Oahu,
Hawaii
What
a long flight, over the frozen north
to
this place
which
is what the Golden Gate of San Fransisco looks like from the air.
Changed
to a smaller plane for further 6 hour flight to Honolulu on Oahu. Greeted with beautiful lei, lovely smell too.
Time difference is 10 hours behind so dealing with jet lag and long
flight makes me realise not quite as young as I'd like to think.
Fortunately first day completely free to look at the weather one way
and
the other, from our hotel room!
Had
a gentle stroll to get some bearings past a banyan tree, these are the roots!
Then chilled before watching a pretty good sunset on the beach.
Then chilled before watching a pretty good sunset on the beach.
On
to Pearl Harbour this morning, Oahu is the rainbow isle,
There are two good and interesting museums and
then we visited the SS Arizona which is grave to some 1177 initial
victims when a bomb hit the ammunition store causing a huge explosion
and now the ashes of another 37 who survived the attack have been
added.
We were ferried out and then spend 15 mins on the memorial building built over the sunken ship, not quite as peaceful as should be as many tourists just chattering.
We were ferried out and then spend 15 mins on the memorial building built over the sunken ship, not quite as peaceful as should be as many tourists just chattering.
The total crew was some
1500 mostly young men and although one commander had suggested an air
attack was possible there wasn't enough money 'at the time' to run
flights to check for aircraft carriers!
The
Japanese had 7 or 8 huge carriers
and were able to launch well over 300 planes which devastated the harbour with all the battleships neatly in a row to make aiming so much easier and also air strips, planes in a row too! The Japanese general who planned it recognised potential pitfalls and was actually against the war.
and were able to launch well over 300 planes which devastated the harbour with all the battleships neatly in a row to make aiming so much easier and also air strips, planes in a row too! The Japanese general who planned it recognised potential pitfalls and was actually against the war.
Quote by the Japanes general.
The
incoming planes were mis-recognised by the early radar operator who
was new to his job so there were a number of missed opportunities to
have avoided the destruction but there were only about 2500
casualties so it was the damage to ships and planes that was
important. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit the SS Missouri
where the surrender documents that ended the Pacific war were signed.
Back
via the national cemetery where no headstones are allowed
but
the dead are looked after by 'Mother'.
Beautiful surrounding flowers
Last day on this island we joined an excursion to the north shore starting at a temple,
Last day on this island we joined an excursion to the north shore starting at a temple,
very picturesque
ring
the bell to get in
which
also has mainly a flat stone cemetery
but the Japanese are
rather more exotic!
No
predators for the fish
Then
on via Sunset beach you might just see a surfer in the distance
and
Turtle beach, guess what you see there!
Back
via The Dole Plantation one of the world's largest pineapple farms,
their ice cream pretty good but colourful garden too. Outside is a deep valley in the hills which is a direct line from the east coast to Pearl Harbour, some bomb aimer!
Early
start tomorrow for our next island Kauai.
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