Changes.

I know I have said this before but everything changes nothing stays the same. My first port of call after a quick shower was the Hilton Hawaiian Village where Jan and I got married 21 years ago, at that time it was a posh hotel with a small tower block of accommodation, some low rise service rooms and lush gardens with waterfalls, fountains and pagodas. Now there are four new tower blocks all larger than the original including one called the Rainbow Tower which is a local landmark or monstrosity as the concierge called it. I did not recognise any of the grounds, it had all been built over  and I was hugely disappointed as this was one of the main reasons for travelling back here.
Waikiki itself has changed as well in the intervening period, there has been a lot more building and it is far busier with three times as many tourists mostly from Japan and China but I did enjoy a ride on the tourist trolley mainly due to Leena the driver's amusing running commentary and I also had the pleasure of having a gorgeous young Israeli girl rub various potions and lotions into my baggy and wrinkled flesh assuring me that with just a few weeks application I would look twenty years younger and all for only $800.00 for a two year supply, we parted as friends but no money changed hands.
Well as you can see I am now in the good ole USA, it was touch and go for a while, my journey was by Qantas from Auckland via Sydney to Honolulu and the transfer time in Sydney was only an hour and a half, it all became a little fretful when the first flight was 55 minutes late in taking off then the pilot made up some of the lost time only to be stuck in a holding pattern over Sydney due to very heavy rain delaying landings. We landed and reached the gate 20 minutes before my connecting flight was due to take off and I had to do the security dance yet again where once more they confiscated my water!!!! luckily that flight had also been delayed so I arrived over here more or less on schedule and so did my luggage which was a was a bit of a relief.