FRIDAY- LUAU & GOODBYE!!

Beloha!
 We started the day by splitting up into two groups, just like Wednesday. So one group went and saw the beautiful fish in Hanaumah Bay. Some people were fortunate enough to experience sea turtles. The other group went to climb the volcano Diamond Head. At the top they could enjoy a beautiful view. The groups later met on the beach, and had some free time to do whatever they desired.

  Later we were heading to Paradise Cove, to experience Hawaiian culture. People wore their prettiest attire. The bus ride was an hour long, so we dance partied our minds out! At the cove we saw strong Hawaiian men and absolutely gorgeous women(the guys had a hard time staying focused). For dinner we got a pig that had been cooked in the ground for 59 hours 22 minutes and approximately 18 seconds. It was served along with other delicious Hawaiian specialties. During dinner it started raining, however they gave us rain ponchos to wear to stay dry. The hula dancers were rather enchanting. On the way back we went nuts, and dance partied again.

 When both buses arrived at the hotel once more, and it was time to say goodbye, the mood was a little emotional. The wonderful guides and chaperones gave some nice speeches to help us on our last 6 months of being exchange students. Mad props to these guys. It is now time to pack our bags(+swag) and say goodbye to the other students. Aloha

Written by Kristian And Sebastian from majestic country of Denmark(come visit)#swag

THURSDAY: PEARL HARBOR--HISTORY AND PERSPECTIVE

Beloha! After breakfast we went to Pearl Harbor, to see the U.S.S Missouri, and the Memorial of the U.S.S Arizona. First we went on the U.S.S Missouri, where we got to explore the ship, in trade for cleaning parts of the ship. We got to explore some restricted areas, and some of us got to take a picture with a veteran, and an actor who’s a guest star in the show Hawaii 5-0. 

 

 

 

Afterwards we went to get some lunch. We finished our lunch and went back to Pearl Harbor, where we were going to enter the Memorial of U.S.S Arizona. Before entering the Memorial we watched a short documentary about the attack on Pearl Harbor, where we got a different point of view of the event. The whole experience was very touching and gave us a different perspective of the world and especially of World War II. 

 

On our way back to the hotel we went to Pali Lookout. First we got a little disappointed, because we thought we would be facing a grey cloud, which would cover the whole lookout again, but luckily we could see straight to the bottom. We spent the evening with free time in Waikiki after a delicious (ono) dinner at Mac 24/7.

Kirstine and Maja from Denmark

WEDNESDAY: FUN IN THE SUN

Aloha!

Four days in Hawaii and we finally got some more sun!

 Today we split up into two groups; half of us went hiking at Diamond Head and the other half went snorkeling on Hanauma Bay. The hiking group slept in before they headed off to the volcano. The sun was burning and the sweat was dripping when we walked towards the top. Four people decided to run up the trail while the rest of us walked at a steady pace. After an amazing view from the top that everyone enjoyed and took a lot of pictures of, we walked down and deserved a traditional Hawaiian shaved ice. It tasted amazingly good, and everyone loved it!!! We loved the surprise that the bus came and picked us up at the end of the trail instead of us having to walk all the back to the hotel!

The snorkeling group left the hotel quite early and headed to the beach. When we came to the snorkeling we watched an informational video about safety and then went down to the beach. The view and the water were gorgeous, you could see all types of fish and we were snorkeling around in the clear water for at least an hour, plus we got lots of time to just hang out on the beautiful beach. Some students got to see a sea turtle!

After both the activities both groups had free time until 5 pm, so we hung out at the pool and the beach in front of the hotel. Then all of us went to a big outdoor mall called Ala Moana. Most of us did some great shopping and afterwards we had dinner at Bubba Gump, a well-known restaurant from the movie Forrest Gump.  We ate a lot of shrimp!

Kristina - Norway

Tyra and Otto - Sweden

TUESDAY: RAIN OR SUN, WE HAVE FUN!!!

Today we headed out to take a look from the "Pali Lookout", a cliff from which you should have a great view over the ocean. But when we arrived there, we found ourselves literally inside a cloud so we couldn't see anything. The cliff was also the scene of a very important battle in Hawaii's history to unite all the Hawaiian islands. Therefore a lot of bones were found at the bottom of the cliff.



