Local people, they give you advice. As do the guidebooks. And you should totally listen. You should not be all, “Meh, whatever. We’ll just deal.” Because then you will have been to Oahu, what, twice, three times, and STILL not seen the wonder that is Hanauma Bay. It is your own damn fault.
Pay attention, now is when you get to learn from our mistakes.
- You really DO have to get up early to go to Hanauma Bay. See, the parking lot is tiny and as soon as it’s full, you can not get in. Alternate plan? Take public transit or some kind of shuttle, or hell, maybe a cab, even. It’s not like there’s nothing else to do on the island, but this is supposed to be special. Like I’d know. We headed out way to late and couldn’t get in.
- Slather on the bug juice when you’re in the greener parts of the islands. Some people (they’d be me) are mosquito magnets and there they sit, eating their salad with the pineapple in it and when they get back to their room, they discover that on the menu for humans, there was a salad with pineapple in it, but on the menu for mosquitos, there was mainlander coated with light basting of sunscreen. I swear, it looks like I have some kind of pox. It itches like crazy.
- Seriously, just pull over and let the locals pass. You drive the road (be in the Hana Highway or the road to Ke’e Beach) once every two years, they drive it every freakin’ day. They’ll run up your tail, making you nervous and shining their lights in your rear view mirror. What’s your hurry? For all you know, the impatient driver behind you has work to do, kids to pick up, and yeah, they could just be a jerk, but let them go. It’s the right thing to do. And safer for everyone.
- You do not have enough time. Take note, the trip you are making is only a planning work in progress for the next trip. Say you blew it and didn’t get to Hanauma Bay. No big deal, right, because it’s on the agenda for your next trip. Again. Because you blew it on the previous trip too and didn’t learn.
- You should have bought that uke the first time instead of thinking, oh, I can just get that on the mainland when I have the dough. Yeah, right. You think you’re going to find that beautiful Kanile’a for 800 bucks back home, do you? Ha. What’s the inverse of buyer’s remorse? The one that got away, maybe. What I’m saying is this: Buy the damn ukulele already.
You know what to do. In short, get up early, wear bug juice, pull over, save it for next time, and buy the damn ukulele, already.
This is great advice – completely cracks me up! Still going to pass on that ukulele however…
Terry and I have had so many purchase-regrets over the years that now we have a policy – if we love it, buy it. If we grow tired of it, can always give it away. Great lessons!
Actually, it is a lot better to hit Hanauma Bay in the afternoon when the crowd dies down. Take it from a local.
Aloha
Jeff