39. Hawaii – Part 3

Month: December 2017

Location: O’ahu & Big Island

Up and away

I was glad that I had booked a day flight to Hilo because the view was just spectacular.  First, it was the blue ocean, and then as we flew over the islands of Moloka’i and Maui, it was just one incredible sight after another.  The flight attendants went around handing out prepackaged cups of juice or water, and before we knew it, we were over The Big Island, or its real name, Hawai’i.  It was overcast as we landed and there was rain in the air.  The airport itself was very small and I went searching for the rental car booth, which was outdoors.  The lady was nice and she not only upgraded me to a SUV, but when I told her that would be driving to Kona tomorrow, plotted the route and the stops.  The car was parked right behind the booth – this was literally on a median – and after spending some time trying to figure out how to open the trunk, I was ready to go.

Trail to 'Akaka Falls'

It looked like all the hotels were located next to each other, around a curved road and mine was called ‘Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel’.  After checking in I stopped by the concierge to discuss some sightseeing options for this afternoon and she gave me a few suggestions, including printed directions with maps.  I dropped off my bags in the room and set off for my first stop, ‘Akaka Falls State Park’.  It was approximately 16 miles away and a beautiful drive, part of which was along the coastline. I finally felt like I was on a tropical island.  Plus, it was drizzling on and off, showcasing the greenery even more.  I turned off the main road and drove along a narrow path to the gates of the State Park.  I saw a lot of cars parked by the roadside and so I did the same.  As I entered through the gates and into the parking lot, I saw that there were plenty of parking spaces.  A guy was sitting there and he said that I could pay $5 to park in the lot, or as many people had done, leave my car outside.  That made sense to me and so I left my car outside, paid the $1 entry fee, and set off on the trail.

'Akaka Falls'

There was a fantastic 1 mile path – paved all the way - leading to the falls.  I got the feeling that I was entering a tropical forest and it took me through the foliage and across streams, till I reached the viewing area, with the falls in the distance.  The falls themselves weren’t as impressive, but I had enjoyed my walk getting there.  It was a loop, meaning there was a different route to get back and soon I was back in my car, ready to head back.  It was starting to get dark and so I decided to skip the “Botanical Gardens” – one of the places my concierge had suggested – and decided to make a quick stop at ‘Rainbow Falls’ instead, since it was located close to town.  I arrived at the park and it was threatening to rain any moment.  There was a short path leading to an elevation, which was called the “Rainbow Falls Lookout”, and it really was stretching the limits as a tourist attraction.  You could hardly see the waterfall and after taking one look I returned to my car, just as it started raining.

and 'Rainbow Falls'

There were a couple of places in downtown that I wanted to visit and so I found a parking spot.  Well, downtown was being extremely kind to it since there was a main street with some business’s, all of which looked closed.  After all, it was Christmas evening, and sure enough the places I was looking for were closed as well.  So I drove back to the hotel and saw that the parking lot was full.  I was lucky to find a spot in the basement of a garage and the reason for the crowd was that the restaurant in my hotel was hosting a “Christmas Dinner”.  I had booked my seat a month ago and was lucky to get a table at 8:30 pm.  As I came inside, I saw lot of people gathered outside and since it was still early, I went to the hotel bar, ‘Wai’oli Lounge’ and had some colorful looking cocktails, one of which was called “Saddle Road Sunset”.  The bar was attached to the restaurant and so many of the dinner folks were bleeding into the room, carrying their buffet plates that were filled to the brim.  It was disheartening to see that many did not bother that most of the things on the plates were left untouched and going to waste.  The bartender asked if I wanted to eat at the bar and I said that I would come back for my table later and so went back to my room to wait for an hour.

The bright colored drinks
of 'Wai'oli Lounge'

I returned back to ‘Queens Court Restaurant’ and the rush had started to subside.  Having a later seating may not have been the best idea since they weren’t keen on refilling some of the stations, especially the desserts.  In fact, the people before me had done a number over there and there was mess all over the place.  There is something about a buffet that brings out the worst in people, especially the holiday specials.  I mentioned to the staff that they should be more diligent in refilling, especially if they are going to have late seating’s.  However, this was a stressful evening for all of them and it should not be forgotten that this was their Christmas too.  I called it an early night, knowing that I would have a long day tomorrow.

Breakfast at 'Ken's House Of Pankcakes'

It was bright and sunny the next morning as I checked out and headed to the nearby ‘Ken’s House Of Pancakes’ for breakfast.  It looked to be a popular diner that did traditional breakfast food, and they did it well.  This would probably be my only meal till dinner and so I did it justice. Then I left for ‘Volcanoes National Park’, which was 30 miles away.  It was a nice drive to get there and even though I had not spent enough time in Hilo, this was one of the main reasons that I had come here, well one of the 2 main reasons.  I arrived at the entrance to the park and as I paid the fee, the ranger told me that today was “cruise ship day”, meaning that the park would be full of visitors.  The first test of that would be the “Visitor’s Center” and sure enough, the parking lot looked full.  This would be one of those days where finding parking would supersede every other challenge.

The magnificent 'Kilauea Iki Crater'

I made my way to the main building to talk to a ranger and even though there were a few available, there was a queue in front of each of them.  After what seemed like a long time for a family to understand how to read a map, I finally reached a ranger and he looked like he would rather be anywhere than here.  Having to repeat something over and over and answer pointless questions is not a very enjoyable task.  I asked for things to do and depending on the amount of time one was here there were several activities, including a twilight show where the glow from the lava was visible.  I wasn’t going to able to see that, but I could definitely do some hikes.  One of the more fascinating ones was called ‘Kilauea Iki Trail’ which went through the rain forest around the ‘Kilauea Iki Crater’, descended into it, and then after a 2 mile hike inside the crater, you emerged out on the other side.  The total distance was a 4 mile loop and this would take most of the morning.  This sounded fascinating since you would actually be walking on the surface of a volcano.  That’s just brilliant.  I immediately decided to go on this trail, and then proceeded to make one of the dumbest mistakes of all time.

