O'ahu: Good Eats

We ate well in O'ahu. Here we are slurping down some pineapple smoothies, vesseled in a whole pineapple. This treat is quite common on the island. In fact, at Diamond Head they had at least three industrial shelving units filled with whole pineapples, just waiting to be smoothied. See picture below if you don't believe me.

The State of Hawaii also has a fondness for Spam. Patrick, our short bus driver, and his wife of 35 years, like Spam. It's even served at McDonald's and available at 7-11. But we decided to pass on this canned meat.

We did not however pass on the Loco Moco at Heavenly, a funky cool eatery across from Ross Dress for Less and near Hyatt Centric in Waikiki that Patrick recommended to his passengers. (Patrick probably knows about it because he dined there while his wife was shopping at Ross. See previous post.) Loco Moco is a beef patty served on rice, with an egg on top, and beans and veggie on the side. Delish. Goes well with local beer too. We went to Heavenly twice, we liked it so much. Or, as Patrick would say, "it was that good."

Next on the list are Malasadas. Malasadas what? Think deep fried buns without a hole in the middle, sometimes stuffed with custard. The most famous and popular source for these donuts is Leonard's. We went to their main outlet in Honolulu, but the line was outrageous. Instead we went around the corner to Konos and picked up a delish breakfast burrito. A resident picking up his coffee and breakfast there told us Leonard's is always that busy and to find some of those treats elsewhere. So we did. We picked up a passionfruit malasada and cocounut malasada at Liliha Bakery in the International Market Place. They were pretty good, but not the best. Luckily, we found a Leonard's food truck on the way to a Foodland store. There are four such trucks on O'ahu, and ours had NO LINE. We got a half dozen, and they were piping hot and amazing.

Another bakery to write home about is Ted's Bakery on North Shore. It's pretty dumpy from the outside, but don't let that bother you. Come in and have some pie, and take home some pastries while you are at it. I suggest the "donut holes" (four to a bag). You have never tasted anything so good.

And last, but not least, is Rainbow Drive-In. The rumor is Barack Obama ate and hung out here as a youth. Rainbow serves "plate lunches." That is Hawaiian shorthand for two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad, and some kind of protein. We selected BBQ beef for our protein. Quite good, and reasonably priced. Rainbow is a come as you are place. No shirt and no shoes? Doesn't matter. Drive in and enjoy.

O'ahu: USS Bowfin submarine

When we saw the USS Arizona memorial, we were on tour time, with Patrick the short bus driver (see previous post), and didn't have time to tour the USS Bowfin, a submarine launched exactly one year after the Pearl Harbor attacks. She was nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger, and saw duty in the South Pacific. Up to 85 men were crammed aboard this 311 ft. tube for up to two months at a time. We took the far less cramped, air conditioned tour.

The submarine is not wheelchair friendly. You are required to crawl through the manholes (?) as you work you way through. Steven and I demonstrate the technique here.

If you weren't an officer (about 70 men weren't), then you got a "hot bunk" in the middle of the submarine. It was hot because it was next to the batteries (the size of hot water heaters) and because your bunkmate had just exited. The crew ran in three shifts, so a single bunk would be used by three men. And they were unwashed, stinky men, because water was at a premium. Showering was "nonessential." I tried to play pretend get in the middle bunk and honestly, don't think it's possible.

Crew also slept in the torpodeo rooms, forward and aft. The Bowfin sunk 39 Japanese ships during WWII.

The saddest exhibit for me was the manned Kaiten submarine, which was used by Japan at the end of WWII as a torpedo. Steven stands next to one. It was a one way mission. Once the soldier entered the submarine, he could not exit as the porthole could not be opened from the inside. It was a suicide mission.

Directly behind the Kaiten was a happier exhibit of a submersible that rescued 33 men trapped in the damaged USS Squalus submarine in 1939. The men were raised in shifts in this submersible, and all 33 men lived to tell the tale.

O'ahu: Waimea Valley

As a break from the beaches, we visited a botanical garden on O'ahu's North Shore, a recommendation from a co-worker who has family on the island. The big draw for Waimea Valley's 1,800 acre botanical garden is not the plants, the Alae 'Ula, or native Hawaiian living history exhibits (which I posit should be the focal point), but the wailele (waterfall) at the end of the trail.

A dip in the deep pool at the base of the waterfall probably feels really good after the humid 3/4 mile climb from the entrance. We didn't indulge, but a lot did. Since the pool is 30 feet deep, they hand out free (and mandatory) life vests. The waterfall is fed by rains that fall in the mountains, and wai (fresh water) is considered sacred to Hawaiians.

