When we came around the corner to Waikiki Beach, I was expecting to see hordes of people lining the sand, as I’ve heard it can get quite crowded. Lucky for us, Jack doesn’t care about time zones changing and all that and woke up at 6 a.m. We got to the beach around 8:30 and although it wasn’t empty, the crowds had yet to show up. I held Jack’s hands as he waded in the waves, picking him up for the big ones. He kept saying, “Here comes a big one!” even if it was just a regular one. Or a small one. He could have done this all day, but my arms eventually got tired and we went up to play in the sand.

Then, who should come by but two people who were on the plane from Denver with us. It’s definitely a small world. I never even would have recognized them, but they recognized us right away. Jack made quite an impression, I guess, during our walks around the plane. They also happened to be the winners of our in-flight contest for a CD with the Hawaiian version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which I was dying to win. I don’t usually give my iPhone to people to take a picture of me and Jack, even though they frequently offer when they see me snapping shots of him. But, seeing as we were old friends, I let them take our picture. So here’s a rare WanderTot shot of Jack AND mommy:

Then we took a stroll down Waikiki Beach, past the Duke Kahanamoku statue:

And down to this odd memorial with a beautiful front and everything behind in complete disrepair, just a few odds and ends sticking out of the ocean:

Then we went to the Waikiki Aquarium, which was OK, but definitely not a must-do. After an attempted nap at the hotel failed thanks to traffic noises and slamming doors, we took another walk down the beach and in the beautiful Kapiolani Park while Jack napped in the stroller. After yet more walking and swimming in the ocean, we witnessed the beautiful Waikiki Sunset, an attraction in its own right, with scores of camera-toting tourists watching.

Waikiki Beach definitely held up its reputation for beauty. It was also a great place to people watch, with an interesting blend of characters from all walks of life. There were lots of Japanese and American tourists, mixed in with the Hawaiian locals and tourists from around the world. There were limos and homeless people, surfers and families. Hawaii’s location between East and West, along with its obvious appeal to everyone, makes it the ideal place for different cultures to meet.

One of my favorite moments of the day was just before sunset when Jack went up to an elderly Japanese woman and started talking to her, holding up his flower and saying “flower.” She repeated it as best she could and the looked over at me apologetically and said, “Japanese. No English.” I could see she wanted to interact with him, but wasn’t quite sure how. I wanted to tell her it didn’t really matter what language she spoke to Jack; he just liked her. But she wouldn’t have understood me.