We’re on the 9th floor of the Outrigger Reef. There’s a dark blue line on the horizon where the water meets the sky. There are two white sailboats just below that, where the blue color lightens to gray just a little, and then it fades in to a pale green. If I walk to the balcony and look to my left, I see Diamond Head in perfect detail against the pale blue sky.
Looking down, I see the tops of yellow umbrellas against the golden sand of the beach. There are plenty of people there, but nothing like the crowds we saw last time we found ourselves picking our way between beach towels and boogie boards and surfboard rental stands. An island guy has roped a family into having their picture taken with a bunch of exotic birds, one blue parrot, one red one, is that a cockatoo? He drapes the family in brightly colored leis, puts his sunglasses on the smallest child and backs up to shoot their photo. The blue parrot flaps his wings on command.
I can hear a family chattering in Spanish and the surf rolling onto the sand and the birds in the eaves above our room, or maybe they’re in the coconut palms below us.
Earlier this afternoon, we sat in Kapiolani Park and listened to the Royal Hawaiian Band. To me, there’s nothing that evokes Hawaii about the music; the march tunes and heavily orchestrated hapa-haole tunes make me think of Austrian summer festivals or musicals featuring Dick Van Dyke dancing in a striped jacket and a straw boater — clearly I don’t know enough about the European influence on Hawaiian music. Amused and flustered by a tune called the Hawaiian Scotsman — the lyrics go something like “she stole me kilts and left her grass skirts instead” — we wander away from the bandstand in 4/4 time.
My belly is full of mango milkshake, my nose is full of the smell of salt air. The tops of my feet are just a little itchy with sunburn and I’m oh so thirsty from the five and a half hour flight. I could use a shower, a cup of coffee, a big salad, a lot more water. At the end of the seawall, I can see the silouhette of fisherman, casting their lines.
I could not be happier.
Thanks for making me jealous but still making me smile. Have a wonderful time.
Just another day in paradise — enjoy!
post lots of photos when you come back
I love your Hawaii posts. Keep ’em coming.
BTW, I forgot – one of the saxophonists in the RHB was my first `ukulele-playing partner (he lived across the street). He’s also now a prof. at UH’s music department. As you said, Pam, small world.