O'ahu - Part 6

On Saturday we got wheels!  I must admit I was a little nervous about driving in the city of Honolulu, but since we were heading to the North Shore I had time to get used to the car.  We were promised a Ford Focus, but actually got a Toyota Corolla, which was great as I drive an older standard version of the same car.

We started out on the freeway  (6 lanes OMG) but as you can tell by the picture, the speeds soon dropped and the drive became more scenic.

The drive took a little over an hour, and we stopped a beach along the way.  The waves were far larger than at Waikiki, but far smaller than at other times of the year.

I thought they were plenty big enough so I wasn't about to go in!

And seeing this sign confirmed it.

We continued up the road looking for the shrimp truck featured in the O'ahu This Week brochure but never found it.  We did, however, find Giovanni's Shrimp Truck.  

It was popular spot with several food trucks gathered in the area.  K chose the shrimp scampi with rice, while I stuck to a hot dog cooked in the scampi sauce.  I'll admit it, I'm a prairie girl at heart and sea food (other than fish) is generally not in my comfort zone.  While at the rest stop, we wandered about the grounds and I found a new friend.  He looks a little like my Saku!

We turned around at this point, and made our way back to  the Waimea Valley botanical garden.  Although it wouldn't have been K's first choice for spending an afternoon, I loved every minute of the time we spent there. The grounds were beautifully maintained, yet looked natural, and the trees provided cover when it began raining lightly.

 There were gorgeous flowers.

And there were lots of birds.  This one is a red crested cardinal; he was quite unconcerned about having his photo taken.

Near the exit was this noisy guy.  At first he wouldn't raise his tail feathers, but I guess I annoyed him enough because he started shouting at me!

All of the trees were lovely, but this one in particular had the most colorful bark I'd ever seen.

The falls were small but worth the walk to reach them.  We hadn't brought our bathing suits with us, but others were enjoying the refreshing waters. 

Throughout the park we saw signs warning of an endangered species crossing, though we saw no birds or animals at these points.  On our way out of the park, however, we saw this duck (?) start crossing in front of us.  I turned to K and said, "if this is the endangered species, it's no wonder!" 

I opened my window to tell it to move along, and it walked right up to my window. I grabbed my camera, then K's to take pictures of the silly goose (?)

When we left the valley we turned onto the highway into a traffic jam.  Cars were bumper to bumper for the next half-hour for no apparent reason.  We pulled into Hailewa to drive through the historic town before getting back on the highway towards Honolulu, by which time the traffic had eased. 

We took the freeway (6 lanes OMG!) back into Waikiki, where except for one wrong turn we made it back to the hotel in reasonable time. Dinner that evening was leftovers from the night before.

Tomorrow - Haunama Bay and Kailua

O'ahu - Part 5

We were mid-way through our trip on Wednesday and there was still so much to see and do.  We got a late start to the morning as we were both tired from the day before.  After a leisurely

Picture taken when we arrived on Friday (late in the day)

breakfast on our balcony, we hopped the bus out to the Aloha Stadium to visit what was advertised as a swap meet.  The only swapping going on was my money for the products on sale!

I found t-shirts for both of my children, a little travel purse for myself, and K found handcrafted bookmarks, and a Parrot Aloha shirt to wear to Jimmy Buffett concerts.

The so-called meet was a bit disappointing, but we had the Chief's luau to look forward to that evening.  We'd done some research before booking the luau as would be expected there are several to choose from on the island. Chief's came highly recommended, not only on Trip Advisor, but by one of my team members who attended the show in February.  We booked the tour on our own, and were not disappointed.

The luau is held at Sea Life Park, and had we splurged on the Royal Package we would have had a tour.  Instead we stuck to the standard tour but still got to see the sea turtles.

These pictures were taken out the window of the bus as we got closer to the park.

This is my cousin Veti,  Seriously!

At least that is what he told all of us on the bus, and K and I immediately adopted him.

He was an excellent guide and gave us both a great hug when we left later that evening.

The picture below was taken just beyond the spot where the pig was roasting.  What a lovely view for us, not so much for the pig.

The food was so-so, but the show was awesome.   The dancers were incredible and I wish I could have gotten some good shots of the final act, where the chief and some of the dancers danced with fire.  Wow!

Check out the tattoos on the man in the middle. The ones on his mid-section extended down to his knees.










After the show we were delivered back to Waikiki about 9:30 in the evening.

It was a lovely warm evening so we stopped at an ABC store for a couple of drinks to enjoy on the balcony.





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The next day, we spent a quiet day on Fort de Russy beach (part of Waikiki, but definitely a quieter part).

