DAY NINETEEN – OAHUWe got up early today and went across the road to have breakfast at
Macdonalds.
Grant’s Taro Pie
my Sausage & Egg Burrito Breakfast Meal
1 x burrito, coffee and some fresh pineappleI also asked for an extra burrito because I thought they would be small. However, they were a pretty decent size and so eggy! Yummy! I couldn’t finish the second one at all.
PEARL HARBOUR
We took the bus to Pearl Harbour, where we firstly had to go and leave our bags with the onsite lockers. Ever since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, there has been tighter security here at Pearl Harbour and we are not allowed to bring any bags or items of concealment to the memorial sites.
First, we went to the
USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Centre where we purchased the audio tour for the museum there and got tickets for the free tour of the memorial. At our allocated time, we were guided into a small theatre where we watched a short film about the attack on Pearl Harbour before we were taken to a ferry to go to the actual memorial.
It’s eerily sad to think we are going to see the last resting place of so many people who lost their lives in the attack. The ship sank and took those onboard with her. They never removed the bodies, but instead turned the wreck into a memorial site where visitors can come and pay their respects and reflect.
the names of those onboard the USS Arizona that lay in the waters below
oil still leaks from the wreck belowUSS BOWFIN SUBMARINE MUSEUM
My camera battery died on the way here, and so did Noel’s. I did have a second camera but it was in my backpack in the locker. So...all our photos are on Grant’s camera and I have yet to get a copy of them. I may post some up here if given the chance.
I absolutely love touring submarines! I just can’t believe how so many men could fit in the little spaces, let alone when the submarine is deep underwater and they have to deal with all the pressure. Amazing!
Before boarding the submarine, we had our photo taken. On our way out, we saw why they wanted our photo – they pasted it into a sort of souvenir for us if we wanted to purchase it. They told us that this is a reprint of the front page of the newspaper on that fateful day the attack on Pearl Harbour occurred, but I have my doubts. I still thought it was a rather cool souvenir and I liked it so I bought one.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!We had a hotdog for lunch – it was so delicious! I had mine with lots of sauerkraut, mustard and ketchup (just to sound American!). After a little rest, we made our way back to the visitor centre to collect our bags and caught the next bus back to Waikiki.
As the bus was driving along, I kept nodding off and almost impaled myself on the handle of someone’s motor wheelchair. By chance, I spotted what looked like Chinatown and immediately told the guys I was hopping off to explore and would meet them back at the hotel later.
I love walking through the local areas of places I travel to. The locals are often amused when they see me taking photos of the strangest things. Take this for example...I saw some people unloading a box of slaughtered pigs from the back of a ute and I ran up to take some photos.
mmm...pork
live crabs
the usual fruit & vegetablesI had no idea where I was since I only had the one map with me, but I continued walking in the direction that the bus had been going. Every now and then I saw a bus stop so I had to be going in the right direction to be getting closer to Waikiki. I was on Kapiolani Boulevard which, according to my map, would eventually intersect with Kalakaua Avenue, which is the street I want to be on.
It turns out that getting off the bus was a fantastic decision – I got to see some of the tourist attractions that I otherwise would have missed.
Iolani Palace
the statue of King KamehamehaWe had been laughing about there being a muumuu factory in the ‘Lonely Planet’ guide, so I had a bit of a chuckle when I actually walked past it.
After walking for about an hour, I started wondering if I would ever find Kalakaua Avenue. The intersection of where it joins Kapiolani Boulevard is at the top left corner of my A4 map, so I could be walking for hours before reaching there for all I knew. I stopped one of the few people I saw to ask if I was at least heading in the right direction. I was.
After another half hour of brisk walking, I finally found Kalakaua Avenue and found a new surge of energy.
the Ala Wai CanalThe walk was making me hungry. Extremely hungry. I felt like a big bowl of noodles with soup, so I looked for a Japanese or Korean eatery. I soon came across one and eagerly sat down inside.
miso ramenWith my energy levels replenished, I set off again down Kalakaua Avenue. Judging from the map, it was going to be a really long walk back to the hotel. I was tempted to hop on a bus or try to pull over a taxi but then dismissed these ideas. The weather was beautiful and when am I going to have the chance to walk around Honolulu again anytime soon?
I eventually got back to the hotel, had a brief rest and then realised that the sun was setting so rushed to get down to Waikiki Beach for a final splash and to watch the sunset. It just so happened that Noel and Fleurette popped down for a swim too.
our hotel
picture perfect
isn’t that just gorgeous!?
oh...and the sunset is too
After the sun was well and truly set, we headed back to the hotel. I showered and then set out for dinner, giving the honeymooners and anniversary couple some alone time on our last night of this wonderful holiday.
BEACHHOUSE at the Moana
I read somewhere that there was a seafood restaurant here at the Moana Surfrider resort, and I was very pleased when I walked in and saw that there was indeed a fine dining setup. I had to wait for a table, but I made use of this time at the bar ordering a bottle of wine. I had hoped that Noel and Fleurette would join me later and help me drink it, but they never got my message at the hotel telling them where I was.
I had a table by the balcony’s edge, overlooking a garden and the outdoor bar in the distance by the beach. I could hear the ocean and there was a musician on a guitar singing for those at the bar. He was too far for me to hear clearly, but his voice blurred into the background noise with the ocean and the murmurs of people around me talking and eating. It was a lovely intimate outdoor setting.
Appetiser: warm fresh bread with butter
The butter had been sprinkled with some sort of sugar.
Entree: foie gras
chef's fresh daily preparation
Main: 2lb Maine lobster
grilled with chilli-lime butter
Oh my god! This lobster was a monster! I didn’t even realise it had claws until I picked up my fork to attack it. I was wondering why my waiter had brought me a nut cracker utensil when he was setting my table for the main course. He must have seen my surprise because he came over to ask if I wanted him to remove the meat from the claws for me. I wholeheartedly nodded!
Dessert: dark rum crème brulee
vanilla custard infused with spiced darm rum
& torched caramel crustAfter my indulgent dinner, I went down to the outdoor bar and sat and enjoyed the guitar player’s last song. When he finished, I asked if he knew where I could enjoy some local live music and he recommended somewhere a few streets away. I got there and ordered a drink -
blueberry vodka & soda - but the bartender told me that the band had only just finished their last set for the night about ten minutes ago.
Bummer!Heading back to the hotel for the night, I stopped to get some snacks. I didn’t intend on sleeping at all tonight since we had to be up early for our flight. I hadn’t even started to pack yet! It’s very unlike me...usually I am very neat and pack early so that I can go out and enjoy myself.
The hotel we’re staying at has a three-storey aquarium! We noticed this when we arrived to check-in and I have been waiting for a moment to take photos when there aren’t many people around. Being so late at night, it was quite dim so I wasn’t able to get the lighting right on my camera but it still shows how impressive the sight is!
By about 0300hrs I was almost done packing but had nodded off on the bed. I decided to get an hour’s shut-eye before getting up and getting the packing done.
