But then, a week-end came in between, before Christmas. Both of us totally chilled out and slept to our heart's content. That Sunday night, I announced - "Let's go somewhere during Christmas." S enthusiastically agreed as well.
And lo! Within the next 24 hours, the tickets and the hotel were booked. Yaay - we were going to Oahu, Hawaii! One of my childhood dream vacation destinations!
This was the first time in as long as I can remember that I have gone on such an unplanned vacation. Anyone who knows me can tell you that my vacations usually involve plenty of research about the destination and a wish-list of places I want to see along with the tentative dates on which to visit them*. Plus I carry along a horde of printouts having maps, restaurant directions and what not.
This time round, there just wasn't any time to plan. So, S and I simply packed our bags and drove to SFO to catch our flight. And boy, did we have an adventure.
We wound up doing a ton of things - a submarine ride, shopping in the International Market Place, going to the North Shore, visiting Pearl Harbor, going to Waikiki beach, hiking up the Diamond Head crater, going on a sunset cruise... I only wish we had more than 4 days to spend there!
Turns out that even unplanned vacations are super-duper fun!
Just to make this post a wee bit useful, if you are heading to Oahu any time, do drink coffee at the Island Vintage Coffee cafe located in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping center in Waikiki. I kid you not - they ground coffee from the beans to make my yummylicious cup of Lava Mocha. BTW, they served the best coffee I have ever tasted. Aloha!
* note, all this happens only if another a fellow-vacationer has not entirely taken up the planning mantle.
8 comments:
awesome, happy new year to you and S as well! :-)
Alright, I will need that vacation folder for Hawaii and also could you tell me all the places you have thus visited, so I may put in a request there as well? I am dead serious. This vacation planning used to be fun once upon a time, now it eats too much of my already stretched time! :(
btw, agreed you married and still honemooning and all, but you can't just forget old friends and chat them up occasionally u know :P
Happy New Year Archana! Spontaneous trips are fun indeed!
Rads - Thank you, thank you! Oi, if you really want the details, email me, i shall be glad to give you the info! Not ignoring and all pa - life has been crazy hectic past few months. Am hoping for normalcy starting this year :-D.
SK - you too :-). Yup, yup!
oh, Hawaii also has high rise buildings?
well I wasn't here, in singapore..so belated happy new year :)
Bharathis - yup yup - apparently Honolulu is the 12th largest city in the US!!
Vishesh - oooh Singapore and all - too much only! Did you have a good vacation?
Ooh Hawaii....I will need your tipsheet Archana. We are planning one soon, and can use all the info.
BTW, most of my trips land up being planned just enough to make sure we have boarding and lodging, but pretty much everything else becomes an adventure!
Glad to see you joining the clan!
Happy New Year and best wishes to you and S :D
- R from Seattle
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