Oahu Day 8

We must be acclimatizing to Oahu time, cause our days are starting progressively later.  It was suppose to be "Hike Diamond Head Day", but by the time we were organized, it was 10 am again! We elect to head to the North Shore again.  Had a short talk with our neighbor, a young man visiting his father here in Oahu (he is from Redding California and studying to be a nurse). Apparently his mother died two days ago of the big C.  Terrible news...nasty thing that "C".

We load up into the car and head north.  Bisecting the island again, we think about stopping at the Dole Plantation for a whip....but it is PACKED!  Yikes, must be cause it is Sunday?  On we go.

We head into the Historic town of Hale'iwa.  We walk the main drag, truth be told, there is only one road, and stop in many of the various surf shops and novelty stores. Cam agonizes over buying a hat, and Andrew finds a Fertility statute he likes.  Katie elects for a postcard for a friend.  At the end of the road we find Matsumoto Shave Ice.  They have renovated and expanded, and the line up goes quick.  It was a nice break, I had the Green Tea Shave Ice!  Yum.

After this, we head out to the highway (really a two land roadway, the only access through the North Shore).  There is a huge traffic jam, backed up for miles! We elect to head to a little known, and hidden beach, close to the turn off.  Papa'iloa Beach, (closer to Lani'akea).  This is the beach where they filmed Lost.   Huge waves, surf was crazy!  We eat our lunch and then brave the waves - although we don't get too deep!

There is a turtle basking in the sun just steps away from where we plant our towels. We spend a few hours here, and head back to the Leeward side of the island.

Traffic is still terrible heading east, thankfully we are heading south!  Once back at Ko"Olina, we head down to a lagoon to cool off and snorkel with the fishes again.  Being Sunday, it is pretty busy, but we get an hour in.  

Tomorrow, Diamond Head?  Let's hope we get up early enough!