Climbing high...

Getting up early was the plan for today, because we wanted to be at the extinct volcano Diamond Head on time to conquer the hiking trail about 1km up to the observation platform. This volcano was formed more than 300,000 years ago and, before being designated as a monument, was used as a military base. The platform on the volcano is located at an altitude of 232m and served as an artillery position. Since, based on our experience, Americans are late risers, it would be more than enough if we leave at 8:30 am. Well, we won the race without my Asian friends 😒 yes, there were also a few Americans mixed in, but it was so crowded that we were sent back from the parking lot and had to park below the entrance to the park. Unbelievable! That's what we did and then walked up to the entrance of the hiking trail.

The way up the volcano was quite a challenge... although I had read several times that this trail is suitable for the whole family, I would advise against it, because it is definitely a challenge for older or insecure hikers, as was confirmed when a woman passed out after the second stair ascent at the top. At the beginning, the trail is still well paved and easy to walk. Later, it becomes rougher and steeper. In addition, for the ascent, you have to climb over 200 stairs... definitely not suitable for every age in these temperatures.

However, when we finally reached the top, we were rewarded with a beautiful view, which would be perfect as a postcard motif. You can look down on Waikiki and towards the east. It was really beautiful. The descent was easier than expected, probably also because of significantly fewer stairs. 😊

From Diamond Head, we then drove across the island to the north. This is where the travel guide promised dream beaches and, with a bit of luck, encounters with turtles. 🏖🐢

And what can I say, we were lucky. At the first beach, we were practically alone because we chose a spot a bit further away from the tourist beach in a small bay. The place with these dreamlike beaches is called Haleiwa and is known as a surfer meeting place. There were also really great small restaurants and even food trucks there. At the last one, we had a little snack before we continued towards Turtle Bay. And there, we were lucky again and were able to observe 3 turtles 🐢 trying to get to the beach. What we really liked: there were rangers there who prevented all the tourists from touching the turtles and taking unnecessary pictures with the animals. They also explained a lot about the life of marine animals and their protection and answered questions.

From there, we headed to our last point of the day, the North Shore. This is where the who's who of the surfing community meets in winter. Because then the waves 🌊 are gigantic and also unpredictable. The summer waves are more suitable for beginners and are calmer. Anyway, we also laid down on the beach there and swam in the water and simply enjoyed the great time and the peaceful activities on the beach.

Right now, it's the next morning and we're sitting on the balcony. We have booked a quad tour through the Kualoa Ranch for later... a beautiful nature reserve (private property, so we are allowed to go there with the quads). Among other things, the movies Jurassic Park, Godzilla, and Pearl Harbor were filmed there. 🌳🦖

We are very excited 😃