Day 3 - Free Time

 By Sarah DiMatteo and Amy Longley 

Wednesday November 23, 2016

After finally being accustomed to the weather and time change we were very excited to have a free day to enjoy all the amenities the area has to offer! This beautiful sunny day started off with breakfast as a band, we were also joined by Bernie Comito and his wife, Jackie. We look forward to spending time with them and hearing about Bernie's experiences 75 years ago. This morning and throughout the day more bands began to arrive, it's great to mingle with the other bands. After breakfast, a small group of us made the smart decision to do some school work (you're welcome mom). Afterwards, we went down to the beach and in typical Hawaiian fashion there was a sudden rain storm only lasting about 5 minutes. We carefully selected a place to lay in the sun by the ocean and lagoon. We decided to grab a quick and expensive bite to eat at the Pronto Pickle, a restaurant on the hotel property. As it's name suggests, they sold individually packaged pickles for a not so low price of two dollars a piece. Once we finished lunch, the band was given the option to leave property for free time, we decided to explore the Honolulu Zoo. The walk to the zoo was beautiful and hot, but completely worth it. Walking down the streets of Honolulu, offered a great view of the high end shops on the left, and the gorgeous Pacific Ocean on the right. After about 25 minutes of waking and taking in the busy yet laid back environment we arrived at the zoo. In our typical band fashion, we immediately headed for the gift shop to find ourselves some patches, it was a success. The zoo had some very interesting sanctuaries, which included giraffes, elephants, zebras, flamingos, lions and so much more. It was great to experience the stunning view of the animals with diamond head in the background. One of the most enjoyable parts of being on tour is being able to share about the band and our experiences with others. Wearing a maple leaf on our backs attracted lots of vistitors and employees to inquire about the band. Meeting a fellow Canadian was very exciting, especially hearing about his plans to watch us perform in the Waikiki Holiday parade this Friday. All in all, the zoo was a great way to do something different and exciting on our free time. On our way back, we stopped at souvenir shops to browse through the typical Hawaiian attire. The malls were filled with Christmas decorations and Christmas trees which was a weird concept considering it was -5 degrees in Burlington today. After free time was over, we gathered the band together and got ready to go to dinner. The band loaded the buses and went to Bucca di Beppo, an old fashion Italian restaurant. We were served salad, chicken Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti and brownies, we did not leave hungry. The whole restaurant erupted in applause for the few band members who had birthdays today. After a delicious and fun meal we all loaded the buses to come back to the hotel.  Finally, to end such a fun filled free day we had a few extra hours after the band meeting to hang around the hotel at night. We are so excited for another free day tomorrow and for our performances this weekend. It is always such an honour to remember the reason why we are here and represent the city and our country well!