Traveling to Hawaii is the dream of a lifetime. I left Los Angeles at 5pm for a 7.5 hours flight over the Pacific ocean, and arrived in Honolulu over 11pm . My first views of Hawaii are unforgetable. First in the plane as it was landing, I think I had taken a nap and when I looked out the window I saw that we were in some sort of bright circle, surrounded by dark clouds. I saw the city all illuminated , it was a three-dimensional view, with a jewel in the middle, a emerald green swimming pool (later I could undertand the reason of the three-dimensional view – the buildings and trees are lit up). It was a wonderful sensation. I went to the hotel very tired but because of the jet lag I woke up at 6 am (it was like 10am for me) and I went to Waikiki beach. Something that I had never seen before happened: it started to drizzle, so thin that the water was almost immaterial and I thought that it was going to rain, but instead, as I walked on the sand, a big rainbow appeard! The ocean in many blue tonalities, the desert beach and the rainbow - It was perfect!

Honolulu has something undefinable, as if the air is more transparent, brighter and full of energy. People are beautiful, happy, everybody using flowers in their hair. At night the lights of the buildings, trees and the torches give a magical sensation. It is delicious to go out for a nightly walk, have dinner in a good restaurant and then walk up to the beach to look at the ship lights under the shining stars or the full moon.

I had two favorite places to have lunch. One was a self-service restaurant, which had lots of fruits and vegetables, some pasta, fish and chicken for 5 dollars per person. The other was a small restaurant, which served a typical island fish made in a very simple way which brought out his flavour, besides white rice and some salad. All abosolutely simple and wonderful, for 12 dollars per person. Dinner was always more expensive, although I went many times to chinese restaurants, spending about 15 to 17 dollars per person.

Two things you cannot miss: The Polynesian Cultural Center and a lu’au. Many 4 or 5 star hotels ofer a luau to their guests, but it is interesting to go to one outside the city. Remember that you will take an entire day for each of these activities.

For the luau there are many ticket booths in the streets. After buying the ticket, you take the bus that will take you to the luau, usually 50 km from Honolulu. A great lunch is included. What’s wonderful is that in Hawaii Nature is respected and preseved, and everything is very organized. You arrive at a beach which has some shacks that hide the sound and lighting equpiment for the show. You do not lose the sensation of being in a desert, primitive, and untouched place. At sunset a wonderful Hula show begins. They make a small interval to serve dinner – pork barbecue and typical hawaiian food. Then the show continues, and at around 11pm you are on your way home. Bellow I am in a typical polinesian shack.

PCC is a giant cultural center where some of the main Polynesian islands are represented - Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Aotearoa (Maori New Zealand), Fidji, Marquesas and Tonga. You Buy the ticket, take the bus for a 100 km trip. When you arrive there you receive a program that you have to follow, because there is a right time for each island dance presentation. If you are not careful, you will miss a show which is impossible to see later. This way you must move from one place to another to follow the program, and watch the wonderful presentations. Then you have a delicious lunch (included in the ticket), and some free time to look around and visit the shops, and take photos. At sunset there is a big show with more than 100 dancers. It is unbelievable, unforgetable.

You can get to know Honolulu well walking or by bus : Waimea Bay - a gorgeous beach, Diamond Head – an extinct volcano, and many other things.

From Honolulu I went to Maui, I’ll leave this for another post.