First full day on Oahu - Day 19

Monday - June 30th

We got up early and had breakfast at the Air BnB. It was nice to just eat a bowl of cereal and keep things simple this morning. 

We walked a short ways and were picked up by a small tour bus by 7AM.  

As advertised, the tour took us all around the island. It was fun to see less populated areas and what our guide kept referring to as “real Hawaii.” It was beautiful. 

We stopped a number of times for photos and to look around. One of these stops was at the Halona Blowhole. It is a lava tube that is right by rhe ocean, so when there are waves, steam and water comes up out of the hole like a geyser. We munched on donuts with purple bread inside as we watched. 

Some of the stops had gift shop options.  Desmond found himself a shark tooth necklace, and bought it with some souvenir money he had gotten from G.B. (my dad). He wore it happily the rest of the tour.  I had purchased a flower for my hair last night, so I was happy he found something he liked. 

The weather was great.  The beaches were beautiful.  The jungle was lush and green.  And being on a bus tour really matched our energy level for the day.  We didn’t have to think about anything or walk too far.  Just get off the bus when told to do so, and enjoy what was put before us.  We were having a very nice day.

A little later we were taken to the shrimp shack for lunch. The food was really good. And sitting in the shade at a picnic table in the 80 degree weather with a little breeze felt so much cooler than what we have been experiencing in Japan on our trip so far. The food was really good!  And we didn’t have to wait because our guide had taken our orders on the bus, called ahead, and passed them out to us.  

After our meal we decided to try some Hawaiian shaved ice. We each chose different flavors. It was very tasty and refreshing. 

Before long we were pulling over to a fruit stand that only sold locally grown fruits.  One of these was yellow watermelon, which I had to try.  I didn’t like it quite as much as regular watermelon, but it was fun to try.

Our tour guide was really good. He was a local, had a good sense of humor, and kept the tour moving along at a good pace. We really enjoyed it! 

Finally it was time for turtle watching near Turtle Bay. Our tour guide had said “Let me lower your expectations, okay?  Turtles are wild animals. We cannot guarantee you will see turtles.  But we can take you to a place they are known to rest and feed, and give you as good a chance as we can to see some on this beach.” As we walked down the path toward the beach, I told mom “Okay, moment of truth. As dad says ‘You pays your money and you takes your chances.’” I was feeling nervous that we might not see turtles.  Bryan and Desmond got to the beach ahead of me.  I could tell by their postures that they were not seeing any turtles.  When I caught up with Bryan I asked, “How’s it looking?” “I don’t see any turtles.” He admitted. I was so disappointed. I continued to pray that the Lord would show us turtles.

Then my mom saw one swimming in the water not far away and pointed it out.  We had been told to look for the turtles out on the beach, but instead they were swimming and feeding near the shore. I waded into the water and stood the minimum distance away that I was allowed (ten feet) and watched them for the remainder of the half hour we were there.  Whenever their heads would come up out of the water, it made me giggle.  I snapped a ton of photos, with the plan being to delete many of them and hopefully get one with a turtle head poking out of the water.

I was really grateful and excited to have seen the turtles swimming during our tour.  This is what it had mainly been about for me, and the whole reason we ended up doing this tour in the first place, so I was really happy it worked out.

Next was flavored macadamia nut tasting across the street at the macadamia nut farm.  While I didn’t want to leave the turtles, I have to admit the nuts were very tasty.  And all of them were labeled with ingredients, so I knew which nuts I could safely try and which to avoid because of milk products.  At this stop we also saw chickens in the tree, and a little lizard.

After that we stopped at the Dole farm where it was crazy busy, and it started to pour down rain.  So I didn’t take any pictures there. I tried a sample of a pineappple coated cashew.  That was tasty. Over where they were slicing up pineapple they had put some seasoning on the fruit that is supposed to enhance the flavor.  Desmond and I recognized it as the same seasoning the fruit stand had used that we didn’t really care for, so we passed on the pineapple.

From there we completed the loop, driving back to where we started. When we got home we were ready for rest time.  It had been about an eight hour tour.  We had some quiet time (mom even fell asleep, and she rarely naps) and then headed out for dinner.

Mom, Dad, and I had P.F. Chang’s for dinner.  Bryan opted to stay back with Desmond so that he could get a little more rest.  We shared some lettuce wraps and I got a salad which was really good.

Later, Bryan and I went on a walk down the main drag.  We went until we could see the ocean, and the moon.  It was a great night for taking a walk.

Tomorrow we plan to get up early again to go visit Pearl Harbor.

Want to keep Traveling with the Schmidts? Read Day 20