CHAPTER 27
Well this was it, the last stop on our Pacific odyssey. Four final days on O’Ahu before our jet plane back to reality. Though we loved our two weeks on Maui, (I would happily still be sitting there on the soft Kihei sand with a sundowner in hand if finances allowed) we had a desire to see what the more busy side of island life had to offer in Honolulu, before we headed home.
Our hotel offered an amazing “sea view” which was quite spectacular if you leaned way out over the balcony railing, craned your neck to see around the corner of the building and then tried to imagine what the sea might look like if those three other high-rises weren’t in the way. Luckily, it was only a short walk to the actual sea front, where nothing, except the rather oppressive open container laws, could take away from the je ne sais quoi of Waikiki Beach.
In true tourist fashion, we hiked up Diamond Head, toured Pearl Harbor, and took a catamaran sailing cruise of the bay, but our favorite thing we did, which we did three times without embarrassment, was eat nachos at a little restaurant off the beaten track called Cha Cha Cha 2. They were delicious, and oh so cheesy- quite possibly one of the best things we ate on the entire trip.
Our last night on the island we spent strolling down the beach- an extravagant luau being put on at one of the pricey hotels for a bunch of Japanese tour groups kept us entertained for awhile, but we moved on and soon came to a lonely rock jetty where a few other couples were seated, looking up at the Pacific stars. And then, as if on cue, the fireworks started. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.
Now we are home, back in Colorado, back in the real world. I tend to have an aversion to this place, the “real world”, and much prefer the apparent ease of traveling and the carefree lifestyle that it implies. But at the same time, I often yearn for the comforts of home, the friends and family that we miss and the sense of security offered by the familiar. The truth is, you need both to be happy. Without travel, home life would become tedious and boring. Without a home, traveling becomes tiring and meaningless. The traveling life and the home life balance each other out- and it is this balance which we are still trying to perfect. As of now, the pendulum has swung towards home, but soon enough it will swing back and when it does I hope you will join us on our next adventure and follow along with our website.
Until next time, Dave and Kacey
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