In this episode:  The FAQ is  How do I filter my drinking water? I want to be sure that I drink clean water when traveling remote.

Today's Destination is: Best of beaches of Honolulu, Hawaii.  Today's Mistake- Losing a High School Ring. Travel Advice- Scorpions:  Be aware in hot weather.

FAQ: Tamara asks about safe water to drink. How should I filter my drinking water? I want to be sure that I drink clean water when traveling remote.

Answer:  Tamara that's a good question for Dr Travelbest, who likes to be reminding women to drink and stay hydrated. Waterborne illness is caused by invisible-to-the-eye pathogens. The difference between a filter and a purifier is that only a purifier is effective against the smallest threats—viruses.

Caused by animal or human contamination of water sources, three things to know are these:

Protozoa and cysts, like cryptosporidium and giardia lamblia

Bacteria, like E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter

Viruses, like hepatitis A, rotavirus and norovirus

There are four ways to purify your water for travel, Pump purifiers, UV light purifiers, water purifier bottles and chemical purification.

You need to remove the pathogens. Filters will not do as good as purifiers, but better than nothing.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/water-treatment-international.html

 

Today's Episode is the Destination: Best of beaches of Oahu and Honolulu Hawaii

 

Oahu's beaches are in one of four locations. Here is a summary of the four: North, South, West and East.

The famous North Shore has surfing beaches, like Waimea Bay and Ehukai (Eh-Hu, KI) Beach, home of the Banzai Pipeline.

The South Shore is for Waikiki and city beaches, and fun snorkeling for free. These huge, wide beaches are bordered with tall palm trees and luxury resort hotels.

The Westside's beaches are Leeward Coast beaches, which means the island protects them from the wind. This is where you'll find peaceful beaches with gentle surf, like Ko Olina and Turtle Bay.

On the Eastside, referred to as the Windward Coast, you'll find popular yet unspoiled beaches, like Waimanalo and Makapuu (MA KA PU-U).

Makapuu Beach

This beach is only 30 minutes outside Waikiki, delivers epic sunrise views, lots of cool lava rocks for IG backgrounds, and some great waves. The beach is especially famous for body surfing; the waves are consistently good. The water is dangerous and there can be strong rip currents, so this spot is best for expert body surfers. It's body for surfing only - no surfboards are permitted here.

The beach is next to Makapuu (MAK a Poo oo) Point, the most eastward part of Oahu. There's a lighthouse on the point and some cool sea caves in the rocks beneath it.

The 1,000-foot-long beach is bright white with powder-soft sand. The white sand creates an image that gives the water a light turquoise color. The beach is wider during the summertime, and a lot of the sand erodes due to winter waves.

After enjoying the beach, it is recommended to take a hike along the adjacent Point Lighthouse Trail. The hike is about three miles round-trip to and from the lighthouse and provides some seriously jaw-dropping ocean views along the way.

Waimea Bay is a famous surfing spot, but the beach here is always a great place to visit, even for non-surfers. With all the surfers, there's always something to see.

Keep in mind, the monster waves Waimea is famous for only happen during the winter; the surf is almost gentle during the summer, making it great for swimming and even snorkeling. During the winter, the beach can see waves as high as 20 to 30 feet, some of the largest in the world.

Waimea Bay has good facilities (public restrooms and outdoor showers) and is well-guarded with lifeguards. The sand is powder smooth, and the beach is wide.

After a day of water sports, get a bite with the locals at one of the many food trucks that line the Kamehameha (Kamehameha) Highway near all the popular surf breaks.

The best time to visit Waikiki is Early Sunday morning little traffic. 

Las Vegas like hotels (Iliki, (ill- ik kai) Hilton Hawaii Village, etc) with shops like Beverly Hills retail, including Harry Winston, Gucci, Coach

Swimming can be dangerous at times.

Catamarans land on the shore. Beep their boats as they approach shore to tell the swimmer to get out of the way.

 

Snorkeling: Waikiki area, Sans Souci (san, so sea) Beach, Queens Beach. 

 

Bring a facemask, snorkel, and fins. Plenty of coral and fish that are translucent, jelly-like, colorful, and polka dot. 

For non-swimmers:

1. Bishop Museum https://www.bishopmuseum.org/

which includes 5 buildings. Planetarium, interactive exhibits.

2) Diamond Head hiking

3) Pearl Harbor Museum

USS Arizona, a 3-minute walk from USS Bowfin Sub Museum. Be sure to make your reservations well in advance.

4) The island's Polynesian Cultural Center in the northeast part has a beautiful setup, so get your tickets in advance. The buffet, the evening show, and the experience are one of a kind. I feel the culture here more than in other places on the islands. It's for tourists and may be worth it if you have a car, as it's a ways from the main parts of the island.

https://www.polynesia.com/

 

5) Shopping

 The downtown mall has free parking and 400+ stores plus a food court. You can walk to the beach from here, too.

 

Kuleana" (Cool e ana). Take wisdom, make it deep

Be good to nature. Respect the land https://www.ponopledge.com/

 

Travel Advice-Scorpions:  When and where do they appear and how do you treat the bite?

 

Scorpions are generally active during the early dusk and during the night as they are nocturnal. They are found in Arizona, southeastern Nevada, California, New Mexico, Western Texas and Utah. They have a venom that can be dangerous, with symptoms such as difficulty breathing, muscle twitching, unusual head, neck, and eye movements, drooling, sweating, nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure and accelerated heart rate. Some home remedies are to clean the wound with mild soap and water, apply a cool compress to reduce pain, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever as needed. Don't consume liquid or food if you are having difficulty swallowing. I'm not a medical doctor, so please get advice from your provider.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scorpion-stings/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353865

 

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