North Shore!

On our second last day we finally made it to the North Shore. We had gotten a taster of it during our Lost Tour, as some of the locations we saw were up on the North Shore, but in many ways it was just a tease and we knew we had to go back. Getting there on the bus, however is something of an ordeal. The Bus goes everywhere on Oahu but the time it takes to get there, the frequency of buses, etc. all leave something to be desired. We set out early because it was going to take the bus an hour and a half just to get to us to the North Shore, and then we’d have to wait for buses each time we wanted to go to a new spot because they aren’t really walk-able distances (between beaches, for example.)

The Dole Plantation

On our way there, we stopped at the Dole Plantation for a brief shop, snack and ride on the Pineapple Express. I never knew that Pineapples grew on the ground!

Pineapples.

Next we set out for Hale’iwa, a town on the North Shore that is quaint and fiercely local. We ate amazing good food at the Grass Skirt Grill and then shopped the local surf shops for a Pipeline t-shirt. We got on the bus again to head out towards the Pipeline where we wave-watched for a bit. I think that the waves are usually much bigger but I was still very worried for the middle-aged men heading out there with their boogie boards. Pro Surfers have DIED surfing these waves – I wouldn’t get closer than 20 feet from the shore myself! The neat thing about the Pipeline is that the break is really close to shore – so you can see people riding pipe (meaning: riding their surfboard inside the tube of the wave, aka. The Pipe) really well. Its fascinating but volatile.

The Pipeline

Someone actually getting some pipe.

Finally, our last stop before heading back to Waikiki was to go to Lanakai beach. This is a well-known spot for seeing sea turtles RIGHT ON THE BEACH. I was sure this was one of those ‘hot tips’ that is really talking about like 1 month of the year and the rest of the year all these tourists show up and sit around and never see a turtle. WRONG.

Turtles in the water.

Lanakai Beach pulls through for us!

We got off the bus, walked right up to the beach, where there were a bunch of people and saw turtles splashing around in the surf. Then, suddenly I noticed that a rock on the beach was NOT a rock. It was a turtle! Sitting right there I hadn’t even noticed it the entire time we had been watching the ones swimming. It is actually illegal to get closer than 10 feet because they are protected animals but even being that close was amazing. Again – a gorgeous animal, a magical experience. And a great way to end our day in the North Shore and our trip to Hawaii!

Hanauma Bay

After my experience snorkeling off the boat, I was really looking forward to this day. Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve so not only do you have to pay admission to enter and watch a video about conservation, but the preserve is closed one day a week – so planning is essential. I bought a cheap snorkel and mask from one of the local ABC stores and we headed out on the bus. The bus going here is packed pretty much all day as only one bus goes there and it only runs once per hour.

Another view from above.

Approaching the admission booth we got our first glimpse of the bay and it was stunning! We hurried to buy our tickets, get through the video and get down the hill and into the bay. There is a little shuttle that will take you up and down the hill and there are places at the beach that rent snorkel gear – but no food is allowed in the preserve.

Snorkeling

We staked out a spot on the beach and then I got straight into the water to try out the snorkeling. This is said to be the premier spot for snorkeling on Oahu… and it is no exaggeration. Even my mom, just wading into the water knee deep, saw at least 20 different kinds of fish!

Fishies!

Another fishie.

I ventured out further, as apparently this is a common spot for sighting sea turtles. Then, suddenly there was someone calling out across the water – there’s a sea turtle here! Its seemed no one heard them but me so I swam over and got an uninterrupted view of a sea turtles munching on some algae covered rocks. Absolutely breathtaking!

Sea Turtle? Check.

I stayed there for a long time, eventually making my way back to my mom to share my photos (and see what I had managed to capture as it was hard to review photos underwater.) I went back for a second look and got some video. It was just amazing to watch this beautiful, ancient creature – it felt like a gift.

Coming back down from getting a breath of fresh air.

Best photo of my entire holiday!

Polynesian Centre

The Polynesian Cultural Centre is a rather strange beast. It is run by Mormons and there is no alcohol anywhere on the premises. Most of the staff are students who are working there to pay their tuition for college. The Polynesian Centre doesn’t just celebrate Hawaiian culture but a whole range of other Polynesian cultures as well. The Centre is divided up into different ‘islands’ and you can visit each one and try out cultural activities, food, dancing, etc. Some of the islands there include Aeotera (New Zealand), Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, etc.

