The journey to Honolulu Begins!

Up early at 05:00 to leave at 06:30, Mum has come over to sit with Sasha whilst Steve takes me up to Heathrow.  Wow Im very teary as I say goodbye to her for 10 days which seems like forever away.  I know, I know, Im going to Hawaii, but right now I would rather swap with Steve and send him of

and I will stay with my baby girl

Arrived on time and Steve came in for coffee to say goodbye not sure why Im suddenly so daunted by this trip Im not normally fazed by stuff like this but I'm in tears again when I leave Steve,  and by the time I get through to the Duty free lounge im puffy eyed and a bit wobbly! No time to think about that my gate is miles away and I need to get a move on.  the 11:40 flight to LAX is 20 mins late but we arrive early.  Really good flight with some amazing views over Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, Great Slave Lake, Salt Lake City then over the Sierra Nevada and over Yosemite National Park.  LA looks like a huge grid with not a lot of green its quite overwhelming how big it is. Glad this is not my final destination.

Off the plane and outside of the airport asking several people as I go, waved goodbye to my bags which I left in the pile with lots of others hope it follows me to Hawaii and does not go back home or elsewhere.  Paparazzi everywhere for some old rocker who was all dressed in black, I tried to find out who it was everyone was saying look, look who it is but no one said any names I think they were all like me and didn't really know either!

After a lot of questioning from customs officers who did not understand why I would travel alone all this way for a conference they finally let me through and I tried to phone Steve but could not get the phone to work.  Tried to get change to call him from the pay phone but the woman in the sweet shop would only give me a dollar in change, by now Im tired and annoyed and leave the shop to avoid poking her in the eye! or worse.

The second flight to Honolulu was really horrid cramped between a large Hawaiian lady and some 6ft 6 Army guy I had no arm rests and sat cross armed trying to nod off as it was now the early hours of the morning for me, but only mid afternoon for them.

Arrived in Hawaii at about 19:00 local time no band playing us in like in the movies just a long hot walk to collect the baggage then sat for an hour on the bus before it finally got moving, some really miserable people who did not love their jobs were working for the transfer company which is not the best advert for the people of Hawaii!  Sat next to a German guy who has been traveling in LAX who is insistent I see all of his photos of the celebrities that he has been stalking for the last 3 months!! Weird!!

Finally I get dropped off at the hotel in the basement and I walk through what feels like a shopping mall before a grand desk appears in the distance, this is the check in and the designer shops are a part of the hotel all very lovely and totally out of my price range but I enjoy a bit of window shopping on my way to the beach! I have booked the basic city view (Cheapest room) but am pleasantly surprised to be told Ive been upgraded to the sea view which Im sure will be lovely in the morning when the sun comes up and I can see it.

Room is lovely, clean, modern, spacious with all the little extras that I could need. Great.  Im knackered now and fall into bed at last! Trip has taken nearly 27 hours all in all.