This Easter, my husband, my son, and I boarded a plane in Seattle bound for Hawaii. Aside from the fact that it was so hot on the plane I had to keep dousing myself with ice-cube water, the flight went relatively well. A bit of turbulence when we got close to the islands, but take-off and landing were smooth and I didn't panic, even though I managed to accidentally pack my anti-anxiety medication in my checked baggage where it was not very useful.
Arriving in our hotel, we found ourselves in comfortable but cozy quarters, with two full-size beds between us. Everyone was too tired to do more than collapse, so we bundled onto the beds, pumped up the air conditioning, and slept like the proverbial logs.
For our first day's activities, we aimed for the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium. Before departing, we slathered sunscreen, as directed, and prepared ourselves with water bottles. The sky was overcast all day, with occasional rain squalls that blew through. A local woman on The Bus introduced us to the concept, "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes." This did appear to be fairly accurate.
After walking part of the way to the zoo, we hopped onto a trolley and made it the rest of the way. The Honolulu zoo had a whole bunch of birds I'd never seen before, lots of tortoises and turtles, some orangutan, chimpanzees, spider monkeys, baboons and other primates, as well as many other animals. Quinn's favorites were the meerkats.
After outdoor lunch, during which we got rained on, we headed for the aquarium. All of us were feeling the heat, but it appears that I took the worst of it. I've never been good with hot temperatures, and the humidity added in pretty much wiped me out. Partway through the aquarium, I was just plain done. We found The Bus, hopped on, and headed back to the hotel for a brief siesta.
The waitress at the Denny's where we ate dinner was the single-most friendly waitress I have ever encountered. She plied us with food, copious amounts of lemonade (more hydration!) and welcoming service.
The sun has now gone down and I am typing this post from a reclining pool chair. Our balcony looks down over the pool and I wouldn't be surprised if the kidlet is watching me. He's claimed the balcony as his domain. He is not happy if he doesn't have a place where he can be solitary.
I am very much hoping that I'll fare better with the weather tomorrow. We're heading to the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is the single things I've been most looking forward to, and I'll be sad if the heat turns me too melty to appreciate it.
My pedometer tells me I've walked 7.24 miles today. Wonder how tomorrow will compare?
Crossing my fingers and preparing my sunscreen for imminent re-application!
More tomorrow.
Take it from someone who's done the hot flash thing. Find something you can wet down and lay across the back of your neck. You'll be able to handle almost anything if you can keep the back of your neck cool.
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