Through the forest... 

Before starting, I went to the gift shop and asked if they had any bottled water.  They did not, but were happy to sell me a water bottle, which I could then fill up with water from a fountain outside.  The bottle was branded and expensive, plus it was bulky and since I was already pushing the limits of my baggage, I decided not to purchase it.  As I would soon realize, that was just stupid.  I drove to the trail-head and fortunately there was parking.  I walked up to the viewing area and the sight which greeted me was breathtaking to say the least.  I was looking down into the crater and it was huge.  I could see a path running across it and tiny specs, which I assumed were people.  It was a long way down and I had no idea how I was going to do that.  But one thing was clear, this would be closest feeling to walking inside a lunar crater…well if I ignored the forest in the distance…and the blue skies…and the people.

...and down the steps

The first challenge was finding the entrance to the trail and even though I asked several hikers, no one seemed to know.  I made my best guess and started through the dense forest, with the crater to my left.  It was going downhill, though not as steeply as I would have anticipated.  Every now and then I would stop and find a clearing to look at the crater down below and it was amazing each time.  There are some sights which leave you speechless for no reason other than their scale and to think that I would be walking on this “magnificent desolation” – well, with caveats – was a bit intimidating.  I imagined myself down there on the wide open grey surface with no hint of vegetation and the elevated forest in the distance on all 4 sides.  But first, I had to get there and so I continued down the long trail.  At one stage there was a fork in the road, one leading to the visitor’s center and the other continuing down to the crater.  It really was a long hike and I thought that I had gone several miles, when in reality it had been less than 1.

The jagged lava rocks at the base

I finally reached an opening through the forest and I had walked the entire north face of the crater and now it was time to decent down the western slope.  The way that would happen was through a series of winding steps…a lot of winding steps.  Plus, this wasn’t a well-constructed, uniform stairway, but steps of stone, which were sometimes just slabs of dirt and some of them, were quite steep.  I was fairly tired by the time I reached the base and then I realized how much further I still had to go.  Before I could even get to the opening of the crater, there were sharp and jagged lava formations to navigate and that would take some balancing.  That stretched for a long distance and once I had safely passed those, I would need to cover the miles long crater to reach the eastern face.  Then I would have to climb back and up and complete the loop.  But the biggest problem was that I had gone just over a quarter of the way and the lack of water was catching up with me.  So I made a decision to turn back.  I knew that I was missing out on a special experience, but I wasn’t sure if I would have the strength to climb once I had walked through the crater.  I mean, I barely had enough stamina left to do it now and by the time I had reached the top, I was exhausted.

The interior of the lava tube

If I had forgotten how long of a walk it had been on the way here, I was reminded as I went back to my starting point.  Plus, now I was going uphill.  I arrived to the spot where I had parked my car, but I knew that this was my best bet to find parking.  So I decided to continue on the trail to ‘Thurston Lava Tube’, another tourist attraction.  It was a short trek through the forest and as I arrived there, I was glad that I had left my car behind.  There were tourists everywhere and rangers were on hand to guide the traffic.  I found a water fountain, which was lifesaving to say the least, and now refreshed, headed town towards the lava tube.  As I approached the tube, it looked like a tunnel that had been bored into the mountainside.  The main difference was that this was a natural formation, caused by lava flowing through it hundreds of years ago.  It was a surreal walk through the tube, especially since it was pitch black in places and quite wet, making it difficult to find your footing.  It also made me appreciate everything that miners do, since I had enough of being there after just 2 minutes.

The caldera of 'Kliauea Crater'

The next step was to head back on the trail towards my car and after one last look at the crater, I headed back to the visitors center.  By now the place was truly busy and I had to drive around the parking lot for a bit before I could find a spot.  I still wanted to spend some more time in the park and so asked a ranger for options.  He had just finished telling a gentleman about this 13 mile trail which was only accessible via bikes and from the sounds of it, they were planning to be their well past sunset.  Speaking of trails, there was one called ‘Devastation Trail’ and I suppose the name was enough for me to skip it.  I had 2 options, either drive down to the coast, a 20 mile drive with multiple scenic stops on the way.  One of them was called ‘Kealakomo Overlook’, which was a cliff with a precipitous drop and the ocean in the background.  The view was supposed to be amazing, and people could see the vast lava field that formed this island…and is still forming it.  The end of the road was the viewing area for ‘Holei Sea Arch’, which was a naturally occurring arch that had been cut into the cliff hundreds of years ago.  Getting there would take over 45 minutes and so rather than do a 90 minute round trip, I decided to choose the second option, go and see the ‘Kilauea Caldera’.

