Aloha from paradise

Just logging in for a post from the island of Oahu in Hawaii!

Steve and I arrived to a soft but steady rain on Friday. I guess it must have been a slow news day stateside, because both my mom and my friend who is checking on my cat Sabrina mentioned the flooding in Oahu. It happened a couple days before we arrived, and was only in a small section on the West side. (We are staying on the south beach, Waikiki) Anyway, no worries! And by Saturday, we had seen 3 rainbows.

By today, we finally feel adjusted to the time change. We have been going to bed earlier and getting up earlier than we do back home, but it's nice because we have breakfast on our patio and watch the sun come up.

We went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay on Saturday and again yesterday afternoon after Steve finished his work. On our first excursion, we saw at least 20 different fish and an octopus. The octopus was blinking his eye at us, and we enjoyed watching him until he squeezed himself into a crack in the coral and shut his eye. We would have missed him like that. It's incredible how much he blended in to his environment.

Yesterday, we went into a different part of the bay, and again saw many fish. My favorite was a new one (not one we had previously seen) who was also hidden among the coral. I also enjoyed watching a little fish pop his head in and out from his hidden spot in the coral. I kept thinking about Finding Nemo and giving each fish different characteristics in my mind.

Our biggest joy was seeing a sea turtle. Wow. How majestic and graceful. It was truly awesome.

Honolulu is as expensive as I remembered. Our first meal (on Friday) consisted of two cheeseburgers, an appetizer and 1 beer. $40! Being a Downward, I know how to be thrifty, though. We have cereal and fruit in our condo each morning, and I've bought sandwich makings for some lunches. We also brought a bottle of wine with us to have before we go out in the evenings.

We've also enjoyed searching out the local restaurants that are off the beaten path. Last night, we found a sushi place that was CHEAP and really good. We ate like kings, and spent less than we did on those just-satisfactory cheeseburgers. The Ahi tuna here is so fresh, it melts like butter in your mouth!

Today is my second day on my own, as Steve is actually here for work. Yesterday I rented an umbrella and read a whole book cover to cover, listening to the waves. I've been very careful with my pale white skin, slathering on the sunscreen multiple times a day and hiding beneath a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, but alas, my foot must have been sticking out from the umbrella and got burned! It's just the left one. I'm wearing sneakers today and will likely spend most of my day perusing the shops. Gotta give my skin a break from this intense sun.

The internet cafe I'm in is also quite costly, but I have lots to write about so I'll probably post again soon. Miss you all!