January 13th 2018
Aloha! My first full day in Honolulu was spent in the most typical Hawaiian way: at the beach! Waikiki Beach that is.
Conveniently located a mere block from where I am staying, Waikiki Beach is actually composed of 8 sections of white sand paradise. I spent a long time letting the Polynesian sun warm my skin while partaking in my favourite activity: people watching! There’s a lot happening on Waikiki Beach, from surfing to stand up paddle & boogie boarding to swimming and sunbathing.
Nearby, on Kuhio Beach, is the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing. The Duke stands proudly with his arms open, welcoming visitors to his home. Kahanamoku is a Hawaiian hero, one of the world’s greatest watermen as well as Olympic medalist, surfing instructor, Hollywood star and Hawaiian goodwill ambassador.
In the mid-day heat, the beach gets very crowed with colourful umbrellas dotting the white sand.
I have never identified myself as a ‘beach person’ – I’m so fair that I don’t tolerate the sun very well. However, I’m apparently a Hawaiian beach person. Who knew?! When I was tired of the sun and sand, I decided to cool off with Hawaii’s classic treat: shaved ice.
Basically a fancy form of a slush puppie, it comes with various syrup options. Naturally, I chose pineapple (when in Rome…). What follows is a fine balancing act between eating it quickly before it completely melts and eating is slowly to avoid getting a brain freeze. (I won that battle, I’m proud to say). A perfectly refreshing treat to re-energize after a day spent in the sun. The only thing that would have made it better, was if they had a champagne flavour! You know me, classy all the way! 😉
Sunsets on Waikiki Beach are the perfect spot to get back into my meditation practice…..the sound of the waves rhythmically crashing upon the shore, the gentle breeze washing over me, the sky metamorphosing into a colourful display of reds, yellows and oranges…. no better place to be mindfully present than here, don’t you think?
I think I’m going to like it here…!