Hi everyone!

I have written this post in spurts, so some of the timing may seem off. The Wifi in Hawaii is not great and on the curise even worse. All in all we are enjoying ourselves immensly. Every day we say we are going to relax and take it easy and we end up out there having another adventure, and we end our days exhausted but happy. I usually write tierd and quick, so I hope its somewhat legible.

----

Day One

So far so good. After a 18 hour travel, where United made us check our carry on and insisted on seperating our seats, in which Mark ended up taking a pole to rearrange everyone so that everyone can sit with their familes and significant others, we arrived eager and safely in Wakiki, Honilulu!! It was 8:00pm Hawaiian time before we checked into our room, however the wait was worth it when we got to the counter and the clerk said "Oh this is a good room". I thought he was just being nice until we walked into a goreous corner room on the 8th floor that has, two walls taken over by floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows that look out on the the ocean, mountians and city.
We were starving so we quickly apprciated the view and then went in search of food. Which we found at the hotel restaurant. We were seated at front of the terrace which is literally on the beach, and under this amazing tree which we find out later is popular among these parts and Mark has labeled "The Lion kings tree of life tree" and sings the opening song whenever we pass one. Our first dinner on our honeymoon really felt like the perfect honeymoon diner. We were exhausted, still dressed in the same cloths we wore all day, but it was perfect.

After ordering and enjoying the most amazing Ahi Tuna on this planet, and after being up for 24 hours staright we crawled up to bed and crashed. I proceeded to wake up at 7:30 to an empty bed. I didn't have to look far to find Mark, only as far as our balcony, to see him doing laps in the ocean.  The water we found out in the day light is crystal turqioise with white sand!

Our first day here (Wednesday) we decided to walk into town and find breakfast. We strolled along the beach which is never ending, and found a beach front restaurant, where I ordered a vegitarian omlet and was offered the choice of toast, potatos or rice!?? We quickly realized that the Japanese are huge influences here. Everything is translated into Japanese and rice is offered with everything! We waited for our food at a table on the beach and Mark watched the sufers constantly interupting me with comments and observations about the sufing acting like I cared what we was saying - "yay yay great wave", "ohhh right I see what your saying about carving water..." ???

We waited about 45 minutes for our food. In the tour book I bought, the author mentions "Hawaiian Time." He explains that people here just move, talk and act slower... which I can apprciate most of the time, just not when I'm hungry. After eating my vegitarian omlet which had sausage in it.... we walked the rest of the way into the city where we bought some gifts for Alex and Emma (Its a surprise girls!) and a rash guard for Mark since he forgot his at home. The city here is like a mini 5th Ave. Lots of poshy stores and very busy, yet just 10 steps away people are sufing and tanning. It didn't take long to notice how much of a free and active place this is. People walk across the busy street in bare feet carrying a surf boards, the streets are full of runners and the ocean full of swimmers, paddlers, and many other water equiptment I have never seen. Mark absolutly LOVES it here. In fact as I am wrting this he is out sufing.

Day 2

We spent the rest of the day on the beach and in the water. Mark returned from his full day of surfing giddy. He caught wave after wave, and managed to paddle far out. While he was sitting on his bord he saw two Japanese guys pointing at the water, on of the guys turned around to Mark and said "TURTLE!" and sure enough a huge sea turtle was next to them. It swam under Mark and popped up the other side of him with a gapeing mouth. He said the head was bigger then his two fists together. Mark also returned with the worst sunburn I had ever seen. I am posting this 5 days after the day and he is only now managing to walk properly. Thank God he had a full sleeved rash guard, but the back of his legs didn't escape so easy. The back of his hands, his face and the entire back of his legs were so red they looked purple. We are trating it the best we can, but I think only time can heal this one. He says that he wouldn't do anything differently though, it was the greatest surfing experience he has ever had.

That night I had made reservations at the Japanese restaurant in the hotel for 7:00. We got ready in our room, I had half a bottle of wine and we made our way there. Its another beautiful restaurant on a balcony. We sat at a window seat and watched the sun set over the ocean. Started out like another perfect dinner... until we got the menu, which again took 20 minutes. I was decently drunk, thirsty and looking forward to some aweosme sushi and getting more wine to continue my buzz. But remember when I said this place has a huge japaense influence? Well they take it seriously. It was actually a Japanese restaurant, with food on the menu I have never heard of! We looked around the restaurnt and realized we were the only caucasian english speaking people there. I wanted sushi and badly needed another drink. And perhaps it was due to my already inebriated state, but Mark and I fancied ourselves cultured and adventuerous, and ordered by pointing at the menu. Mark saved face and ate everything that was served, including shrimp heads! All the food seemed somewhat slimy and gooey. I fought nausea while Mark had a captivated audience. I swear there was a silence that went over the reastaurant when our first course was served.

The rest of our days in Wikiki were amazing. We wented a car and drove around Ohau. It seemed that the island is full of the most beautiful beaches. We found a beach that had a "jumping rock" as they call it, and Mark climbed up and jumped into the ocean. We tried to spend as much time of each amazing beach as we could but alas the sun had to set and we hadn't completly adjusted to Hawaiian time so we were exhausted by 9:00pm. After ordering awesome pizza to our room and enjoying some drinks we finished our day.

Our last day we returned our car and took our time walking back about 3 miles along the beach and Mark did some more surfing while I relaxed. We rushed back to our room, packed and had a shuttle waiting to take us to the pier to get on our very first cruise!

Where I will soon describe the most amazing expereince I have ever had combined with the most terrifying.

We miss you all!
Lots of love xoxoxox

Elizabeth