We relaxed and read, watched the surfers out in the ocean, and the many aircraft fly overhead.  Despite my attempts to be a human rotisserie, I managed to burn my back and shoulders, though not badly.

Later in the day we hit Ross Dress for Less (think Winners in Canada) where we each scored.  K got two pairs of capris and a blouse for under $50 and I got two pairs of shorts for $22.  Then it was onto the International Market where we each found dresses for $17 a piece.

We hit the Cheesecake Factory for dinner that evening (we have no store here), where we sat on the outdoor patio and watched the continuous traffic pass by.  We both enjoyed our meals, but the portions were too large, so we ended up taking at least half home for the next day.  And who can resist the cheesecake?  We ordered a piece of key-lime cheesecake to take back to the hotel for a treat later in the week.

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Friday was another quiet day, it was overcast so we hung out by the pool at the hotel, did lots of reading and just relaxed.  We did get to the fireworks that evening, but beyond that it was mostly a ``do-nothing`` day!


Tomorrow:  Northshore

O'ahu - Part 4

After spending the morning at Pearl Harbor, both K and I decided we were ready to be on the move.  She had borrowed a library book (a real live book!) before we left, which provided the directions for self-guided walking tours.  Since we'd done a bit of the Waikiki tour we chose to hop the local bus (The Bus) and head downtown.

We got dropped across from the State Capitol and immediately took the wrong turn!  However it turned out to be an opportune mistake.  As you all likely realize by now, I love the absurd.  As we wandered down the street we came across this.  Can you tell what it is?

Here is a larger photo, which makes it a little more clear.  Yes it is a plug-in on a tree.  Why it is there is a mystery.  The tree was nowhere near a building, rather the tree was between the sidewalk and the street.

If it had been in Canada I would have guessed it was to ensure the electric cords we use to plug-in our car block heaters in the winter, wouldn't cross the sidewalk.

But what it was doing in Honolulu escapes me.  Anyone else have an idea?

We continued our walk to get back in the general vicinity of the starting point of the tour, when we walked past this place.

K recognized it right away, it took me a minute or two more.  For those who don't know, it's the storefront for the bond bailsman, Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife, Beth.

There was a sign on the door informing us Dog and Beth were away filming so we didn't stop in.



Our first official stop on our out-of-order walking tour was St. Andrew's church.  The grounds and the church were beautiful!

Built in 1862, the Cathedral Church of St. Andrews was gifted to the community by King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma.

 We were able to walk into the church even though there was a wedding underway in the chapel.

In fact, as we exited the church there were two limousines, one with a bride and groom entering it, the second with the bride waiting.  It was a busy day for weddings!  Or at least we thought so at the time.

From the church we wandered down the street past Washington Place.  The gates were closed so this picture was taken through the bars.








Our next stop was the Iolani Palace.  Much to my daughter's chagrin we did not go on the interior but satisfied ourselves with a walk about the grounds.

We stopped at the rest area on the grounds, took a break in the shade, before wandering through the gift shop.

The memorial for the men and women who served in the US Armed Forces was not part of the official tour.  We came across it and stopped briefly to contemplate the eternal flame.

We eventually made our way back to the State Capitol building where we had started.

Did you know the columns are meant to represent trunks of the palm trees?

In front of the building we found the statue of Father Damien.  I believe the sign indicated he was one of the first priests to bring Catholicism to the Islands.





I just thought it was neat that he was a square.








From the Capitol Building we made our way over to the statue of King Kamahemeha.

The place was swarming with tourists, so we waited for most to clear before taking our pictures.  The funny thing was watching the Japanese tourists pose as the King, so I got K to do the same...she is such a good sport!

There was still more to see!

We stopped to listen to the bells at Kawaiahao Church.

Within the grounds of the church we found the tomb of King Lunalilo.  This little area was so peaceful and calm, it was soothing balm after the emotions of the morning.  I could have stayed for much longer.

We went on to visit the Mission Houses but there was no tour, so we simply wandered through the grounds.

Because we were so close by, we did make our way over to Chinatown.  However, it was late in the day, the shops were closing, and my feet were killing me!  We bought some bananas, then hopped The Bus back to Waikiki.

Dinner that evening was at Teddy's Big Burgers in the Waikiki Grand.  More than a fast food joint, the food was cooked fresh, the portions were large (more than I really needed but after that walk I could rationalize), and required the use of a minimum of five napkins.  Definitely a good burger!



Tomorrow: Aloha Stadium swap meet and Big Chief's Luau

O'ahu - Part 3

Yikes, was this an early morning!!!

