Tourism pure

Honolulu, on the Oahu island of Hawaii, lets us indulge in main stream tourism. Dinner on the first night is an exception: Our wonderfully uncomplicated host Matt takes us to the only remaining traditional Hawaiian restaurant in town, and we get to know an entirely different cuisine, with some special treats (such as Lomi Salmon, a salmon and tomato salad) and some acquired tastes (like Poi, the sauce from fermented Taro). To digest the huge amount of food, we stroll through Waikiki by night, watching other tourists watching other tourists, as Matt puts it. On the second day, we catch more than enough sun at Waikiki beach and spend the evening at a Luau, a well done, colorful show of local and Polynesian dances, coming with a fine buffet that includes Kalua pork, cooked in the imu, an oven holed into the ground. A taxi takes us directly from this feast to the airport, from where we leave at midnight for Sydney on Air Canada. We will keep excellent memories of the laid back and friendly nature of people here! Quite a change from mainland USA, which nowadays often beats Europe in the rudeness competition.