So this was the cabin that we stayed in for the two nights, it was the very nice part of the back packers hostel. The cabin had two bedrooms, and luckily no one booked up the other room so we had the run of the place.
Set in nice grounds, overlooking the bay, we had a porch which was great for watching the sun disappear with a glass of wine and game of Backgammon.
A short walk away is the Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau (Heiau means Temple). This is the largest temple remains on Oahu and overlooks the bay of Waimea. There was not much to see apart from the stone walls outlining the various parts of the temple, however people do still leave offerings (a hat, a necklace and various fruits had been left).
Human sacrifices were performed at the temple and it is thought that three of Captain George Vancouvers men may have been sacrificed here.
Waimea bay was just a bus stop away from our cabin. There is never a moment during day when people are not jumping off of the rocks and I managed to snap this as one diver goes for gold - I think he landed OK!
During the winter months Waimea bay is a top site for big wave surfing, in the summer it makes a superb snorkling site as the sea is real calm.
One of the reason for going to Waimea was to snorkel - with really clear water it was one of the best sites I have ever seen.
We overheard talk of a turtle and sure enough not long after we came across one. Its actually illegal to get this close to them, but this one was quite inquisitive and not bothered by people swimming close by. Despite having a front flipper missing this chap could not half move if someone got too close!
Waiting for a bus.
If you dont hire a car then this is a bit of drag. Although the busses are quite good they are not too frequent in certain parts of the island - if your unlucky you can be waiting sometime. Most of the time we were fine, with only one long wait I think.
Haleiwa, the established surf town on the north shore, is home to a small surf museum. With a good collection of boards and memorabilia inside my eyes were captivated by this prototype of a jet powered rescue board. The fore-runner of the jet-skis, these were used by lifeguards to reach people quicker.
Haleiwa has a particularly good Mexican - Choloes - which is extremely good value. We had lots left on our plate and were totally full.
A quick stop at the Hilton Hotel for a cup of tea and a sneaky nibble on our sandwiches lead to us finding a pool table in the disco room.
We turned up the jukebox a little and sank a game or two. Pam won - I think.
To break up the return journey to Waikiki we made a slight detour to see the Byodo-in Temple. This was interesting as Pam had visited the original one in Japan, of which this was a replica. It was superbly set with a lush mountainous backdrop (Dave took a much better panoramic pic of it - not sure if its on his site though).
It was worth a visit to bash the big bell and wonder through the grounds. Lots and lots of carp in the ponds too.
The centre piece of the temple - apparently the largest wooden Buddha to be carved out in the past 900 years. Either side of the statue there were small private cubby holes which, we guessed, held the ashes of family members.
The Temple is in The Valley of the Temples, which is a huge graveyard with different areas given over to individual religions. Quite different and not as scary as our grave yards.