It is still an active volcano

I started driving on a road called ‘Crater Rim Drive’ and on the way saw a bunch of cars parked on the side and some steam rising up through the ground.  I pulled over and walked up to something called ‘Steam Vents’, where steam was billowing out like it was a sauna and smell of Sulphur was in the air.  If we needed a reminder that we were on an active volcano, this was it.  A little further away was my first look at the ‘Kilauea Caldera’ and this one put the earlier one to shame.  Not only was this massive, there was a giant opening through which steam was rising, as if the entire thing would blow up any minute.  I got back in the car and continued on to a better viewing area, which was named…well, ‘Kilauea Overlook’, and once again the sight of the crater gave one a sense of the scale of devastation that was possible.  The ranger had mentioned that no one, not even rangers, were allowed down there, let alone anywhere near the steaming opening.  The geologists would sometimes go in a chopper and lower some instruments for sampling, but that was it.  Nearby was a place called ‘Jaggar Museum’, which told the geological story of this place and it also had pictures of how spectacular the erupting vent looked at night.

At this stage I could leave the park and drive to Kona, but there was something about the view from ‘Kealakomo Overlook’, and I knew that I would regret if I never saw it.  So I decided to go up to that spot, which was halfway to the arch, and then turn back.  I started driving on the ‘Chain of Craters Road’ and boy, was that an extraordinary route.  There are roads that are pretty because of the scenery, but this was unique because it was carved through remnants of lava flow.  There were several mounds of tall and jagged volcanic rock on either side, along with signs having dates on when that had happened.  Most of them were from recent past, meaning that lava had been flowing like a river on the spot where I was driving.  Soon I arrived at my destination and even before I had reached the overlook, I knew that the trip had been worth the effort.  I was on a cliff that was hundreds of feet above the Pacific.  But between the cliff and the ocean was a stretch of black volcanic rock.  What seemed like miles below was a single road cutting through the rock and heading towards the ocean.  I saw a tiny bus on it and I suppose this was the way to the arch, which was the furthest that the road went.  Once again, as magnificent as the sight in front of me was, it was the scale which made it impressive.

The view from 'Kealakomo Overlook'

My drive would take me around the island

I started my drive towards Kailua Kona, which was on the Western shore of the island.  It would take me 2 hours to get there and I had been told that it would be faster for me to drive back to Hilo – which was on the exact opposite side of Kona, on the eastern shore - and then cut across the island.  But where was the fun in going inland, when I could take the solitary road that went south, around the apex of the island and then up the west coast.  It was a single lane road for most parts and I passed through a few sleepy towns on the way.  The most spectacular sight awaited me as I went around the southern apex.  I pulled on the side of the road and soaked in one of the prettiest views that I have ever seen.  All around me was the deep blue Pacific against a different shade of blue sky.  Plus, there was greenery of the lawn near the edge and if there ever was a postcard moment, this was it.  This was one of those sights where I could have stood for hours, just staring.  But, I had places to be and so onward I went.  This was the Hawaii I had heard of, not the glitz and glamour of Waikiki.

One of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen

As I drove up the west coast of the island, the road was elevated and I could see several towns pass by below me.  The numbers of cars on the road were increasing and the dreaded traffic lights were showing up frequently.  Twilight was setting in and even though the tranquility of the early part of my drive was gone, there was a different kind of charm now; with the lights of coastal towns in the distance.  It was almost dark as I saw my exit and pulled in to my hotel for the next couple of nights.  I was in Kailua Kona, and tomorrow I would get to do something that I had waited my whole life for.

To Be Continued…

39. Hawaii – Part 2

Month: December 2017

Location: O’ahu & Big Island

I was told to be ready for pickup at 5:50 am on the hotel’s side street. I arrived with 10 minutes to spare and saw a small coach waiting there.  The driver, Dennis - who would be our guide for the day - told me that I was the first of the pickups and the only one from this hotel, meaning we did not need to wait and could be on our way.  I learned that Dennis was originally from Detroit and had come to Hawaii years ago and stayed.  I asked why on earth were we starting at this hour and he said that we would need all of the allocated time.  First, we had to visit 7 other hotels to pick up my fellow tourists.  We went around the Waikiki area to multiple hotels and each time we picked someone up, Dennis would do a roll call naming the places where people were from.  So I was “Chicago” and we had “New Hampshire”, 2 sets of “Florida’s”, 2 sets of “Australia’s” and several other places.  At one place we had to leave without a family since they weren’t there, but eventually went back to pick them up since there had been some misunderstanding.  However, by 6:30 am all were on board and we were off to Pearl Harbor.

Early morning start

On the way there Dennis kept regaling us with information, such as the origin of the word “Waikiki”, which meant “Sprouting Water” – since there was plenty of that here – as well as information on Pearl Harbor, especially what happened that fateful day on December 7, 1941.  We would of course learn a lot about that today.  There were 4 main monuments that we would be visiting, and the first 2 were located at our first stop.  After spending a few hours there, we would be travelling to the other 2, which were on an active military base.  No bags were allowed at either site, unless it was transparent.  Also, no bags could be left on the bus since Dennis was going to pick up another lot of tourists while we were visiting the first site.  That was because no tour guide could be present with their group while visiting the monuments.  I guess this made sense since it would be mayhem with multiple stories being told to each group in close proximity near the monuments.  While I did not have any bag, one person in our group did, and he was told that he would have to check it in for the day and would only get it back at the very end.

Pearl Harbor

Dennis had told us to expect a long line and I thought he was exaggerating since it wasn’t even 7 am, but boy was I wrong.  The line seemed to extend for a mile.  Dennis said that this was because the gates were closed and once they opened, the line would move fast since there wasn’t a ticket window at the gate to slow anyone.  Fortunately, this turned to be true and by 7:10 am, all of us were inside.  Dennis gave us tickets for our tour of the ‘U.S.S. Arizona Memorial’, which was at 9:30 am.  We would be taking a ferry to see it and Dennis even told us where to sit on the Ferry so as to get good pictures.  There was some time before that and so Dennis suggested that we visit the ‘U.S.S. Bowfin Submarine’ first and then take a tour of the various exhibit halls.  He said that while there weren’t tickets, we could whisper the magic words “Dennis The Menace” at the gate and we would be handed audio guides.  Looks like Dennis was a popular character here.  Before he departed, Dennis said that we would pick us up at “Eleven One Five”, saying that “11:15” sounded very much like “11:50”.

