Day #3 a big day out - Diamond Head

Egrets

(You know nothing Jon Snow!

anyone else a Game of Thrones fan?)

 

So, we were aiming for this, Diamond Head, named such by some of the sparkley rocks thereon mistaken for Diamonds ( we didn't notice any). Eventually after distractions of birds branches and well if we aim for it we'll get there, and therefore asking for directions (twice) we were on the right track (or main road). The monument is a crater.

wow the view, even before we were there - the east coast, the shore line is palm trees

the entrance to the crater is through a tunnel (easier to go through than go over the edge). Aloha, the common greeting in the Hawaiian tongue.

The Tunnel, it is barely wide enough for two lanes of traffic, but is painted that way, and the pedestrians like us can just fit along the left side there as long as there is not someone coming the other way or any cars at the same time

the light at the end

wow look at that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made it to the lookout just before the summit, whoo, it was hot, there was the occasional breeze, but it was a little rugged, there were stairs and people, and a tunnel, and we just couldn't drag ourselves any further (driving/bussing to the monument would have been ideal, just it didn't look that far away on the map).

So we stopped to admire the view anyway. Would have liked to have looked westward but not to worry - next time (yes I'm thinking about it, but it'll be years away)

Finally we got to get ourselves in the pictures again, it was very hot, and our feet were somewhat sore, but the view we got was worth it.

Ocean

Disobeying signs

 

 

Hee hee it is fun to be a little bit naughty

I wondered if that was Kailua at the time but that place was way up further

and heading back down, this is the tunnel part way up the mountain, it was very dimly lit, and a little uncertain of the height, but we made through twice unscathed

there looked to be windows in the side of the mountain, the crater has been used for military purposes

 

 a cat in the bushes

 

 

and a bird on the grass (zoom in on the leaves - it is there I promise)

 

 

We bought a bird book at the little kiosk at the bottom the first pic was of a yellow fronted canary

the second is Red Crested Cardinal. We didn't get a photo of it, but occassionally we saw what we thought to be random chickens (roosters in particular) just wondering around everywhere, we did ask a local about them - calling them chickens they did not know what we were talking about, however the book has since informed us they are Jungle Fowl or Moa, introduced to the Hawaiian islands quite a while ago, for food. It was quite funny to see them, before realising what they were

and the view from outside the crater, we headed for the bus stop for our next adventure

 the clouds rolling over the mountain range

Flowers around Diamond Head

 

Day # 3, a big day out - too good to sleep in for

A new day, Tuesday November the 4th, and after a long, a very long Monday, late night pouring over purchases, and thick closed curtains we woke after 7am.

Well one of us did, the girls were still asleep.  ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

(hey! we don't snore) (you wouldn't know because you are asleep)

I started making noises (bathroom and changing)

Maddie noticed the change in light even under her sleep mask, realised where we were and sat up quickly.

Hoh, we are in Hawaii!!!

Hey Llew, Llew wake up you're missing out on sunrise

It's way too early I'm sure the cats don't need feeding just yet

Come on Llew, we're in Hawaii, and we're missing things if we sleep all day 

What! Oh I thought I was just having an excellent dream.

Nope its real

and it looks like its going to be an excellent day.

 

 and hot

 

Maddie made sure we took the sunscreen.

 

The view from the balcony while we waited for the Lift. Being on the top floor (17) it always took a while for the lift to come, giving us a chance to look at the view

or hold on to the wall (Catherine was scared of the height, and open space) 

yes not one of my favourite places

 

breakfast

perching

 

admiring some amazing plants

this is a Banyan tree, somewhere in there is the original trunk and as the tree grows and grows it sends down roots that eventually become almost trunklike themselves and these help support the massive branches - this is just one tree

and going for Diamond Head.

 

 

 

 

 

What we saw at the American Girl Store in Hawaii.

The American Girl store, we had visited it Monday morning to make sure it was there, and discovered it was still there when we went back later that afternoon. I, Llewellyn, was so excited, it was almost like going home for me.

The beautiful new holiday dresses were in the window

Teal Tidings on the Bitty Babies, and my size Happy Holiday and Silver Shimmer dresses.
 

Ooh, and Samantha.

We entered the shop with a tear in our eyes, it was so exciting, and wonderful and overwhelming all at once.

The Birthday party outfit and accessories, naughty Coconut was up on the chair, naughty boy get off the furniture.

The Coconut outfit.

Lots of pets, they were better behaved.

Oh, a puddy cat, hello gorgeous.

This girl was very busy washing all the puppies to make sure they were presentable.

And this one was about to take them all for a walk, maybe she should have done that before their bath. It might be the Julie in me, but that seems the sensible idea (and maybe not in your pyjamas).
If you squint, the left side of this picture has the swimsuit outfit - bikini and coverall, and there was a snorkel and flipper set as well.

Oh look at that, the school science kit, Catherine's sister Peggy might like one of them for Natasha, shh, she might be reading this

A winter outfit, I'm not sure I understand knitted shorts.

And me with me!!!

hmm Marcia Brady hair if ever I saw it, well yours would be a little fluffy too if you'd just travelled 8000 kilometres. Oh you like my outfit do you, it is kind of cool isn't it. It comes with a pair of matching pants, and a long sleeve top with a blue vest. Your dress is very pretty too, ooh and I like your shoes.

the shop was so big it had room for a horse, and a pony. Love that hat.

There's me again, you changed quick, hee hee look at those monkeys - oh yum popcorn, girl after my own heart

Hello Josefina, we have a Jo at home, her eyebrows are different, our Jo is alot older too, she is from Pleasant Company.

 

Wow, you change fast, groovy outfit, man I wish they'd had that for sale separately, so cool.

and Samantha again, it's not my style, but her clothes are so pretty.

 

There was heaps of other stuff we forgot to photograph, we were so excited.

The girl of the year, Isabelle had a whole corner just to herself, and all her mix and match outfits, she had a really cool cupboard for her sewing machine and clothes. There were other school things like desk chairs, lockers and a backpack. A whole row of bath tubs and beauty treatments. A big display of girls just waiting for them to be picked to go to new places, like Miriam they had numbers not names.  There were girls with names too, in beautiful clothes like Samantha and Julie. They also had a retired girl called Ivy, she kept looking at me as though we'd met already. We did get given an official American Girl catalogue, to drool over and daydream of the possibilities and improbabilities.

 

So I guess you are asking, did we buy anything?

 

The answer is yes, and all will be revealed in time....

 

and just a taste here 'tis the American Girl Souvenir Hawaii Starry Tee, it was so new and just in that afternoon that the barcode didn't even work. I think we were the second to get one - how cool is that.
This is my friend Miriam modelling it for us.