Next on border security

Getting from Melbourne to Los Angeles involved a 10 hour flight, a day stopover in Hawaii and a 5 hour flight.

We arrived in Honolulu a bit tired but ready for some breakfast and beach, however it took us a little (like over an hour) longer than expected to get through security after I got detained in 'secondary'.

Poor Robina, not even out of the airport and she'd lost me already!

Coming through passport security they look at your passport and ask a few simple questions, so Robina goes to one desk and I go to the other.

Border security guy (BSG): Do you have any cigarettes and alcohol?
Robina: No.
BSG: So do you have any cigarettes and alcohol?
Robina: uhh, still no.
BSG stamps and off she goes.

Grumpy border security woman (GBSW): Why are you coming to the US?
Me: Holidays.
GBSW: Have you been to the US before?
Me: Nope.
GBSW: Show me your itinerary.
Me: Ohh sorry, I don't have it written out.
GBSW: You don't have an itinerary?
Me: I do, it's just not written out.
GBSW: And where are you staying?
Me: With a friend (show her the address written on the card)
GBSW: How do you know this person?
Me: I don't. She's friends with my friend who I'm travelling with.
GBSW: Are you staying there the whole time?
Me: No.
GBSW: Where else are you staying?
Me: Dunno, haven't organised it yet.
GBSW: You don't know where you're staying?
Me: No, because we're driving around.
GBSW: And how much money do you have?
Me: How much money I have for the trip or on me right now?
GBSW: On you right now.
Me: Oh, none.
GBSW: None? None at all.
Me: Nope.
GBSW: OK, come with me.

She gets up and starts walking off with my passport.

Me: Where are we going?
GBSW mumbles something at me.
Me: Hang on, can I let my friend know where we're going?
GBSW: No. (keeps walking)
Me: Wait, why are we doing this?
GBSW: Well we can't just let you in, you don't even know where you're going!
Me: What? I know where I'm going.

She dumps me in a small waiting room and leaves.
A young couple gets led into the room and they sit too.
I'm waiting, wondering where Robina is, where she thinks I've gone, how long is this going to take and I'm still not sure why I'm even here.
Another couple gets led in.
'This is bullshit, I'm sick of this!' says the guy slumping into a chair.
'Yeah same,' says the other guy, 'every time I travel international.'
'What about you?' the first guys asks the other girl.
'I'm fine it's just him,' she says pointing at her boyfriend.
'Yeah,' he says, 'She's OK, it's just because my name's Mohammed.'
His girlfriend just laughs and shrugs at him.

A border security guy comes in and calls my name, leads me into a small office and offers me a seat.

Nice Border Security Guy (NBSG): So Kelly what brings you to the US?
Me: Holidays.
NBSG: So have you ever been to the US before?
Me: Nope.
NBSG: Not even in 2011?
Me: Ohhh (ding! ding! light bulb moment), I passed through LAX on my way to Mexico.
NBSG: So just a stopover, you didn't stay in the US.
Me: Yeah, just a stopover. I had totally forgotten.

So the NBSG and I had a bit of a chat about my holiday plans, the fact that I still have a job and I show him I have a ticket home in August.

He's happy, I'm happy and off I go to find Robina waiting for me in baggage claim so we can finally go get some breakfast.

Nobody really says this but Honolulu is kind of ugly.  I'm sure Hawaii must get better when you get out of the city and to the other islands, but driving out from the airport is pretty dull, it's not dirty, just a bit stuck in the 70's and rundown.

The beach hot sun, blue skies, blue-green water, a thin sliver of sand between the water and the hotels and totally packed, like Bondi in the summer, every two feet your stepping on someone.

But we had a nice day consisting of breakfast, beach, lunch, beach, ice-cream, beach and dinner before heading back to the airport. Next stop LA!