On board 'U.S.S. Bowfin'

I went over to the submarine and walked through the interior, listening to my audio guide at marked spots.  One submarine is same as another and this one was like any other that I had seen.  I walked through the halls with exhibits and even then there was a still a lot of time before our tour of ‘U.S.S. Arizona Memorial’.  I got some coffee at the gift shop and sat on the benches watching tourists walk around with their gift bags – which curiously weren’t transparent.  The visit to the memorial would be preceded by a short film and Dennis had told us to be at the front the queue trying to get into the theater, so as to be closer to the exit when going to the ferry.  I went and stood in the staging area as soon as the earlier group went inside and over the next 15 minutes a big crowd had assembled.  As the doors opened, one lady grabbed hold of her kids and with poor husband behind her, rushed in like it was a “Black Friday Sales”.  Inside, people were frantically blocking seats and it was clear that Dennis wasn’t the only person with information.

'U.S.S. Arizona Memorial'

The film was the story of what happened on the day of the attack, including archival footage.  Several battleships were sunk that morning, with ‘Arizona’ being the biggest disaster. 1,177 sailors lost their lives that day on this ship alone.  The memorial was built on the exact spot above the sunken battleship, the remnants of which could still be seen through the water.  This is also the final resting place of the sailors who went down with the ship.  As soon as the film ended, there was a mad scramble to get out, led by the lady who was determined to be first on the ferry.  I managed to get a seat on the side which Dennis had recommended and as we approached the memorial, I could see why.  The structure is white and shaped like a boat, with large windows on either side to let in natural light.  It also lies perpendicular to the actual ship, so that you walk over the main deck and can see some parts sticking out of the water.  But the main attraction was the memorial wall which had the names of all who were sacrificed in the attack.

Inside the memorial

A lady told us to assemble by the wall and over there we heard a remarkable story.  Not everyone on board died in the attack.  There were survivors and a few years ago when one passed on owing to old age, he wrote in his will that his final wish was to be reunited with his shipmates.  The U.S. Navy and the National Park Services granted his wish by having a ceremony at twilight in front of his family, where divers took the urn with his ashes and placed it inside the battleship.  Since then this honor has been extended to every surviving member and all of them have accepted.  Very soon the last of them would be gone and everyone who was on board that fateful morning will be together again.  This story and many such moments over the last 3 years is why I am proud to be doing these travels.

The guns on 'U.S.S. Missouri'

We got back on the ferry and returned to the main park. There was enough time for me to redeem my “free hot dog” coupon that Dennis had given us.  At “Eleven One Five” we all gathered at the spot where he met us and we were back on the bus.  Next stop was ‘U.S.S. Missouri Battleship’, which was a short ride away and on an actual Naval Base. At the entrance we had to stop for our bus to be searched. Once inside, Dennis dropped us off and told us to meet him at a certain time and then he was off.  The ship itself was quite big and would be the second battleship that I would have visited this year, after seeing ‘U.S.S. Yorktown’ in Charleston.  A guided tour of the deck was about to start and I joined the group.  The lady started by telling us about the firepower of the battleship, which was evident by looking at the massive guns.  In fact, no one was supposed to be on the deck when they were fired owing to the sound and the shock waves.  However, the most important part of the deck was the place where the official “Japanese surrender” took place.  There were several signatures that were inked on paper that day and the pen that General MacArthur used that day.  In that regard this ship played a vital role in the conclusion of WWII.

The 'U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial'

There was a self-guided tour through the interior of the ship and the winding path took one to all the places such as the sleeping quarters, recreation rooms, dining rooms, galley etc.  It was a similar to the tour I had taken on ‘Yorktown’ and I followed the path till the exit, which deposited me back on the deck.  There was still some time before we were to meet Dennis, but I was done here and so walked back to the pick-up spot, stopping at the ‘U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial'.  This was another battleship that was sunk in the attack and the memorial was done as rows of pillars, one for each fallen sailor.  Dennis arrived soon and we all got aboard for our next destination, ‘The Pacific Aviation Museum’.  We were to have a 90 minute guided tour of the main hall and a separate hanger, which carried aircraft's from the war.

Inside the 'Pacific Aviation Musuem'

The lobby of the museum was fascinating, because the entire floor was a satellite image of Pearl Harbor and its neighboring area.  The interesting one was the ‘Aloha Stadium’ which is primarily used for Football, but the stands can actually move and reorganize, to transform into a Baseball stadium.  There are of course many other stadiums where the two sports are played, but none which have movable stands.  There was still some time before our tour and so everyone in our group made a beeline towards the café for some refreshments.  I got myself a local beer and chips and saw that almost everyone was loading up on the beer.  We all gathered for the tour and the gentleman, who was our guide, took us through the main hall pointing out on the map how the actual attack unfolded and where everyone was at the time.  It was interesting to hear about it from that tactical standpoint and even more so when he showed us some of the aircraft that were involved, including the bombs and the bullet holes.  One can only imagine the horror of that day and how it changed the course of the war.

