Tuesday

Our adventure continues! Hurricane Flossie fizzled out to just drizzle.
Today it all cleared up and was as humid as ever!

We got up early as we were going on the Pearl Harbour tour. We had to be ready in front of our hotel at 6:45am. So after an early breakfast, we preceded down the lifts (we are on the 31st of 34 levels) and waited for the bus. It come around 7 and we then went through the tour formalities and where we came from etc. "So any Aussies", we and the people behind us call out "yes". The lady behind said to me, "what part?" I answered, "Perth". She replied, "yeah me too. Armadale". I said, "so are we!". I said, "well really, Seville Grove. She said, "me too!". Unbelievable, half way round the world and we sit in front of people that live in the same suburb on the same tour on the same day!! They lived just off Poad Street!

Anyway, we started off by going past some state buildings and memorials in Honolulu.

In front of our tour bus

State Building. Pillars represent palm trees and the cone out in the water represents a volcano

The High Court

From there we went to Pearl Harbour and started off with a tour on the USS Missouri. She was involved in the Gulf War and Dessert Storm. She was a looong ship, about 3 feet longer than the Titanic. All very interesting.

USS Missouri

After that, we watched a documentary on the attack of Pearl Harbour. Very moving but informative. We then went by a shuttle boat to the USS Arizona Memorial which sank and entombed 1177 crewmen who died when the ship sank. The memorial is placed over the mid-section of the ship where you can see parts of the ship below. 

One of the gun turrets. You can see an oil slick which is oil still leaking from one of the hatches.

List of names of those lost on the battleship

The memorial we were in that is over the USS Arizona

A model showing the ship and the memorial

On the shuttle boat

We then went to Punchbowl Memorial which is in a crater and named so because it looks like a punchbowl upside down. This memorial/graveyard is dedicated to the servicemen and their families who died in service in the Pacific.

Punchbowl Memorial

View looking towards Waikiki. The landmark at the back is the Diamond Head Crater which we can see from our apartment

Heading back we cooled off at the pool. Had KFC for dinner, but so different than back at home!
No chips, scone-looking dinner buns and Jaclyn was not impressed!

The pool and our tower. Our apartment faces the other side

The kids playground. The two girls are down the bottom.

Sunbathing on the pool deck chairs

The pond filled with huge koi in the foyer of our hotel

We have just a few days left here in Hawaii before we move on. 

We are thankful we could have this time as our holiday.

Also happy 12th birthday Jayden! May God bless you in the year ahead.