I have to say, Waikiki to my opinion is paradise. Before booking the trip, we were told by many of our friends that Waikiki is very busy and crowded, both Orsolya and I found it very relaxing and just the right amount of people. There was always room on the beach, the streets were alive with hustle and bustle, but it was never so busy that we couldn’t walk comfortably. I will admit that we did go the weekend right after Thanksgiving, so the crowds had dies down a bit, but none the less, if you like a place that is alive, Waikiki is definitely for you.

If you are ever going there, there are a few things to keep in mind:

The place is for tourists so it is a bit on the pricey side, okay fine, its very much on the pricy side. But I think it is worth it. If you are smart and do your research you will enjoy yourself at the rate that suits your budget. There is everything at its own price. So plan ahead, look at guides and recommendations on the web before you go. Most of the restaurants, bars and clubs have ratings online based what kind of service they provide and how much it costs.

Unlike some of the other beach destinations, Waikiki beach is fully accessible by the public. Along the beach are multiple high end hotels that all have access to the beach. However, none of the hotels prohibit visitors from entering their little piece of the sandy beach. They might however reserve certain areas (the immediate area in front of the hotel) but access to the beach is not in any way restricted. There is a slew of catamaran rides, umbrellas, seats and drinks available independently from the hotels all along the beach. Towels and beach mats are most likely provided by your hotel so do talk to your hotel staff.

The dress code is lax; bathing suits and bikini’s is all you need to walk around. If you are into clubbing and going out, I do recommend bringing a good set of clubbing clothes with you, some of the clubs such as Level4 and Zanzabar do enforce dress codes. Guys bring blk dress pants, dress shoes and nice dress shirts, ladies…. you can get in pretty much in anything.

For food, drinks and entertainment, there is all sorts of venues available. However there are 2 places I strongly recommend.

#1 Egss ‘n Thnigs: this place is the dingiest little corner breakfast place that I would have never gone too. However, all of the touristic books that I read, referred to this place as one of the best breakfast joints in the whole area.You walk into a dark little store, give your name and about 20 minutes later you get called to go upstairs. The space upstairs is tight too, but once you get the food, your attitude will change. Oh did I mention they serve breakfast till 3? That definitely worked with out schedule.

#2 The Yard house: bar and grill, they server a huge variety of beers (over a hundred on tap) and the staff really know their stuff too. The other cool thing about this place is that they server their beer by 1/2 yards, so you can drink a lot.

Overall, both Orsolya and I absolutely fell in love with Waikiki. Not just the beach but streets and boutiques all around it. I loved the fact that the stores, bars and restaurants were open till the AM and that the people were utterly nice. From shop keeps to the people you met on the streets every one is kind and relaxed. By the time you have to pack your bags and leave, you don’t want to anymore. I know we for sure had alot of trouble letting go.

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We did this hike back in September on Labour day. I do have to admit the hike up wasn’t the easiest i have been on, with 4.5 round trip and a total elevation gain of 2100 ft the climb is quite steep. Usually on these trails the beginning feels easily and it gradually gets harder, but this one as soon as we started the trail looked like a staircase the climbed through the woods. The switchbacks get shorter and more and more steep until about half way through the hike at which point you should be clearing the tree lines. That is when you truly appreciate the beauty of this climb. Once you get to peek above the trees you get to feast your eyes on  a vast scenery of Washington state. The second part of the climb is fairly rocky but very well maintained. We were told that we would be greeted by mountain goats, but all I could find were quails (hence they are in the pix). One of the cool things we saw was when on the top, the clouds parted for a second and you could see a chunk of snow which I presume is permanently there just appeared out of nowhere.

Total trip time for Orsolya and I was about 3.5 hours. We got there late around 4 pm and started to climb. We managed to be back in the car around 7:30 as the sun was going down. If you are planning to do this trip bring some strong shoes. You need to go through some rocks so be prepared. Water is as usual very recommended since you might get winded fast. Take the first wooded part slower, its steep so don’t tier yourself out. Also have a sweater handy with you, on the top it gets cold. We hit heavy fog; a cloud was rolling through. Hiking poles might be a good idea too. They would definitely help with the climb up and down. If you are a photographer, be ready to take a ton of panoramics.

For more details on the trail and directions check out the National Park Services website.

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The trees that Dan has gathered in this garden range from 70 to 1500 years old and are some of the most amazing pieces of nature I have ever seen. Dan explained to us how he hikes the mountains of surrounding jungles and finds these trees and nurses them back to life. The last few images above are of him working on one of his latest specimens. In the pix, he is aging the wood and making the tree to display its more rugged look.

If you are ever in Bremerton or arround the area, I strongly recommend that you visit Dan’s garden, for he will truly change the way you look at bonsai trees, and even a little bit of your life phiolosophy. Check out their website at http://www.elandangardens.com/ too for more info on the garden.