The hangar

We went outside and walked to a hangar – this is an actual airfield for private planes – and saw some more aircraft's.  At the end of the 90 minutes I was quite tired as this had been a long day.  As we arrived back, Dennis was waiting for us, having picked up his other group and dropped them back at their hotel.  This was efficiency at its finest, as the tour company had managed to pull off a full day and a half day tour using the same bus and driver.  The final part of the tour was a drive through downtown Honolulu and a brief stop at the palace for some exterior pictures.  By this time I had a headache and decided to stay inside, even closing my eyes for a bit.  Dennis continued to tell us about the history of downtown and pointed out a park where some decorations for the holidays had been put up and encouraged us to come back and visit in the evening.  With that, we headed back to Waikiki Beach and the tour was over.

The bookcase concealing the 'Study Bar'

Luckily, I was the first to be dropped off and I thanked Dennis for his enthusiasm and the stories.  I grabbed some coffee and went up to my room to nap for an hour, because I really needed that rest.  At 5:30 pm, I took a ride to ‘The Modern Hotel’, which had a “hidden” bar called ‘The Study Bar’.  As I entered the lobby and asked for directions, the gentleman pointed to the wall behind me and mentioned that it would open at 6.  And when he said open, he meant “open”.  The entire wall was a book shelf and while I have been to several bars where the book case opens to reveal the entrance, in this case the entire wall slid open diagonally to let people inside.  This would be happening at 6 pm and while I waited, a small crowd started to gather.  Sure enough, the wall opened a little after 6 and the room inside was setup like a lounge, where one walked up to the bar to order a drink and then carry it to wherever they wanted to sit.  I did just that and for the next 45 minutes, watched as people came in and by the time I left, the place was getting full.

'Lewar's Lounge'

I called a ride to return back to ‘Halekulani Hotel’, which I had visited for dinner on my first night.  This time I was going to a place called ‘Lewar’s Lounge’, which was a classic cocktail bar with dark interiors, comfortable chairs and a white-jacketed bartender.  It was a relaxing spot that made some good martinis and I enjoyed my time there.  There was still some time before my dinner appointment and so I went upstairs and back to ‘L ’Aperitif’, with their fancy drinks, that come paired with small bites.  I got a ‘Hemmingway Old Fashioned’ that came with a bite of “Prosciutto Pineapple” and struck up a conversation with a gentleman next to me, a commercial pilot from New Zealand who was vacationing with his family.  We talked on a variety of topics ranging from sports, to travels to food and cocktails and I mentioned that I may be back here and see him again next week after my return from The Big Island.

Dinner by the beach

I was going for dinner at a place called ‘Azure’ and it was located in ‘The Royal Hawaiian Hotel’.  The map said that it was close by, though finding it turned out to be a nightmare.  The Waikiki Beach area had come alive and the place was crowded.  I was lost and entered what looked like a shopping arcade and asked a shop owner for directions.  The person was kind enough to walk with me through the length of the place till I emerged outside on the other side.  Even then it wasn’t straight forward and after several wrong turns, I reached my destination.  I was seated outside, a few steps away from the beach, making this a fantastic location for dinner.  I was still seething though and told the manager that they needed better directions.  But the ambiance cooled me off soon, as did the special “Christmas Eve Dinner”.  It was a nice end to this very long day and I came back to my room, ready for bed.

A beautiful Christmas morning

I woke up on Christmas morning with the challenge of re-packing my 2 bags.  After stuffing everything in, I left it with the “Bell Desk” and started walking towards the only restaurant that I had found to be open for lunch.  It was a place called ‘Cream Pot’ and it was a mile away, so I decided to walk.  It was a gorgeous day and the walk took me across a couple of bridges over the river and I arrived at what looked like a beautiful garden entrance to the restaurant.  I guess they took their privacy a bit too seriously, since there were signs warning us against photography inside the restaurant.  It was a bright looking interior with both, private tables as well as a community table in the center.  They were known for their “Soufflé Pancakes”, though I stuck to savory eggs  The interesting thing about this place was that they shared the restroom with other businesses in the building and the way to get inside was using a key.  That is quite common and many coffee shops have similar system with keys attached to plastic spoons.  Over here they had attached it to a skillet…cast iron skillet, meaning that going to the bathroom was a workout in itself!  Also, I noticed a lot of people gathered in the corridors signing forms and it looked like they had gathered for an audition on this Christmas morning.

The entrance to 'Cream Pot'

After brunch I walked back to the hotel and since there was some time left, went to ‘Ala Moana Shopping Center’, which was deserted.  Every single shop was closed and there were just a few people hanging around, doing whatever people do in empty malls!  I came back, collected my bags and called a ride to the airport.  On the way there I discussed inter-island travel with my driver and he mentioned that ‘Hawaiian Airlines’ pretty much had a monopoly on that, since there were no ferries and no other competitors.  The terminal where I was dropped off was different than the one where I had landed, and once again I was struck by how much this place reminded me of India, especially the airport.  As I waited for my flight, just looking at the aircraft outside made me realize that I would have to check-in my bigger bag.  Sure enough, they tagged it and that was good since the plane interior was quite small.  As we took off, watching O’hau from this vantage point was fantastic, especially now that I could see some of the mountains and the craters.  But noting could beat the blue of the Pacific as I left O’hau behind, heading towards my next adventure.

