Anyway, on to my NYE recap... I rang in 2006 in the lovely Land of Aloha in Waikiki with Paula, MJ, and Regan. It was fun, fun, fun!
We arrived into Honolulu on December 31st at around 4pm-ish - just enough time to either get rested up or psyched for the night's endevours. We stayed our first three nights at Ohana Royal Islander which was quite the hole...they were actually shutting their doors permanently the day we checked out on January 3rd (so maintenance wasn't a major priority)...rumor has it Trump is looking to buy on that older end of Waikiki that they're revitalizing. We'll see...
Hawaii Nightlife, here we come!!!
We went to this place called Fashion 45 for our new year's eve celebration, which apparently is THE place to be in Waikiki, or at least from what Paula heard over the radio. Good call with us being too lazy to stand in the long (somewhat more ghetto-ish clientele) line at Zanzabar. We had a blast with shots galore (seeing that it's my new year's resolution not to take any shots in 2006, I had to get my fill before midnight) and champagne!
Sunday we had absolutely nothing planned and had lunch at Duke's and lounged on Waikiki beach - actually relaxing on a vacation is so rare, don't you think? Monday was a bit more active. We got up early (still on Houston time), had breakfast, and headed for Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling. It was rainy, so our time there wasn't as pleasant as it could've been but the sun did decide to show itself about the time it was scheduled for our shuttle to pick us up...go figure! Paula and I ended the night sitting by the pool at the Outrigger Reef across from our crappy hotel that night discussing everything and anything.
Tuesday was even more active. We checked out of our hell hole early and checked into the Ohana Beachcomber. Much better!!! The view from our balcony was awesome!
Balcony view to the left of our hotel at sunset- Beautiful Waikiki Beach
Balcony view to the right of our hotel - Gorgeous, green mountains
We set out to hike Manoa Falls after having a phenomenal breakfast at Buzz's Steakhouse - portugese sausage...yummy! The trek was pretty muddy but worth it, and the plant life was extraordinary! Being in the concrete jungles of downtown and midtown Houston makes you forget how green everything can be. After the falls, we had lunch at the Ala Moana Shopping Center (aka the Galleria of Honolulu). Phew! We were all pretty worn out after that hike!
Manoa Falls
Wednesday, we had a rather quick hike up Diamond Head Crater. As usual, it was a spectacular view! Afterwards, we watched Vince Young and the 'Horns kick someTrojan ass! We met one of MJ's friends' friend Roland who was more than hospitable by taking us to a local sports bar called Eastside Bar and Grill by the university to watch the Rose Bowl. It was so happening that the Honolulu Advertiser (the local newspaper) was there taking pictures. According to Roland, MJ made it into two local newspapers. Man, talk about luck! After the the game, we headed for the airport for our red-eye flight back to H-Town. I could've stayed another week, but such is life!
The Crew at Diamond Head - note that I was too short to be seen from behind the sign and had to stand on the back of it...thus, the missing pair of feet...lol
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