Weekend in Waikiki

Sailing Sunny Seas
Waikiki, Hawaii

The golden sands I stood upon to snap this gorgeous photo were imported from the "poor" side of the island -- and so was I.

My favorite part of my weekend in Waikiki should have been the women's conference, but actually it was lunch with my friend. We picked an upscale restaurant with tables on the lanai and a salad to die for. We ordered. We chatted. We sipped our beverages. We asked the waiter questions. (1. Was the canoe being used as a buffet table ever an actual working boat? Yes, and it was hand carved. 2.) We just saw -- and heard -- you blowing that conch shell. Is it hard to learn? No. Are there any tricks to blowing it you could teach us? Not really. Keep your lips taut. Don't blow too hard. Blow in one long breath.) We asked him a couple more things -- then we asked him for the check. As he waited for me to sign the charge slip he said, "You two are locals aren't you?"

Maura and I were very surprised. We aren't locals. She's been here for just over a year. I have been here about six months. Just long enough for us both to clearly understand that we have years to go before we're considered "local". I answered cautiously, "We live on the island."

Our waiter nodded his head and smiled. "I thought so. I can always tell. You weren't all wide-eyed and gah gah. And neither of you said "aloha" or "mahalo" (words not said outside the tourist joints unless they are meant). And your questions didn't start with, how do I get to, or is it true that."

So, in the tourist district we are considered, locals, but in the neighborhoods, we're still haole (pronounced how-lee).

Waikiki at Night

We walked in the sands of Waikiki hand-in-hand. We sat on a park bench side-by-side and watched white-capped waves roll in. We strolled out to the end of the peer and stood side-by-side gazing out to sea -- while he took a business call and I took some photos.

This shot was taken while sitting on a bench in the park.

This shot was taken from the gazebo at the end of the peer.

And I turned the camera just a bit, widened the angle and .... my favorite photo of the evening.

Sailing Waikiki

The beach is much more crowded than this photo might lead you to believe, because I took it with the zoom feature on my camera. Even so, I have been very surprised each time I have visited Waikiki, that there are plenty of spaces on the sane left for new comers to drop their towels and head for the waves.

Greetings from Kailua-Kona

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii.

It is amazing how different one island is from another. Pretty much the same flowers and the same feral cats, but a whole different ambiance. There is much more land here. And fewer people. That makes the atmosphere more laid back and mellow.

OC and I took a sunset stroll through the Keauhou Beach Resort gardens. We came upon a small pond surrounded by vegetation. I was looking for flora to photograph when the water caught my attention. In lieu of a tripod, I braced the camera on OC's shoulder, and took a couple of pics. They pretty much sum up the perfection that was today.



Our stroll through the gardens brought us face to face (okay, ankle) with a mongoose, two geckos, several birds, a couple of cats, and a huge variety of exotic plants and flowers. The beauty is breath-taking.



Kalakaua Cottage, a replica of the beach house of King David Kalakaua, which was built on this site but destroyed in the late 1950s. King David used to fish and swim in the tide pools OC and I are hoping to get a chance to snorkel in tomorrow. I understand Keauhou Beach is a natural honu habitat. If I'm lucky I'll get a photo.

Aloha!

Rugged Coast

The other day I took an afternoon and visited the ocean. Since I live within walking distance of the waves and drive Farrington Highway (our coast only road in and out of Waianae) daily, it seems strange that I'd have to dedicate time to visit the beach, but there is always too much to do and little time for play.


The Waianae (why-an-eye) coast is rugged and rocky. Most of the beaches are comprised of lava rock, coral and sand. Shells in relatively good repair are quite easy to find, however I have been told that the goddess Pele doesn't care for people taking her treasures from the beach.


This stretch of shore is between Waianae and Kopolei. It is not an official beach, but during low tide it isn't unusual to see cars pulled off the road here and fishermen standing out on that ledge. Although you cannot see it from this angle there is also a small cross out there that is often adorned with fresh flowers. This coast is not always friendly.


People aren't always friendly to the beach and ocean, either. Note the tire at the bottom left of this photo. There was a whole pile of rubble there. I thought I had framed the photograph to omit it, but apparently not. I started to trim it off in my photo editing program, but I decided that it is indeed a part of the scenery and if you plan on visiting here, you might as well be prepared for the reality. Only the "commercial" beaches have pristine sand. If you want groomed beaches, don't wander off the tourist paths.


In one of my previous posts, Surfing Wai'anae, the first photo shows you this same bit of coast from the opposite perspective, except this one cuts straight across the ocean because much of the beach here curves back out of sight.

Shrines

It is not unusual to be driving the highways or freeways on Oahu and see roadside shrines. Crosses adorned with photographs, ribbons, fresh flowers, and sometimes even teddy bears adorn the sides of the roadways and the shores near the edge of the beach.

When I traveled to the makai end of Piliokahi Avenue in Nanakuli I was not surprised to find a cross. I was however very surprised at the size of the cross, so I started asking questions. I was told that a Nanakuli church sometimes holds their services here. I must say, I have never seen a more beautiful sanctuary.

Makaha Beach

This is what happens on Oahu when there is a high surf warning:



everybody goes to the beach!

Ma'ili Beach: Sand & Surf

Ma'ili Beach is favored by both families and body surfers. It provides a safe place for little ones to learn to swim and a strong current with excellent waves. Although the two seem mutually exclusive, at Ma'ili Beach they are not.