To Be Continued…

39. Hawaii – Part 1

Month: December 2017

Location: O’ahu & Big Island

Well, this was the big one.  Ever since I started on this journey Hawaii was always in my mind, especially with the time – and expense – commitment that it would require.  When I had classified the 51 destinations in different zones, both, Alaska and Hawaii has been designated as “Outer States”.  But, I had been to Alaska before and so it didn’t seem that intimidating.  While I could have spent more time there, I was able to have a good visit in just 3 days.  That would not be so easy with Hawaii, especially since it would take a day just to get there.  So I decided to do it over the week between Christmas and the New Years, since things are slow in the office.  Then came the decision on which island's to visit, and while Maui and Kaua’i are often described as the most beautiful, I wasn’t going there to lie down on a beach for a week.  So I picked O’ahu - because that’s where Honolulu was and I like cities - and Hawai’i or The Big Island, because there was something that I desperately wanted to do and this was the place to do it.  I wanted to see the ‘Milky Way’.

The Hawaiian Islands

On the Big Island is ‘Mauna Kea’, which is the tallest mountain on the planet if measured from the bottom of the ocean.  My buddy had told me about this tour which took you to the summit at twilight and once it was dark, they turned off all ambient light so that you could see the stars the way they were meant to be seen.  I have never been to a place which was dark enough to do this and this was my chance.  So when I booked all of my travel back in February, I also booked this.  I also booked a day trip to see ‘Pearl Harbor’, and then did some research on ‘Volcanoes National Park’, which was also on the Big Island.  I was going to fly into Honolulu, spend 3 nights there, and then take an inter-island flight to Hilo, which was on the East coast and closer to the National Park.  After spending a night there I would then drive around the island to Kona, on the West Coast and visit ‘Mauna Kea’ the next day.  Then I would return back to Honolulu for another night and take a “red-eye” back to Chicago on December 30^th.  Then I realized that I had no reason to be back for New Year’s and why shouldn’t I just extend my trip.

On my way back I was connecting through LA and since I had never been there, I thought that this would be a great opportunity to do so.  Well, I and the rest of the world I suppose since the hotel rates were through the roof.  The next option was to rent a car and drive down to San Diego and that wasn’t a bad thing since I could make a day trip of it.  So I booked a hotel in San Diego and then called the airlines to see if I could change.  They were happy to oblige as long as I mortgaged myself to pay the difference.  So I asked what would happen if I just left the flight in LA.  They said nothing, as long as I had no checked luggage and I wouldn’t even have to tell anyone.  They would wait for me till departure and then just leave.  That was fine by me, but it did present a challenge.  I would have to pack for 12 days encompassing 6 flights segments and 5 hotels, while figuring out how to do it with carry-on luggage. 

The month leading up to my departure I spent several evening planning for my time over there, including where I wanted to eat, the bars I wanted to go to and of course the places that I wanted to visit.  It was by far the most exhaustive preparation that I had done so far.  I even called all the tour places and the restaurants that I was planning to visit to confirm my reservations – especially since some of them had been done months in advance.  My trip to ‘Pearl Harbor’ had a 5:50 am pickup from a hotel that was a few blocks away from where I was staying.  So I checked and found that I could in fact cancel my reservation, switch to this pickup hotel and pay the same rate.  That would make it ideal to just come down and board a bus.  The night before I left, I laid out all of my clothes and other stuff that I wanted to carry and somehow managed to stuff it in a carry-on bag and a backpack.  It was good thing that the weather would be warm and more or less stable, meaning I wouldn’t have to carry too many sweaters.  However, some of the restaurants that I was planning to visit had a strict dress code and that took up a lot of room in the bag.  But, I was ready for what would be the longest domestic vacation that I have ever gone on.

Below that cloud cover is the blue Pacific

At 7 am I took a ‘Lyft’ – I had diversified my “ride share” options – to the airport and arrived well in advance of my departure time.  Fortunately, my carry-on bags made it past the person checking for the size limit and then it was just a lot of waiting till my boarding was called at 9:30 am.  The good thing about taking a day flight was that it would put me in Hawaii in the evening.  It was almost 5 hours to LA, but each seat had a TV screen and so I spent most of it watching a couple of movies.  The 2 hour layover was spent trying to get a really relaxed server to get me food at an airport bar, and then I arrived at my gate for the flight to Hawaii.  The number of people by the gate looked like I was boarding an international flight and for all practical purposes it could well have been one.  This was one of those aircraft's which had two aisles with 10 seats per row and a business class that made me envious.  I had a tight schedule this evening and so a 20 minute departure delay did make me a bit nervous.  But we took off and were immediately over the Pacific, which was as blue as described.  For the next 5 hours and half hours we would not see land and it’s incredible that something that appears so close on a map is deceivingly far.  Well, thank heavens for video entertainment and it was a few more movies for me.

It was 7 pm and dark when we landed in Honolulu and it took some time for me to get out.  I navigated through the long terminal towards the exit and at one stage walked over a bridge which was open, thus confirming that I was in a much warmer place than the one that I had left.  I got into a cab and as we drove into town, the thing that struck me the most was how much this place reminded me of Mumbai; especially the architecture. The lack of "chain restaurants" on the streets and other things made me feel that this was very much a foreign country.  The gentleman driving me was giving me pointers on things to do and about the island.  I was staying in the ‘Waikiki Beach’ area with the downtown being a few miles away, though according to him nothing happened there.  We arrived at ‘Ala Moana Hotel’ and it looked huge.  There was a lot of traffic near the hotel, primarily because it was next to the biggest malls in the city and it was after all the holiday season.

