Pearl Harbour Trip

With Nancy and Sam returning from Hawaii this evening, I am taking some time out from my bachelor weekend to update the blog with some photos from my recent trip to Pearl Harbour. On the Wednesday on my holiday, I was up early to catch a 6am flight from Maui to Honolulu and watched the sunrise over the islands from my seat. A short taxi ride and I was a the entrance to Pearl Harbour, which continues to be a working US naval base.

The photos illustrate the USS Arizona memorial, which was one of the battleship to be sunk and destroyed by the Japanese in their surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. The day after the attack was when the Americans entered World War 2. This was certainly moving, but a major highlight for me was the visit to the USS Missouri which was the last battleship to be commissioned to the US Navy. It was also the site where World War 2 officially ended, as the delegation of the Japanese signed the unconditional surrender on the deck of this ship. So you could say that these two ships at Pearl Harbour are the book ends of WW2 for the Americans. Well worth a visit.

The Sun Keeps on Shining....

As I write this blog update, there are reports from friends and family back in Vancouver that it has been snowing in the last 24 hours. This weather is hard to imagine as I tap away at the laptop whilst my toes are slowly cooking in the Maui sunshine. I only have a day left before I step back on the airplane to return to Canada and so a good opportunity to reflect on the last week.

As you would expect it has been a very relaxing week, with the constant sound of the ocean waves rolling onto the beach outside our apartment. Some of the active highlights of the holiday were boogie boarding, paddle boarding, seeing giant sea turtles, drinking massive margaritas at the local bar, a fantastic sushi meal, sunsets, daily swims and morning beaches walks with Sam. On the topic of Sam, he seems to have really enjoyed himself after discovering sand for the first time and pretty quickly realising it is not for eating. He has been a constant source of smiles and entertainment, plus his swimming technique has continued to improve. I am very jealous that Nancy, Sam and Wendy get to stay on for their third week of Maui, but some of us have to keep the Canadian economy growing!

P.S. I will also update the blog with a post on my day trip to Honolulu and Pearl Harbour.

The First 24 Hours in Maui

It has been a while since my last blog post and the reason for this is that my whole focus in life recently has been to get through work and jump on a plane to Maui. Nancy, Sam and Wendy left for the Hawaiian Island last Sunday and are enjoying the sunshine for three weeks. This meant that I experienced the daily torture of getting updates/photos of Sam's first visit to the beach, trips to the swimming pool and general fun in the sun, whilst I was sitting in my office in rainy Vancouver.

I have now been here for just over 24 hours and sitting on the balcony with the sun rising behind me, warming the back of my neck. The ocean waves are in the background and a couple of palm trees are fluttering away in front of me. The first day involved waking up to an early morning session of yoga by the beach, brunch, a dip in the swimming pool with Sam and then a very short walk to swim in the Pacific ocean. Early evening involved a gin and tonic watching the magnificent sunset.

One of the minor highlights was the discovery of coconut M&Ms, which is a local treat in Hawaii. Emily and Kris brought me a packet from their recent visit as these are only available on the Islands. Nancy and I found a place nearby selling them and we indulged ourselves in the evening.