It never rains in .... Hawaii!!!!! (joke :P)

Yeah that's what I thought... I mean, just google pics for "Hawaii" and there is nothing anything close to rain coming up (as I scrolled my pictures, I discovered that I don't have any rain pictures... so maybe I just took almost none during rainy times or it was not as bad as I have it in my mind... but you know, I'm not afraid of rain...)

Thursday evening  - the idea arrives for the first time. Only one class next week, not much to miss, so maybe I could make a spontaneous trip... finally visit my alternative university (for all who don't know... yes I seriously applied to Hawaii Pacific University - Global Leadership and Sustainable Development, got accepted and then went for New York ).

Friday evening - Met with an Austrian friend (Birgit) and was just joking about it...

Saturday morning - just "for fun" looking at the prizes of last minute deals... 2 hours later, there was still no other thought in my mind than booking the ticket... and that's how it happened!!!

2 days later, i found myself after an 11hours flight to the very other end of the United States: Honolulu Airport

Yes that picture is taken at the airport - it's an open environment so you can feel the fresh air of this pacific island as soon as you step off the plane... quite awesome! In the background you see the tailwings of - HAWAIIAN Airlines (i was flying with such an aloha carrier as well :D)

As the flight was booked spontaneously, I decided to do the same with my time there... so I haven't booked a hostel or anything before I really arrived! One major idea was to go to the north shore and go surfing there... however the hostel I called there has been full... so I first turned  to Wakiki Backpackers Hostel in the very center of Xtreme Tourism.

That's a view from Diamanonds Head on Wakiki Beach - you see real nice bay, a thin line of beach and then an intense amount of hotels... Just imagine what happens when all these people stacked in large hotels literally drop on the beach.... yes you're right: Santa arrives!

At the hostel I met quickly other people and went out for dinner with quite a nice group: Brazil, Alaska, Poland and me - just as it happens during travelling ;). Of course there have been also a bunch of german backpackers (where aren't they??? Even in Usbekistan I had one... other story).

I was thinking about going out, but my polish buddy was a big hiker and proposed a big thing for the next day and so I went for that option :)

That was before... on the shore, where you see still blue sky in the background... However as we entered the mountains, the rain really strucked. Anyway we found our way through mud and jungle up onto a beautiful ridge of the vulcanic hills

notice the rain jacket ;)

Luckily I took all the stuff I had with me (in my most beloved yellow backpack called "Nirvana") and therefore was able to stay spontaenous. I finally got a bed at the north shore and so I just decided ot spent there the next two nights! The community there was... special - I won't go into too much detail ;). However, the next day was again very rainy, but it didn't mattered too much - I planned on getting wet anyway - SURFING!!

This picture only serves demonstration purposes :). Actually it was taken on the awesome doubleUbrothers surf'n'sauf trip along the atlantic coast after our erasmus semesters in 2009.

This time surfing was quite different... I really mentioned to be ON the board (instead of in the washing mashine of the wave...). I took a lesson, where I was taken to a very popular beginner spot (with about 30 other beginners...). The waves there have been very regular and kind, no wind, and even kind of a channel to paddel out again - perfectly beginner friendly and so I could surf my waves for about 150ft.... awesome :) - unfortunately no pictures so stick with that and imagine how it would look like the other way (and replace the blue sky with rain ^^)

I spent the rest of the day sore and comforable in the town "Haleiwa", checked out some surfer shops (look at that football!!) and finally went back to my hostel and did it the next day again!!! Can I call myelf  Surfer now? Well... I don't think so ;)

In the meantime, my stay on the Northshore came to an end and I got a couchsurfing-invite to stay with George at a place near Honolulu. Nice... I also thought that in that area, weather might be better (termics of Hawaii, streams from the NE, stay at the mountains, etc...). So back to the south...

Oh yeah, most of the driving, I have done in the back of a pick up truck

George was very nice and had an interesting way of living. An almost empty appartement in an area where you may not really speak at normal voice (as all the windows are basically open and neighbours very sensitive) but with a nice view on Honolulu. Couchsurfing-idealistic as he was, he took me around the island and also to his two favorite picture taking-places:

I can fly!

Livin' the dream... (notice the bored live guard in the back who was building a sand fortress...)

And 2 more pictures from the hike: