It's How Much?!?

Our plane left YVR about 20 minutes late at 6:05 PM and we landed in Oahu at 9:10 local time. Air Canada never ceases to amaze me with their cost cutting measures. Despite this being a nearly 6 hour flight, there was no complimentary meal offered and no free booze. OK, I've gotten used to that one already, but on this flight, there was no in seat entertainment offered. Unless you had the Air Canada app installed on your computer or smart phone, you could not access the movies they were streaming on board. However, they were more than happy to rent you an iPad for $10.00. What's next, pay toilets? Anyway, by the time we de-planed and made it to our lodging, it was well past 10:00. which was, of course, 1:00 Vancouver time. Needless to say, we didn't do anything that first night but unpack and go to sleep.

We rented a small condo very close to Waikiki Beach which, as it turns out, has spectacular views from it's 41st floor balcony. We awoke to a beautiful sunny day, around 24 degrees, and decided to make a Costco run to stock our pantry and buy some Champagne for our anniversary celebration. On the way to Costco we walked through Chinatown and did a little shopping there. That's when the sticker shock hit us. Fruits prices here are the same, or ofen more expensive, than they are in Vancouver! And they're in US dollars!!! And the same thing applies to restaurants. We stopped in a little Chinese restaurant for a plate of Lo Bac and a plate of Chow Fun and the bill worked out to be about $20.00 CDN. We knew coming in that things were expensive here, but we didn't realize HOW expensive. As a matter of fact, what we're paying for 12 nights accommodations here would cover our entire 3 month stay in Thailand this coming winter.

But what can you do? Ya can't take it with ya.

After our lunch, we continued on to Costo, further filled our bellies with store d'oeuvres (several trips to the organic dried coconut chunk lady) and picked up a few staples. You know, Costco is Costco pretty much anywhere you go, but the most striking deals available here were in the booze with wines and liquor at less than half the price of what the would be back home. So they can import Veuve Cliquot from France and sell it for $38.00 but they charge you $5.00 for a locally grown pineapple. Go figure.

Sticker shock aside, Hawaii reminds us of Thailand, but with money. The weather is great, the locals are very friendly and helpful and the overall vibe is fantastic. The infrastructure here is as good as anywhere in the world, which is where Hawaii has it all over Thailand. But alas, the comforts of home come at a cost.Read more