Days 6, 7, & 8

Sorry but for the first time I did not have anytime to update the blog. But here are the updates for Days 6, 7, and 8. 

Day 6

Well this was the big day. The day I would do something I have never done in my life, and something I never thought I was going to do. Today was the day I was going skydiving. We woke up early and left the place at 8:30 after we saw France beat England in the woman's world cup. We drove to Dillingham Airfield near Northshore, which was about 45 minutes from Hye-Jung's apartment. We had a check-in time at 9:30, which we though we would jump shortly after. Boy were we wrong !!! They were doing the jumps by first come, first serve. So we ended up waiting 4 hours because there were so many people. The wait was taxing and exhausting, but I will say this, it helped with the nerves. On the drive over, I was super nervous and jumpy. But after waiting several hours and seeing jumper after jumper come back fine, I was so ready to just do it. By the time we were up, I did feel some nerves, which explained me going to the bathroom about 20 times in a 10 minute period. But once we started to walk over to the airplane, I had a sense of relaxation. It helped that Hye-Jung was super calm too.

We boarded the plane and I was the second from last to jump, Hye-Jung was the last. I sat right in front of my instructor Jake at the end. The plane ride up was about 15 minutes long and was a really cool view. The instructors were also so ridiculous. They were joking with each other and have a ton of fun. The best quote was made by one of the instructors when someone on the plane asked if anyone has ever backed out at this point. He said "sure tons of people have back out, but their strapped to me and they don't have a choice anymore." Once we hit the elevation, the plane kinda went into cruise control and one by one we jumped. When it was my turn, the instructor had my back turn out of the plane and all I did was squat down with my hands across my chest. Then in one moment I was in the plane, the next thing I knew I was doing back flips and spins while free falling. IT WAS AMAZING !!!! I was such a weird but peaceful feeling. The free fall last for about 15 to 20 seconds. The only time I got a little nervous was when he pulled the cord for the parachute to open. The reason was because there was a sudden drop and then we flew up and glided around. The view was stunning. The only thing that sucked was the straps on my legs were so tight that killed my legs. I lost complete circulation in my legs in about 10 seconds once we started parachuting down. We made a perfect landing, and then went back to the club house. I did buy the video, so I will try and post it later.

After we got done with skydiving, it was 2pm and we were starving. We went to KillerTocos. It was amazing. After that we drove through NorthShore and went to Turtle Beach and saw some massive sea turtles on the sand. After that we went to the Dole Pineapple Factory for dessert and sight seeing. To end things, on the way home we went for an amazing hike. It was a perfect way to end the day. Oh wait, we ended up going out that night for a couple of drinks and to meet up with her friends.

Day 7

Day 7 started out by waking up at 5:30am and leaving the apartment at 6am to head out for an 8k. The run was in Kailua. The drive to Kailua was amazing, we went through the mountains and drove along the coastline was crazy pretty. I got to meet Hye-Jung's former professors, all of which are awesome. I ran the 8K in 38:09 and finished 30th overall. After the run we hung out and enjoyed hanging out with some of Hye-Jung's classmates. We later went to the beach and jumped in the water for a little swim. After that we got some amazing breakfast.

After we got back to the apartment, we relaxed for a little and hung out. We then did another hike called Manoa Falls. The hike was super cool. It was in the rain forest and at the end of it there was a small waterfall. The hike overall took about a hour to finish. We then went to dinner and later chilled back at the apartment.

Day 8

Today was another busy day. It started out by waking up at 7am to head to Pearl Harbor. We visited the Battleship Missouri and learned all of the history that happened on the ship. Two interesting facts are that Harry Truman's daughter christened the ship and the signing of the treaty that ended World War II took place in Japan on the ship. Just stepping on the ship makes you feel the presence of present and past soldiers. After that we took the fairy to see the Arizona Battleship Memorial. It is a beautiful memorial sitting on top of the sunk ship. 

After we finished at Pearl Harbor we went to lunch and then went back to the apartment. After a little time for some rest, we went on yet another hike. The hike was up a ridge and absolutely amazing. The hike was about 1.5 hours long and was in Hawaii Kai. After the hike we piked up Rader and went and got an acia bowl at the health bar. Tonight is my last night in Hawaii, and I can say this without a doubt. I am going to miss Hawaii sooo much !!! But I am also ready to get back home. I leave tomorrow at 7:30pm, so I really have another day to enjoy.

