Climbing Diamond Head

Yesterday was Sunday, things were slow and Diamond Head has been beckoning so I wandered around the Waikiki area for awhile then caught the number 2 city bus to Diamond Head. Rather, I should say I rode the bus to the Kapiolani Community College, the end of the line. From there I walked about a mile up the Diamond Head Park access road, through the tunnel and into the crater.

Most people drove or rode the trolley to the parking lot near the entrance to the park. I was one of the few who took the city bus and walked through this tunnel built in 1943 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The tunnel was wide enough for cars to go both ways at once but if a trolley came along oncoming traffic had to wait since the trolley drove through the middle of the tunnel. 

There is a small park near the entry booth but most people come here to climb to the top so they pay a five dollar fee to park and a dollar per person fee to access the climbing trail. 

The trail was built in 1908 by the Army Corps of Engineers and was used by pack mules and the soldiers who manned the guns and fire control center.

From this point it looks like a stroll in the park but the sidewalk soon ends and the old trail takes over. If you look between the tree branches at the top right center you can see the lookout at the top, elevation 761 feet above sea level.

The trail winds back and forth up the inside of the crater wall. The corners are wide, I suppose so the mules could navigate the trail back in the day. Here you can see the trail including the empty part that leads to the lower left in the photo.

This tunnel is barely wide enough for two people to pass.

There are several sets of stairs. This is one of the longest.

It was windy on top.

Inside one of the old firing centers.

There are plenty of view points at the top but there are the idiots who ignore the signs, climb over a six-foot cyclone fence and walk the ridge out to another old fortification. I wouldn't mind if they fell off, that would be natural selection at its best. I do mind that they wear down the fragile ridge so future generations won't be able to enjoy the place like we do.

Back down at the bottom of the trail I was headed out the access road when I noticed these cats in a field alongside the roadway. Someone had given them pieces of mackerel and filled the water dish.It's hard to see them but there were several cats along the grass and woods near the top of the photo. I guess they make their home in the woods. 

I've been reading about the conflict between the feral cat lovers and the defenders of the native Hawaiian Monk Seals. Apparently the cats shed eggs of a parasite that kills the seals. There have been attempts to control the cat population but so far no solution has been found. If you're interested you can read more here:  http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/hawaiian-monk-seal-deaths-blamed-on-stray-cats-1.12464034

Leaving the feral cats and the Diamond Head park I made my way back down the access road to the bus stop and then back to our condo.

It was an enjoyable hike up Diamond Head. I was tired and ready for a nap when I got back but I recommend the trip. The view is worth the expenditure of energy to get there.

Food Fo Fill Dah Belly in Honolulu

Foods from many countries can be found in Seattle and other cities around the world but here in Hawaii ethnic foods from other cultures are adopted and often adapted to fit the tastes of the locals as well as the original importers. Some dishes have become staples and "fill dah belly" any time any place.

The Hawaiian musubi is a takeoff on the Japanese omusubi or onigiri and is a very popular snack throughout the islands.

There are lots of Japanese tourists so many stores, especially in Waikiki and the big malls have signs in both English and Japanese.

The musubi below are typical. A block of rice topped with fried spam, avocado, sweet scrambled egg, or other protein and wrapped with dried nori (seaweed).

Samples of musubi (left), onigiri (center) and bento (left)

In this store they also had typical Japanese onigiri, rice balls filled with chopped pickle, umeboshi (pickled plum) or shredded salted salmon and wrapped with nori. To the left are bento boxes with a simple box lunch of rice, protein and pickle.

Poke is an old Hawaiian preparation of dried salted fish that could be carried on ocean journeys. In the old days it was often made of the scraps cut from fish when preparing the steaks or fillets. In the 1970's the concept began to spread and soon became popular as an appetizer or entree using Ahi (yellowfin tuna) and other fish and shellfish. Now it is made from many kinds of fish, shellfish, octopus, squid and even vegetables and tofu. There are a variety of sauces so the choices are many.

Poke counter at Don Quijote supermarket wihere I counted 28 kinds of poke.

Across the street from our condo is a local pass through window of a famous poke restaurant in Chinatown. We got some poke bowls to eat in our condo.

The Maguro Brothers take out window across the street.

Ramen is another common food in Hawaii. When walking to the beach this ramen place, Nakamura Ramen, caught my eye. They serve ramen with several kinds of sauces, with or without a soft boiled egg and with various kinds of protein.

The sign on the window says "Oxtail ramen."