Dinner with a view

I checked in and the receptionist said that they were giving me a room in the quiet section away from the street noise.  Well, that room was also far from the elevator and a trek to get there.  I had been on the road for almost 17 hours and so gladly took a refreshing shower and then it was time to leave again.  I called an ‘Uber’ to go to a nearby resort called ‘Halekulani’ which housed the restaurant ‘La Mer’.  The evening was pleasant and this area was quite busy.  I arrived at the resort and then after a few wrong directions, found my destination.  This was a classic French restaurant and despite my apprehension over the last month that I would be late, I was in fact early for my reservation.  So I went over to the bar named ‘L ’Aperitif’ which had a classic bartender in white jacket.  I had to double check the price of the cocktails because these were some expensive drinks.  I ordered something called ‘Halekulani Cocktail’, which was accompanied by a small container of ‘Rockford Blueberry Syrup’.  While I am not sure if it justified the price, this was an excellent drink.  They came to get me for my table, which was overlooking a small balcony beyond which was the beach and the ocean. They even moved my table closer so that I had an excellent view. There couldn’t have been a more perfect start to my week here and I could have stayed there for a long time, just listening to the ocean at night.  Plus, the food was excellent, though the service was a bit overbearing at times.  But that is better than the other option I suppose.  After dinner I stood on the balcony for a while and then called a ride back.  It had been a long day and I was ready to turn in.

Early morning at 'Ala Moana Center'

While not the worse night, I had been dealing with a cough for the last couple of weeks and it did prove to be a nuisance.  But even with that and the fact that I was late by Central Time standards in going to bed, I was wide awake at 7 am.  Now that I was up so early, I rearranged some of my schedule based on when places opened and where they were located.  Yeah, I was well prepared for this one.  I got ready and found the bridge connecting my hotel to the mall, ‘Ala Moana Center’.  As advertised, this place was huge, being open-air with a central walkway and shops on either side spread over multiple levels.  In fact, not only was this the largest shopping mall in Hawaii, it was the 7^th largest in the US and the largest open-air shopping center in the US.  And it was also quite empty.  This wasn’t a surprise since it was just after 8 am in the morning.  I did locate a coffee stand called ‘Honolulu Coffee Company’ and got something called “Hawaiian Latte”.  I also spend some time – unsuccessfully - trying to locate the place where I was supposed to have dinner, since it was supposed to be this secret entrance at the basement level parking lot.  When they had called to confirm my reservation, they had said that if I couldn’t find them, I should wait outside a ‘Barnes & Nobel’ store and they would come get me.  Well, I guess that’s what I would need to do.

Now that's what I call Breakfast!

I returned back to my hotel at 9 am and called a ride to go get some food.  It was a place called ‘Koko Head Café’ which described itself as an “Island Style Brunch House”.  It was located away from the crowds in a simple building, though once inside it resembled a brunch café.  And a popular one at that since it was full.  I was lucky to get a table and looking at the menu I saw a lot of Asian inspiration.  I ordered a dish called “Chicky and Eggs”, which was, well, Chicken and Eggs over rice in a hot bowl… a very hot bowl.  As I looked at the menu, I realized that rice was staple over here and present in almost all dishes, even with eggs!  Now while I would typically not be found eating Chicken for breakfast at 9 in the morning, I was still adjusting to the time zone, at least that’s what I told myself.

'Bishop Museum'

I called a ride to go to ‘Bishop Museum’, which is actually the “Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History”.  They gave me a map at the ticket counter and I saw that there were several buildings around a central lawn and besides the main building housing the cultural exhibits; there was a “Planetarium”, a “Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame” and even a “Science Adventure Center”.  There was a guided tour of the main hall and since I had some time prior to that, I went to the building with the Science Center first.  One of the more fascinating things here was a tunnel which I suppose was depicting the flora and fauna of Hawaii as well as Native Culture. However, with its dark passages and fluorescent objects, it looked more like the interior of a “Tiki Bar”.  Besides this, there were some hands-on activities for kids and perhaps the most notable thing in this building was a giant "Volcano", which replicated flowing lava.  Kids and their parents were starting to assemble here and I left for the next building.

The grand "Pacific Hall" 

There was some sort of exhibit on animation in one building and I walked through that before making my way to the main building called “Hawaiian Hall Complex”, for the guided tour.  The tour started with the docent telling us about the history of the museum, which was founded in late 19^th century by a gentleman Charles Reed Bishop, in honor of his late wife, Royal Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.  The museum houses Hawaiian objects, including those previously belonging to the royal family.  We walked through the halls looking at these artifacts as we learned about how the Hawaiian Islands were settled, which was through Polynesian natives voyaging across the vast Pacific Ocean in nothing more than basic seafaring vessels.  There were other rooms, including "Pacific Hall" which had galleries spanning 3 floors, and hanging from the ceiling was a giant model of a Whale.  There were several things to see in here and a lot of history and culture on display, but I just took a cursory glance and then moved on to other buildings.  The “Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame” was a room with photographs and stories on Hawaiian athletes, almost all of who were unknown to me.  The final place I visited was an exhibit called “NASA’s Earth Observing Mission”, which was an interactive exhibit showing how NASA uses satellites to gather data.  I walked through here and then back to the main building to request a ride to my next destination.

The 'Capitol'

I was going to ‘Hawaii State Art Museum’ and it was located in downtown.  The driver dropped me off and pointed to a building which looked like a mansion.  I soon realized that I was at the wrong location and this was in fact ‘Iolani Palace’, the only palace in the US.  I had a ticket for a tour next week and would be back. After asking for some directions, I found the museum I was seeking.  Although the name included “State Art Museum”, this wasn’t a very big place, with just two galleries, albeit interesting; and was free to the public.  After walking through them I asked the gentleman at the front desk how to get to my next place and he pointed out the directions enthusiastically.  It was about a mile away and I was going to walk over there.  He told me to check out the ‘State Capitol’ on the way, saying that it was across the street.  I had not seen any building with the traditional dome and so was surprised to hear that.  I soon realized that unlike the buildings in the other state capitals, ‘Capitol’ of Hawaii was a rectangular building with a central courtyard, and which looked more like a “Modern Art Gallery”.

