Hawaii
As our plane started to descend, I began to see the beauty of this
tropical
island. The first view I saw was the flowing clear water below me. A
few hundred
more feet closer to the ground, the island of Oahu became more
distinct. Palm
trees appeared to surround the airport. I finally made it to
possibly the most
envied island in the world. I have been told many stories
about Hawaii, but
nothing compared to my first impression. The smell of the
freshness was
overwhelming! Everywhere I looked I saw a new species of
flower. Soft,
comfortable colors were everywhere. The feel of the atmosphere
brought content
to the first few hours in an unfamiliar state. Everyone
around was so relaxed
and was the friendliest people who I have ever met. The
next step was to find
the hotel we were going to stay at for the next nine
days. When we reached the
hotel, one thing that I noticed was that there were
not walls in the lobby. It
was like a vast patio porch, very incredible. The
breeze felt like the first day
of summer in Michigan. The room we were
assigned to stay in had a spectacular
view of the innocent Pacific Ocean. The
following morning I woke up and ventured
out on the balcony took a deep
breath and smelled nothing but the refreshing
scent of flowers and fresh
fruit. This first day we were off to Hanauma Bay to
go snorkeling and explore
the exotic fish that lived in this coral reef. The
colors of the fish that
were seen were countless. The crash of the waves against
the naturally
created, monstrous rocks along the coral reef were amazing. Pearl
Harbor
was the most emotional experience for most of the visitors. I also
was
privileged enough to be able to admire this historical sight. The vision
of oil
still spilling from the sunken ship was breathtaking. There were many
flashes
seen as I arrived at the memorial; pictures were being taken every
second. There
was a list of names on a carved stone wall representing the
soldiers who lost
their lives in the tragic event. Wherever we went, the sun
was shining at its
highest light. Once and a while there would be a sprinkle
of rain or two. There
was not worry, because this would only last for about
five or ten minutes. The
weather in Hawaii was absolutely gorgeous every day.
The beach visits were on
the top of my list as a favorite. The rolling waves
a few feet away were
awesome. White and black speckled seagulls would
practically walk up to me
looking for some kind of food. I had the pleasure
of watching a real Hawaiian
Show. The talented dancers made the steps
look so effortless as they moved their
bodies to the Hawaiian music. There
were many tricks that the dancers
demonstrated to us that seemed impossible
to the average person. Some showman
would have a lighted torch and throw it
up in the air and some how catch it
while they were dancing. The experience
of visiting the island of Oahu, Hawaii
was the most interesting trip that I
could ever have taken. There was so much to
learn about the culture and the
historical sights. I spent nine days at this
place but could have stayed
there for an entire month. I would recommend this
extraordinary experience to
anyone who wants to expand his or her horizons.