Day 21 Monday 17 November

We were nearly the first ones in for a swim this morning out in front of the Hilton, there was only one other person who beat us to it. The wrecked sailing boat is still there where it was yesterday, still bobbing around nearly totally submerged with a couple of buoys attached. After the swim it was shower & then Mac attack before boarding the Hilo Hattie bus for a slow trip around Waikiki then off to the main Hilo Hattie store in Honolulu. A little bit of retail therapy before we caught the free bus back to Ala Moana Plaza & a little bit more retail therapy & lunch. Ron quite enjoys the bus rides, he can look around & we are even starting to recognise different places we have been to. We are becoming almost locals – we are advising lost tourists which way to go, where they can find reasonable food & some jet lagged Aussies where they can find shops to buy high class brand name goods to take home (I don’t think that they are cheaper here than at home, with taxes & American dollar higher exchange rate).

A fairly quite & leisurely day today, taking things easy & enjoying the slow lifestyle. At dinner tonight we noticed some of the locals are starting to feel the effects of winter, they were wearing beanies & coats. It must have been around 22-23C & us in shorts, T-shirts & thongs (flip flops in Hawaiian speak). Watching the weather forecast last night the weather girl did warn about the winds & that it was time to get those coats out. I am so glad that we are here late autumn, I think it would be too hot for us in the middle of summer.