A little shi shi, then Waikiki! I flew to O'ahu yesterday for a little checkup. Since nobody had high recommendations for a clinic or OBGYN near Hilo, I opted to schedule an appointment for my overdue exam in Honolulu. Dr. Vo was great. She was young, smart, cute and very personable. I'll go back to her. The exam, as unpleasant as it always is, was relatively painless and quick. I was out of there in an hour. That meant I had the entire day to kill before my flight home.
As it turned out, the clinic was within about a mile of Waikiki. Since Waikiki is the only part of Honolulu I know, and since I had already blown my wad on cab fare from the airport to the clinic, I decided to hoof it.
Waikiki is overdeveloped, kitsch, corny and an undeniable tourist trap. It is a Disneyland version of Hawaii. That said, I love it. Oh I wouldn't want to live there, but it is a nice diversion. There are some beautiful hotels there and some great places to grab a bite. There's an ABC Store on every corner for gosh sakes! What more could you want than that? The people watching is great - surfers and beach boys teach malahini (newcomer) haoli visitors the finer points of paddling their boards out to the waves, people strolling, gawking, sunbathing, flolicking, shopping, eating - all having a good 'ol time. It was one of those days when it was easy to get sun burned; high, wispy clouds letting the sun filter in, with 15-20 mile per hour trade winds to cool the sensation on the skin just enough so that unsuspecting pasties from Kansas had no idea they were getting quick fried to a crackly crunch. I ate lunch at Duke's, because I know it to have lovely outdoor, beachside tables and pretty respectable food at reasonable prices for lunch.
It's named for Duke Kahanamoku, one of Hawaii's most beloved sons. Known as the father of modern surfing, he traveled the world as an ambassador of the sport and his country during the early 20th century. Duke also won Olympic gold and silver for swimming. There's a statue of him at Waikiki. I also went to the Waikiki aquarium. It's small, but the displays are beautiful and well maintained. It's clear that the for the staff and "friends of" group here, it's a labor of love. I cruised up and down the main drag several times and hung out at Kapi'olani park for a spell. 
This photo is a shot of Diamond Head from the grassy expanse of the park at the crater's base. There's also a nice statue of Queen Kapi'olani herself.
Then, I decided to take the bus back to the airport. It cost $2 as opposed to the cab, which cost $30. Of course, I had an appointment to make in the morning and had to be at a specific spot by a certain time. I could plan my own afternoon, however and therefore had time for the bus. It took awhile. I asked the driver if there was an "express" bus to the airport. He said he didn't know of one. They all made lots of stops. "This is a slow boat to china," he said. "But it will get you there in about an hour." Good enough for me. As I rode, I saw what I already knew; that there is a lot more to Honolulu that Waikiki. I vow to return and spend time getting to know another part of the city next time, or even another part of O'ahu island.
O'ahu. It means, "the gathering place," in Hawaiian. It's crowded and the traffic is horrible. So I guess people have gathered there, big time.
As I ate lunch, I read the Honolulu weekly and was particularly enamored with the entertainment calendar. On any given Friday or Saturday night, it seems, you can see the likes of Nathan Aveau of Hapa, or Barry Flanagan, or Henry Kapono, or Daniel Ho, or any number of big-name local artists. Very cool.
I flew back into Hilo Tuesday night. It was raining. Auwe!
A hui hou! Aloha!
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