We'd gotten used to getting out of bed between 7 and 8 a.m., but taking our time relaxing on the balcony, having breakfast, planning, and getting ready for our day.  That morning 5 a.m. came awfully early but we were catching the 6 a.m. tour bus to Pearl Harbor.  While it cost more than going out on our own, it was a better choice than the city bus as we later found out.

We wandered through the museum before we went to the theatre to view the 30 minute video (which includes voice recordings) of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  I learned a couple things.  First, if only the officers who became aware of the incoming aircraft had not assumed the planes were American craft expected to be coming in from California, perhaps the devastation and loss of life would not have been as high.  Second, it seemed at least half of the audience were Asian  and I assume Japanese.  I can't imagine how they felt listening to the descriptions of the actions of the Japanese as described by the narrators.

We were then transferred to the memorial on a small ferry.

The view from inside the memorial was slightly creepy. You can see a good portion of the ship, and these photos show what remains above water.

Beyond the end of the Arizona, you can see the Missouri in the distance.  The ship has be refurbished and now is a museum.  We didn't pay for that part of the package so this was as close as we got to it.

Inside the memorial is the wall of names, listing all the men who lost their lives that day.  Just viewing this wall from afar sent shivers down my spine.  1177 men died on board the Arizona, and nearly 2400 in total were killed and many more wounded in the attack.

The park ranger explained when the rebuilding began, about 250 bodies were removed for burial, but eventually it was decided to leave the remainder on the ship.  This decision was due to the difficulty in identifying the remains.  Accordingly, 927 men were interred on the battleship.

Since the early 2000's, the National Park Service has offered a service to the families of the survivors who have now passed.  They have found a way to dive down to the ship, to drop an urn into the ship, without touching anything.  He told us, in this way, 37 more men have joined their fellow crewman.

Over the side of the ship, we could still see evidence of the oil remaining on-board the battleship.  I've been told, at one time there were oil bubbles rising, but on this day we saw only a sheen on the water.

Leaving the memorial we boarded the ferry back to the park site.  The ride back was quiet, as we were all lost in our own thoughts.

As we traveled back on the bus to Waikiki, K and I decided the morning had been very somber so we planned a walking tour of downtown Honolulu for the afternoon.  I had thought I would post this as well but I think I'll leave it for tomorrow.  Even now I feel touched by what we saw and heard that day.


Tomorrow - Honolulu walking tour

O'ahu - Part 2

We left the hotel on Monday morning about 9:30 a.m. to visit the Diamond Head Crater.
In hindsight, we should have caught the first bus at 6:30 a.m.  The temperature was probably in the mid-80's by the time we arrived, and as we climbed, it seemed the temperature did too!  A bit much for a Saskatchewan girl used to much lower temps.

 My first clue this was not going to be an easy walk in the park was the trek from the highway into the crater.  The scenery was beautiful though and I was determined to keep up with my more fit friend!

At first the path was paved and the slope was gentle...that didn't very long.

Can you imagine there are people who run this trail?

The signs warning of falling rocks did little to dispel my concerns either.

Eventually Soon, I let K go ahead of me K went on ahead without me as it was clear to both of us achieving the summit was beyond my capacity.

The arrow in the next picture marks her progress, to approximately the mid-way point of the trek.

I did eventually make it that far as well, but that was the turn around point for me. While the view was incredible, the heat was too much.  I also knew since there were a series of steps coming up I wasn't prepared to attempt.  K told me later, the first were 79 steps followed by a dark tunnel, and finally another 99 steps to climb to the summit. I'll have to ask her to send me a few pictures of the view from the top.

Returning back to Waikiki, and after lots of water and a refreshing nap, we did the Mai-Tai cruise in the late afternoon.  Now this was an adventure more to my liking.  We boarded the catamaran and sailed out into the ocean.  We were too late in the year to see whales, but being on the water, enjoying the sun and the breezes was absolutely wonderful none the less.

To the right of this picture you can see the Diamond Head Crater.  Gotta say, this is my favorite view of it!

After disembarking the catamaran we walked down the beach to the Shorebird restaurant for the early evening dinner special.  For $14.99 per person we got the "all you can eat" salad bar and a six ounce steak which we grilled ourselves under the watchful eyes of a roving chef.  Not only was the food terrific (the salad bar was phenomenal and I can't complain about the steak), the service staff were excellent, and the atmosphere was fun.  We didn't stay long enough to watch the sunset as our table was near the back of the restaurant, but we were told the tables closest to the beach had an awesome view.

Tomorrow: Pearl Harbor and a walking tour of downtown Honolulu