Hidden Beach
Dateline, Hawaii. Not today, but early this year. A sunset to remember. Thank you.
Hot Spot of Bothers
One’s Hawaii. The other’s Iceland. There’s lots of black lava on the two islands. If you’ve ever been, you’ll notice the similarities. Especially, if you go to the Big Island. Little fluffy clouds.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: Surfing is the only life, the only way for me
We’re onto the last days of the Hawaiian Vacation and here’s the first one of someone surfing. This shot is just off of Cousin Bob’s old, new house. It’s right off the breaks in front of Diamond Head.
I took one look at this sight and I wanted to jump right in. It looks like a mellow break. I mean, these surfers you see in this photo are Japanese tourists learning to surf. I guess the break is mellow. I wanted to get out there, too.
Man, I think I’m gonna get a surfboard this summer.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: Waikiki Walk Around
Friday night and we go to town.
My nephew, mom, aunt and I spend it wandering around Waikiki. We had planned to walk to Ala Moana several blocks away, but decide against it as the road got dark and the ladies didn’t feel like making the trek.
We get some Starbuck’s and join the crowd of tourists as they wander around the main drag. We don’t get close to the beach, but we do get close to the real Hawaii.
We stop into 88 tees. I’m looking for something cool, but the place is a mad house. Japanese tourists up the wazoo fill the isles and I worry that I can’t buy anything because I can’t speak japanese. Yet, I don’t find anything because the shelves are messy and I don’t like any of the hipster tees they sell. The nephew finds some hipster vintage football tees, but for thirty dollars, it ain’t worth it.
Behind 88 tees, you can find the seedy side of town — the porn video palaces. The nephew finds one of their pamphlets. Hoy!
We’re lost for a bit before we wander into the Waikiki duty free mall. Again, nothing but Japanese. Up a few floors, we shop like the Japanese tourists, but don’t buy anything as this mall is the fancy pants stores. I watch the cute girls go by.
Then we wait. In the cool night, we wait to get picked up to go back west. The cousin comes by later than expected. Our one night in Town is done.
More fun photos to look at on my flickr Hawaii Vacation 2010 Set.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: Sunset
Been trying to figure out what to blog about to keep up the string of blog posts for the year 2011. I’ll hit up the ol’ reliable: the Hawaiian Vacation of 2010.
Just looking at these pictures makes me want to go surfing. Face up to the challenge that being in the water with the pounding surf and fellow surfers. I feel like doing it. I feel like heading to the closest break and diving in with a new board. Going this summer. All summer long.
Playing a ukulele. Playing surf guitar. Riding the bike to the beach. All summer long.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: North Shore Grinds
We went to the North Shore not to see the waves, but to get some grinds, food. We definitely had to get some shave ice at Matsumoto’s. It’s a serious foody place. Then we got some more eats at the various other places along the strip. Finally, ending up at the shrimp trucks that seem to have really pricey plate lunch.
All we seem to have done is eat.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: Obligatory water picture
CapitolSwell in ankle deep water. It was cooler out of the water than it was in it because of the trade winds. That’s why we soaked ourselves beneath the waves hours every day.
I’m slowly getting through posting pictures from the Hawaii set. This is a picture taken on Thanksgiving. How can you beat swimming in the Pacific? It’s better than eating turkey. Of course, we still did that that day.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: The Yogurt Incident
After writing up the story about Korean grilles and nudie bars, I had to come back to another tale that will be told about this vacation: the yogurt incident. The accompanying picture is minutes before it happened and is part of the incriminating evidence. If you have been reading my Hawaii posts you’ll find this one out of order. Sorry about that, but this story has to be told.
We had to get out of Ko Olina and experience the real Hawaii. We leave the place and go one exit down H1 for something to eat. The Seed, Capitol Swell and I head for ramen. My brother and his family go for kind grinds. We hang out for a bit before we go back.
Capitol Swell initiates the Yogurt Incident. He goes into this “make your own yogurt sundae” place and comes out with a gigantic cup of yogurt. It looks good and I go in for some. I’m quickly followed by my nephew who decides to make his own gigantic yogurt sundae. I take the smaller cup, but pay for both.
At this “make your own yogurt sundae” joint, you are charged by the weight of the sundae. It costs me $13 for the two. You can guess which sundae contributed the most to this bill.
We sit down and eat. Moments later the nephew is done. “The cold hurts my teeth.” He’s only a couple scoops in and he doesn’t want it anymore. That makes me angry. And I berate him about it until he runs away.
He comes back saddened and tries to eat more. His mom packs it up and takes it with us. It remained in the freezer until we left Ko Olina. It was there for the maids to eat or throw away.
Dude still owes me yogurt.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: Girlie Grille
Best story from the vacation…
Wednesday night before Thanksgiving we make it into Town, Waikiki, to see the Bob. We’re also hungry, so after he closes up shop at the Mall, we go out in search of food.
“We’re gonna go to that Korean barbeque joint next to the strip club.”
And we’re off. Two cars looking for that Korean joint by the nudie bar. The car I’m in stops at the first Korean joint, nudie bar combo we pass. There’s Yakuza hanging out front. This must be the place! In we go.
“Table for 15.” “Right, away!”
“Water.” “Here you go!”
“What’s this button?” “Summon you waiter!”
Five minutes pass.
“Should we order or should we wait some more.”
“How many Korean joints next to nudie bars are there in Honolulu?” “This HAS GOT to be the place, right?”
*BRRRRIINNNGG*
“Where you guys?” “We’re at the Korean joint next to the nudie bar.”
“No you’re not. We are.” “No. We are.”
Sorry, Yakuza Korean grille, we’re at the wrong place.
We’re in the car and drive one more block over. Here’s the Korean joint next to the strip club. Who knew?
But look at this picture. It says volumes about how happy we were to eat yakinuku.
Hawaii Vacation 2010: Azusa in Sunshine
This winter is for real. There’s several inches on the ground and it looks like more coming our way. Now if this doesn’t make you want to go back to Hawaii, I don’t know what will.
I had brought my Azusa nendoroid with me to help document where we went. I did because, as an otaku, you do stupid things like that. Bring your doll to work day! Anyhow, I didn’t get too many pictures because my sister-in-law kept harassing me about it making me feel very embarrassed. I know that I shouldn’t have been, but what can you say about a grown man carrying a doll around?