Hello! The first days in Hawaii

Now we have already been in Hawaii for three days and have seen a few things.

But first things first!

In Germany:

Since the storm 'Sabine' is raging in Germany on Sunday and Monday, we decide at short notice to travel to Frankfurt on Sunday in order to be on site directly on Monday.

So our parents drive us to Frankfurt and we say goodbye to our family one day earlier than planned.

In the evening we explore the airport and the train station. There are incredibly many people 'stranded' here, as long-distance traffic is at a standstill.

The next morning we have a long and extensive breakfast before we arrive at the airport with the shuttle and check in our luggage directly. Already in the line before check-in, we are asked if we have applied for ESTA and how long we want to stay in the USA. After this first questioning, we receive a sticker on our passport. In the line we meet Pia. She is also traveling to Hawaii and will spend three months there for her studies. After check-in, we go directly through security to our gate. The airport is really huge, so it takes some time until we arrive at our gate.

Now we just have to wait. When we are sitting on the plane, the pilot announces that we have to wait for one hour because of 'Sabine' until we receive permission to take off. Flights that were not allowed to take off in the morning are now rescheduled for noon.

I have never flown with such a large plane before, so I am really surprised by all the things there are on the plane.

Each person has their own screen in front of them, on which you can listen to music or watch movies and series. You can also track the flight. I have never watched so many movies in a row before! We also have our own pillow and blanket for the flight and we receive a bag containing a sleep mask, a pair of earplugs, socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste. There are three meals during the flight and you can get something to drink at any time.

In the USA:

Despite being able to start an hour later, we arrive in Seattle on time after about 10 hours. Since we only have two hours to continue flying, we hurry to get off the plane.

Now comes the immigration control in the USA, which I was so afraid of. Unfortunately, only one counter is open, which processes ESTA travelers. The Americans who were on our plane have their own counter and are done quickly. Everyone else is waiting here for what feels like countless minutes. Finally, a second counter is opened! Now, however, the crew members from the plane are given priority. I am starting to worry that we will miss our connecting flight. But suddenly, four more counters are opened, so everything goes faster. When it's my turn, I have already imagined 1,000 horror scenarios of what the officer might ask me and what I might not be able to answer. But the officer is super friendly and relaxed. He makes some small talk and asks how the flight was and how I'm doing. Then he asks where I want to go and how long I want to stay. I still have to give my fingerprints and a photo is taken. With Julian, the officer apparently was not so relaxed. She wanted to know everything about the upcoming time in Canada and how he can finance it. I'm glad I got a relaxed officer and we hurry to catch the connecting flight.

So we walk through the whole airport of Seattle. We have to pick up our backpacks, go through another check, and then go to the gate. At the security check we even have to take off our shoes this time. To get to the gate, we have to take the metro twice. At the gate, we don't have to wait long until we are allowed to board the plane. We are lucky and sit together in a row of three. Now we have to fly another six hours to O'ahu. I am so tired that I fall asleep during the flight over and over again.

In Hawaii:

When we arrive at night, we take a taxi to get to the hostel in Honolulu. We get an upgrade to our two-bed room and have our own bathroom with a shower. The hostel is surrounded by taller hotels, so it is always noisy. I cannot sleep well on the first night.

The next morning we get up and explore the area. Breakfast consists of a burger and a cappuccino from McDonald's. We sit outside with a view towards the beach. I immediately notice how many homeless people there are in the streets. The image is strange, as countless expensive cars drive through the streets as well. We explore the neighborhoods of Waikiki and Ala Moana all day on foot and take breaks for food and drinks. In the evening we fall into bed tired. I sleep better on the second night, but I still wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep.

Today we get up extra early so that we can take breakfast at the hostel with us. Breakfast consists of waffles, toast, two jams, peanut butter, bananas and apples. There is also coffee. We want to start directly with a hike to Diamond Head. Diamond Head is a crater where you can look out over the whole of Waikiki from the edge. To get there, you should take the bus. And already now we realize that taking the bus is not that easy at the beginning, because at the bus stops there are only the lines that stop there. But no departure times or what the stop is actually called. After some time we arrive at Diamond Head. We have to pay 1 dollar for admission. To get to the top, we walk 0.8 miles (1.3 km) and climb 560 feet (171 m) high. It takes us about 30 minutes to climb up. Once at the top, there is an old bunker and a very beautiful view, but it's also a bit crowded! When we start making our way down, we discover a helicopter landing site that is accessible from the fenced path. Despite warning signs, we dare to climb through the fence. I bravely stand at the edge, although I am a little nervous. After taking some nice photos, we go back down the path. Here we more and more people are coming towards us. This seems to be the tourist hotspot here!

Next, we want to take the bus back to Waikiki and then directly take a bus to Pearl Harbor. And again, we don't understand the buses. After waiting for 30 minutes, another person waiting with us asks the next bus driver when our bus line is coming. 'It's not coming here! You have to walk to the next stop!' Easy for him to say. At the next stop, we don't have to wait long for the bus. We briefly detour to the hostel. We want to use the Wi-Fi to look up the bus line to Pearl Harbor. We drive there for over an hour by bus and look at the harbor.

The harbor became known through the Japanese attack on the naval base on December 7, 1941. This air raid triggered the entry of the USA into World War II.

Meanwhile, there is a huge memorial area here with its own museum. Before we start our way back, we sit at a bar and plan the next few days with a view of the sea.

When we are back in Waikiki, we start walking to get something to eat. Julian wants to go to the Street Food Hall. Unfortunately, everything is so expensive here that we turn back and get something to eat at a small Asian restaurant along the way.

Back at the hostel, Julian plans the next accommodations. It's not as easy as we initially thought. We have only booked the current hostel until Thursday. An extension was not possible, so we will spend one night in a neighboring hostel. Then on Friday we will pick up a rental car that we can use to drive to a hostel on the North Shore.

Until the middle of next week, we want to explore the island by car. After that, we want to visit one of the neighboring islands.

So that's the current plan. :)