It just keeps getting better

First things first: Happy Father's Day to all the great fathers in my life, especially MY DAD. By the way, I published this post on Father's Day but I can figure out how to make my post reflect that...whatever, I am in Hawai'i so it's really no big deal.

So where did I leave off? Oh yeah, I like Hawai'i. I think there are legitimate reasons for people thinking of it as paradise. I have met some great local folks, made some cool new friends, and eaten some amazing food. I think there is too much; let me sum up. Green sea turtles (honu), peacocks, wild pigs, hula shows, Lanikai Beach, Shark's Cove swimming and snorkeling with honu and humuhumunukunukuapua'a, King Kamehameha Day, oil still bubbling up from the USS Arizona, Koko Crater (1207 ft and 1048 steps up and then back down), pineapple plants as far as the eye can see near the Dole Plantation, and the ever present anuenue. Hard to believ in 2 weeks I will be pau here and flying back to Pcola for a day of rest before jetting off the England again. Hopefully this time the Queen will have a few minutes in her busy schedule to have cream tea with me. First however, I have to continue to work here in paradise (mostly on my tan) so until my next blog entry...Aloha.

Beaches & Rainforests

Amazing to go from the beach to a rainforest so easily. I did get to the USS Arizona Memorial. It is a pretty moving place when I consider the magnitude of the loss there, still under my feet. A drive around the south and east end of Oahu cleared my head then I cut across the island up and over the Pali Hwy. Saturday I went to Diamond Head and hiked up the 200 and something steps (a short and simple climb for those of us who have climbed to the Petra Monastery and Masada) and then back down to Waikiki Beach for sun, swim and a $40 lunch of 3 fish tacos and 2 beers. People who come here with pocket change won't get very far. Today I celebrated Memorial day with a hike up to and beyond Manoa Falls and the evening Memorial Day Lantern Launch and ceremony at Ala Moana Beach. A very busy and very cool weekend. Now back to work to recover for next weekend.