From the Island of 'Fiji'

We checked out all of the islands, made some music, ate some food, watched someone climb a coconut tree and so on. It was all very interesting but the vibe of the place was very odd to me. It was a very sterile and planned ‘cultural experience.’ Probably akin to something like Disneyland. Anyways, the highlight of the day’s activities is the Cultural Performance which is done on boats on the canals that run between all the islands. To see people dancing and drumming and stuff out on the water was actually pretty cool. Many people stay for an evening performance but it costs a lot and we weren’t sure we could get back to Waikiki on a bus that late.

I think this is Tahiti.

Another fresh flower lei.

We supplemented our cultural experience of Oahu by visiting the Bishop Museum instead. I really enjoyed this museum. They have a group of buildings and each has its own unique exhibits. This is another spot where they filmed Lost! They have a small planetarium, used for shows about the sky and movements of the stars. They have an older building that houses most of the main cultural artifacts, including feathered capes and artwork. They have a new building that is all about science and geared towards kids. There, you can make a volcano erupt, among other hands-on activities

Out in the courtyard they had a dinosaur exhibit on and there were animatronic dinosaurs everywhere. Pretty hilarious to hear them roaring and see them wagging their tails from across the lawn.

A visual map - not my image.

Hiking Diamond Head is pretty much a must-do thing if you’re on Oahu. And although the hike is challenging in parts, the view from the top is SO WORTH IT.

You first have to get a bus to the entrance to the park – this can be a challenge because this bus also goes to Hanauma Bay and only runs once an hour! It also stops at a few places along the road so be sure to get off when you see the huge Diamond Head Park sign and not before.

Not my image - but its a good view of the road into the park.

You have to walk in through an uphill road that leads you to a tunnel which finally spits you out into Diamond Head park proper. There you have to pay a small admission fee. The road and tunnel don’t have a lot of shoulder so watch for cars.

Before you begin your hike, be sure you are carrying water – most of the trail is in direct sun with very little shade. Since it is all uphill, you will dehydrate quickly. The trail is gravelly and in some places rocky as it leads you in switchbacks up the side of the crater. Keep an eye on your footing so you don’t twist an ankle.

Setting out on the hike.

The windy path makes its way uphill...

... and keeps on winding.

Up the side of the crater.

After the switchbacks you will reach three flights of stairs – the first is not bad and it is followed by a tunnel. The second is by far the worst as it looms up ahead of you. Take it one step at a time and you’ll get there.

The Tunnel

The 99 steps, as its called (also, not my image)

After that there is a spiral staircase taking you up through an old army lookout, which is where you’ll access the view at the top.

The Spiral Staircase.

At the top of the staircase is the worst surprise of all – a short ladder with a 4 foot gap that you have to get through to get out to the top. On our hike I saw many older people struggle on the stairs only to get to the top and discover that they had to climb a ladder and then bend over completely to get through this gap. It is the only way to the viewing area so be warned.

You can see the ladder in the middle with the low gap above it. (last image that isn't mine.)

At the top – the breeze and the view are glorious and in a few minutes you’ve forgotten all about the arduous hike. You can see all the way to Waikiki in one direction and it is a great view of some of the reefs below. The blue of the water is amazing!

View from the top

Reefs below.

Heading back down is easy enough, since its all downhill, but remember that gap and the ladder? Yeah, its even harder going back through it. sigh.

btw – the images I borrowed are from a blog that is even more detailed than mine about the Diamond Head Hike. check it out

da Boat.

One of the things we had been looking forward to all week was our Dolphin Tour. We headed to our meeting point bright and early and the bus took us out to the new Disney Resort on our way to the harbour. There, we saw the Black Pearl (from Pirates of the Caribbean.) After loading us all on the boat we headed out to look for Dolphins.

just a small fraction of the pod.

swimming just below the surface

Dolphins everywhere you look!

