Last grandiose sunrise - as seen from our bed in our tower closeby Hilo this morning. Unhurried, we packed our belongings (had to monitor weight of our two pieces of check-in luggage closely) before we departed after 9 am for the airport in Hilo. You can't say air travel is usually relaxed, but on Hawai'i it is! Friendly employees everywhere, no hurry, no shouting or hustling, luggage wasn't even weighted. Comfy armchairs in the airport lobby, juice being served on the short 40-min. flight to Honolulu with Hawaiian Airlines.
Last view of Big Island - our favorite of all Hawaiian islands so far! So diverse, authentic, lots of options, from coffee plantations to cattle country, from beaches to volcanos, from macademia nuts to papaya plantations, from down-to-earth Hilo to touristy Kailua-Kona. Our choice of accommodations was perfect, too, especially, to the first and the last place we would love to return to. And, we have to get back, since we haven't seen the Southern part of the island yet!
Arrived in Honolulu on time, retrieved our luggage and took an Uber into town. Unfortunately, the airport bus doesn't accept passengers with large luggage. Isn't that strange? Also, shuttle busses are more expensive than an Uber, which cost not quite $ 30 and took about 25 min into downtown Waikiki. 85 deg. F and much more smoggy and humid air when we arrived at the Shoreline Waikiki Hotel at about 1:30 pm. Have stayed in the same hotel last year and were really surprised when they knew that we are repeat visitors and upgraded us to a suite on the top (14th) floor, with sitting area, desk, two balconies (with ocean and city views - see pics below) and a large bathroom with a bathtub. An assortment of snacks and softdrinks comes for free, too, as well as a safe, a coffee maker and free coffee/tee/infused water in the lobby. Only thing is the noise level we have to get used to, again. Previous days we only had frogs and birds making noise,,,
We went for a first exploratory walk - our hotel is closeby the main shopping axle, Kalakaua Avenue, with all the fancy, high-end brand names, and lots of Japanese clientele.
On to famous Waikiki Beach with the statue of Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968), a Native Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing.
Enjoyed Happy Hour at Maui Brewing in downtown - pizzas for $ 10 and beer for $ 5 - before we waited for sunset, which was not as spectacular since it was cloudy, but better than expected.
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