Aloha and Mahalo

Friday the 5^th was a good day in Hawaii, today we rose with enthusiasm as we woke up from our dreams of coral reefs and Humuhumunukunukuapuaa’s (Don’t ask!). We left the hotel at 8:30 after another beautiful breakfast on the beach, and were on our way in different smaller vans who would all take us to Hanauma bay. After we arrived we had some time to snorkel at the reefs before they were forced to get everybody out of the water due to a jellyfish infestation!!! What an adventure.

After returning to the hotel, we had some time to tan on the beach, get dressed and eat before heading over to paradise cove for a night of Hawaiian festivities. Here we had the chance to get henna tattoos, weave wreaths, and experience some Hawaiian food and hula dance.

Even after a week of constant travel we still had enough energy to scream out loud and party on the bus ride back to the hotel, something that lasted a Hawai’ian hour (We get there when we get there). After the ride, we got our debriefings for the journey home before we sat down by the pool for our final night in Hawaii.

Jo

Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head: A Powerful Day!

 Today, we went to Pearl Harbor. I was so excited about that, it was awesome!!! We took the bus there, and as always, our nice bus driver Rhonda taught us a lot about it. We went on board the battleship Missouri where the treaty of world war two was signed. And France signed it, I was really proud of my country!!!  I was in the first group so I swept the deck first. It was really hot outside, so everybody was tired of sweeping, but it was an exciting experience, we were all proud of what we did because we helped the crew of the battleship Missouri. Then we did the tour of the boat and I don’t understand how those sailors did to use those tinny stairs every day, especially when where was a battle because it was really uncomfortable and dangerous for us, but we were not in a rush!!

We saw the machines and the kitchen, where they slept… It was a total lesson of respect for us to understand how hard the condition was. Then, we all took the bus to go to the USS Arizona memorial, where we saw a quick movie about how and why the USA got involve in WWII.  At the memorial, we could see the part of the boat which is still above water and we saw the memorial tomb in memory of all sailors who died in the boat and were never found.  I find this history interesting, and I was really happy to have the chance to come here, the memorial was impressive; we were just sitting above the boat where too many people died. I bought a book about Pearl Harbor, and a lot of other souvenirs for my families.

After this history lesson, we went to have lunch, and then we got ready to hike the Diamond Head, the famous volcano in Oahu.

The weather has been really warm all day, except for a little rain during lunch, but it didn’t stop us! We went hiking the Diamond Head and it was a great experience… tough, but it was worth it! The path wasn’t that bad, but of course, we had go up hill, and some brave and ambitious people ran all the way up there! Crazy…

The view was amazing, we could see all Waikiki from there and it took our breath away.

On the way back, we found out there was an easier path, with fewer stair, and of course, it wasn’t the one that I took! It was still a great experience and a nice way to end a great moment full of emotions.

Finally, dinner… we all walked to the Hard Rock Café, and had burgers and had a lot of fun. Of course, most of us bought a souvenir from the place, because  who is going to go twice at the Hard Rock Café in Honolulu!!!

Margaux France

Giulia Italy

Surf's Up!

Aloha everyone! Hang loose and live the dream!

Today was a very special and fun day. We all had the opportunity to have surf lessons and also go to the mall. In the morning we all went to the beach and enjoyed ourselves and had our surf lesson, which was amazing. Besides the hard time in the beginning, everyone had fun and got some waves.

But the day wasn’t just about the beach.

At the evening, we went to the Ala Moana mall, a huge outdoor mall with lots of stores. We had dinner there at a place called Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, a place that is based on the movie Forrest Gump. During the dinner, the waiters asked a couple of questions about the actual movie, giving some souvenirs of the restaurant for those who answered them correctly. Afterwards, we came back to the hotel, had some free time and hanged out at the lobby with everybody in a really good environment. The day was AWESOME and this trip will be LEGEN… wait for it… DARY!

Mariana (Brazil)
Breno  (Brazil)
Lucian (Germany)

Perfect Day in Paradise

Aloha! Shaka! Shaka!

For some of the coolest people in this Belo trip, the day started off with a run along the beach. Others slept in until we left Waikiki at 9. We went to Pali(cliff in Hawaiian) lookout where it was a beautiful view of the whole east side of the island. We saw the enchanting mountains over the glittering sea going out into eternity.

 Later, we went to an amazing beach, Waimanalo beach. We had our own lifeguard so none of us drowned. We had a great day in the crystal clear water and the white sand. It was a beach taken right out of paradise. We bodysurfed on the waves, and played volleyball and soccer in the sand while we got sunburnt. As well as this, we had a yoga class on the beach with Diana, one of the leaders. We “connected” with the earth and ourselves while doing awkward positions with our butts in the air. On our way home from the beach, we stopped at another lookout. We were lucky and saw a ton of whales! It was like getting “snapchats” from our whale friends. We saw them breach and blow water up in the air. I bet you’re jealous.

