Today was the day I did my "ObamaLand" tour! It was the most fruitful, but also the most expensive as I had hired a car in order to get to the places where he had lived. I paid extra for a GPS Satellite Navigation aid and I am glad I did, I would never have found my way there otherwise.
So I typed in the address of his school and off we went! It was my first time driving in America, and my first time driving an automatic car. Also there were various uncertainties about the insurance so I didn't want any accident! But Hawaii is not New York or Chicago, everyone here drives slowly and they're all very courteous and understanding, and the roads are not too crowded (especially on a Sunday) so it all went fine.
I got to my destination (according to the GPS) and started looking for a place to park. All the side streets seemed full. I turned back onto the main road and was driving along when I saw the school. Actually I thought I saw the name of the school in big letters on a sign, but later walking around I found there was no sign. Was I seeing in the Spirit? Anyway just after spotting the school I saw a place to park, and it was just outside the school.
Once in the grounds I met an elderly couple and then a very friendly security man in a buggy who gave me a lift in his buggy! He said as it was Sunday and all the classrooms were locked I could wander anywhere I wanted to....
The more I saw of Punahou School (although I didn't get round all of it's 74 acre campus) the more I realised what a sacrifice his mother and grandparents must have made to afford to send Barack to such a grand school.
As I was leaving the campus I saw people going into a church across the road so I went in too. It turned out to be a Catholic Church, but the Spirit was there and we even sang one of those "fisherfolk" spirit-filled songs as well as some others that were uplifting.
Then I walked around seeing two places where Barack briefly lived, and then I looked in my book and headed off to his church and the famous Poki Street address. I found the church, took some photos from the road.
Then I went round to what looked like the entrance. There were two ladies coming out. Could I take some photos inside the church? Unfortunately I was too late, the church was already locked up, and they needed to go to another appointment. Never mind, so I took a couple more from outside and then I noticed the priest coming to the entrance. Could I take some photos inside the church? He was delighted to show me round, I had just caught him in time! ....
But if you want to here a miracle of “being just in time” wait till you hear about the Poki Street experience!
I've written a lot for today. And there's an early start tomorrow with nothing to report except another flight, so I'll tell you about the "Poki Street experience" then!
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