Hawaii

Consciousness has been illusive at best. I departed from Honolulu yesterday at 10pm and arrived back in Phoenix at 8am this morning. Thus marks the end of my eight days on the islands of Hawaii.

I have posted a zip file containing a handful of the photos I've taken for your viewing pleasure. Some of the highlights of the trip included Kayaking in Kona, cris-crossing a valley in Kuaui via zip line (video link is not me I didn't have my camera for this), exploring the volcano national park in Hilo, and above all exploring the city of Honolulu and enjoying the beaches off of Diamond Head state park just 10 minutes away from the city. I was really surprised at how active the city is at night.

The thing about Hawaii is that it seems so distant and isolated that you couldn't live there. I got this vibe through most of the towns I visited, but I have to say Honolulu is exempt from this feeling. The amount of activity during at night puts other laid back cities like San Diego to shame. The city has a perfect balance of activity to it, it's a busy place but relaxing at the same time.

And did I mention that it's extremely clean? Sidewalks are made of flagstone instead of concrete, beaches are plentiful, night markets, rooftop live music venues, high end shopping districts, and a wide variety of bars and unique restaurants compliment the beauty of the Hawaiian landscape. That is what impressed me so much: the city is so nice that it ranks as one of my favorite cities to hang out in, but it's also in Hawaii.

There are so many great trails for cycling, as well as mountain biking, the beaches are some of the cleanest you will venture upon, and there are more unique sports in Hawaii including groups of cyclers, surfers, hang gliders, parasurfers (video is obviously not me, I didn't get to try this but would like to take a lesson), and more. The amount of outdoor activities is endless. By the end of the day you'll realize that the awesome night life of the town is just the icing on the cake. What a great place to be.