Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer - Part 2

 

 .. and here it goes on! 😉

And on Friday I was able to delete another point from my list. Not that you now think that the list would have become smaller or even processed. Nope. There are always new points. 😅

I had finally booked a tour for us to the legendary Kaneohe Sandbar. With bathing clothes already dressed, towels and a photo camera in our bag, we set off in the morning because we decided for the morning tour. It started from the He’eia Kea Boat Harbor, which is located right next to He’eia State Park. For us it was a stone's throw from our accommodation. We already experienced the first surprise before we even entered the big catamaran, because in front of this impressive ship there was someone we already knew and he also recognized us. It was Shannon, my friend Mary's nephew, whom we had met at the graduation party of her son Tani. A joyful greeting, a hug with Aloha and shortly afterwards we sat at a window in the ship and shared a table with a very nice couple from California. 😊

The ship filled up and after safety instructions and general instructions, the engine was started and we set off. There were two Hawaiian musicians who entertained the guests on the way to the sandbar with really good live music. 🎶 Donuts, juice and water were served as refreshments. I think the journey took just 20 minutes and the big catamaran was already moored at the sandbar. You could snorkel, kayak, try a stand-up paddleboard, play volleyball, just swim or lay in the sun. My honey chose snorkeling while I preferred to just go swimming. Even with swimming, I was able to observe many fish in the crystal clear water. 🐟🐠🐡 Apart from the fact that the view back to the coastline is really breathtaking. 😍

Later, again on board, I talked to the nice people from the crew and also with the captain who told me that she has relatives in Germany. It felt like every second person told us that during our 4 weeks on O'ahu.

I don't know if it was our nice conversation or whether Shannon had arranged it, but when my honey was back from snorkeling, the captain asked us if we wanted to see turtles. Of course we wanted to! She brought us to the other side of the catamaran and made us get into a small boat that was steered by a young Hawaiian girl who belonged to the crew. As soon as we were sitting down, she asked us to hold on and the wild ride started. She speeded up the small boat to the maximum and brought us to a place in the adjacent reef, from where we could watch the turtles sleeping underwater. Not far from the boat, a turtle came to the surface to get air, but unfortunately dipped again. 🐢 In the end, she brought us to a very special place in the reef. There is a cutout that has a heart-shaped outline and seems to shine through the bright sand. 💙 Looks really great, right?

Here are a few facts about the Kane'ohe Bay here:

With 45 km2 (17 square meters) it is the largest protected waters from the main islands in Hawai'i. The bay is approximately 8 mi long and 2.7 mi (4.3 km) wide and has a maximum depth of 40 m (40 m). Separated from the open Pacific Ocean by the reef, the bay is of great importance for O’ahu; Wikipedia says. No doubt!

about the Kane'ohe Sandbar

In any case, it was a worthwhile tour that was a lot of fun and which we would certainly do again on the next opportunity. 👍🏻

But that wasn't all for this day because it was Friday, and on Friday nights there’s fireworks in Waikiki, which we liked so much the week before. However, we had something else in mind before the fireworks, because on Fridays the Harbor Night Market (formerly Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Honolulu) always takes place. Food, drink, live music and local artists who offer their products can be found there. 😊

This is how it is described on the website:

“A place where both the kama'aina (locals) and malihini (visitors) are welcomed with open arms to explore, to discover, and to fall in love with the best small businesses O'ahu has to offer. Whether you're seeking a taste of local cuisine, in search of unique island art, or simply want to enjoy an evening of entertainment and camaraderie, the Honolulu Harbor Night Market at Fisherman's Wharf is where you'll find the heart of Honolulu beating the strongest.”

to the Harbor Night Market

After we walked past all the stands, got something to drink and eat, we sat comfortably on one of the benches for a while, watched the bustle and listened to the live music. 😋

With the knowledge that there were only a few more days left, we grabbed a little melancholy, because let the following be told: Once you have experienced island life there, then it does not draw you back to our hectic world in Europe. 🤷‍♀️ My friend Bobby, who lived on the mainland for a long time, described it a few days ago. “You arrive here by plane and as soon as the doors have opened, you run into a wall and everything is completely different. The islands and their way of life immediately take hold of you. You can't defend yourself against it.” I can only agree with her and I think that I have never felt so much and so quickly decelerated as in Hawai'i. That was already the case in 2019 and this time I felt the same way. 💕

However, after the night market we drove back to the Hilton Lagoon in Waikiki and this time we even got a regular parking lot (because we were on site early enough). One last time we looked at the fireworks and enjoyed the wonderful chaos with all the people and cars who were looking for a place for fireworks and later all wanted to leave there again. Chaotic, but deeply relaxed - you just have to have experienced it. How did this certain slogan go again? In the middle of it, not just there. 😂

