El Ultimo Dia

The last full day in Hawaii and we're taking it easy. It's relatively cool and cloudy today, but still quite pleasant to be outside in shorts and a t-shirt. We sat by the beach and read our books, walked among some of the high-end Waikiki shops, just for kicks. A couple of small crabs came out of the cracks in the rocks to greet us (not a very good photo, I'm afraid). I'm not sure if they are begging like the birds do, or if they are just curious.

One little crab visible in the lower left, the others scurried away from the camera.

We had considered going back to the restaurant where we ate last night, because it was so good. But we decided to go back to the Japanese noodle place, instead. When we passed the restaurant from last night, however, we were surprised to see it closed. The note on the door indicated that they had decided to close permanently due to the pandemic! Good thing we went last night, and good thing we didn't have our hearts set on going back.

The pandemic has been more of a factor on this trip than we anticipated. We had more down time, partly because so many of the things we wanted to do were either shut down or limited. For example, we had wanted to snorkel in Hanauma Bay, but the number allowed into the bay was limited and the online registrations were booked days in advance. We could have signed up for a commercial tour elsewhere, but we were leery of those due to tales we'd read about hidden costs, etc.

Even our trip to Pearl Harbor was rearranged to a different day than we had originally planned, because they had reduced the number of people being taken on each boat to the U.S.S. Arizona, and had put other limitations in place due to Covid.

Other places were taking advantage of the pandemic down time to do maintenance, such as the hiking path we had tried to take but found closed. And the WW II Submarine Warfare Museum at Pearl Harbor was also closed for renovation. There were others, as well. Perhaps we weren't as persistent or creative as we should have been in finding alternatives, but after enough dead ends, one sort of gives up.

All in all, however, the trip accomplished what we sought, which was to get out of town and feel as if we were travelers once again. Despite the complications, limitations, and frustrations, that was accomplished.

Ala Moana

Today we walked to Ala Moana Regional Park, which is located at the extreme west edge of Waikiki. It is quite a large park with an expansive beach, but relatively few people. The morning walk was pleasant, and after exploring a bit, we found a bench in the shade, overlooking the ocean.

We sat and read, watched a few surfers and paddle-boarders, and just enjoyed the air. It was difficult to believe there were so few people in such a beautiful place. But getting here would involve walking a bit from the big hotels, and Americans simply aren't into that.

Diamond Head as seen from Ala Moana Park

We had packed a lunch, and the moment we opened the backpack to take out our sandwiches, at least a half-dozen birds joined us. Not very afraid of humans, one little cardinal even jumped up on the bench and was only inches away from sitting on my shoulder!

When we'd had enough of park and birds, we walked to the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii. This free museum told the military history of the islands from the tribal warfare described by Captain Cook when he first arrived here, up through the Spanish-American War, the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam. The exhibits were fairly well done, but I can't say we learned a lot we didn't already know.

On the way back, we passed a crappy hotel, rated as only Four Stars and not even on the beach, trying to compete with the Hilton, Sheraton, and other Five Star properties overlooking the ocean at Waikiki.

The plan is to hit a Japanese restaurant for happy hour and evening meal.

Pearl Harbor

Today's excursion was to Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. We arrived early, because some information indicated that parking could be a problem. It wasn't. 

First we walked through the outdoor memorials. The exhibits in the visitors center were quite well done, and we spent some time there. We went back to the car and got our lunch and ate on a bench just outside the visitors center (no bags or backpacks allowed, so we couldn't bring anything in). 

Still we wound up killing time on a bench. But the day was pleasant and the view across the water to Ford Island was nice.

The U.S.S. Missouri -- the battleship on which the Japanese surrender was signed in September, 1945, is anchored very near the Arizona Memorial. So the two ships mark the beginning and ending of the war.

The Memorial itself is simple and understated, if a bit sobering. So many never had a chance.

Overhearing some of the conversations among family members while touring the exhibits was perhaps more sobering. The ignorance of history among many Americans is truly astounding. There seemed to be a number of people there who had no idea what happened at Pearl Harbor, or when. And these were not all young people! Some our own age apparently weren't paying attention in history classes long ago.

Due to Covid, some exhibits were closed. The interpretive film, usually shown in a theater just before the boat departs for the Memorial, was shown outdoors on a screen too small and with too much reflection to be able to see well.

We returned to Maui Brewing Company for happy hour beer and pizza and we were not disappointed. The place was packed this time. We finished the day with a sunset walk along Waikiki.

