We had a private tour planned for today with just the four of us. Actually, it turned out to be the three of us as Jim decided to hang back for the day and chill. Our first stop, Leonard's Bakery. Oh me, oh my....
We had heard so much about their donuts. Chris, our guide, gave us the low down on what to order, so we weren't totally befuddled when we got inside.
Two cinnamon, please! I had good intentions of bringing one back to Jim.
Malasadas are a traditional Portuguese fried dough ball about the size of an egg. These were not egg sized! They were a full-sized donut. Warm and sugary...oh my!
We whizzed by the already busy beaches. It was a Sunday morning and time for people to enjoy some downtime. Notice the street signs...Kapahulu and Kalakaua. So confusing! There are only 8 consonants and 5 vowels in Hawaiian, so you'll see a lot of Ks and Ps and Hs.
We stopped at a lookout with a row of flags from around the world. The sign says "One World, One People."
The teeny specks are all early morning surfers...
Now that's a house! You get a balcony and you get a balcony...
This is Diamond Head crater. Chris was telling us that he has hiked up it several times. He said it takes about 45 minutes. I say he's a fast hiker. I really didn't fully comprehend what Diamond Head crater was until we got home. I thought it was just a nice hike.
This is an aerial view of Diamond Head pilfered from the internet. That gave it a whole new perspective!
The population of Honolulu is about 400,000, but with the surrounding areas, it is closer to one million.
Next stop Hanauma Bay...
Chris showed us this plant (which looked like pineapple, but wasn't). When you take apart the little nodules on the plant, it has bristles which are used as small paint brushes. A great example of using what Mother Nature gives you.
Love these trees with the roots outside...it is a lovely and well-maintained park.
Little boys and chickens...you can imagine how this went. Boy chases chicken, chicken runs away, stand off: boy chases chicken...
Mike, Chris, me and Margaret at Hanauma Bay. It's a great spot for snorkelling, which we passed on.
This is a rather grainy aerial shot of Hanauma Bay. The locals say it is shaped like a lizard...
Here is the head of the lizard...
Which curves around to its tail...
A great place to picnic and relax with your family...
And chase chickens!
Next stop, the Halona Blowhole...amen for not being on that bus.
It wasn't the best time for seeing the blowhole...
But it was very scenic...
Lots of sandy beaches...
The road around the island...
Next stop...Makapuu Lookout
A view of Rabbit Island, so named as an early plantation owner released rabbits on the island and a colony of them survived for years.
You can just see the tip of a lighthouse...
Chris showed us the map of our travels so far, starting at Honolulu on the bottom and now we had worked our way to the tip of the island on the east...
We were doing a lot of driving! Loved this sticker on the vehicle at our next stop of Waimanalo Beach...
We wandered down to the beach.
What a beautiful spot...view to the right
View to the left...
Lots of shade if you need it...
The trees have a bit of a lean to them. Not too hard to tell which way the wind blows...
I spied coloured stuff in the sand! Beach glass? Nope, beach plastic...
On our way back to the car. This area has beauty all around...
Good thing I caught a sign now and then because I truly had no idea where we were...
We were now heading into the Lanikai area, known for its 1/2 mile strip of beach, reportedly one of the best in the world.
Also known for its upper class residential area.
Lots of hidden beach homes, one of which belongs to Barack Obama.
Whew! Our next stop at another lookout. This child's mother was trying to call him away when she saw I was taking a photo, but I liked it more with him in it.
This area is known for its strong trade winds, which we could attest to. Not only was it windy, it was cold!
Love these trees with their twisted trunks and roots...
The walk to the lookout...
Yikes...the battle for Oahu ended with 400 warriors forced off the cliff.
Lovely views...
A skinny panoramic...
Not sure what the building is with the many solar panels...
Signs like this are always sobering...
Lush and green...
Back in the car...Chris was testing us on our pronunciation having explained how the vowels worked. Like like? Leaky leaky? Nope, lee-kay lee-kay.
These mountains reminded me of the serrated mountains in Montserrat.
It was lunch time!! Just one of the positive benefits of a private tour. You get to eat where the locals eat. Mike's has been featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, so you knew it wasn't high class, but yummy.
I hope this mama chicken wasn't next week's lunch...
Rules! Like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. No chicken for you!
Mike at the window, with Chris contemplating the menu...
I went for the pulled pork rather than the chicken. It was superb!
Back in the car and heading for home...lots of nice shopping.
Past the Iolani Palace, which isn't open on Sundays, so no tour there. The palace was completed in 1882. The royal family sought to strengthen their hold and were overthrown by the government.
The Falls of Clyde is the only remaining sail driven oil tanker. It was designated a National Landmark in 1989 and is now a museum ship. Her condition has deteriorated and it is no longer open to the public.
With a goodbye (aloha) to Chris, we headed back to the ship. A hula dancer statue...
And the Aloha Tower...
The cruise port was lovely and clean...believe it or not, a donut did find its way back to Jim.
We stayed in port until 10 pm before setting sail.
Tomorrow we will be in Nawiliwili, Kauai...
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