.  You meet each other nose to nose – way cool!  Kathy and Dan took some photos on disposable underwater cameras, but we'll just have to wait and see how they turn out.

We headed back to town on the bus and went a different way than we had been before.  Saw some incredible waterfront homes around Diamond Head that must be worth mega bucks.  I forgot to mention that we had taken a cab out to the Bay.  We were waiting at the bus stop and a couple of taxis came by offering discounted rides – it must have been a slow taxi day and they were looking for work.  Anyway, we chose what looked like the nicest cab and off we went - $5 each and only 30 minutes instead of an hour on the bus for $2.50 each.  Along the way, the driver was telling us about living in Ghettoland here in Honolulu, so it’s obviously not all like the city that we see.  Next thing, he fessed up that he was driving a cab because he had just got off a 9 year stretch in Federal prison for ‘getting caught in the game’.  I told him very sternly not to do that again.  Turns out the kids were imagining him taking us all off and selling us as slaves or taking our body parts – a little excitement to start the day for them J

Brett came back from spending most of the day at Pearl Harbor and was really pleased he took the opportunity to have a look. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong so the boat tour to the sunken wreck of the Arizona had to be cancelled but he got a good chance to look through the Missouri (a huge battleship still moored in the same position as it was during the attack in 1941) and the aviation museum (two hangers full of military aircraft). After everyone joined back up, it was a slow afternoon of relaxing and then, since this is the last night that the Duncans are here, we went to Alamoana for their last few bits of shopping and ate in the food court there.  Kathy and I had poke again, I'm quite addicted to it and won't get it when we get back home.  Most others had more familiar stuff though.  Back to our rooms for a final vino together and a recap of what has been a fabulous holiday together.  I can't believe it is coming to an end, but we sure have done a lot and had a great time - and of course we have an extra couple of days yet.