condensed master

Will Bonner
On it's approach to Honolulu the ship rounded Diamond Head, it was late
morning and the view was spectacular. Very soon they were tying up at a berth
close to the Aloha tower, a tall square building some 10 storeys high. Clocks on
all four sides had the word "Aloha" printed on the balconies above them.
Originally, it was the tallest building in Honolulu, and so well known that it was
regarded as the Hawaiian equivalent of the "Statue of Liberty" in the USA.
Will was eager to get ashore, but his duties were erratic for the remainder of
the day which would have meant a very short excursion. I'll wait until tomorrow
to get a full day ashore, he thought. There was no hurry, the ship would be here
for at least a couple of weeks, giving him plenty of time for sightseeing.
The following morning Will left the ship to go into downtown Honolulu, only
fifteen to twenty minutes walk away. It was much like any other American city,
and spending the day going through the shops was just as tiring. The day was
rounded off by a visit to one of the best movie theatres he had ever seen. Next day
he decided to go farther afield to see the beaches and scenery for which Hawaii
was famous.
One place he had always wanted to visit was the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and
also Waikiki Beach, which were both prominent in his mind from the films he had
seen. The hotel was known as the "Pink Palace" because of it's pink painted
exterior and Moorish-Spanish architecture with towers, giving it the look of a regal
palace. Arriving at the hotel, he walked through the surrounding gardens which
were filled with palms and brilliantly coloured flower beds, then on to Waikiki
beach, the most famous beach resort in the world.
The scenery, looking across to Diamond Head was breathtaking, and Will
stood there for sometime taking it all in. The weather was brilliant, a clear blue sky
with a slight sea breeze, and the sun was hot but not overpowering. It was late
morning, but there were very few people on the beach, which had the finest white
sand stretching in a long curve towards Diamond Head. After the scene had been
implanted permanently in his mind Will walked back to the front of the hotel. Once
inside, it's pink decor was luxurious and he wandered through the downstairs
rooms noting the shiny black floors and crystal chandeliers. After looking around
he finally settled down in a small room with a bar. Ordering a drink, he found a
table near the back of the room which gave him the full view of all the comings and
goings of customers and staff.
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