As it was daytime, they were mostly asleep. Funny thing is that when a dolphin sleeps they only put half of their brain asleep. This is because they need to swim and breathe and it is not automatic like it is in humans. They have to consciously take every breath. Because of their sleepiness we didn’t get to see any amazing jumps or acrobatics – mostly just the sheer size of the pod (upwards of 200 dolphins) and every so often a tail slap or something. Still – they were right up next to the boat and it was amazing. We did manage to see some humpback whales breeching, but they are so far away from the boat and surface so rarely – its hard to get a photo.

View from the boat.

The second part of this tour was snorkeling. I have never been snorkeling but I wanted to try it so a got all the gear and headed out with everyone else. It’s a little scary – and I have always been a bit scared of seeing underwater in a lake or ocean – but being with the group made me feel safer.

My first time snorkeling.

My group of snorkelers.

There wasn’t a lot to see so they moved us down a bit, trying to find an area where there might be sea turtles. Another boat came up near us and apparently there were dolphins in the water with us but I didn’t see them. Bummer.

Waikiki Beach.

That night we headed back to Waikiki beach to catch the free Hula Show. We got to see some really neat dances, with live Hawaiian music and singing.

Torch Lighting before the Hula Show.

FINALLY! A public beach path.

Our trek out to Kailua Beach turned out to be way more difficult than we thought. First, the bus we took did not even come CLOSE to the beach. We walked through residential streets (marked “No Public Beach Access”) for blocks and blocks in the searing sun until finally, gloriously, we found a public beach path.

Our first view of the beach.

Our first look at the beach was, however, breathtaking. It truly is a gorgeous beach. The main downside to this beach is the wind. The guidebooks tell you to get there early as the wind picks up in the afternoon, but in our experience the wind can pick up on any beach, anywhere, at any time on Oahu. I have never experienced anything quite like it – the wind literally picked up the sand and threw it at us. Constantly. So it wasn’t the relaxing and pleasant beach day we had hoped for. Every time the wind picked up we screamed a little bit at the sand blasting our (unbeknownst to us) sunburned skin. I kept running into the water to escape it.

In the beautiful blue water.

Underwater Camera.

A view of the beach from the water.

The upside was that I got to try out my camera’s underwater settings for the first time. Sweet. There really wasn’t much to take photos of underwater there, but the novelty of not having to leave my camera on the beach was rad. We got to see tons of windsurfers and kite-boarders because obviously with the wind in that area it is like a bee to honey. But the wind got old for us really fast. We then trekked halfway across Kailua to finally find a bus that would get us back to Waikiki. Although The Bus goes all over the island, some of the service is quite limited, running only once an hour in some places. We made it back to Waikiki and did a bit of shopping (and napping.)

USS Arizona Memorial

Bright and EARLY the next morning we headed out to the USS Arizona Memorial. The memorial itself is actually out on the water, suspended above the actual USS Arizona which has been left submerged where it originally sank during the Pearl Harbour attack. Many officers who were aboard the ship when it sank are still there, and interestingly, a number of soldiers who survived the attack and died later in life were interred there with their fellow officers! The wait to get out to the memorial is quite long because they only take boatloads of about 80 people at a time out to it. In the meantime there are gift shops and museum displays as well as decommissioned warheads and memorials to all the other ships that were hit or sunk during Pearl Harbour.

The sunken boat is just visible underwater.

Inside the memorial.

Friday night, we watched the sunset and then the free fireworks show put on by the Hilton Hawaiian village, right in Waikiki. They had cancelled it the previous Friday because it was the day after the Tsunami hit Japan!

Sunset at Waikiki

Fireworks on the beach.

Hawaii

Our plan was simple. Go to Hawaii for 10 days. Enjoy the sun, the warmth, the beach, the food, with no preconceived ideas about what we were going to do. We booked our vacay with Aqua Resorts (which ended up showing up as Expedia when we arrived at our hotel, but I’m not complaining. It was about 100.00 cheaper to book through Aqua vs. booking through Expedia. ) This booking included our hotel and return flights in one easy price. The downside, I can say with 20/20 hindsight, is that Delta is the main carrier for these things and it is NOT the best airline. In fact, I might even go so far as to say it is one of the worst airlines. Because of our desire to save $$, we went with the cheapest option which meant hippity-hopping through the US on our way down to Hawaii. We boarded no less than 7 airplanes in the process. If you have a choice and it is within your budget, I would recommend NOT flying with Delta. On nearly every flight we were on, they were making announcements asking for people who had ‘flexible travel plans’ to give up their seats because the planes were overbooked.

