As I sit at my hotel room desk, drinking coffee on my last morning in Honolulu, I can't help but reflect on how neutral I am about this place.
There's really nothing to dislike about it, once you get past the fact that it's one giant tourist trap. It's beautiful, tropical, and the locals working here are beyond hospitable. It would be a perfect vacation spot for a lot of people, and it clearly is for plenty; I'm just not one of them.
To be honest, the heat has gotten to me. The wind, ranging from a gentle breeze to gusts hard enough to blow my skirt well over my head, has been the only relief from the melt-your-makeup-off-your-face temperatures and humidity. Yesterday I saw a couple of gals effortlessly bouncing past me in jeans and sweaters, as I trudged down the blistering sidewalk, gulping bottled water and wiping the sweat from my face. I wanted to grab them by the shoulders and shout, "Where do you come from? The Sun? It's 87 degrees out here and I'm dying in shorts!"
The fact is, it's not you, Hawaii, it's me. I've never been one for water sports, and I won't go into the ocean above my ankles. "Laying out" is nothing but a ticket to the hospital with a 3rd degree sunburn. My idea of a beach vacation is sitting back in the shade of an umbrella or a palm tree, looking out over the ocean, and letting the world drift away. That simply isn't possible here. The beaches are too small, too crowded, too geared toward swimming and surfing. The few shaded areas are in the midst of hustle and bustle, or alongside the busy street, where you can barely see the water. It's just not what I'm looking for. I could experience heat and overpriced cities in the desert, much closer to home. I came here for the ocean, which I've barely seen.
If I ever decide to get back together with this far off state, I think I'll try a different island, maybe someplace off the beaten path. Or maybe I'll just spend the extra cash for a beach front hotel where I can use their patio to achieve my own ends.
All that being said, I've had a nice relaxing time. I spent enough time sitting out overlooking the canal with a book to get the calm I desired. I escaped the rain and drudgery of Seattle for my last weekend of summer. It was somewhere new, the beer was good. It was worth a 6 hour flight.
kauai is the least developed of the islands and was very nature filled. Once again covered in beaches but there is plenty of hiking and sites to see.
ReplyDeleteWhen I stayed in maui I stayed on a beach front resort and hardly left the resort other then for a drive around the island and food. Being able to sit on your balcony and watch the ocean while reading is nice.