Chinatown

Some of the activities we had planned or wanted to include have been derailed by Covid closures or restrictions, so we are having to be a bit more creative with our time. Today we visited Honolulu's Chinatown area.

We began at Foster Botanical Garden, which has little to do with China, but everything to do with preserving rare tropical plants and trees, especially those that are endangered in their natural habitat. We saw Bodi, Kapok, Tropical Almond, a whole bunch of different Palm trees, including the Loulu Palm, which is the only one actually native to Hawaii. 

We got a look at Taro plants, Macadamia Nut trees, Breadfruit, and Black Pepper, among many others. There was also a conservatory full of orchids and other tropical flowers, and a "butterfly garden" of flowers designed to attract (you guessed it) butterflies.

We found the garden so pleasant that, when we had finished our self-guided tour, we found a bench and read our books awhile in the shade of Brazilian nut tree.

After that respite, we left our car parked in a shady corner of the Garden's free lot and set out on foot to explore Chinatown. First stop was the Juan Yin Temple, a Buddhist sanctuary practically on the grounds of the Botanical Garden. It looked very similar to Buddhist temples in China, and was very active, with lots of incense burning and several people around engaged in prayers.

The rest of Chinatown gets two kinds of reviews on the tourist websites: Raves about how unique it is, and warnings of how dangerous it is. We found neither to be true. It's just a lot like China, with market stalls selling fresh vegetables, meats, and other stuff, a lot of people milling around, and yes, the occasional homeless panhandler. If one has never been to Asia, it probably seems very unique, and maybe even a bit scary to North Americans who haven't been in a Third World setting.

We got take-out from a very authentic little hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant that Mary had read about. It was hidden on a back street, but we found it by asking directions from a shopkeeper. The food was quite good. We would have eaten in, but it seemed rather close quarters. There were eleven people in the place, and the tables were crammed together in a space about the size of our bathroom at home. Even with a Covid vaccination, it seemed a bit much. Especially when everyone had masks off to eat.

After eating, we drove a short distance to National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. This national military cemetery is located in an extinct volcanic crater known as "The Punchbowl." It is on the opposite side of the city from Diamond Head, and possibly almost as tall. The view from here is pretty spectacular, looking across the city and Waikiki toward Diamond Head. The cemetery is quite large, and a bit unusual for a military cemetery, because the stones are all flat, in ground, rather than the usual upright white stones.

We spent a quiet afternoon at the condo and ate in, since we'd already had a big lunch. Our evening walk was along the Ala Was Promenade -- a walkway along a canal, the purpose of which we have not determined. It was a beautiful evening to be out in the fresh air.

A Day at the Beach

We had good intentions of taking a hike this morning in the hills above Honolulu. We left a beautiful, sunny Honolulu morning and drove 20 minutes or so, but in the hills there was cloud, fog, and drizzle. As we neared the trailhead, the road was blocked with a sign saying that the area was closed. After debating the options for awhile, we decided to go back to the condo and spend a day at the beach.

Our condo came supplied with two beach chairs, obviously old and well-worn, but useable. Also on hand was a rather nice beach umbrella -- not just the kind you stick in the sand, but one with an auger at the bottom that really digs in and holds the umbrella even in the wind.

As we entered the public access area of Waikiki Beach, it became quickly apparent that much of the beach was also closed today. Waikiki may be a natural wonder, but it gets considerable help from heavy equipment. Sand is dredged from the sea bottom several hundred yards out, piped back to shore, dried in the sun, and then spread out once again with large trucks and bulldozers. The beach was getting its pre-season tune-up.

The area immediately behind the Royal Hawaiian Hotel was still open, so a lot of people were crowded into that area. We set up early, before the afternoon rush. The people-watching was great! We read our books, at our lunch, took the occasional dip in the ocean, and generally enjoyed the day. Generally, we aren't able to spend the better part of a day sitting on a beach. We get too restless and want to get up and do something. Blame the pandemic, old age, or just the ambiance of this particular beach, but today we managed it quite well.

Walking back to the condo, we stopped at The Cheesecake Factory and picked up a couple of desserts to go. We did a seafood take-out restaurant this evening. With so many things closed today, we were glad to find the place open. The poke boxes were good, but quite spicy. We topped off the evening with a walk to soak up the Waikiki night life. The place is really happening on a Saturday night, even more than Friday.