Believe it or not, after 4 weeks we actually managed to come together with our hosts on Saturday. 😃 We had a date for the afternoon to eat something together in the garden under their wonderful pavilion. Thom prepared chicken and vegetables on the grill and we contributed pupus. Do you remember? These are starters or snacks. 😉 We had a very good time together and laughed a lot. In the evening, the two of them went to the local movie theater together, and my honey and I took the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor hot tub (a heated whirlpool with 104°F water temperature) for a little while. In the dark, under the starry sky, with a light breeze that went over the bay from the sea .. it was wonderful! 😍

I think if such a good time is coming to an end, you feel the last few days extra intensely, right?

We spent Sunday morning again in my friend Mary's church. A kind of sacrament is celebrated there once a month, but the Hawaiian variant. A permanently anchored component in the Hawaiian traditions is the poi, a very starchy mash, similar to our potato mash. This mash is made from the cooked Taro roots, with a kind of mortar, only larger than the one you and I have in the kitchen. It is a large flat container with a deepening in the middle. I have already seen it in round form and here in the church of my friend an elongated board was used. At each of the ends someone was sitting and processed the Taro roots with a mortar until the mash had the right consistency. The Poi was presented in small portions on a piece of a leaf of the Ti plant, along with water and a prayer. So really similar to a sacrament in a church here with us. For me, the mash tasted like potato mash which I ascribe to the high starch content, but the consistency was more like Gnocchis. 😅

After the service we took Mary with us, because we were all invited to eat with our hosts from 2019, PJ and James,  in Ka’a’awa. We tried to find an appointment for four weeks and finally succeeded on our last Sunday on the island. The greeting was very warm and I had to fight a little bit with the tears because a lot of memories crept into my thoughts. Through PJ I met Mary at the time and our friendship is something very special. You are welcome to read it in my posts from 2019.

Until the evening we sat together on the covered Lanai (terrace) in the garden this Sunday and talked about yesterday, today and tomorrow. We had a wonderful, very tasty meal, wine and this incredible view, which already tied us on the island on our first visit. It really couldn't have been more marvelous. 💕

Well, the last few days are actually told very quickly.

Our last Monday belonged to me because I wanted to get a special souvenir, which I also succeeded. I am very, very happy about that. 🥰

In the evening we met Mary again to say goodbye. She surprised us both with leis. This time from Kukui nuts. This also has something special, because in Hawaiian culture, a Kukui-Nut-Lei symbolizes protection, peace and enlightenment. Kukui nuts come from the Kukui nut tree. It's the official state tree of Hawai'i. The oil from Kukui nuts (or candle nuts) was used earlier to create light before there was electricity on the islands. The nuts were used as dye and the wood and the leaves of the tree for many other purposes. The symbolism of the Kukui-Nut-Lei is based on these practical uses and is associated with enlightenment, protection, leadership and peace and conveys honor and respect. 🙏🏼

more about this kind of Leis

We took our last Tuesday to say goodbye to Bobby at noon. We met again at a Starbucks nearby, sat together for a while and then hugged very warmly.❤ Farewells are really so caustic! 😥

The rest of the day we spent sorting our things, packing and tidying up the apartment. Packing was really a challenge. The many souvenirs that we bought and also the many gifts from our friends were not easy to get into our bags. Of course we managed it, but only with a lot of ranting on my part. Because packing is a horror to me, as mentioned before. 🤨

Well, and then it was already Wednesday. Around noon we said goodbye to Thom in Kane’ohe and made our way to the airport. Drop off your rental car, check in your luggage, go through security  - everything worked without problems. Once again I noticed how friendly the people in Hawai’i are. The lady from the rental car company, the lady from the airline, which had talked to us about Germany, the civil servant at the passport control. It was clear to me that it would change when we came to the mainland - and so it was. The Hawaiian way is simply special. 💕

We flew from Honolulu to New York in nine hours. Eight hours of stay is not so easy to bridge, but we also managed that. From there it went to Amsterdam in six and a half hours and finally with a small plane (called City Hopper) to Düsseldorf within 30 minutes. Everything worked out well and so we fell happily and exhausted on Friday afternoon into our bed and slept for a few hours. Of course, only after we had previously informed all of our loved ones about our successful return home. 😴

Well, that was our Hawai'i trip 2024. I'm sure it won't be the last time. Or what do you think? 😉

Aloha! 🤙🏼