Next Stop: Hawaii

Palm trees, coconuts, piña coladas, sky blue water, leis … I don’t know about you, but all these things remind me of Hawaii.

Ever since those cliche movies which take place in Hawaii – soul surfer (the movie where ‘Bethany Hamilton’ gets her arm bitten off by the shark and learns to surf with one arm), 50 first dates (the movie where a guy named Henry begins dating a girl, Lucy, to later find out she suffers from short term memory loss) – I’ve always thought about visiting Hawaii. It just seems like some exotic, magical place where it’s physically impossible to not be happy.

If you didn't know, the movie Soul Surfer was actually based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton's life!
If you didn’t know, the movie Soul Surfer was actually based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton’s life!
The two main characters in "50 First Dates"
The two main characters in “50 First Dates”

Two of my best friends (whose families are also best friends) take trips every other summer together and a few years ago they went to Hawaii. Seeing their pictures made me even more jealous of how I still have not been able to visit.

Supposedly, something Hawaii is known for is its waves. I can’t say if this is true or not since I’ve never been there, but if I believe everything I’ve read on Google, people from all over the world go to Hawaii solely to either surf or watch other people surf. Ever since I became interested in surfing, witnessing these huge waves was added to my bucket list. Obviously I wouldn’t be the one to actually surf them, but to watch someone do so in person would be an amazing opportunity. If this interests you, I highly suggest visiting Oahu’s North shore at Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, or the Banzai Pipeline to see some experienced surfers in action!

Why do restaurants call pizza with pineapple and ham, “hawaiian pizza”? Is it really hawaiian? Well, yes, there are pineapples in Hawaii, but Hawaii is also known for many more of its more exotic, unique fruits. Have you ever heard of the Rambutan, Egg fruit, Poha berry, or starfruit? I’d definitely make sure to try the authentic Hawaiian food. There’s a small, local restaurant named “Helena’s Hawaiian Food” located in Kalihi, a neighborhood to the west of the main town of Honolulu. They’re most famous for their pipi kaula short ribs – marinated for a minimum of overnight, smoked, and dried for at least 12 hours before being cooked. When my friends and their families visited Hawaii, they tried this restaurant and said it’s well worth the wait (considering there are only 11 tables inside).

When I went snorkeling in Ecuador (refer to some of my first few blogs about my experience in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands), a few people asked me if I’d ever been snorkeling in Hawaii. My answer was always no, but after listening to what they had to say (from experience), I know that (depending on where you go snorkeling), the aquatic life in Hawaii is incredible.

While you can pretty much sightsee wherever you go, just from pictures, I know that Hawaii is a place with amazing scenery. It’s volcanoes and beaches, tropical valleys, mountain ranges, and waterfalls make sightseeing a must do.  

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