So today we went with our friends Shannon and Amy, as well as with Tina and Jeff, around Oahu in a rented minivan. I have been waiting for this driving tour, as I feel like it would represent more of the “real” Oahu. Our first stop was the Puli lookout from which you can see much of the windward coast. I think part of this view was used in the movie Pearl Harbor. Here, you could see the jagged, craggy mountain tops that are at the same time so green you can hardly believe it!
After this, we drove along HWY 83 to Kualoa Park. It looks like you can camp on this beach–it seems like a reasonable way to stay in Hawaii next time! All we did was beachcomb and try to catch these ultra-fast white crabs that move sideways and disappear into their holes or the ocean, whichever they can get to first.
Our next stop took us to a place near Laie and the Polynesian Cultural Center, a point on the island with long, narrow rocks in the ocean that according to legend used to be huge lizards that were a threat to the Hawaiian people. A brave warrior slay the large lizards and chopped the head into 5 pieces and flung them into the ocean, which are now the 5 islands in the water off of this point.
Next we came to a place that raised prawns and shrimp and you can fish for them as well as order them off of a menu. This place is reminiscent of a boiled peanut stand in the South, but it has boiled shrimp and prawns instead. Pricey as it was (one styrofoam plate lunch with rice and 6-8 of these shellfish is $11-15), we enjoyed it–we split 2 plate lunches between 6 people and had an entertaining time trying to figure out how to eat them gracefully while sitting in the tarp-covered picnic area. Rain was approaching quickly, so we packed up for our next stop.
Now that we had a taste of lunch and Hawaiian yumminess, Jeff (one of Shannon and Amy’s friends) and I REALLY wanted some fresh Hawaiian fruit. So, in the driving rain, we stopped at a fruit stand. I mean, we pulled the minivan up to the ladies standing next to their treasures under the umbrellas and slid the door open, drive-through style! She had avocado, apple-bananas, guava, passionfruit, starfruit, coconut, pineapple, oranges, papayas, mangos–you name it. I bought a baggie full of chopped coconut, 2 guava, and 2 passionfruit. Jeff bought a bunch of bananas, a pineapple, a starfruit, and 3 baggies full of freshly cut pineapple. Justin and I shared a bag of this cold treat. All I have to say is that is the best pineapple I have ever had. Mainly because this old, tan Hawaiian woman fetched it from somewhere in a wheelbarrow in the driving rain. But also because it was cold and sweet.
Speaking of cold and sweet, our next two stops included another culinary adventure as well as sea turtles. I will explain the Hawaiian green sea turtles, an endangered species, first. These turtles reside on the north shore near Turtle Bay resorts. They have been coming to this bay since 1999 because of the shallow waters that protect them from tiger sharks, but they also come for food (seaweed). In their early stages of being on this beach, they would sun themselves on the sand, only to find themselves used as a chair for a toddler when parents wanted a cool picture, or their mouths pried open so they pose with a cigarette for military men. Nearby residents wanting to save these turtles from stress and harm decided to sit on the beach in pairs 7 days a week, most hours of the day, to protect the turtles. They put out brochures, signage, and a red rope on the sand for people to stand behind. The two turtles we saw–females, middle aged–were lazily basking in the sun and their other 20 or so friends were out swimming in the bay. Lazy as those two might have seemed, they apparently swim 500 miles to mate and lay eggs. Crazy, considering one of them had her shell gashed rather harshly by a jet ski.
To further continue our eat-our-way-across-Oahu mission, we stopped at a little shack in Haleiwa (a cute little area with surf shops and brighly-painted tourist shops–close to Sunset beach and all of the north shore surfing) for shave ice. Now, to explain, this is not your everyday snow cone. No. This is Matsumoto’s Shave Ice, where you get three flavors of your choice, and ice cream and/or red beans at the bottom of the cone. Red beans are dessert beans known as Azuki beans. I got a small cone with coconut, pineapple, and vanilla flavors and it took me a good 10-15 minutes to eat through it. Fortunately I had a wooden “spoon” and a tiny cocktail straw to help me in my endeavors. Reasonable prices ($2 for a small with ice cream and beans), a tasty treat, and the kitschy t-shirts are enough to draw over 1,000 people there a day during the busy season. I was pleased!
With pretty full tummies and a long day behind us, we drove through Hwy 99 back to Honolulu. We passed koa trees (with feathery light green leaves), coffee plantations (the trees are much smaller than I thought–like bushes!), and pineapple plantations. We stopped at the Dole cannery for a brief tour and a sampling of pineapple ice cream. It wasn’t my favorite because it was non-dairy, so I am glad I didn’t buy it–I just tried a spoonful. We did see a pineapple cutting demo and got to try some fresh pineapple with a tangy-salty plum powder.
Other cool trees I’ve seen and want to photograph:
monkey pod trees–yes, Aaron and Andrea, they exist!!
Ficus Banyan trees
Plumeria
strange looking tiered evergreen? trees
More tomorrow! It’s 9 p.m. now and I’ve been awake an hour from a pretty long nap. Time to walk about on the beach and eat some dinner.
blast AC when in car
