Unexpectedly I got up soon after the alarm sounded following a brief debate about who should test the shower. It was my turn.
By 10:00 we were sitting in Eggs'n'Things, a local breakfast eatery favoured over all others by both tourists and locals. It's little wonder it's been in business since 1974, the service is terrific, plenty of waiting staff to constantly refill your coffee cup (I can think of a certain gentleman back home who would be in his element here), and you do get value for money. Ian and I ordered a breakfast each. A bit of a mistake. Following the giant plate of nachos yesterday I was aware of the huge portion sizes served in Hawaii but failed to realise that breakfast portions would also be fit for an entire family of ten! I ordered corn beef hash and eggs which was immediately followed by an array of questions about how I would like this and that. 'How would you like the hash cooked, soft, medium or crispy?' 'How would you like your eggs, easy, over easy, medium, scrambled or poached?' 'How would you like them cooked, soft, medium or hard?' Naturally Ian and I found this very amusing, as did our good humoured waitress, for each time I answered a question thinking there would be no more, more questions followed. While we waited for our food to arrive, which didn't take long, I grimaced at the sight of fellow diners' food arriving at their tables. They were giant! How could one person be expected to eat all of that food? It was positively frightening!
2 hours later, once our meals had been partially consumed and we had admitted defeat and we had been given some advice to feed the fish in Hanauma Bay, hmmm, thanks for that, we left for the travel office to find out about interisland flights.
It transpired that Hawaiian Airlines have applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy which means that travel centres can't resell flights, you have to contact the airline yourself. It seems to be the fashion to apply for Chapter 11. On enquiring about camping on the island of Hawaii the lady entered an admission that the authorities are strict about camping because the state of Hawaii has its share of drug abusers and people who will enter your tent in the night and bash you on the head so they can steal your belongings. So, she'd put the frighteners on me.
On the way back to Big Surf to collect our Lonely Planet guide we felt drowsy again and having set the alarm for an hour later we dangerously fell asleep for nearly 3 hours. Walking to the Ala Moana shopping mall Ian tried to tell me that the droplets I felt land on me were due to some kind of irrigation system although we were strolling past concrete at the time. It was bizarre though as there weren't any clouds overhead. We found the Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines sales desks downstairs in Sears department store where we enquired as to costs and availability of interisland flights. Aloha Airlines came up with the best solution and we pondered about the duration of stay in Hawaii and Maui over a coffee and a very nice hot chocolate. With dates decided we made the booking and paid for three interisland flights for a fairly reasonable USD 404 in total. Then we made our way into Sears in search of a suitable tent, passing out of our way by 'Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.' to find that it's a restaurant chain. I didn't know it was a genuine company, I thought it was a fictional company created for the film 'Forrest Gump'. We found a tent for USD 70, affiliated to Coleman, which we found to be good for our purpose having now decided to camp on Hawaii, but it was out of stock. Our contingency option was a super lightweight flimsy thing for USD 35. Bargain. We bought it along with a snorkel and mask for Ian so he can splash about with the fishes in Hanauma Bay.
On our way back to Big Surf, in the darkness, it was spitting again. Ian walked me to the VIP car rental company, which was closed, and then Dollar, which was expensive, then Budget car rental, which was also closed. We passed by some surfwear outlets on the way in the search of a lycra top for myself, to no avail. When we returned to Starbucks Coffee near Big Surf it was closed so we dumped the tent, inspected the contents, and popped out to a local Italian for an acceptable meal and a beer, followed by another beer in the next door 'Ye Olde Fox and Hound' which sells imported British goods like Heinz Baked Beans, Marmite and Original Polo Mints. We bought more beer on the way back to the condominium and consumed it before falling asleep at 01:00.
Copyright 2003 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.