BACK AT HOME SORTING OUT PHOTOS
We really enjoyed ourselves in Hawaii despite some kinks we encountered, like, a shity airplane ride, my catching a bad ass cold on the plane, no hot water in our 15th floor room at the Ohana West, getting rear ended on our second day there - in our new rental Subaru Forrester yet! Damn good thing we opted for the "loss of use" insurance.
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Hawaii has changed dramatically in the time since I was last there-45 years ago- duh! The Waikiki area is bumper to bumper traffic, both auto and foot, and like all tourist areas everywhere, is designed to separate you from your dollars as fast as possible and in such a way as to leave you feeling good about your visit. The International Market Place was much the same however, although it has a second floor now, just more crowded and faster paced. The "food court" with it's many different eateries and small stage where they put on nightly shows ranging from Hula to Steel Drums, free, by the way, and was what you might expect of free entertainment, OK, if you had never seen the old shows in the late 60's. I was really put off by the supposed Hawaiian Christmas Hula Show-- kinda sucked. Wayyy to "Las Vegas" for me. The Steel Drums were poor at best -- I don't want to talk about it!!
Enough with the bad mouth.
We ate like Princes while in Hawaii and for very little money. The Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co. restaurant in the Int. Marketplace was killer. The garlic shrimp was to die for - at $5.95 it was real bargain. It was served on a large platter with a great salad and a scoop of steamed rice. Liz was crazy about it but had to try their steak one night and pronounced it super also. Not to sell the many other ethnic restaurants short however. Whatever type of food you want is here, Greek to Chinese to P
ortuguese to Thai. All priced very reasonably.
Breakfast was across the street from the hotel and had what I guess you might call a "lost leader" of two sumptuous pancakes W/maple syrup, two eggs and two pieces of bacon -- all for $3.50 -- really satisfying and filling. Beats the crap outta Waffle House! We ate there every morning after we found it. Makes me feel all warm just thinking about it.
Went to a 24hr "Doc in a Box" with my cold/sore throat/runny nose affliction on Christmas Eve. I was dead set on not letting anything interfere with our enjoyment of our time. The Doc was in a office in the Princess Kaiulani Hotel - fancy digs. Said he had seen quite a lot of what I had and wanted to put me on a antibiotic to prevent it turning into bronchitis or something worse. A quick run to Walgreen's to fill the scrip for Levaquin and I was good to go. Had to go back to see him two days later - quick strep test - negative, and a right turn out of his office took us to Waikiki Beach where we had a great day laying on the sand baking
in the sun and swimming in the warm embrace of the blue Pacific Ocean. Sigh!!
Had some super days on the North Shore watching the surfers brave the 28' waves. Sunset Beach, Pipeline, Haleiwa and points north . Sandy Beach with it's wild shore break and body surfers - where I got the scare of my life in 1965 when that same surf pounded the shit outta me and almost put fini to my story. Just a stupid Houle boy who didn't know the power and ferocity of even a small wave.
I learned a respect for Mother Nature that day that has stuck with me all my life.
We really enjoyed ourselves in Hawaii despite some kinks we encountered, like, a shity airplane ride, my catching a bad ass cold on the plane, no hot water in our 15th floor room at the Ohana West, getting rear ended on our second day there - in our new rental Subaru Forrester yet! Damn good thing we opted for the "loss of use" insurance.
-
Hawaii has changed dramatically in the time since I was last there-45 years ago- duh! The Waikiki area is bumper to bumper traffic, both auto and foot, and like all tourist areas everywhere, is designed to separate you from your dollars as fast as possible and in such a way as to leave you feeling good about your visit. The International Market Place was much the same however, although it has a second floor now, just more crowded and faster paced. The "food court" with it's many different eateries and small stage where they put on nightly shows ranging from Hula to Steel Drums, free, by the way, and was what you might expect of free entertainment, OK, if you had never seen the old shows in the late 60's. I was really put off by the supposed Hawaiian Christmas Hula Show-- kinda sucked. Wayyy to "Las Vegas" for me. The Steel Drums were poor at best -- I don't want to talk about it!!
Enough with the bad mouth.
We ate like Princes while in Hawaii and for very little money. The Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co. restaurant in the Int. Marketplace was killer. The garlic shrimp was to die for - at $5.95 it was real bargain. It was served on a large platter with a great salad and a scoop of steamed rice. Liz was crazy about it but had to try their steak one night and pronounced it super also. Not to sell the many other ethnic restaurants short however. Whatever type of food you want is here, Greek to Chinese to P
ortuguese to Thai. All priced very reasonably.Breakfast was across the street from the hotel and had what I guess you might call a "lost leader" of two sumptuous pancakes W/maple syrup, two eggs and two pieces of bacon -- all for $3.50 -- really satisfying and filling. Beats the crap outta Waffle House! We ate there every morning after we found it. Makes me feel all warm just thinking about it.
Went to a 24hr "Doc in a Box" with my cold/sore throat/runny nose affliction on Christmas Eve. I was dead set on not letting anything interfere with our enjoyment of our time. The Doc was in a office in the Princess Kaiulani Hotel - fancy digs. Said he had seen quite a lot of what I had and wanted to put me on a antibiotic to prevent it turning into bronchitis or something worse. A quick run to Walgreen's to fill the scrip for Levaquin and I was good to go. Had to go back to see him two days later - quick strep test - negative, and a right turn out of his office took us to Waikiki Beach where we had a great day laying on the sand baking
in the sun and swimming in the warm embrace of the blue Pacific Ocean. Sigh!!Had some super days on the North Shore watching the surfers brave the 28' waves. Sunset Beach, Pipeline, Haleiwa and points north . Sandy Beach with it's wild shore break and body surfers - where I got the scare of my life in 1965 when that same surf pounded the shit outta me and almost put fini to my story. Just a stupid Houle boy who didn't know the power and ferocity of even a small wave.
I learned a respect for Mother Nature that day that has stuck with me all my life.
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Would I go back again, hell yes, in a heartbeat.
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