I wanted to try their oxtail ramen so ordered the oxtail ramen set which included the ramen, some fried pot stickers (gyoza), a dish of fried rice and a bowl with ground ginger and soy sauce to be added as desired for extra flavor. I ordered the small plate of kimchee on the side.

The oxtail ramen set was well worth the price.

The ramen was very good although the price was a little high at $23.50, but that included the other parts of the set so altogether not so bad.

Testimonials from famous visitors from Japan.

There is a Japanese food court in the Ala Moana Mall. When we visited there I ordered a special ramen with soft egg and pork belly. It was delicious even though the sauce was quite rich.

Ramen at the Shirokiya Food Court had pork belly, soft boiled egg, chopped seaweed and green onions. Delicious.

Udon is another noodle dish found in Honolulu. There is a popular udon place about two blocks from our condo so I found myself having breakfast there the other day.

Plastic display dishes out front.

My udon with soft boiled egg and tempura fried Hawaiian sausage and mushrooms. It made a fine breakfast.

Cafeteria style udon restaurant with various kinds of soup and extras.

When you've had enough food it's time for shave ice. Shave ice is a completely different dish from what we on the "Mainland" know as a snow cone. 

Here in Hawaii the block of ice is put into a machine with a razor sharp knife on the bottom. The block of ice is locked in place then rotates while a very thin shaving of ice falls from the bottom. Many newer shave ice places have a machine that puts out an ultra thin layer of ice, almost like snow. It's every bit as smooth as the best of the rotating machines but not as authentic. 

The ice is packed gently into a dish, some places put a layer of ice cream on at this point, while some places add a flavored syrup here. More ice is packed on top then the people get creative with different kinds of syrups, fruit or other toppings and then sweetened condensed milk is often drizzled over the whole thing.
  

Blueberries, strawberries and small pieces of mochi at highly rated Island Vintage Shave Ice.

Matcha, sweet red beans, and strawberries with mochi.

Strawberry mango with mango poppers and mochi.

Royal Aloha Waikiki

Dancing girls at the Kona Airport on the way from the Big Island.

Well, it's been a slow week in the new condo in Honolulu. We've done a little sightseeing, ate some (a lot of) local food and just relaxed. Of course, I guess that's what vacations are all about.

View of the gardens from our Hale Koa room where we spent one
night waiting for our Monday check in at the new condo.

Seaward side of the Army Museum at Ft DeRussy next door to the Hale Koa Hotel.

The Royal Aloha Vacation Club has units in three buildings here in the Waikiki area. We are in the Royal Aloha Towers about a block south of Ala Wai Channel, about four blocks north of the beach and about two miles from Diamond Head. In addition to the condos here in Honolulu Royal Aloha has units in Maui and Kona, Hawaii; Lake Tahoe; Branson; Acapulco; Chandler, Arizona; Otter Rock, OR, and Marbella, Spain.

Diamond Head from the beach in front of the Hale Koa Hotel.

This condo is a two bedroom, two bath with the usual amenities. Nothing fancy but a good location and a clean place to call home temporarily. We haven't stayed at any of their other units but based on this unit we would be willing to give them a try.

A little red head under the tropical trees.

From our home base it's an easy walk to the big public Waikiki beach, ten minutes to the Army Museum at Ft DeRussy, twenty minutes to Ala Moana mall (the biggest mall in Hawaii) and restaurants too numerous to count. In addition there are buses that go everywhere.

Not far from our building we found the Trump Hotel.

Colorful flowers abound here in Honolulu also.

The public is guaranteed access to all beaches in Hawaii but there are some that are dedicated to public use. The large public beach at Waikiki is an example of such a beach.

The big public beach at Waikiki with many concessions and amenities.

I admire the shape of the tropical trees. There are the lanky palm trees and the busy mimosas. Then there are the stereotypical shape of the "umbrella" trees.

Tropical Flowers to Cheer Your Day

Here in Hawaii the flowers bloom year round.

It's always a pleasure to visit the tropics this time of year when it's cold and dreary at home so I thought I would post some photos of the flowers around our condo to bring a little warmth into the hearts of you who are living north of the flower zone.

Plumeria have nice flowers and leaves

I haven't seen any of the other colors of Plumeria in this area. Maybe these white-yellow flowers are acclimatized to this area where it is particularly dry.

Hibiscus of many colors grow in the area. Many are hybrids.

Flowering trees are everywhere.

Bougainvillea of many colors are formed into hedges. Some are allowed to climb naturally.