We enjoyed dinner from the 21^st floor at our hotel. We had an awesome view of Waikiki beach. After we had dinner, we had free time and went shopping in stores of Waikiki. Worn out, sunburnt, and covered in aloe, we retreated to our chambers. We’re ready for a new and exciting day tomorrow. And of course, some of us are starting the day with a run on the beach (#Norwegians + #Italian and #German).

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig hug from Primo (Italian/Sardo/Idahoan/Hawaiian) and Julie (Norwegian/Iowan/Hawaiian). The rest of the group is saying hi as well.

The North Shore and Polynesia

Aloha and Happy April Fool's Day! This morning was different for everyone, some were at the beach, others stayed at the pool for breakfast, but everyone who got the breakfast burrito agreed how awesome it was.

Same drill as yesterday, we left the hotel at 8:30 am.  On the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we saw some wonderful places.

Our first sto was the capitol building, which we learned was designed to look like a volcano with a whole in the middle and all.  On the side of the building was a statue of Queen Lili U'Okalani where the girls took a picture. After we walked to the Iolani Palace where the Queen was held captive. Then the boys took a picture with King Kamehameha I in front of the Hawai 5-0 building across the street.

Back on the bus, we leared about the island from our bus driver, Rhonda, including some Hawaiian words!

Next on the list was the Dole Plantation, where nearly everyone enjoyed a Dole Whip (pineapple magically turned into ice cream). We got a chance to learn our names in Hawaiian and many of us bought bracelets with them engraved. The plantation offered a lot of different things, which we took advantage of and everybody had a good time.

From there, we took the bus heading to the North Shore and we saw some gorgeous beaches on the way. We stopped at Sunset Beach to tkae pictures and learned to 'never turn your back on the ocean.'

A cute little surfer town was our stop for lunch and free time. Most girls got flowers for their hair, but be careful! If you wear it on your left side it means you are married or taken, and on the right indicates you are single. Some people got burgers with pineapple on it!

At the Polynesian Cultural Center we went to a 4 D movie, then explored different Polynesian islands, learned a simple hula, got a ukelele lesson, saw different shows, and some of us even tried poi. During free time, everyone did their own thing but we all met up for dinner and to watch 'Ha, the Breath of Life' together. It was incredible! Even though most of us were very tired, everyone got crazy about the fire dancers.

The day ended with a very quiet bus ride home and a desire for sleep. It was an AWESOME day!

-Jessica from Germany and Miriam from Austria

PS: Note how Germans and Austrians can work together ;)



Surf's Down, Spirits are Up!

The first day in Honolulu was the perfect start for this experience with Belo USA.

After a breakfast on the beach we headed to Waikiki beach, excited for the day that was about to start.

Surfing lessons were cancelled because of the not very windy day, so we had free time to spend chilling on the beach; getting to have the opportunity to meet the other guys, to talk more to each other, discovering once again that getting to know people from so many different countries it’s always an amazing experience.

We also sailed for a trip on a catamaran that brought us far from the shore to make us able to swim with the fish in the gorgeous, blue, deep water of the Pacific Ocean.

In the evening we had awesome pizza in Waikiki and had some time to explore the shops. We can’t wait to see what is in store for the rest of the week!

Alessandro from Italy

We had a great first day in Honolulu, in spite of the fact that the surfing lessons were canceled due to poor wave quality, we had a great day! The day started with breakfast at 7.00 which we ate on the beach, as we watched the morning dawn. At 8.30 we were on our way to Waikiki beach, where we were scheduled to have surfing lessons and a boat trip with the catamaran, which is (According to the captain) a world famous  sailboat who sat a record, being the fastest sailboat to travel from Hawaii to California. When arriving on Waikiki beach we split in to two groups, were one group went out on the sailboat, were there were seen whales, schools of fish and big sea turtles…even an octopus! as we swam in the ocean and jumped from the sailboat, as the other group were tanning, playing soccer, volleyball, and at 12:15 we switched.  It was a great day at the beach, and the day was a perfect way to start out the trip!

Jo from Norway

ALOHA!

ALOHA! 

Get ready for a week in paradise...the Hawaiian Expedition is here! With its breathtaking natural beauty, its never-ending list of fun and exciting things to do, and its spirit of "aloha," Hawaii is a dream destination for anyone!

We will be staying in beautiful Waikiki on the island of Oahu, and we will spend each day exploring a new and fascinating aspect of Hawaii's unique culture.

Join us as we test our surfing abilities, celebrate in a traditional luau, and hike to one of the island's best-known lookout points. We'll come face-to-face with Hawaii's rich history...and maybe even a sea turtle or two! And along the way, we'll get to know each other, forming friendships to last beyond our week together.

This will be our day-to-day journal... each day, you'll get news, information and pictures from the students. Join us on our adventure!