It’s “Take Debby to The Beach Day!”

Up this morning to another sunny and blue sky kind of day!  Truly lovely outside, with the waves rolling in to shore.  When we began our trip, Debby had just two requests:  She wanted to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center, and she wanted to go to the beach.  She didn’t really care which beach she went to, and she didn’t necessarily want to swim, but she definitely wanted to get into her bathing suit and get (at least) her feet wet.  So … 

 

First off, downstairs for the requisite coffee and chocolate milk … this time, without ice!  (Why anyone would even think of putting ice in chocolate milk, I still can’t imagine!)  Debby and I are working our way through the tiny bakery’s collection of pastries, and they’re not bad.  This morning, Debby had a Palmier and I had two macaroons – one plain and the other covered in dark chocolate.  All were declared “yummy.” 

Sunrise from the apartment

At the local Farmer's Market

Driving past Diamond Head

Stunning coastline

Debby's Beach!

 

Then, we started out about 9 am on our adventure(s) for the day.  First off, we visited the Farmer’s market at Kapio’lani Community College, apparently the largest farmers market on the island.  Things were really buzzing there, with everything from locally grown produce to lots of souvenir-type items – especially local honey and jams and jellies, and lots and lots of food items!  Everything was available - from Mexican food to lobster rolls and quite a lot in between!  Pick a cuisine, and you could most likely find it there!  Lots of mochi(on which I am still unclear…) and Acai bowls, as well as plants and orchids for sale.  Debby and I were thinking about those but figured that sitting for six hours with a plant on our laps wasn’t really our thing!

 

From the market, which was located right next to Diamond Head, we headed around the island towards Sea Life Park.  As it’s Saturday today, there was lots of traffic, and while we wanted to stop to show Debby the Helena Blowhole, unfortunately, the parking lot was completely full when we arrived, so we had to pass it up.  Debby assured us that she had already seen one, but still…disappointing!

 

Shortly after this, though, we passed a really lovely and small sandy beach that actually did have parking spaces, and in we went!  Debby was able to change in their bathhouse, and she and I both got our feet wet while Robert photographed…so Debby got her fairly deserted – and if not that exactly, certainly uncrowded – beach, and definitely got her feet – and other parts of her! – wet!  And boy, the water was COLD!!  Definitely refreshing!  [Note from R: Local news says the water temperature is 75°]. At one point, though, a boogie-boarder rather washed out and came up right next to her.  Debby thought he was a fish – R had warned her about sharks!  So she was startled, but it was just a swimmer after all!

 

We made our sandy way back to the car, and then headed back on the highway, continuing around the island passed Kaneoehe Bay and cross the island, coming out on Punchbowl Hill and back into Honolulu and Waikiki.

 

From there, the only other place I could think of to go was the International Market Place, which is in Waikiki, across from the Westin Moana Surfrider hotel.  The Surfrider was the very first (the Royal Hawaiian being the second) hotel on Waikiki, built in 1901.  You can still see the original building with its gorgeous columns lining the avenue, although so much has been added to it, it’s a bit difficult to picture sitting all alone on the beach with palm trees all around it!  

 

As always in Waikiki, parking is a challenge, but we eventually found a private parking lot a few blocks away and stowed the car.  (Believe it or not, for all the driving we’ve been doing, we’ve only used about half a tank of gas – which is good, as gas is going for something like $4.86 a gallon here!  Just like California!)  

 

Walked into the Market Place and there was the banyon tree, just the same as always!  It was originally built in 1957, around a huge banyon tree – but of course, the shops were basically all local and small.  In 2014, the original Market Place closed, reopening in 2016, still around the same huge banyon tree, with all new designer shops and stores – quite the place, really, especially if money is no object!  Debby and I walked around a bit, and then Robert and I had some chicken dumplings at the food court, while Debby had some mango gelato, which I followed up with dark chocolate gelato…fabulous!

International Market Place

Complete with Banyon Tree!

Very good chicken dumplings!

Mango gelato with papaya for tomorrow!

 

From there, we made our way back to the apartment, where we are now reading (Robert), blogging (me, as well as doing a load of laundry) and going to the pool (Debby) prior to our 5 pm reservation at Fete for dinner tonight!  As it’s in downtown Honolulu, we’re thinking we may Uber there, so we won’t need a DD for a change, which would be nice! 

 

So, may post now … or later … you know the saying in Hawaii?  Hang loose!!  Which I’m still not sure of the definition, but if I find out, I will definitely let you know!

 

Much love,

m

xxx

 

Back from an amazing dinner!  We had reservations at Fete and decided to Uber there and back – and as it was located in very busy Chinatown, it was definitely a very good decision, as heaven knows where we would have found parking.

 

As our reservation was at 5 pm, we left the hotel around 4:30.  Matsuko, our wonderful first Uber driver, picked us up a few minutes later in front of the hotel, and delivered us about 15 minutes later right to Fete’s front door.  We walked into a very loud environment – and were asked if we wanted to sit at a table there, or at a quieter table on the second floor!  Yay!  We opted for the upstairs table, which was in the so-called “library” where the chef/owner kept a portion of her cookbooks … a woman after our own heart, there was an entire wall of cookbooks – and if that was just half of them, it was quite a collection!  We had a nice table for three overlooking an interior courtyard with palm trees; very attractive.

 

Our waiter, Kevin, was very knowledgeable about the menu and explained about the specials available this evening.  We ended by starting the meal splitting two of the special beet, local greens and avocado salads with green goddess dressing between the three of us – definitely more than enough to go around!  For mains then, Robert ordered their Korean marinated beef flank steak with fried rice with a fried egg on top.  I had their excellent seared scallops in a ginger sauce with small carrots, and Debby had their crispy shrimp in a tomato sauce.  For dessert, R had their raspberry lychee sorbet, and I had their combo raspberry lychee sorbet and chocolate cocoa ice cream with raspberries and a yummy cookie … way too much for one serving, but excellent nonetheless!  

 

Debby and her Guava Shrub ?!

Our beet, green and avocado salads

R's Korean marinated beef flank steak

My scallops

Debby's shrimp

My raspberry-lychee sorbet & chocolate cocoa ice cream with cookie!

Deborah (not Rotstein!) Ubered us back to the apartment and we were in about 7:45 pm … and truthfully, just about ready for bed!  

 

And so ends a lovely Saturday on Oahu!  Not sure what we’ll be doing tomorrow, as we’re reserving the Bishop Museum for Monday.  Possibly downtown old town Honolulu, the mission houses and the Cathedral … don’t know, but we’ll figure it out in the morning!  Also possibly another visit to the Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian!  

 

So … Aloha and good night all!

 

Much love,

m

xxx