The whole valley is sacred in fact. Kahuna nui (high priests) lived here for hundreds of years, including the last kahuna of this district, Hewahewa. Hewahewa watched over the heiau (temples) during the reign of King Kamehhameha the Great in the 1820s and 1830s. You can see the new heiau being built above, with a little help from modern scaffolding.

We took the 12:30 botanical tour. Our guide, who looked like a native Hawaiian, was dressed in jeans and boots, not sweating a drop in the heat and humidity. She's been with the garden ten years, and showed us her favorite endemic plants, including a tree that's sappy fruit traps birds. Feather collectors would regularly visit such trees to collect a feather or two before releasing the birds. We also spent some time at the shrine pictured above. The valley floods about every other year, unearthing field markers (stones that look like large beans), rock candle holders, heirogylphics, and ki'i, images of Hawaiian gods.

In the early 1900s and 1920s, the valley was taken over by cattle, pineapple, sugar cane and yucca fields. But starting in the 1970s, the valley has become a botanical garden, hosting endangered plants from all over Polynesia and Japan, and one endangered endemic water bird, the 'Alae'ula. Our Hawaiian guide led us to the pond where a pair was nesting. We glimpsed the father's red bill amid the rushes and lily pads. There are only about 750 of these birds left in the world!

For a hobby gardener like me, the rest of the park was a delight. Here you can see Steven examining some Jadevine in Aunty Coco's Lei Garden. It is a unique blue green.

Like roses, Hawaiian hibiscus have been bred into many varieties, colors and sizes. Waimea Valley has every permutation.

O'ahu: Hanauma Bay

If you want to see tropical fish the size of dinner plates, I have the place for you. Hanauma Bay marine nature preserve, which was closed during the pandemic, is now open. Because the bay sprang back to life while human-free (no nasty sunblock film, no sediment disturbed, no coral broken), the state of Hawaii took heed and has limited the crowds. That means everyone must make reservations online two days before their visit. Those out of state also pay $25 each. Reservations open around 7 am and are all gone by 7:30 am. You gotta be quick. The hassle and money factor are all worth it.

After watching a mandatory video on the bay (there are rip currents on the edges of the bay so stick to the middle for your snorkeling), we proceeded down the hill to the white sand beach, awkwardly put on our Snorkel Bob gear (but you can rent snorkel gear there, never fear), and entered the water to see what all the fuss was about. Most of the bay is a huge coral bed, and you float over it, gently bobbing in the waves. Here you will be startled by the size of the fish, completely immune to the hovering school of humans. Triggerfish, convict tan, goatfish, pufferfish, urchins, wrasse and more. We saw both male and female Christmas wrasse, the male wrasse more colorful.

Steven surveys the bay, just before we walk down.

O'ahu: Patrick the short bus driver, Punchbowl and Capitol District

While Patrick is not pictured here, I learned a lot about Patrick, Patrick's wife, Patrick's kids, and Patrick's parents, while this self-labeled "short bus driver" manueuvered us tourists around in his huge Royal Star Hawaii gold bus. We had booked a tour with Royal Star to see the USS Arizona. It turns out you have to reserve your shuttle ferry tickets to the memorial weeks in advance, and we hadn't. Through magic, or some computer program, outside tour operators can secure these precious tickets for you. Added bonus, you get Patrick (or some other endearing bus driver) to show off Honululu and environs to you. First, a little bit about Patrick. He's third generation Hawaiian, mostly of Japanese extraction, but a Filipino entered the mix at some point and that's why he has a Filipino last name. He's been married 35 years. His wife likes to shop at Ross (he suggests Ross install a sports bar for him), and they both like the food at 7-11 and McDonald's (especially the spam dishes and Portuguse sausage). They have two kids, one in New York and one "running wild" on the island. Patrick's mom is 90, his dad 94. His mom is a safe driver, his dad is hell on wheels.

On the way to Pearl Harbor, Patrick showed us downtown Honululu, Chinatown, the Capitol District, and the National Cemetery of the Pacific (aka Punchbowl). We also saw the harbor from which Gilligan and the Captain launched from for their "three hour" tour.

We arrived at the Punchbowl after navigating narrow residential streets to view the "Arlington of the West" and the second most visited site in Hawaii. Here are buried 50,000 soldiers, resting in a volcanic tuff cone, or crater, with views out to the Pacific and downtown Honululu. The site is serene, belying its former use as Puowaina, Hill of Human Sacrifice. It is lined with magnificent trees, a gift from the Chinese government in gratitude to fighting the Japanese (recall that the Japanese had invaded Manchuria before we entered the war).

We also glimpsed Hawaii's state capitol and one of the most unusual capitol buildings. Instead of a cupola, there is an airy structure with columns like trees. A statue of Father Damien, who cared for exiled lepers and was to die of leprosy himself, stands at the front of the building.

