December 7th, 1941

Dear travel diary

Tuesday, May 11th, 2021

After school, we spent the afternoon at the beach again. Once again, I fell asleep and woke up just before we went home. I don't know why I've been sleeping so much lately, because I've been sleeping wonderfully in my new room the past few nights.

When we arrived at the bus stop, we were delighted to see our favorite bus driver honking at us. When we got on, he said he had been looking out for us further down the roadside. However, today we got on at a different bus stop. Not only his driving style, but also his helpfulness towards all passengers, make him the best driver in our eyes. When we got home, he wished us a nice evening and made us smile again.

In the evening, we finally managed to find suitable accommodation for all the islands and booked them right away. It was like a treasure hunt to find good accommodations within our budget. Renting cars will probably be the next challenge.

Wednesday, May 12th, 2021

Today, we finally dared to get back on the surfboard with Jasmin, who just started this week. But this time not at Waikiki Beach, but at Fort de Russy, a little further back. Apparently, the waves are better there and there are fewer surfers. So where are these apparently good waves now? For about an hour, we paddled back and forth searching for the perfect wave. But as soon as I positioned myself to paddle off with a possible wave, the wind blew me away and I was no longer in the starting position.

Oh, it was exhausting and frustrating! But in the second hour, the waves finally came and I caught some good ones. Some of them were even quite big (at least in my opinion). But slowly I had enough. On the one hand because these waves are not just a blessing, but also a curse, and on the other hand because I injured my shoulder. A curse for me, as I started feeling dizzy again. I don't know how I injured my shoulder, because I only noticed the pain later while paddling. I just know that I probably won't be found on a surfboard again anytime soon.

On the way back to the shore, we were surprised once again. Not by the perfect wave, but by a turtle that curiously stuck its head out of the water.

In addition, this time I got muscle soreness in my arms and back from paddling for the first time. Apparently, I did something right.

We were just enjoying the quiet bus ride and wondering (different bus driver), when he suddenly said he had to do a quick reset because the stop display was not working. Once this was done, we realized why the ride had been so quiet until that point. Before each stop, the stop name is announced and there are various other announcements in between. Now the quiet ride home was over.

For dinner, we had grilled and raw swordfish, which tasted very delicious. I couldn't get enough and went for seconds.

Thursday, May 13th, 2021

Right after school, together with Lisa, we went on a quick search for food and then to the bus stop. I had a tomato mozzarella salad, which I devoured greedily. Because I don't remember the last time I saw or ate a tomato. I really miss vegetables here! The other day we bought a bell pepper at the store and enjoyed it as if it were something rare.

We took the bus to Pearl Harbor Memorial and visited the submarine and the different museums there. It was fascinating to see how the submarine was built and how the soldiers lived. However, once again I realized that water is definitely not my element and I could never have lived in such a submarine.

It rained on and off, fitting for this historical event. But the rainbows didn't appear and only showed up when we were on the bus. Once in the morning and even in both buses in the evening.