We stagger into life and stumble around the corner to Eggs'n'Things for breakfast. We've missed the early riser special (5-9am) but even so the mountain of food that appears is good value for US$8. A guy next to us starts giving us the lowdown on some things Hawaiian, most of which are about dangerous currents and it sounds pretty scary. Quite how he manages to eat his breakfast without pausing, I don't know.
We head off into town to the only identified travel shop which turns out to be an old dear behind a desk in front of a very loud fountain/water display. We barely get as far as asking about a flight to the Big Island when she asks us where we're staying [on the Big Island]. Um, camping.
we reply and she stops processing and says we need to find out about camping permits before we can go any further. But how much are flights?
our original question. Oh, about US$67 for any oneway segment.
She could have just told us that. The rather cool option the breakfast buy had suggested of taking one of the tiny airlines who then buzz around the coastline with commentary is a non-starter as they only fly to Molokai, the island he said he went to.
The other option is to try the airlines direct, especially Hawaiian Air who are in Chapter 11, who have offices in Sears. We stop at the room to check the Lonely Planet for details on this camping permit but the dangerous `just forty winks' becomes three hours again. I can't believe I'm suffering this badly from jet lag but Helen points out that we did live the 16th twice with only an hours kip on the plane so maybe we're just plain tired [no pun intended, at least I don't remember one]. The camping thing is for state parks not national parks, though the guidebook does hint at campsites being popular with thieves and drunks.
We head off to Sears and get directions to the basement where Aloha gives us a quote of US$206 for three island hops, Hawaiian would be US$67 per leg but the computer is coming up with fewer seats. Over a coffee we revise our dates and buy the seats from Aloha -- the price varying from US$251 down to US$201 by changing the dates (again). We start round the centre looking for camping gear (a tent) and are redirected back down to Sears' basement. Sears' tents are single layer jobbies that look suspiciously sesceptible to the elements but after some deliberation we settle for the US$35 hex dome. It's a budget thing.
Amazingly it's [gone] dark and as we head back, [we're] looking for car rental companies en route, they're closed, no surprise, and we have some conversations on the phone with mainland operators. There's no decision made when we head out for a late tea. A mediocre Italian followed by a couple of beers from the `English pub' next door. A better beer was found in the chilled beer section of the local ABC.
Big Surf, Waikiki (just), Oahu N21.28672 W157.83966 Elev. -20m (and we're on the fourth floor too!)
Copyright 2003 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.