The hotel arrangements worked out well ... two adjacent ocean-view rooms on the 21st floor. Beautiful sunsets.
On Waikiki Beach
Our home base ... this strip of beach was at the base of the hotel. Good, but not great, snorkeling.
Diamond Head
Le'ahi[note], in Hawai'ian. Diamond Head is a crater at the southern end of the island. A moderate, uphill, hike.
View of Crater (midway)
The Trail
Time to Rest
Views from the Top
On the Top!
View: Crater from the top
Diamond Head Lighthouse
Coastline & Skyline
Coral Reefs
Back Down
The high point of Vijay's vacation.
Shave Ice Truck
Shave Ice
Pearl Harbor
The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park
First stop was the museum, which had 1940's era displays and memoribilia.
Newspaper
Varga Calendar and Playing Cards
Souvenirs
Underwood Typewriter
Mark 27 Acoustic Torpedo
Depth Charge
Poseidon C3 Ballistic Missile
Meera in the driver's seat
The USS Bowfin (a.k.a. the "Pearl Harbor Avenger"
The best-preserved WW II submarine, launched on December 7, 1942. Interesting overlap between the photographs below and the gallery at about.com
The USS Bowfin
Conning Tower & Gun
Forward Torpedo Tubes
How about I'm not all right?
Sailors' Quarters in USS Bowfin
Diving Station Control Room
Control Room Guide
Galley on the USS Bowfin
Maneuvering Room Levers
USS Arizona Memorial
The contours of the memorial are really wonderful, inside and outside, close-up and from a distance.
Inside the Memorial
Gun Turret
Map of the remains
The USS Vestal Auxiliary Repair ship was working on the Arizona when it was attacked, and so was also a casualty.
Auxiliary Repair Ship
The Ferry
USS Bowfin
Hanauma Bay
The bay is a crater, now filled with water. Gorgeous, and great snorkeling -- like being in an aquarium.
Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay
Yellowfin Surgeonfish
Reef Triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapua'a)
Yellowfin Surgeonfish
Bishop Museum
Entrance & Planetarium Dome
Tour of the Garden
Our Tour Guide
Naupaka
Mangoes?
Hawai'ian and Polynesian Halls
Maui and Manaiakalani
Night and Day
Wearable Art
Ku
Fish Hooks
The Singing Docent
Planetarium, Volcanoes, and Feathers
Planetarium
Volcano Lecture
Volcano Demo
Feather Room
Manoa Falls
A scenic hike, and should not have been too difficult. However, the rain got progressively worse and the ground became slushy, making it much trickier.
Starting Out
Environmentally Friendly Restrooms
Hanging Roots
Creepers Galore
Wahi Stream
Bamboo
Roots and Branches
Finally, we reach the waterfall.
First view of Manoa Falls
The little puddle in the picture below was presumably the result of rain, so the mystery is how the fish got in there. Perhaps an underground stream. The cavity is caused by two adjacent trees, and if you look closely you'll see two fish.
Maita'i Catamaran Boat Ride
Ideally we should have taken the catamaran at sunset, but the seats were all sold out. We did the procrastinators' special, booked on the last day at the last minute.
Waiting
Maita'i on the Maita'i
With luck, one gets to see dolphins and whales. We had no such luck, so the guys running the boat threw some chips into the water and suddenly it was dense with fish (note joke below.)
Fish 'n Chips
Turtle
Surfers
View of hotel
View of Waikiki from the Maita'i Catamaram
Kaimana Beach
This was an unexpected bonus, Kaimana beach is great for snorkeling with tons of fish -- although not quite the quality of those in Hanauma Bay. The beach is near the aquaraium and the Natatorium/War Memorial, with metered street parking (and across the street from public tennis courts.)
Walkway
In the Ocean
Snorkeling in Kaimana Bay
Halekulani Lobby
Exquisite flowers and arrangements in the lobby and garden of the Halekuklani.
Miscellaneous Sights and Sounds
On Kuhio Beach
Eggs Florentine at Nobu
Chillin'
Duke Kahanamoku
Gandhi + Banyan Tree
At Senor Frog's
Punahou School
Mele Kalikimaka
Singha (Thai Restaurant)
Hula Dancing
Footnotes
Brow of Tuna
Yellowfin Surgeonfish
December 31, 2009
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