Day 4 - Aloha Hawaii

Los Angeles - Honolulu (2276 miles)

Early-ish start as we arranged for the Super Shuttle to pick us up for the ride back to LAX. The driver was fantastically bad tempered, complaining that we weren't ready in time when in fact we booked a slot for 9.20-9.35 and he turned up at 9.15, as we were lifting the bags out of the door. To make things worse, one of the bags had its wheel snapped off during the journey which annoys me immensely - those are supposed to be strong. (In fairness, it looks strong enough, either a weak spot in the plastic or the driver was such an arse...) (*1)

We are currently on United Airlines flight UA83 from LAX to Honolulu. A greater contrast between this and Air New Zealand you couldn't imagine. A fairly tatty Boeing 767-300, stuck over the wing, too far forward to see the main projection screen properly, and the mini-one in front has a colour problem. 20 minutes late leaving as the toilets weren't working. Flight is full. Anything other than soft drinks and pretzels have to be paid for. To be honest, it feels like a rather unpleasant bus ride.  (*2)

The film failed to work (The Golden Compass) so the crew chucked a replacement on, and even managed to rename National Treasure: Book of Secrets to "The Book of National Treasure". Caroline plugged in her headphones to watch it and... nothing. The socket didn't work. For. Gods. Sake. Typically, I had to put the Earplugs Of Self-Defence in as the film built to its climax. Not that I was too bothered, as it was highly implausible rubbish. Entertaining rubbish, but, I'll be honest, it makes Independence Day look like a documentary. (*3)

It got worse. We landed at Honolulu to discover that the airline handling our inter-island flight to Big Island has, wait for it, gone bust. I suspect I can rebook the flights via Hawaiian Air, but until I get money transferred, that will make things a bit tight for a couple of days. (*4)

Thankfully, a crappy day was mitigated slightly by the discovery of Cheeseburgers In Paradise. A heart attack on a plate, complete with a pound of seasoned fries. With a 5am wakeup for the tour of the island tomorrow taking in Pearl Harbour, it is an early, and very grumpy, night.  (*5)


Footnotes from Caroline - 020608.

(*1) In defence of the bag - I am 99.9% sure that this was the fault of the bad tempered bus driver.  There was one small bag in the trunk when I helped the guy to load our bags.  There were several other pickups after us.  There was absolutely no need to move or remove our bags from the trunk until we got to the airport and yet move them he had - they were all over the place in a higgledy-piggledy mess.  And we get to the airport and before either of the suitcases were out of the trunk, he says to us, "Oh is this your wheel?!" (it was sitting in the trunk....)  Upon inspection of the bag it was SMASHED out of it's moulding.  I would put money on this scenario: that he had dragged said suitcase to the rear of the trunk in a pick up after our own but before we arrived at the airport and let it fall onto the tarmac - smashing the base from a great height.  After every flight I am in the habit of checking handles and wheel of my baggage (it's a thing from travelling alone so much I guess) and the airport baggage handlers hadn't cracked, ripped or dented anything since leaving Manchester - and these were brand new bags.


(*2)  I LOVE flying but this journey was the absolute pits and no leg room, never mind no view or in-flight entertainment (because the headphones socket was not working from my seat and I'd finished my book).   Consequently I was like an irritated mis-behaving 5 year old who couldn't and wouldn't sit still.  I am quite sure that I was a nightmare to sit next to and every 5 minutes I was thinking "ARE WE THERE YET?!"  Grrr.  Once released from my airborne prison, I was just fine though and for me, all was forgotten.  Just like a kid I'd moved on to new things that had grabbed my attention.  That said, I used to fly on United quite a lot and if this flight was representative of the service they offer these days, they've seriously gone down hill.  You have to realise, that there were mere degrees from me being guilty of air rage, although in today's sanitised air travel the most I'd have been able to do was brandish my toothbrush at someone.


(*3)  It's a good job that I couldn't tune in to the movie.  I *hate* movies like that.  I'd only wanted to tune in to pass the time, but to be honest if I'd been able to hear/watch it I'd have stormed the cockpit.  With my toothbrush you understand.  Well they say that things happen for a reason...


(*4)  This is a perfect instance of Opposites Attract.  What winds Mike up usually does not bother me in the slightest.  The airline going bust was one such example.  Mike was wound up and irritated about it for the whole evening whereas I was just fine now I was free from that wrectched United flight.  There was nothing that was going to dampen my mood Aloha or no Aloha as it happened.  Anyway, over my many years of exploring here there and everywhere for 2 or 3 months at a time and having been in similar circumstances (but with bigger price tags attached) with flights/tickets etc going crook I felt I'd been there, done that, bought the T-shirt and sent the postcard.  My attitude was just "well, we book flights on another airline and claim the money back from the credit card for the Aloha flights" but Mike's mood or concerns were no lightening.   Cheeseburger in Paradise and a few Zzzzzzzs cerainly helped though!  Quite a contrast to his normal very easy going nature. ;-)  Thank goodness we are opposites in so many ways!


(*5)  Cheeseburger in Paradise.  It really doesn't sound attractive does it?  Especially to someone like me who wont touch a burger with a barge pole.  Thankfully this place, located on the main strip on the road alongside Waikiki beach, did affordable and a great variety of nice 'n' simple fresh foods.  It had to be affordable anyway given Mike's concerns with the Aloha situation - anything else would have been a flat refusal.   Our other options seemed to be Burger King with enormous surfboard shaped door handles (erm, no) or sharing a salad in a posh nosh place instead!  So with locally sought chicken, shrimps, pineapple, various fish and of course burgers on the menu, plus iced tea and local beers, we had plenty to choose from. Waiters in grass skirts and the elaborate and rather funky mosaic tiled floor at the entrance completed the experience.  We weren't the only ones to think so either; the place was packed with a line out in the street. It was worth the 20 minute wait to be seated.  Seated and sorted.  (Relatively) happy bunnies again.