Ma'ili beach has a sandstone shelf -- actually a smooth-topped limestone and coral reef -- that is perfect for teaching the little ones to swim because there is no shifting sand beneath their feet. Children can be taught the ways of water and waves on the reef before being introduced to the sandy section of the beach.

The sandstone and coral reef runs 100 yards along the shore line and extends 25 yards into the sea. The locals call this area, Tumbleland, because in many places the rocks are covered with slippery seaweed. Tumbleland is only exposed from April to November. The remainder of the year ocean currents keep the reef covered in sand.

The surfers can be found at the edge of the reef, where there is a steep drop into the ocean. They paddle their boards from there out into the water and wait for a wave to ride back in. Surfing toward a huge rock doesn't make good sense to me, but the lifeguards assure me that the edge of the reef is very well padded in seaweed and there is rarely a serious injury, so for the most part their jobs are pretty boring (except for the sun, sand, and other scenery.)

This shot shows surfers standing at the edge of the reef. I am not adept with the camera. It is very slow to respond to button commands and I cannot anticipate when to press the dang button to get a shot of anybody riding a wave. Plus, I did not get any closer to the action because I was taking pictures of strangers and that just isn't a friendly or wise thing to do without first seeking permissions, so I wanted to make certain no one could be recognized.

I took these beach shots very early on a Wednesday morning while most of the beach goers were at work or school. The group of kids you see [above] are very young teens. The boys all wore matching t-shirts and arrived in a school bus with two coaches and a driver. Looks like a fun class to take.

More info about Ma'ili Beach Park can be found here: Little Pebbles; and Ma'ili Beach Park.

Ma'ili Beach Park

Farrington Highway is the main road on the leeward side of Oahu. From Ko'Olina west, the Farrington follows the coast. Along the paved portion of the Farrington there are 10 official (government maintained) public parks. Ma'ili Beach Park is one of the local favorites.

Ma'ili (ma-E-lee) Beach Park is often crowded on weekends. During the summer tents start popping up on Thursday afternoons and many remain until late Sunday or early Monday (permits are required, but they are free). Extended families often camp together. A big pavilion type tent will be surrounded by smaller personal tents. Assorted furniture is brought from home, often tables and folding chairs, but I've even seen easy chairs and recliners outside these temporary weekend villas.

Ma'ili Park boasts picnic areas with tables, barbecue pits, public restrooms, and public showers. The showers are open air and their primary purpose is not for cleanliness, but for rinsing away sand and salt from skin and clothing. Some people get quite intimate with themselves while doing this and I was understandably startled by the number of people fondling themselves in public. The reason for such behavior was slow in making itself apparent.

My first encounter with the sand in Hawaii left me completely unprepared for its tenacity. Once the sand sticks to you it is there until forcibly removed. Unlike the sand of my childhood acquaintance, this stuff doesn't just fall off once it dries. OC says that is because it's coral and basaltic sand, not quartz sand. Some of the sand grains are bigger, they retain moisture longer (looks dry; isn't) and may have rougher edges then quartz sand. The showers help remove the sand (sort of).

The first time I went to the beach I wore a swim maillot -- one piece, form fitting -- and a t-shirt to protect me from the sun. After swimming I quickly rinsed in the outdoor shower, then went home to discover a good three-quarters of the beach had secreted itself away inside my swimsuit. The suit was a mess. I was a mess. The house was a mess.

The second time I went to the beach I wore very loose shorts and a t-shirt. When it came time to shower I reached right inside my clothes -- yes, in public -- and made certain the sand was dislodged from my skin. I had a much happier, sand-free homecoming and it was well worth the loss of a little dignity in the park.

Maili Beach Park also has manned life guard stations. The beach is a popular place for family outings and body surfing. The life guards are quick to tell newcomers that the rocks are very slippery and the undertow is surprisingly strong. They also warn that one should never turn his back on the sea because the waves are unpredictable. Even so, Ma'ili is a favored beach for novice swimmers. I will explain why in my next post and supply you with beautiful photos of sand, surf and sea.

More info about Maili Beach Park can be found here: Little Pebbles.

Little Pebbles

Ma'ili Beach got its name from the abundant, ma, little pebbles, ili'ili, in the area. The stones are naturally polished and smooth from rolling through the sand and surf. Many of the stones are polished bits of shell and coral. This is the beach you want to visit if you like finding trinkets from nature.

The "shell" stones are easily found. I gathered all of these within an arm's reach. If you look closely you can still see the swirls in the polished snail shells.


My favorite shells are the ones worn smooth by the sea. This summer when I was in Friday Harbor, Washington and in Canada on Vancouver Island, I had to hunt for them. At Ma’ili the beach seems to be made of them. I filled my pockets.

I didn't keep all of the shells I gathered, but choosing was hard! Each one has its own shape, texture and personality. The big red snail shell is tinted by red clay. The Ma’ili Park grounds that aren’t reef, shell or sand are red clay.

The big, white, porous rocks are coral. A reef hides beneath the shifting sands of Ma’ili Beach. Much of it is sand stone and it was exposed when OC and I visited. We found many fossils embedded in the rock. It was like walking on history.

Here's a closer look at my treasures ... (click picture for larger view)

Ma'ili Beach, Waianae, Ohau, Hawaii