Well that is it, I hope you enjoy. I will add all of the pictures in another post. Later !!!!

I will post the pictures for Days 6, 7, and 8 in a separate post.

Day 5

Today was just like everyday I have spent in Hawaii, amazing. Today I woke up and hung out with Hye Jung in the morning for a little. Then she went to work early and I just relaxed at the apartment until noon. Rader picked me up and we went to Waikiki for a little body boarding. The beach was packed but there were some nice 5-6 feet sets that came in. I caught a couple nice waves that I rode in to the wall but could never get past the wall and ride all the way into the shoreline. Just to explain it to you so you understand what I mean about ride it into the wall, where we went there was a massive cement wall that allows the waves to break. You basically wanted to wait about 30-40 feet in front of this wall in order to catch a nice wave and then ride it to the right around the wall.

We body board for 3 hours and the got out of the water and went back to Hye Jung's apartment. After a quick shower and a nice little rest, Hye Jung took me on an amazing hike. I forgot the name of the hike, but it basically followed an old railroad track up a mountain. The hike was in all honestly one of the toughest I have ever done. It was basically like doing the stair master for a hour straight. The incline and altitude change also made it tough to catch your breath. Once we got to the top, the trek was immediately worth it. The views are absolutely amazing. We hung out on top for like 10 minutes and then made are way down and back home.

Once we took shower and got ready, we left the apartment and went to pick up Rader. After that we headed out to Waikiki to a place called Dukes. Let me say this, Waikiki at night is crazy !!! There are sooo many tourists. It turned out that Dukes was way too packed and the wait was going to be over a hour long, so we decided to go to a Koren restaurant. Once we got there, Hye Jung did all the ordering. We got several different items that turned out to be amazing. The food was amazing and the experience was even better. After we left the restaurant, we took Rader back home and then went back to the apartment. It was a perfect ending to a long day.

On a side note, I forgot my camera in Hye Jung's car, thus I will post pictures later tonight. I am also going Skydiving today which I can't wait !!!!!!!!!!!! I will post pictures later today.

Day 4

FYI, If you looking for the Spitting Caves Jump, its below in the next post.

Day 4 was a day mixed with a little relaxation, adventure, and wonderful entertainment. The day started out with Hye Jung and I cooking breakfast together. After that she went to work early because she had an open house. I just hung around the apartment and relaxed. Around noon John picked me up for some body boarding. We made a quick stop at Bob's snorkeling, the board and fins rental was only $9 bucks per day, Awesome !!!!. After the board pick-up we went to Waikiki beach to do a little body boarding. The waves were decent, but there was a south-eastern wind that was killing the break. But overall it was fun and I caught a couple of decent waves.

After body boarding we went back to Hye Jung's apartment and got change. Hye Jung and I went to Germanes Luau. John dropped us off at the Waikiki Gateway Hotel where there was a bus pick-up for the luau. When we got on to the bus we sat in the back, we immediately noticed a large group of extremely obnoxious people. They were all our age people who were drunk and from Ohio, enough said !!! Just to make myself clear they were from OHIO !!!!

Anyways, on the ride over we were able to make small talk with the tour guide, who turned out to be a native and a really cool person. His name was Travis and had a few friends that graduated from UCF. Later on we exchanged information because in late September he is headed my way.

Once we got to the luau, we found a nice table with a great view of the stage and made friends with the people at our table. There was a couple with their kids from Montreal, and the other couple was on their honeymoon from West Virgina. We sat down, had a couple of drinks and then waited for the show/ food to begin. After we stood in line at the buffet line, we sat down and ate and watch the great show. It was a nice easy night with great food and drinks. 

Fire pit where the pig cooked

Spitting Caves Jump

38 ft jump

I would like to thank John Rader for his amazing camera work. Without him, the moment would have never been caught. Hope you enjoy.

