more travelogue.....
When you rent a car, make sure to pick up the map book that's available at the rental places. *Excellent* maps. You can preview them here:
http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/oahu_maps.html
If you want snorkel equipment, you can rent it for a week pretty cheap (about $10-20, or $40 with a prescription mask for people who wear glasses) at Snorkel Bob's on Kapahulu Ave in Honolulu. I think for a couple bucks extra you can purchase insurance so you're not on the hook if the gear gets stolen.... Buy the insurance.....
I can't emphasize enough that you must, must, MUST get out of Waikiki if you want to see Oahu. You gotta drive the windward side and see that scenery. Waikiki is okay, and the beach is nice, but it's tourist central. If you wanna see Hawaii, get out of Waikiki.
If/when you do take the drive to the windward side, Sandy Beach is a great place to watch bodysurfers. However, DON'T SWIM AT SANDY BEACH. It's for *extremely experienced* body surfers
only. The shore break is such that it's very easy to get your neck snapped. Happens a couple of times a year to idjit tourists like us who decide to ignore signs warning of a dangerous shore break. There's an ambulance stationed at Sandy Beach during daylight hours to hawl away broken people....
Speaking of signs.... Signs are posted at various beaches to warn about dangerous shore breaks, rip currents, etc.
Don't ignore them!! Again, a handful of tourists die each year because they ignore warnings, get pulled out to sea, and drown. If there's big surf running, especially on the North Shore, be particularly careful on the beach. Rogue waves have been known to sweep up the beach and drag people who thought they were a good ways away into the water. Never turn your back on the ocean at the beach, literally.
If you want to snorkel at Haunama Bay, which is pretty cool, note that it's closed on Tuesdays.
The beaches are all public and
FREE in Hawaii. It's a refreshing change from the east coast! Almost all of the beach parks have free parking. About the only place you have to pay for parking is in Waikiki; bring quarters for the meters. You pay a couple of dollars to get into Haunama Bay, too.
There is the odd chance of a tsunami.... If you hear tsunami warning sirens, run like hell for high ground.
Flip-flops are called "slippahs" and are worn just about everywhere.
Turn to 105.1 on your FM radio dial: "KINE, the Hawaiian Music Station." It'll put you right in that laid back island mode.
Aloha: hello and goodbye
Mahalo: Thank you
Pupus: finger food, hors'dourves
Stink eye: what you'll get from locals if you're a loud, irritating idjit... or if you try to speak pidgin... don't do it.... it's worse than a southerner saying "cah" and "cawfee" or a northerner dropping R's and G's....
Using words like "Mahalo" is fine, but outsiders trying to talk pidgin just sounds stupid....
Don't act like a tourist. Hawaii is a different enough culture that it's almost like being in a foreign country. Things are WAY slower, and work on island time. Don't expect it to be just like back home, especially for those of us in the hurry-hurry northeast. Slow down and viva la difference!
Don't use your horn in traffic. Only tourists use their horn, and the locals hate it. Although the traffic can be horrendous (it's a city...
), everyone is usually very civil. Last time I was there, a taxi waved me out into traffic.... A
taxi!
If you feel the need to flash the "shaka" sign (pinky and thumb out, other fingers folded down), do so with the back of your hand facing out. Only visitors and wanna-bees give a shaka sign with their palm facing out.
more later, as I think of it.
