posted
What a frequin' waste. I spent 11 hours in airports and on planes to get here. Spent 3.5 days and went outside the hotel to: - get on a bus - get off a bus at the ugly "federal building" - once to get breakfast - once to get Jack In the Box (yes, it was as bad I remember from 30 years ago) - once to get sushi a block from my hotel - once to go to a drug store.
Now I'm at the airport to come home. Couldn't extend my trip an extra day or so for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is that here a Saturday stayover would've RAISED the ticket price, not lowered it.
And for all that...my trip to Honolulu has been among the most satisfying in my professional career. The people at the meeting truly learned. I could see it happening. And they appreciated it!!! It was so cool!
And I have invites to American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, and of course coming back to Hawaii. Well, I think they meant come by for a visit and stay at a hotel, we'll do lunch, but still, invites nonetheless.
Okay, so despite how grumpy I felt about this being a trip to a city and me having no time or energy (jet lag!!!) to explore, and not at all a "trip to paradise" as everyone assumes it was...I still had a GREAT great time and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Next time, maybe I could add a few days.
And bring Dana.
And not be the ONLY visitor to Hawaii in 100+ years to stay in Waikiki and not even see the ocean ONCE!!!
I'm serious. I could've been in SLC for all the water I saw.
My own fault, I'm sure you're thinking. But it is not entirely true. I had homework every night while here. And I was so off-schedule that the only time I might've gone to the beach it was 3 AM and I was trying to get back to sleep.
Ah well, as I said, this was the best training visit I've done in the past year. It was so gratifying.
And I know I'll have the chance to come back and do the islands the right way. With my sweetie and a whole suitcase full of really bizarre shirts.
Thanks Hawaii for hosting a great meeting. See you again soon.
Although, Kauai is gorgeous, it's a little TOOOOOO slow for my tastes. Big island has the most amazing stuff to see and there's enough activity there to keep it interesting.
But I agree that Waikiki would not be my first choice to visit.
Honolulu really CAN be experienced as city exactly like any other city. It is noisy and ugly if you don't get away from the ugly urban area.
But still, the people are nice. And the weather is very pleasant when there aren't typhoons blowing.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
I spent 1 1/2 years on the large northern Philippine island of Luzon and I never saw a beach.
But on the way home I passed briefly through Hawaii and walked a beach there. *sigh* I wouldn't mind going back.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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I was in Honolulu for a conference on the 16th. There were a number of folks there from the mainland. It seems like everyone wants to come here.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
Never been to Hawaii, Bob, but your experience is pretty close to mine when travelling. People ask me what a city I visit is like and I shrug - the hotel was OK, but that's all I saw.
The only time I really made an exception was for San Francisco a couple years back. Diane was with me. Among other things, we ate our way up and down Fisherman's Wharf.
But that's it. Diane's in DC several times a year. I'm usually with her on at least one of those trips. Over the past 8 years, we haven't added any days in our trips to take in any of the Smithsonian.
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
"Never been to Hawaii, Bob, but your experience is pretty close to mine when travelling. People ask me what a city I visit is like and I shrug - the hotel was OK, but that's all I saw."
This reminds me of "The Accidental Tourist"(Anne Tyler) Ever read it?
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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