The main reason I was home was because the D's were visiting and in all honesty, I really enjoyed my time with them, they are a heck of a lot of fun and their daughter "Maggie" sure has gotten a lot taller since I last saw her over two years ago. On my first day "on the job", my MIL decided that we should do the "East side – Windward tour"…..which ended up being much more fun than I recalled. We hit places that I hadn't been to in maybe 20+ years. I mean, really, when you live here, you're often too busy to really appreciate and enjoy "paradise".
Anyway, I hit H-1, then got off using the King street exit, thru Kapahulu, and past the zoo……when we hit Queen's, I noticed that everyone perked up. So I stopped……. I'm pretty sure there's nothing like this in Beijing.
I really got a kick watching MrsD kick off her shoes and head straight to the water…….nothing much like this in Beijing! She was so fast that she got splashed by a wave….which she joyfully laughed off. Her enthusiasm renewed my appreciation of the sun shining on my face and the feeling of sand between your toes. Of course it was a typical "island day".
As MrsD and Maggie headed off down the beach, it was MrD's job to record the visit in detail as he was busy with his camera.
We basically did the around Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Makapuu, Waimanalo, Kailua thing……
Funny thing, I don't speak hardly any Mandarin…..though I made the D's crack up with what I did know….."kuài diǎn, kuài diǎn….." and "bi zui" (闭嘴). Funny thing, humor goes beyond pure vocabulary and MrD is quite funny. The Missus has told me numerous times, "If you only understood Mandarin, you'd know how witty he really is…."
MrD Senior surprised me with his pronunciations…..looking at the sign he said "Ha-na-uma" perfectly! Whoa……..we would pass various signs and he'd pronounce them perfectly…maybe better than me!
We stopped at one of the look-out before blow-hole and I climbed over the wall to take a photo. This is when I found out how gutsy MrsD was….she just scampered down the rocks…..whoa.
That's her and Maggie to the right. I reached them and told them to be careful and not turn their back on the ocean, pointing out how waves come in sets………to step back a bit and watch the water….
By the time we got past Waimanalo, stomachs were growling. My MIL had told me "there's so much good food in Beijing, what they want to have is American food." So I decided to stop at Teddy's Bigger Burgers in Kailua. Man, this place is doing massive business…..I do mean some major business. The lines are long; they have to give you one of those vibrating coaster looking things……
At least I could tell the D's to go exploring while I waited for our "han bao bao" (hamburgers)…..I later found Maggie wearing a cute pink Kailua t-shirt, so I guess they contributed to the local economy…..
Grabbing lunch we headed to Kailua Beach…..after all, this is a pretty nice setting for lunch, right?
I know I'd usually just order a plain burger to see what the beef was all about. But in this case I ordered a "Bigger Combo" with American Cheese and grilled onions all around. Hey, what's more "American" than a cheeseburger….with American cheese, right?
Taken in context this was quite good…the burger, though on the "lean" side the burger was done just north of well. I mean, really, compared to màidàngláo in China….is there even a comparison?
I actually enjoyed the fries, which are "natural" (skin on) and very crisp.
I found that the D's really like ketchup…….and really couldn't find a Chinese word for "Mayonnaise" ….
After lunch, well it's fade time, you need something to grab your attention…….we headed off down the Pali and the one place I was really looking forward to checking out….
Man, I haven't been here in like decades, before you had to pay for parking, when we had five pounds of raw pork butt and got TWO flat tires going over the Pali on one foggy night….ummm, well, nevah mind…..
I knew this was going to be fun, you park your car and nothing seems amiss, until you walk to the look-out.
On really windy days, it'll buffet you….just try to fall over! The D's were amazed at not only the power of the wind, but the wonderful view of the windward side as well. I could point out where we'd been.
More significantly, in the history of Hawaii, this is where it is noted that Kamehameha I sealed his conquest of Oahu, defeating the forces of Kalanikūpule, driving off the cliffs of the Pali.
Beyond all of that, the view, if you can hold your camera still is wonderful.
My apologies for not having more food "stuffs" for you, but I hope you enjoyed this post….for me, it really renewed an appreciation for the place I was born and raised.