Hawaii-Day 3 - whale watching!

I know I've mentioned this before, but I seriously love how active people are here. We headed to Diamond Head Crater today and as we drove to the trail there were runners, bikers and people just working out in general. It really gets you motivated!

And you definitely need that motivation to get to the top. It's only about a mile and a half, round trip, but the incline and stairs are pretty steep. Anyone can do it, we saw people of every size, shape, age, fitness level and attire (flip flops and swimsuits, really??), and there are places to stop along the way to rest, just make sure you bring water.

The view from the top of the crater is unbelievable. You have the ocean on one side and the inside of the crater on the other, as well as amazing views of Honolulu and it is beautiful. We even got the chance to see whales playing in the ocean. So cool!

Later, we walked to the Waikiki Aquarium, which justified our decadent breakfast and satisfied my people-watching craving. There were some interesting outfits and actions going on, again, every age, shape, and size in all forms of attire. The aquarium was nice, small, but we got to see the Hawaiian Monk Seals being fed.

Then it was time for the Hale Koa Luau! I figured i had to go to go to a luau while in Hawaii, even if just to say I've been. We got leied as we came in then they had a couple different things set up where you could make your own lei bracelet, palm strand headband, a band playing music with hula dancers, an incredible palm tree climbing demonstration (he was wearing a skirt, so it was quite a show), and a Polynesian cooking demonstration.

Then it was time to eat! The appetizers were seaweed salad, cucumber salad, raw salmon and tomatoes, and fresh pineapple that was so juicy. All of it was so good! The main dish got a little tricky because it all came on one plate and it was a lot of meat, I just picked around it and still got some really good mahi mahi, shrimp fried rice, potato and banana fritter. They put on a show with hula dancing and teaching how to open a coconut while we ate. Afterward, the traditional dancing began where they had a performance for each of the Polynesian Islands. The host really made the show by being interactive and very funny. I even got to go up on stage to dance and got a beautiful flower lei for it! It was a lot of fun. Definitely worth the experience. Aloha!