Nearby is the famed statue of King Kamehameha I, decked out in his feather cape and helmet. He stands in front of Ali'iolani Hale, the "house of Heavenly Royalty" (which is also the Hawaii state supreme court). We viewed him from the bus.

O'hau: Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is not a tourist site, even though 1.6 million people visit every year, the most of even Hawaiian site. It is first and foremost a memorial.

A five minute ferry ride, skippered by two Navy sailors, takes you to the wreck of the USS Arizona, the third turret still rising above the water line.

You get a sense of the gravity and tragedy of the Japanese attack of the harbor when you see the wall of names of those who perished when the USS Arizona was bombed. Our guide, a retired Marine, told us 39 sets of brothers and one father and son died in the blast. (After, the Navy would not permit brothers to serve on the same ship.) A survivor passed away last year and had asked that his ashes be buried with his fallen sailors. A diver took his ashes down to midship on December 7, 2021. His may be the last burial at sea for the USS Arizona, as the two remaining survivors, both 100, have said they would like to be buried on the mainland.

O'ahu: Diamond Head

While we do have a view of Diamond Head from our hotel window (see above) we thought we'd get a closer view. On Sunday morning, we got up early (for us) for a hike up the famous Diamond Head Crater. This "tuff cone" was formed from one massive volcanic eruption and is perhaps the most recognizable geologic structure in the Hawaiian Islands. It is also one of the most popular. We drove to Diamond Hed State Monument to find hundreds of tourists walking up the pathway alongside us. Why? Because the parking lot was full. We ended up in a car waiting line, but did eventually get a parking spot. (Presumably to avoid this scenario in the future, a flashing sign informed us that out of state residents will have to reserve a spot in advance starting May 12, 2022. Take note!).

In addition to the $10 parking fee, each hiker is charged $5. Well worth the privilege of the sweaty and steep climb to the top. The switchback trail itself was built in 1908 as part of the U.S. Army Coastal Artillery defense system and includes an otherworldy tunnel (well lit) and then a lot of stairs. It was initially a dirt trail, with no hand rails, braved by dainty ladies in the 1900s in long white dresses. Handrails and paving have sent been added.

A series of stairs takes you to panoramic views of Waikiki and Honolulu, with an (inaccessible) fire lookout post in the near distance. You'll see the homes that climb the distant mountains too, as well as the endless Pacific.

Much of the summit was removed to create a military bunker and firestation. The exterior was camouflouged with painted rubble and concrete.

You can climb into these bunkers. (See Steven doing just that above.) If you read your "points of interest on the trial" handout all the way to the end (which we didn't do), you'll know to go into the top bunker then take the spiral stairs down to another set of 99 stairs that will take you back to the tunnel. Confused? It's okay, you can use all the stairs built in the 70s.

But do climb into that bunker. It's both cool and cool. Not so hot, and the Pacific is spectacular.

O'ahu: Hulu lessons and pineapple smoothies

Near Queen's Beach, not far from the craziness of Waikiki's main strip, is Barefoot Beach Cafe. We arrived for the dinner line Saturday night around 5:30. There is always a line, but every night there is always music and a view of the ocean. A multinational quartet (Guam, England, Indonesia, and America all represented) played Hawaiian tunes, accompanied by a havurah of hulu dancers, who danced barefoot and told us stories with their hands. All while we stood in line, and then while we enjoyed our pineapple smoothies served in a whole pineapple.

While waiting in line, there was a little hulu lesson too. I was happy to watch about two dozen tourists give it a go. Later we watched a spry 82 year old man, a hulu legend, dance a few numbers. He'd been a hulu dancer in Waikiki in the 1950s, and on the silver screen in beach movies. It all felt very magical.

O'ahu - Bishop Museum

We are visiting an island that is new to us - O'ahu, home of Honolulu, Waikiki, Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS Hawaii. I'm also pretty sure the Brady Bunch came here too. To counter the tourist view, we visited the Bishop Museum, named after Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a Hawaiian princess. The main draw for me was the Hawaiian Hall, built in 1889 to document Hawaiian history. I particularly wanted to see the feathered capes and helmets of Hawaiian royalty. I was not disappointed.

The oldest feathered cape in the collection (pictured above) was presented to Captain Cook between 1778-1779.

We also discovered our favorite Hawaiian god, Kaneikokola, the shark (or fish) god, in residence at the Hawaiian Hall since 1906. He's a bit primitive, but that's what we like about him. You can see Steven examining him here. During the 2009 restoration of Hawaiian Hall, museum staff attempted to remove Kaneikokala from the hall. The kiʻi (statue) "refused to be moved" and remained in its place through the renovations.