Hawaii Day 5: Public Transportation - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

On our “Must Do” list for this trip was to snorkel at Hanauma Bay. Since we had already turned in our rental car, we planned to ride the bus. We had heard good things about the public transportation system on Oahu. On our ride out to Hanauma, we had a great experience. The bus was on-time, not crowded, and the driver was helpful and personable. Jeff chatted it up with a local the whole way there.

The bay was as beautiful as it had been described, and we saws tons of fish, urchins, and coral. Nathan and I saw a sea turtle, and Jeff saw a Spotted Snake Eel. (Apparently, they're harmless to humans, but I’m still glad I didn’t see it!) Ashley had fun playing in the sand and waves but didn’t want to give snorkeling another try.

On the way back, our bus experience couldn’t have been more different! It was running late and so crowded! I took the last available seat next to this big guy with disturbing toenails and quite possibly a case of tuberculosis. Jeff had to stand and held on for dear life near the exit door.

We made it back alive! Our first stop was another trip to Wailana Coffee House – easily our favorite restaurant of the trip. I read the reviews for lots of restaurants and made a list of the top contenders before we came, but we ended up not using it that much. It was easier to throw on our cover-ups and go somewhere casual near the hotel. It also helped that we started most of our days with a huge breakfast at Wailana. While the coffee was amazing, the French toast with coconut syrup was really the star of the show! Everything was reasonably priced, and the kids could eat for just $2.25. What a sweet deal in Honolulu!