Ah, Warmth!

We've successfully landed in Hawaii.  Tony found this great cab company that will pick you up sort of like a town car (by your schedule) and return you to the airport whne you leave for one set price ... nice!  Our driver was a very talkative, but interesting 4th generation Hawaiian (but caucasian) that had a very interesting and somewhat sad story to tell about big corporations, being pushed out by stock holders and age descrimination.  He has degrees and hasn't been able to find a job in 12 years ... so what started out as a temporary job is now his permanent means of supporting he and his wife. :(

Tony:  "Look at all the people running."
Cheri:  "Well, it is evening and I suppose it's the coolest time to run."
Later ...
Tony:  "Wow, the hotel is 100% full."
Cheri:  "That's weird, I thought right before Christmas Hawaii would be really slow."
Even Later ...
Cheri:  "Oh look!  The Honolulu Marathon is on Sunday."  :)

Yep, we picked the weekend of the Honolulu Marathon to visit and would you believe it goes right past our hotel!?  Sunday was our day to get a car and see the island, so now we're going to have to head out extra early to avoid getting caught in all the closed roads, etc. 

The reverse jeg-lag is weird.  As night we walked down to the Waikiki Shopping Mall, did some window shopping and stopped off at P.F. Chang's for dinner.  Although the clock said it was 9:00p, it was 11:00p for us.  WAY later than we should have been eating, and after an early morning we were both extremely tired.  So it was "early to bed" for us.

The boardwalk in front of our hotel goes the full length of Waikiki Beach and is the gathering place for all sorts of people, street vendors, beggars, etc.  There were the typical sellers of handmade bracelets and leis, drummers (lots of drummers ... don't know what that's all about) and some misc. performers.  But the saddest one we saw was two little girls (let's say 10 and 8) singing to canned music while dad collected money.  They weren't horrible but someone has clearly told them then can sing ... and they really can't.  They get a big round of applause for trying and singing at the top of their lungs (they really didn't need the microphones) as if they were Mariah Carey ... but they're not.  We stopped in a store across the street and made comment to the girls working their about the sound (it carried all the way across the street and into the store).  They said they are there every night.  Can't that be considered cruel and unusual treatment?  If not for the girls, then for the people who have to work around there?

This morning we woke up to a beautiful, clear, warm day.  I have to say it's a little weird being in a hotel that overlooks a main street and where the balconies basically touch (maybe we should have stayed at the J.W. Marriott further out of town).  I alsmost did my usual morning ritual of wrapping in a towel and sitting on the deck, but at the last minute I decided it was better to put on some actual clothes.  And good thing 'cause the people in the room next to us were sitting on their deck with their young kids.  I may have nudist tendancies, but I'm not an exhibitionist! 

The day is going to start with a walk along the boardwalk and then who knows ... I can't wait to see what it brings!