'Honolulu Museum Of Art'

I walked to the ‘Honolulu Museum Of Art’, which was on the side of a busy road.  As I got my ticket, I learned that the museum had another location up the hill called ‘Spalding House’ and my ticket could get me into that place as well.  This location was quite expansive and reminded me of the ‘Heard Museum’ in Phoenix, in terms of its architecture and layout.  I walked through its many galleries and outdoor courtyards and even got some “Iced Mocha” to enjoy while sitting outside.  After I felt that I had gotten the most out of this place, I called an ‘Uber’ to go to the ‘Spalding House’.  The driver called and told me to go to the side street since this was a busy road and he wouldn’t be able to stop.  I did as asked and saw him take the corner a bit more aggressively than he would have preferred, thus causing the side of his car to scrape against the sidewalk.  He proceeded past me and pulled into a small area on the side to examine the damage and seemed a bit annoyed.  Fortunately, he didn’t take it out on me and we started our climb up to the house.

The garden's of  'Spalding House'

I was glad that I had not chosen to walk since it was quite a hike up the hill.  I was dropped off in front of what looked like, well, a house.  The lady inside saw the museum sticker on my shirt and waved me in.  Though the exterior was like a house, the interior was unmistakably like a museum.  There were a few galleries, including a library room, where I pulled out some books on photography and spent some time looking at them.  There were just a couple of visitors besides me and it was a quiet place.  Outside was a garden with some sculptures, on a manicured lawn overlooking a great view of the city.  There was also a path leading down through the bushes and I went down part of the way before turning back, realizing that this looked exactly like a never-ending pit which they tell you to avoid in the movies!  Speaking of creepy, there was another small cottage with an exhibit called “L’Enfant et les sortiléges” roughly translated as “The Child and the witchcraft”.  It was a dark room with florescent paintings of a garden and several objects resembling animals.  One in particular looked like a Panther about to pounce and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

"Monkey Pod Mai Tai"

As can be expected, it took over 10 minutes for my ride to get over here and by now I was tired.  I was going to this bar which was known for its cocktails, but there was some time before it opened.  So I popped into a place near it, called ‘Moku Kitchen’.  There was something on the menu named “Monkey Pod Mai Tai”, and I suppose it was called so because there was foam on top which tasted like a banana.  It was delicious and a nice start to the evening.  ‘Bevy’, the place I was going to, looked like a “speakeasy” with its dark entry and interiors.  Plus, the cocktail list was interesting and the bartenders seemed to know what they were doing.  I got a drink called “Mai Thai”, and that isn’t a typo.  It was an Asian play on the classic and the flavors were spot on.

The hidden entrance of 'Bar Leather Apron'

I have always tried to go to the top rated cocktail bar in each city that I have visited and the one over here was called ‘Bar Leather Apron’.  It was about a mile away in the heart of downtown and I decided to walk there.  It road took me along the waterfront, next to the pier with massive “cruise ships” and into what looked like the financial district.  The problem was locating the place, because there was no sign and there was nothing resembling a bar at the stated address.  I tried calling them, but reached a voicemail and now I was truly stuck.  I entered a high rise building and asked the security guard if he knew where the place was and to my surprise, he pointed upwards, saying I should go around the corner and up flight of stairs.  Now I found it and even though it had been just a few minutes past the opening, there were already several folks here.  I was directed to a table and ordered their signature drink, “E Ho’Opau Mai Tai” or “World’s Best Mai Tai”, apparently having won the award in 2015.  While it was quite good, I didn’t even think it was the best “Mai Tai” I have had this evening.  But, they made a production out of presenting it, with smoke and all the pretentiousness that the best bar in the city carries.  People were now coming in droves, including a group who said that they had come straight from the airport – my kind of people.  I called an ‘Uber’ back to my hotel, making sure I identified a landmark first, and arrived with plenty of time to spare before my dinner.

And the hidden entrance of 'Vintage Cave Club'

In my research, ‘Vintage Cave Club’, had been identified as the most exclusive place in the city; with President Obama and the First Lady having dined there.  Initially I had made a reservation for later in the evening, but with my early morning wake up call, I had moved it to 7 pm.  I walked over to the mall as before and descended down to the basement. Once again, I was unable to see the place and so called them.  I waited outside ‘Barnes & Nobel’ and very soon a lady appeared and guided me towards a narrow alley.  I entered though some doors and into an elevator that deposited me one floor up, meaning that they could have had their entrance in a much more respectable location. But where’s the fun in that?  The interior looked like a dungeon…and a museum.  There were paintings and display cases lined up against arched brick walls and the only thing missing was flaming torches.  I loved it.

The interior

The service was excellent, as can be expected of a top notch place, though we did not start off well.  I ordered an ‘Old Fashioned’ and when it appeared in a glass full of ice cubes, I asked the server to make it with just one big one…as this drink should be.  When he said that they did not have it, I said that I would change my order.  Now, this was me being a jerk, but I was also paying a fair sum for this experience.  While I would never do this is a normal bar, any place who claims to be known for their cocktails or a place like this which charges one an arm and a leg, should know better.  The dinner itself was outstanding and well worth the visit.  At the end I emerged into the same alley, climbed up the stairs, and through the mall towards my hotel.  I was back at a decent hour and if today had been a long day, tomorrow would be even longer.

To Be Continued…