 Ground cover with flowers.

More ground cover in bloom.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the bright flowers of the Big Island. Our week is drawing down and we head to Honolulu Sunday. I'll see what can be posted from there.

Autumn in Waikoloa

This time of year in Seattle tends to be wet and cool. But here we are in Hawaii, on the Island of Hawaii (also known as The Big Island), near the town of Waikoloa.

Gray Line tourist map of Hawaii

If you enlarge the map you will find Waikoloa and our condo at Paniolo Greens just about due west of Mauna Kea, the northern large mountain.  The elevation here is 410' although it seems higher because of the view down to the lava flows and ocean to the west.

It's the same time of year here but things are a little different in this part of the country. Today's temperature here in Waikoloa Town is forecast to range from 71 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit with winds NNE 10-20 mph with "abundant" sunshine. This time of year those winds (Trade Winds) blow 90% of the time. Only when there is a low pressure zone about 500 miles to the northeast of Hawaii do the winds reverse and blow for a day or two from the SSW bringing rain to this normally dry side of the island.

Our condo is situated on the second and third floors of the building. The entrance is on the south and the lanai on each floor faces almost due north overlooking the second and third holes of the golf course with Kahala Mountain in the distance.

Kohala Mountain just after sunrise this morning. Taken from the third floor lanai

This morning was the first time I've seen the top of the mountain since it is usually shrouded in clouds. I would judge the wind to be blowing right at that 20 mph forecast, if not a little harder so that may be a help in keeping the summit clear of clouds. 

The golfers hit down the number two fairway which runs parallel to our building. Many of them end up in one of the two traps that guard the green in front of our condo. I went out and checked last night and found the traps have a thin layer of small gravel covering a hard base. Pity the poor bloke who tries to hit out. Many of them just pick up and throw their ball onto the green.

Number three is a par three that crosses the pond behind the eucalyptus tree in the foreground. The men's' tees are off to the left in the photo. Even the white tees require a good strong shot into the wind to reach the green just on the other side.  Red tees are just to the right of the two Norfolk Pines so the ladies have a much easier shot at the green.

An hour after sunrise the golfers are hard at it fighting that wind. Taken from the second floor lanai.

From the other side of our digs we look east at Mauna Kea where we can make out the observatory domes glinting in the sunlight. To the south southeast we see the wide dome of Mauna Loa which so far has been covered by clouds.

Moving away from the condo complex at Paniolo Greens there is a small shopping center about half a mile away where we ate dinner last night at a nice Italian Osteria. There is also a grocery store and some small shops in that area. Other than that the area is given over to condos, lava fields and smaller houses with other villages at least fifteen minutes away, down the hill. 

Tomorrow I'll post some photos of the local flowers to show what the flora of Hawaii looks like this time of year.

Observations While Walking my Dog

My guard dog, Kuro, watching for bad guys while I watch Elliott Bay

When Kuro and I walk around our part of this planet we observe some interesting things. In some cases those observations seem pretty mundane but in others they seem profound. I won't label any of these observations one way or the other but I think there may be some of both and maybe a couple of 'tweeners.

A walk begins with the first step. I'm sure you have heard this old saying in various expressions but the fact remains, you can't start a walk (or a journey) unless you take that first step.

Sometimes I am uncertain whether the weather will permit a walk and sometimes I'm tired or would rather do other things. Kuro is a firm believer in this adage and when that time of day rolls around there better be a good reason for not heading for the door. Only a full blown rain storm or maybe a blizzard might dissuade him. Although, come to think of it, Kuro hasn't seen a blizzard in his three plus years of life.

In any case, when it's time for a walk he won't let me make excuses, so off we go by taking that first step,

Our brains are amazing. Our brain has often been likened to a computer. It can tell time with great accuracy. I haven't used an alarm clock for many years because if I set my mind it works better by bringing me out of sleep gently within a minute or so of the desired time. It is also good at telling direction. It probably would be better if we trusted it more and let it lead but we tend to mistrust our brain and depend on Google Maps or a compass or, you get my drift.

Our walks cover mostly city streets with their sidewalks and curbs. I've noticed that when I'm not paying attention my brain measures the distance to the next curb or pothole or broken sidewalk raised by a hidden root. As we near the obstacle unconsciously my stride lengthens or shortens as required to take several, seemingly full strides, before stepping up onto the curb or raised sidewalk or whatever. 

