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Aloha Time

Spent the last week on our favorite American island called Oahu.  It is part of the Hawaiian archipelago in the middle of the Pacific some 2,500 miles west of San Francisco.  Honolulu is the largest city and the state capital.

Is where we landed and chilled.  It is a great blend of the natural and artificial along with history and architecture.  As in lots of hiking and grand vistas from mountain to sea if you so desire but also offers a vast variety of eat options (for someone like me) and shopping that requires a pretty coin.  The latter is mostly relegated to the Japanese crowds that arrive in droves with a yen to spend.

Here are some of the highlights of what our week was like -

1.  A hike to the eastern corner of the island where the Diamond sits.  As in Diamond head crater, so named for the  founding father of this island as in a dormant volcano (that glistened with calcite giving it an appearance of diamonds) a mere 800 feet elevation from the parking lot and just shy of a mile to the top.  My daughter and I did it early in the AM to avoid crowds and the rising heat - yes even in winter it can get warm.

Rainbows are a default occurrence with light rain showers breaking up against the sun

Looking east from the summit - you can see the Aqua and Azure and Violets of the ocean

Waikiki and Honolulu city to the west

2.  Another amazing hike that we pulled off this time was to Manoa falls - set amidst lush Jurassic park like jungles the mile long climb to see the 100 ft fall is totally worth it.






3.  Then there were fireworks - twice.  Once on Fri evening just because and then the new years lit it up all over town.  Always a fun time.



4.  Did I mention food?  Of course - this time we got to try Okinawan cuisine at AGU - a chain in Honolulu and Houston TX.  The food is delicious and different.  Minced spicy chicken in a rice bowl along with Seaweed and egg was my favorite.

Another new scene  - Shirokiya food court in Ala Moana shopping center - an Asian inspired array of cheap stalls with $1 Beer - Primo brand - best counter beer ever.


It is the first Hawaiian (pilsner) beer to be brewed in the islands but a very economical buzz to wash down the spicy Korean bbq that I ordered.

Also tried a host of ramen (noodle) places - that almost gives Waikiki a feel of a street in Tokyo.




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