disneydream06

Friday February 1st...

Today was my one full day in Hawaii, and I booked an all day tour. It was the Pearl Harbor and Oahu Circle Tour. I had to be up and meet the bus by about 7:20 am. The meet up place was just down and around the corner at the front door of another hotel. As I was coming around the corner one of the big tour buses from that company was pulling away, and I thought, that better not have been mine. :o I stood there and waited with some other people who were waiting for their tour buses too. Talked with a couple of ladies who I am guessing from the accents must have been from Australia. Eventually I heard somebody call out Jon, and I went down and it was my bus, but it wasn't one of the big charter buses, it was one of those small shuttle type buses. There was a total of 5 of us on the tour. I was not disappointed. It gave a more intimate feel to things.
We headed off towards Pearl Harbor to start our tour.
He pointed out things as we went along. Including the construction of the elevated train system that will connect downtown Honolulu with Pearl Harbor. I assume one of the main reasons is to eliminate some of the traffic congestion. Only it's turned into a massive and expensive joke. Initial price tag was something like $5 billion dollars and it has now grown to something like $20 billion. and it's no where near finished.
On the way to Pearl Harbor the guide pointed out that, unless you have been under a rock you knew that the Arizona Memorial was closed. Well, I guess I have been under a rock because I did not know that. :o
The Arizona Memorial tour consists of a short movie that describes the lead up to the attack and the attack itself. While waiting in line I heard one of the Park Rangers telling one of the other people in our tour that some time earlier there had been a very high tide in the harbor and that loosened the anchors of the landing dock of the memorial which in turn started to pull it away from the memorial causing some damage. After the movie we were taken out on a boat that would drive past the Arizona Memorial and then past the USS Missouri which is just next to it. Then the boat turns around to give the other side of the boat to see the USS Missouri and then the Arizona Memorial. Then it's back to the dock and the other buildings and gift shop. And you all know me and souvenirs. Yeah, and they ship. :o So with no room to pack much in my backpack, my only luggage, I bought a bunch of stuff and had it shipped home. Actually for spending over $100 I got shipping for free. :p