The Night Before

Today we explored the island of Oaho. Getting up at 9, we made a pilgrimage that any first time visitor to the island should. We went to Leonard's. Malasadas are Hawaiian pastries similar to donuts and Leonard's is know to make some of the best. Established in 1952, this family run establishment produces these delicious fried dough balls by the hundreds as costumers wait in line to get their order. We got a half dozen consisting of the original sugar coated ones, the cinnamon sugar ones, and the custard filled ones.

After breakfast we headed to the famous Waikiki beach for some sun and surf. This beach is located down town and is surrounded by the ritziest hotels in Honolulu. With blue water and soft sand, the beach provided a nice time to relax. We were also able to get some great views of the Diamond Head Volcano that was used as a base during WWII. 

Just a 20 minute car ride from the beach, you can reach Hawaii's mountainous rain forest. We headed up that way in search of the Manoa waterfall. The falls, about a miles hike from the road, are an amazing site to see and the journey to them was filled with wondrous sights. 

 And on the way down the mountain, we stopped for another local specialty, shaved ice. These snow cones on steroids are filled with delicious flavors of Hawaii and were a great refresher after the hike. 

Finally, to finish the day off, we went to a local tiki bar for some fresh fish and possibly the most famous Hawaiian treat, a piña colada (virgin of course).

As we settled down for the night, my thoughts turned to the morrow. At 9:00 I would be heading to the ship for the first time to see where I would be living and working for the next 6 weeks. The thoughts of what lie ahead left me excited and nervous. What great sights would I see? I'm hoping to get some great star gazing in and maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll see a whale. What great stories will I be able to tell? I'm expecting some good laughs, some unfortunate failures, and everything in between. What will the other scientists be like? I will be in the company of some brilliant people and I will get the chance to learn from them and grow as a scientist myself. What will tomorrow bring? Hopefully wonder.