Seattle

Our flight from Vancouver to Seattle was pretty much uneventful. In Seattle we had a few hours layover till our flight to Oahu, but once we boarded the pilot had bad news. There was a problem with the engine and we were going to have to de-plane while they figured out if they could find us another plane or alternative flight plans. Groaning, we shuffled off and then stood in line to be given our ‘meal voucher.’ A small consolation. And I really mean too small. The voucher was for 6.00. Six dollars cannot even pay for a burger any more. And certainly not in an airport food court. LAME.

We were relieved to hear that they had figured something out and boarded a plane that looked suspiciously like the one we had just gotten off of. They had apparently fixed the problem and could take off. Our arrival in Oahu was obviously much later than planned. We arrived at around 1:00am and took a shuttle to our hotel in Waikiki. At that time of night, the ride took no time at all and we were pleased when we were the first to be dropped off. Our hotel, the Best Western Coconut Waikiki (or the Coconut Waikiki for short) was adorable! Despite being part of the Best Western chain, it looks like a boutique hotel and is decorated in modern colors and furniture. There is a small pool and more importantly, free breakfast. We unpacked, snuggled into bed and dreamed dreams of sandy beaches and palm trees.

our room

The next morning we got up and enjoyed our first day of free breakfast. With the cost of meals in Hawaii, this was an invaluable perk and we took full advantage every day. In addition to cereal, toast and the obligatory fresh pineapple (every. where. in. hawaii.) they had yogurt, hard boiled eggs, danishes, pastries and a self-serve waffle bar. I had a waffle every single day.

Waffle Bar!

Since we had such a late arrival we went back to bed after breakfast, and wandered down to Waikiki beach around noon. We found a path between hotels to get to the beach and even though the hotels all have patios facing the beach, you are allowed to walk along it for the entire length. We got our first glimpse of the incredible blue water, the amazing waves, the crowded beach and the surfers!

Waikiki

We ate lunch near the beach and continued walking till we reached the Waikiki Aquarium. It’s a pretty humble little building, run by the Honolulu University I believe and not all that spectacular. An Audio tour is provided to you with your admission and they have the standard colorful fish and coral displays you’d expect. Unfortunately, they don’t really have anything bigger than that. They had one seal but he was in a pitifully small enclosure. I suppose, in Hawaii, the real draw is the snorkeling where you can see it all for free

After the Aquarium, we made our way to the Honolulu Zoo. The admission price was pretty high, but there was a lot to see inside. In general, the enclosures were of a decent size for the animals. The elephants are in a smallish one while a much larger enclosure is being built for them.. so I imagine it will be quite spectacular once it is completed. Since Hawaii was formed from a Volcano, it doesn’t actually have any large mammals that are native to the islands. Most of the animals are from other countries except for some birds. One of the coolest things to see was a giant tortoise. They are quite amazing in real life. And HUGE. I also enjoyed seeing a pair of monkeys that were doing some jaw dropping acrobatics. I’ve uploaded my best attempt at capturing what we saw here. (link coming soon)

A pile of turtles at the zoo.

Our first day in Hawaii wouldn’t be complete without some amazing seafood for dinner! After perusing some of the local Daily Magazines (useful for coupons) I found a place called Blue Water that I wanted to try. With a 2.00 off coupon clutched in each of our sweaty little palms my mom and I headed for the Street Market, where its main branch is located. I looked at the menu for about 5 second before deciding I would have the Snow Crab legs for 13.95 thankyouverymuch! When the food came it was even more amazing than I could have guessed. TWO clusters of crab legs were piled on top of rice, salad and even a little cob of corn. Plus, of course, a slice of pineapple. It was basically an entire crab. For 11.95. (remember I got 2.00 off) And it was utterly delicious. So good in fact, that I returned here to eat 4 more times during our stay!

A pile of snow crab.

Our second day in Hawaii was mostly uneventful. We spent most of the day looking through travel books and ‘This Week in Oahu’ brochures to decide what we were going to do with the rest of our week, made bookings and so on. In the afternoon we took The Bus to Chinatown to explore and bought fresh flower leis.

this lei cost me 4.00 and lasted a week in the fridge!