After our disappointing lookout, we headed to "Waimanalo Beach", a beautiful beach with crystal blue water. On our way we stopped in a small city to grab some lunch and other stuff we needed for the rest of the day. Even though the weather was not that good, we had a awesome time at the beach together. We played our own versions of American football, volleyball, frisbee and kickball. The weather also had its advantages! We didn't get burned by the sun like some people did on Sunday.

After we had taken a picture of us planking the  YFU initials,
we went back to the hotel to have some free time.

In the evening we went to "Hard Rock Cafe" to have dinner,

where we also celebrated Noah's 18th birthday.

He is one of the Swedish exchange students.

Moritz, Germany

MONDAY: PALACES, PINEAPPLES, AND POLYNESIAN CULTURE!

Today we went on a tour at the Iolani Palace, (the only palace in all of the U.S.!) and we learned that Hawaii was a monarchy before entering the United States as the 50th state. 

Afterwards we drove to Dole Plantation, and tried their famous Pineapple whip, which is kind of like ice cream but not entirely. Some of the students got fresh pineapple and mango.

We then left and went to Haleiwa. Here we got lunch, some went shopping, and some went planking. One of the food places was offering some very good burgers like pineapple, and avocado burgers, which was very exotic. Afterwards we got shaved ice with condensed milk and red beans. There was various flavors like green apple, mango, strawberry, etc. When the famous Hawaiian shaved ice had been eaten, the trip continued to Sunset Beach. This beach is really famous for giant waves where surfing competitions take place!  Here we stopped to take a couple pictures of the ocean, sea, and a dog running up and down the beach. The waves at the beach were huge, and it was a beautiful sight. 

We then headed to the Polynesian culture center. Even though it was kind of rainy, we bought some ponchos, put on our smiles, and had a great time anyway because we got to participate in different cultures, and be entertained by shows, for example Ha:The Breath of a Life, which was a dance show performed by various people representing islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was a breathtaking show involving dangerous fire dancing and beautiful hula dance.

We returned exhausted from our day full of fun and learning!


Maja from Denmark
Vitoria from Brazil

SUNDAY - SUN, SAND, SURFING AND SAILING!!!!

Aloha guys! Let me tell you about our first day here in Hawaii. It was so much fun!

After breakfast we went to the beach in Waikiki. We all were super excited for surfing. It was amazing to catch some waves with the view on the volcano Diamond Head and the beach with all the palm trees. Our surf teacher told us: "This is going to be the most awesome work out of your life". I guess he was right. The seconds of standing on your surf board with a wave under you were worth all the hard work before.

Afterwards, we all jumped on a catamaran. We were hoping to see some wild life in the ocean, and we were not disappointed! The captain said: "Maybe we'll see some turtles, dolphins or whales. It's like a box of chocolates - You will never know what you will get." After some time he stopped the catamaran and we all had the chance to jump into the water. One group saw a huge sea turtle and a whale. That was awesome! We still can't believe it. There is no better combination than the Hawaiian sun on your skin and a fresh breeze in your hair after an exhausting surf lesson. 

Aside from these two big activities we had a bunch of free time. A lot of people swam in the Pacific Ocean or went shopping in the beautiful city. This evening we went to an all you can eat pizza restaurant. That was my first time to actually eat Hawaiian pizza in Hawaii. After that we had the possibility to enjoy Waikiki's main street for shopping at nighttime. It's just so cool that we can explore some places on the island with a small group of people, that makes it more special.  

We love to meet other exchange students from all over the world. You make friends so easily because we all have so much to talk about. I already know that this is going to be an unforgettable trip. We are looking forward to so many exciting things and Hawaii is just how you imagine it to be - but better. I think we all are really happy and glad to be here. Let's see what the next couple of days will bring!

-Emilia (Germany)

Diamond Head - Good Morning Hawaii!

Swimming in the Pacific Ocean!

Jumping right in!

Catamaran ride

Denmark vs The World!

Learning how to surf

Hawaiian Pizza in Hawaii!!

Welcome to Hawaii!!!

ALOHA!


Get ready for a week in paradise...the Hawaii 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 facinating aspect of Hawaii's unique culture.


Join us as we test our surfing abilities, celebrate 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 eachother, 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!