If I pay attention to the process it seems I can tell up to about eight steps in advance which foot will go onto the raised curb or other obstacle. It seems uncanny and accurate except when my normal stride would result in a half step and then my brain won't tell the part that communicates with me which foot. If I don't pay attention, as mentioned, it's all automatic. 

A whimsical sunset near home in Seattle

Noo clouds, no sunset. Around the Pacific Northwest we have lots of gray skies so people appreciate blue sky and sunshine. I like the blue sky too but I also know that if there are no clouds we won't see a beautiful sunset. When the sky is completely covered with clouds out into the Pacific we won't see a sunset either but we need some clouds to have one of those beautiful sunsets we all like. Next time you wish for a clear blue sky remember, if your wish comes true you won't see a spectacular sunset that night.

A spectacular sunset over the Pacific near Mexico last January

Seasons change despite my earnest entreaties. Especially near the end of one season or another I find myself wishing that we might have another week of that pleasant season before the next one starts. It never seems to do any good. The hand of Mother Nature moves despite my desires.

Sometimes I think I've been successful and the ending season seems to linger for an extra burst but then I'm shocked to see it leave after all. When we walk I need to remember to observe the weather, the flowers and plants, the temperatures, the sky and the feel of that season because it will soon change.

People tend to reciprocate. As I remember my youth, everyone I passed on the street would return a wave. Today it's not quite as certain, but I've found that even with the increased isolation and retreat into electronic devices we experience today, if you wave and say, "Hello" people will return the greeting. If I walk with my head down and ignore passersby, they too walk on by without a greeting or wave.

Another difference from my youth is the studied avoidance of looking at other people in today's America. I guess women and girls are taught not to look at people in case it might be taken as an unwelcome invitation but in the last fifteen or twenty years I notice that people in general of both (or should I say all) sexes, avoid looking at others on the sidewalk. Here again, I have found that if I look directly at them and say, "Hello," more than half will return the greeting.

In other parts of the world, particularly Asia, the custom of not looking at your fellow travelers has not taken over yet and people there will still look you in the eye as they pass and often nod a greeting.

Strangers are hard to read. This might be a corollary of the previous observation. We can't tell by their appearance if strangers, people or dogs, will be friendly.

Sometimes the meanest looking dog or his human will turn out to be very friendly and sometimes the nice looking guy will growl at me without justification. I think dogs have better manners.

Walking uphill is harder than down. Now, you might say, "What kind of dumb observation is that? Of course it's easier to walk downhill." But as the TV pitchman said, "Wait, there's more..."

When we go out walking I like to start uphill first because I'm fresh and I can get the harder part done early. Sometimes when I'm tired or not very enthusiastic I'll start downhill first because I find that once I get a few blocks into our walk I feel better and don't mind walking back uphill when required. Kuro doesn't care which way we go as long as we go.

Our walks vary in distance from 20 minutes or about one and one-half kilometers to an hour or about four and one-half kilometers.  Sometimes I think I'll take a short route but after a few blocks I begin to enjoy the evening and my company and we stretch it out to a longer walk. When we start off uphill I know we'll be having an easier time on the return so it's easier to go for the extra blocks and enjoy the neighborhood.

Stop to smell the roses. In the spring and summer I like to smell the roses because they are fresh. Some of their flowers are very aromatic and some have very little smell. I can't tell which is which so I stick my nose in them all and am often rewarded with a wonderful fragrance. Kuro sniffs all the plants too but he's not stopping to smell the roses, he's checking to see which of his friends has been along that way.

We never know what's around the corner. Kuro learned early on to look around all the corners whether we are turning that way or not. He knows there might be another dog or, better yet, a cat or a squirrel, or even better, a boy on a scooter. Cats and squirrels run away and boys on scooters make such an interesting noise he can't help barking and chasing.

I, too, look around corners, not just while walking but in other places where the unexpected can make an appearance. Maybe it's a sign of advancing age but I keep an eye out for the other driver that didn't see the stop sign, the child who hasn't yet learned to beware of cars or the pet that can't resist running across the street after that tempting squirrel.

Carpe diem. This ancient phrase from the Roman poet, Horace, is usually translated as "seize the day." In modern times it seems to be construed to mean "Grab all you can today and don't worry about tomorrow," but I think Horace was encouraging the reader to do what is possible today to increase the odds for a better tomorrow.

When I feel a little sluggish or tired I try to remember that walking is a great way to exercise, breathe some fresh air and raise my spirits. For a better tomorrow, try walking today. If you have a little dog to keep you company, so much the better.