The only Dharma Logo still on any set anywhere on Oahu.

This was one of the highlights of our trip… and an unexpected one. Since the series finished I haven’t really thought much about it, including where it had been filmed…. until we saw an ad for Lost Tours!

Our guide told us that 90% of the show was filmed on Oahu, including scenes in L.A., Australia, Nigeria, and Japan. We took a tour with KOS Tours (link in the sidebar) and it was great. The only downside is that they have 2hr, 5hr, 8hr, and 10hr tours and all of them go to different places! We could only spring for one tour so we did the 8 hour. (Note: All the images below are organized so the scene capture from the show is on top and my photo is on the bottom.)

The tour starts out in Waikiki and heads over to LOST VALLEY where we saw the Orchid Station, the Bear Cages and the outer walls of the Temple.

Orchid Station, which is now falling apart in the Jungle. Fun Fact: The vines and leaves in the station are all fake... and still there!

The Cages used to hold Kate and Sawyer captive.

From the other direction. You can still see a Dharma Logo on the awning.

Only the bottom of the temple was actually built.. the rest was cgi.

We drove past Kauloa Ranch where a large portion of the series was filmed.. but it is a private ranch and we were not allowed to go in. (Hence, why they filmed there)

Driving by Kaneohe Bay we stopped near the Waikane Pier used in Lost for multiple scenes, though this image is the best to show the comparison.

Notice the Mountain in the background is the same shape.

We continued up to the North Shore and visit the following beaches and Lost locations:
-Waimea Valley, where the Drug plane falls and kills Boone. This is literally just in a parking lot. ha ha.
-Waimea Falls

So many scenes in numerous season were filmed here. Notice where the waterfall splits at the bottom..

-Papailoa Beach where the Survivors Camp, Graveyard, Eko’s Church, and more were filmed.

Althoughthe vegetation has changed, many many scenes were filmed along this beach... too many to include them all.

The trick is to look at the geographical features like the curve of the beach and the rocky bits.

Eko's Church

Probably my best angle matchup... and I didn't have these stills with me when I took the photos.

One of the holes was still there but mostly its all filled in.

Keep an eye on the big tree, far off to the right on my picture.

Again, note the forked tree.

-Mokuleia Army Beach, which is where the plane crash and wreckage was filmed.

From the Pilot. Note the moutainous feature in the b.g. is the same shape.

This is also the beach (you can see the tree tiny int he b.g.) that Jack sees Christian under the tree.

More of the beach with the wreckage... and just to prove I was there!

This is also the same beach they did the Raft on.

On that same beach, looking back.. note the shape of the mountain.

-Camp Erdman, which is actually a YMCA camp for kids. (Others Camp “The Barracks” Dharma Ville)

The actual Camp name.

A wide view of the Other's Camp. I got really lucky with this angle.

You can see our tour guide had a book of stills to help us see the context for the locations.

The interior of this building was used as a classroom, a clinic, and for the Dharma orientation, among other things.

Same room, shot differently, but you can see the window on the right and even the lightswitches are the same.

Apparently they only recently cut down the tree on the right of the screencap.

The Art Department frequently had to take the camp from worn out to shiny and new looking and back. They added the picket fences, porches and the swingset area but the cabins were already yellow.

Mom and I get nerdy for a moment.

This was both Sawyer and Ben's house, depending on what time period it was in the show.

Another spot on match.

This is where RIchard got attacked by the smoke monster. And Me.

On the way back we passed the  radio tower where Locke kills Naomi

The Radio Tower.

The building Locke was pushed out of.

I couldn't find a screencap of the whole building.

Other places I saw.. but I don’t have pictures of:

• The building used for the Sydney Airport.
• The bridge Sun and Jin meet on.
• The tree where Kate buried the time capsule.
• The palm tree forest where Sawyer shot the Polar bear.
• The place used as the bar where Christian and Sawyer meet.

I have more pics to add when I get them from my mom…. stay tuned.

Driving in the Snow on Hwy 4.