Day 3

Day 3 started off with an amazing hike. We went to Diamond Head, which is an extinct volcanic crater located south east of Waikiki. It was about a 20 minute drive from Hye Jung’s place. The trail is 1.6 miles round trip and climbs 560 feet from the crater floor to an elevation of 761 feet (stole this from a website). We got there around 8:30, and I am very thankful that it was that early. The sun is right on top of you during the hike, making it very hot and allowing your skin to fry very quickly. The hike itself was pretty amazing, starts with paved road which turns into crushed rock as you incline. Once you get 3/4^ths the way there you have clime stairs. It is a phenomenal workout. Once you reach the top, all the hard work of reaching it is quickly recognized. The view on top is absolutely amazing. You have a full 360 view of Waikiki and the surrounding areas.

After we spent some time up there, we hiked down. On the way down, I was finally hit with jet-lag. Since I reached Hawaii, I really didn’t feel any different and thought I had adjusted to the time zone switch extremely well, I was wrong. Once we got back into the car, I felt like I hadn’t slept in 3 or 4 days. So I went with Hye Jung to do some errands quickly, and then went home. Once we got back to the apartment, I took a shower and passed out for about 4 hours. It was enough time for Hye Jung to go to school and teach and be back before I knew it.

In the evening, we took a boat cruise. The boat was a Catamaran that could fit about 35 people comfortably. The boat set sail and took us out on the coastline of Waikiki. There were about 20 people on board total and was a nice experience. We saw a nice sunset and the highlight was seeing a dolphin swim next to the boat. John picked us up and took us to a local burger shop and after dinner, we went back to the apartment and crashed.

On a side note, I am begging to see why locals don’t really care for tourist. They put up with them because they know they are vital for their economy, but in all honesty would be much happier if they weren’t around. People that visit this island simply don’t respect it as much as the locals do. They come to the island thinking they can do what they want and not respect any rules. I saw/ heard of events like this several times yesterday. I wish humanity would just open their eyes in general.

The other thing I wanted to bring up is the native Polynesian people. When I first arrived, I thought I was going to see a ton of them, but I have been wrong big time. Finding a pure Polynesian is the same as finding a pure Native American. There simply is not any left. The customs and traditions have been preserved, but the race has slowly been integrated with others.

 

The very top of the mountain is where we hiked to

Finally reached the top and the view of the ocean

View of the north east on top of Diamond Head

View of the south coastline on top of Diamond Head

View of Waikiki from Diamond Head

On the Boat ride, there were a couple just married

Some cool pictures of the sunset and coastline

My favorite

Day 2

Yesterday was crazy. I really can't put the feelings and amazement into words. The day started off by me waking up at 6am and getting a ton of work done. It followed by Hye Jung taking me to breakfast to a local place that uses only organic ingredients. The food was amazing.

After breakfast, we planned the week out and then Rader picked me up and took me surfing. The waves were averaging 3 to 5 feet. I was able to catch a nice 4'ft and ride it out on my knees, my best wave of the day. I was also able to catch a coupe others, which I stood up but bailed pretty quickly. It was great getting back into the water.

After surfing we picked Hye Jung up from school, and headed out to Spitting Caves. Spitting Caves is crazy. When you first get there and see it, you immediately start feeling the adrenaline shoot threw your veins. It is about a 38 foot jump from the top to the water. You have to clear about 1 foot out when you jump, otherwise your hitting rocks. There is about a 10 foot opening that you are aiming for once the tide clears. Thank God for John Rader. He is the one who showed me this jump and explained how to do it and most importantly what not to do. It was amazing to jump it !!! After you jump it, you really respect it but start to love it.

When we first got to spitting cave, there was no one there. After the first jump people began to trickle through to watch.  After my second jump, a lady in her mid 50's wanted to do it. I stayed on the bottom, while Rader explained what she had to do. I didn't know why at the time, but I had a really bad feeling in my gut that something was going to go wrong. Well, she jumped it, and she made it. But when she came up, she somehow had cut the tip of her nose off during the impact into the water. It was a bloody mess. It made me respect spitting caves much more.

After that we went to Costco to eat and then went sight seeing. Let me say, it seems like every time you turn around on this island, there is just something amazing to see. I can't put into words how breath taking the view were. I hope the pictures I took justify the way I felt. It was a perfect way to spend the rest of the evening. Gotta love Hawaii !!!!!!!!!!!

The cruiser and boards

After we got done cliff jumping, we see a ton of fish.

Old Army Bunker

An old army bunker

John Rader, Hye Jung Kim, Me ;-}

I am that tourist who only puts sun screen on a certain part of my back. My back got fried !!!