The World's Most Famous Beach

I finally went to see Waikiki Beach today. Menh.

The water is gorgeous and refreshing to wade in, but the beach itself is small, covered in sunbathers and hot, brown, grainy sand. There's no shade or seating, save for what's reserved for private use by hotels or purchased from sidewalk vendors on the way down. I didn't stay long.

As a whole, Waikiki is kind of awful. This neighborhood of Honolulu is the most visited by travelers to Hawaii, but it's not really my style. Its lovely pedestrian-friendly streets are lined with shop after shop trying to sell you overpriced crap, and always crawling with tourists.

The best part of my day so far was actually spent on the balcon... erm, lanai of my hotel room, with the view shown to the right. After the sun had moved to the other side of the building, I spent an hour or so sitting with my feet up on the railing, reading a book, a warm tropical wind nipping at the corners of every page.

If I can bear the heat, next I'll take a walk a bit farther out, visiting the parks and the nearby military reservation. As in all hot and humid climates, my skin is angrily pushing buckets of sweat through sunscreen, and I've taken to wearing a bikini under my clothes, instead of conventional undergarments. It's not the most comfortable of arrangements, to say the least, but it's a necessity.

I may be both too fast-paced and too pale-skinned Scandinavian for this Island, but it does have its charms. I just need to stop being distracted by all of the flaws.