We continued on our way, hoping that the snow would dissipate and we would still be able to make it to Tofino, eventually… when we came up to a stopped line of cars. We sat there for about 15 minutes, not moving, wondering what the hold up was.. when a car coming the other way stopped and told people what was going on. The highway was closed and it would be at least a 4-5 hour wait!

Well, we weren’t really that excited about sitting there for hours and then driving the #4 in the snow, in the dark all the way to Tofino, so we turned the car around and started heading towards Victoria. We stopped in Ladysmith to get a list of B&B’s to try can book at the last minute and managed to find one available. There was a little snow on the Malahat (a section of highway between Ladysmith and Victoria) but nothing like what we had seen and by the time we got to Vic there was no snow at all.

We pulled into our B&B (The Beaconsfield Inn) and were absolutely floored by how gorgeous it was. A heritage home, entirely furnished with Antiques.. and certainly not a place we could afford anytime other than the Low Season! We stayed in the Parlour.

Beaconsfield Inn

Our Room: The Parlour

Our room

More of our room

We dropped off our luggage and headed out for dinner, where I wolfed down an entire Dungeness Crab and Jake enjoyed some Paella. We walked around downtown Vic where we were astonished to find blossoms on the trees, especially considering the snowstorm we experienced that morning.

All lit up.

Apparently the trees don't know its still winter.

As we returned to the Beaconsfield, we stopped in the Library for a complimentary glass of sherry (which tasted really gross, but we had to try it!) and then headed to our room for a Jacuzzi bath and a solid night’s sleep.

A spot of sherry!

Fancy Schmancy Bathroom

In the morning we were pleasantly surprised by the breakfast. We sat down in the dining area to cups of fresh fruit and warm croissants and the server brought us tea and juice. Then, just as we were thinking how nice it all was, he came back out to inform us that our breakfast would be pancakes with caramelized apples and pears and a berry compote and ‘would that be alright?’ We. Were. Floored. The food was incredible, totally filled us up and we were already looking forward to the breakfast the next day.

Where we had breakfast...

We set out from the B&B and walked to the Royal BC Museum. I have fond memories of visiting this with my mom and sister a number of times in my youth and I couldn’t resist trying to recreate a photo of me at 14 in front of this exact same deer. (My mom will remember this I’m sure.)

Memories

The museum also had an exhibit that took you behind the scenes of classification of specimens and wildlife, everything from bugs to birds and fossils. We left the museum and decided to walk down to Fisherman’s Wharf to get Fish and Chips. Along the way we saw more blossoms on the trees!

More Signs of Spring!

As we arrived at Fisherman’s Wharf we saw that the fish and chips place we had intended to visit was closed, but there was another place open and directly across from it there were seals in the water! They are clearly used to exploiting tourists for fish and you could see how round and fat they were. (Obligingly, some tourists bought fish and fed it to them while we were there.) I had some halibut and chips that was pretty great.

Fishies!

This one was the ringleader

Had to get mine too...

After lunch we headed back to the B&B and enjoyed fresh backed cookies set out for us in the library (I know, this place is amazing right?) We decided to drive to Jordan River so Hubs could scratch his surfing itch a little bit. And indeed there were people surfing there. We caught a gorgeous sunset and then headed back into town for dinner.

Professor Plum in the LIbrary with the Cookies!

Sunset in Jordan River

We had intended to go to a restaurant called The Blethering Place because we had a coupon for it but when we got there they were clearly either closed for renovations or closed for good! We ended up back at Pescatores and I had a Lobster and Crab Canelloni that was to die for, followed by some crème brulee.

Our second morning at Beaconsfield we were served fruit with sweetened cottage cheese and freshly baked oatmeal muffins followed by balsamic mushrooms and sausage in a puff pastry. I have no words. An operatic AWESOOOOOME will have to suffice.

We said goodbye to our room (*sniff*) and headed out to the Art Gallery of Victoria. There we saw an amazing range of artwork – everything from Durer etchings to contemporary work by artists from Victoria to antique portraits and furniture – truly an interesting and eclectic mix and well worth seeing.

Goodbye Beaconsfield!

Durer under a magnifying glass

We paid one more visit to the seals at Fisherman’s Wharf again and then headed to the ferry back to Vancouver. All in all a great trip considering how much of a detour we took from the original plan.