So, up early and in the swimming pool (the one with 1.25 million individual pieces glass) ... the water was just as warm as the air ... which was therefore rather lovely. It is, I believe, a 25 metre pool and I managed a few lengths before hunger took over.
I am trying to skip suppers at the moment ... but it is easier said than done!
First up - surfing. The last time I tried this "sport", I fell in several (hundred) times, swallowed most of the Pacific Ocean and vowed never to get on a board again. It was in La Jolla at Surf Divas ... and if I remember, my tutor was tall & blonde ... maybe a wee distracting! Today, my tutor Hans Hedemann, ex-Pro surfer, had me on my board ... and surfing within 20 minutes and I mean standing and riding the waves for at least 30 - 40 seconds! Oh Joy! oh Joy! So Gena ... and my friends at Surf Divas ... yay!
From there it was to the Bishop Museum - the Hawaiian museum. Here I met with Donalyn Dela Cruz who took me round this quite lovely place. The history of Hawaii is happy & sad ... it was once a Kingdom and was intrinsically linked with Polynesia and New Zealand ... AND was a huge friend of the British. Then the Americans came along and basically "took" Hawaii by force - deposed the monarchy - and Hawaii eventually became the 50th state of the USA. The history lesson above is patchy ... but the museum tells you the whole story. It's the first stop on any visit to Hawaii ... definitely.
Chef Mavro (George Mavrothalassitis) is the most famous chef in Hawaii. His restaurant has just been awarded the 5-Star Diamond Award ... and he once won the James Beard Award (very prestigious). Anyway, with his wife Donna, Chef owns this lovely restaurant on South King Street. He is French (with a Greek name) and he cooks with local ingredients. We cooked a fish dish ... it was LOVELY! What a wonderful way to end a stunning day!
I STOOD UP ON A SURF BOARD! YAY!
Song of the Day: Surfin' USA - Beach Boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1FaflUn4Co
Weather: Sunny ... then Monsoony!
early morning swim!
surfin USA!
happy varun & happy hans
yes - i am not cool ...
with donalyn
chef mavro!
