Ali'i Kai Catamaran - Honolulu, Hawaii

I can now cross off another "to do" on my 101 in 1001 list since I've now watched a sunrise and sunset in two interesting ways.

In Indonesia, I had a chance to watch the sunrise at Mount Bromo.  (Of course, I didn't see much since the clouds covered most of the sun, but it was an amazing experience).   In Hawaii, I saw the sunset on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran cruise in Honolulu, which was also spectacular.  
 
Although the tickets are as much as $73 dollars per person to have dinner on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran, I was able to take advantage of a great "buy one, get one free" discount.  It was the beginning of a beautiful day and an unforgettable night with friends and family. 

I have been on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran once before when I won free tickets during a work place party.  It was just as good then, as it is now.



From the window of the catamaran, one can see the beautiful view of Aloha Tower.  The view becomes even more incredible as the catamaran breaks away from the harbor and nears Diamond Head.

Before the sun sets, everyone is ushered to the buffet line. The buffet line looks much larger than it actually is and there aren't many selections, but the food is decent.  It's an all you can eat buffet, but be warned that the food is also taken away rather quickly to make room for the dancers who will use the space for the show that follows the dinner. 

There's also a delicious cheesecake for dessert to enjoy as the sun sets.  I loved the cheesecake.

There's also entertainment.  The dancers not only dance the hula, but show off dances from Tahiti and New Zealand.

During the performance, people are encouraged to dance.  It is one of the best parts of the catamaran cruise. One man, a Texan, was made fun of as he tried to dance the Tahitian hula.  Of course, it was all in fun and for great entertainment!

In the end, more than half the people on the catamaran danced.  It was a great night and a lot of fun.  I didn't want to get off the boat.

Koko Head - Revisited

On Thursday, I went for an early morning hike at Koko Head.  I woke up early to hike at 7 a.m. and it was completely worth it!

The first time I went to Koko Head, I nearly died.  It was hot outside with the glaring sun in my face.  I could barely hike and needed to take constant breaks.  I also noticed a ton of people resting on the side of the path because they were out of shape.   I was one of them!

After hiking at Koko Head for the first time, it was much easier to return and hike again though.  I had been working out and it made a difference.  However, my poor friend who came with me to Koko Head nearly died.  She stopped 1/4 of the way because she felt dizzy and wanted to faint. The first time is always the hardest!

This time, however, Koko Head was a worthwhile challenge.  The sun wasn't beaming yet and there was a slight breeze, which helped make the hike that much more enjoyable.  There were hardly any people around too!

I thought the hike was much easier than times before, but I still struggle with one part of the hike. I'm afraid of heights and there is one section of the hike where there is no ground below you.  It isn't too high up, but enough for someone like me to want to crawl with my hands and feet to get through it.  Next time, I'll have to take the alternate path to avoid it, which is supposedly to the right of the trail.

It felt wonderful to finally finish hiking Koko Head.  My legs were shaky afterward because of the strenuous activity, but I felt recharged.

If you plan to go to Koko Head, I would recommend an early morning or late afternoon visit.  Also, do not forget to wear sunscreen.