Turtle Bay, Oahu

Hawaii is the land of long white surf

Aloha on day 3 of our holiday... or is it day 4? The days are already blurring into one another as all we seem to do is eat, sleep, drink, lie by the pool, swim in the sea, and relax. I play bridge tournaments online as I soak up the warm 28 deg C sunshine, but all the Mai Tais (is that how you spell them? I only spill 'em) I'm imbibing don't help my bridge score at all!

Our resort at Turtle Bay, Oahu

 We drove straight from Honolulu airport to Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore which is famous for its surfing beaches; and, sure enough, as I sit tapping here I can see a handful of determined surfers trying to ride a becalmed sea silvery with sunlight after a light shower.

   Hawaii has natural beauty galore - a breathtaking coastline with volcanic mountains as backdrop - and a surprising lack of commercial overtone.  At least, so far. Everything is laid-back. The place is a little stuck in a decade of yesteryear and everyone speaks in a sing-song voice, but who's complaining? Not me! As long as you order one meal for two, because the portions are off-puttingly enormous,  there is not a thing these gentle folk won't do to make your holiday a stress-free, restful one.

A surf shanty in the historic town on Oahu's north shore

  I was pretty tense and uptight by the time we boarded the plane for Hawaii, God only knows why, but I think it might have something to do with my ongoing "to do" lists. I arrived here determined to make an iMovie about Hawaii and I've already given up on that idea because...oh hell... it's too much like hard work.  See? Hawaii is working on me already...

Barack in his Hawaii childhood days

Swimming in Waimea Valley waterfall pool

All I can say is, no wonder Barack Obama always looks as loose as a goose. If you grew up here, you'd have Rastafarian fluid flowing in your bones, dat's for sure. Tomorrow we fly to rustic Kaua'i for three days ... the names of places here are impossible to pronounce or remember, by the way - # holiday dementia - and so far the only local word I've learned is "mahalo" which means 'thank you'.  The four of us decided to give the Pacific Cultural Centre a miss and so far have summoned the energy to go strolling in one of the most beautiful botanical gardens we have ever set eyes on. It was an easy one-hour round trip rewarded with a swim in a waterfall pool... if one felt so inclined. Aaaaaah, I feel relaxed... hope you're chillaxing too!