After a sneaky Starbucks dash in the Aloha Tower shopping mall right by the pier, and a tedious coastguard drill at 2pm (why the middle of the day? WHY!?) the Beric special day began (Becky and Eric, geddit?)
We'd hired a car, online, back when the schedule to dock on the 16th for an overnight in Honolulu was still in place. Due to some paperwork error, or something, we only got yesterday from 10.30am-midnight in Ohahu, Haiwaii, but not to be deterred, we changed the booking, and picked the car up from Advantage at 2.30pm in Honolulu. They even upgraded us to a Compact from Economy, free of charge. Cute car, right, and the CD player was an 'advantage' (I promised the guy I'd plug the company online!)
So, we set off to North Shore, to the Weimea falls conservation park. The weather was volatile, but the drive took us through Dole Pineapple plantations and misty mountain ranges.
So, we set off to North Shore, to the Weimea falls conservation park. The weather was volatile, but the drive took us through Dole Pineapple plantations and misty mountain ranges. On our second attempt, we found Weimea, and after paying $8 each, walked amongst amourous fan-ruffling peacocks, 
waterlillies, brightly coloured birds and lush plant-life to complete the one-and-a-half mile round trip to the 40ft 
waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall itself had been injuring tourists all day with debris in the water cascade, so we were forbidden from dousing our heads under it. But intrepid soul that I am, I swam in the natural pool with my man. It was gorgeous.
On to sunset beach with pumpkin seeds at our side, which did not afford us a gorgeous sunset, but Eric swam again, and I watched some accomplished surfers in the elements.
Along the east coast on our drive back toward Waikiki, we encountered various smaller towns and we remarked that it’d be great, given more time, to stop and explore. However by this point we were hungry (it was 7pm, neither of us ate lunch) and we stopped at the Crouching Lion Inn for dinner by recommendation from the gas station.
I went to the adjoining sports bar to get Eric a beer (a local dark beer called Firecracker, I don’t think he was too impressed) and had a strong rum-based drink myself.
Dinner was steak, cooked at the table, rare, with beautiful wild rice. The place, with it’s huge wicker chairs that made us feel like kids, elderly clientele and large fireplace, was quirky and odd rather than excellent, but that steak was amazing.
Back to Waikiki, to the strip and Kuhio. I pleaded with Eric until he parked the car and we found Duke’s barefoot bar (named after the surfer) on Waiki beach, to walk through, go spread our toes in the sand, and head back.
We took the car back, and the supervisor kindly drove us all the way back to pier 11, for a quick drink in Gordon Biersch’s (it is St. Patrick’s Day after all) before the 11.30pm all-aboard.
waterlillies, brightly coloured birds and lush plant-life to complete the one-and-a-half mile round trip to the 40ft 
waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall itself had been injuring tourists all day with debris in the water cascade, so we were forbidden from dousing our heads under it. But intrepid soul that I am, I swam in the natural pool with my man. It was gorgeous.
On to sunset beach with pumpkin seeds at our side, which did not afford us a gorgeous sunset, but Eric swam again, and I watched some accomplished surfers in the elements.
Along the east coast on our drive back toward Waikiki, we encountered various smaller towns and we remarked that it’d be great, given more time, to stop and explore. However by this point we were hungry (it was 7pm, neither of us ate lunch) and we stopped at the Crouching Lion Inn for dinner by recommendation from the gas station.
I went to the adjoining sports bar to get Eric a beer (a local dark beer called Firecracker, I don’t think he was too impressed) and had a strong rum-based drink myself.
Dinner was steak, cooked at the table, rare, with beautiful wild rice. The place, with it’s huge wicker chairs that made us feel like kids, elderly clientele and large fireplace, was quirky and odd rather than excellent, but that steak was amazing.
Back to Waikiki, to the strip and Kuhio. I pleaded with Eric until he parked the car and we found Duke’s barefoot bar (named after the surfer) on Waiki beach, to walk through, go spread our toes in the sand, and head back.
We took the car back, and the supervisor kindly drove us all the way back to pier 11, for a quick drink in Gordon Biersch’s (it is St. Patrick’s Day after all) before the 11.30pm all-aboard.
OK, so it's true, Hawaiians love spam! SPAM? IN SUSHI!? Apparently you can even get it in McDonalds....
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