makai1

In reflection, never again less than 3 weeks... just maybe three months (in my dreams). The withdraw is far too difficult after only ten days. Maybe the longer you stay the harder it is to leave. I don't know, but I must test the waters. Why is no place on earth like this... it's just so addictive...


Wednesday, March 24

ORD non-stop to HNL. I love AA for the extra leg room. We were in row 11 both ways, and that was especially nice for a 9.5 hour flight. We ended up inviting a friend of our son 3 weeks before the trip (a 'God thing') and miraculously got him on our flights w/ miles (double the miles, of course) and naturally, the main concern for the boys (13 & 14 yrs) was AA's choice of movies for our flight. They ended up showing two that they had not seen, School of Rock and Action & Commander... all was good. >-

BTW, we threw their 2 boogie boards into a "college" laundry bag and checked them... they made it through luggage wonderfully! The boards were quite useful during our stay!

Not much more to say about day one, other than we were forced to head out of Chicago up through Seattle & then down to HI due to "extreme jet stream"... 1/2 hour late arrival... no worries. We grabbed our jeep at Budget and were off to Waikiki.

Pulled up to Aston Waikiki Beach Tower and were thrilled w/ the digs. We were booked in the 1 bedroom deluxe oceanfront condo. The only thing I would've changed is to ask for a higher floor... otherwise the location and accomadations were great... free parking and very roomy and clean. DH & I especially loved the bedding & pillows. The boys were quite satisfied with the sleeper sofa.

The first thing we did was flip open both patio doors to the spacious lanai, and every window in the place. It was nice and breezy... and I thought Chicago was the windy city... aaaahhhhh, the tropics. ><

We settled in and then relaxed awhile on the beach while the boys headed out w/ their boards. Later, DH and I walked one block over to Tiki's for dinner. The boys were content w/ some ff (fast food) and chilling at the condo... again, no worries.

It was a lovely evening... the sun was just setting. We both had salads, Mr. Makai had the shrimp ceasar, and I had the seared ahi w/ locally grown greens and a nice chilled Pinot Grig... after traveling all day, the ambiance, tikis everywhere along Kuhio Park, the ocean and sunset views, it was wonderful for unwinding.

Back to the tower after dinner and crashed ... obviously still on CST.


Thursday, March 25

All of us were up at 4:30ish, and decided to head out for food around 7:00. As the Oceanarium was across the street, that just seemed logical. What a great time. Our waiter was SO filled w/ pride over the fish and food, that we rec'd a magical tour right from out table. We all had the buffet, and it was nice... I'm generally not a buffet fan, but this was good, and the fresh papaya was my fav.

Anyway, the fish in the aquarium were indescribable... the manta ray was HUGE, and the stingrays as well. Many of the rays and fish have been there 19 years or more.

It was well worth our time & $$.

Afterward, we hiked up Diamond Head... it was a great hike, not too crowded, and really somewhat windy toward the top. Showers were on & off with the sun, and made very gorgeous views of the lighthouse on the coast and Waikiki. There were rainbows GALORE!!

I think the crowds may have stayed away b/c of the showers... good for us... empty trails. It was really a fun time.

Sadly, upon return to the tower, DH was quite sick. Not just a passing thing, but REALLY battling w/ his stomach. Poor guy... this was awful. He climbed into bed for the rest of the day and sweated it out with some tylenol & pb.

What to DO?? The boys wanted to chill and watch a movie... so...

Chinatown, OFF COURSE! I hopped in the jeep, plugged in the best local flavor, my IZ CD and zoom, zoom... I was there in no time.

It was drizzly, and still, the perfect day to be in Chinatown... a decorator alone... with no one giving me the "how much longer" look... just me and a little drizzle... OOOHHH! Don't get me wrong, I adore Mr. Makai, BUT there is a certain unrestrained exuberant freedom in shopping alone... especially someplace like Chinatown, Honolulu.

After hitting the farmers market for produce, I shopped for special leis for all of us... seed leis for the boys, and for DH & I special floral leis for "whenever" he felt good enough to wear one. After that I was off to the bakery for a fresh coconut loaf.

On to my FAV fabric shop for traditional Hawaiian fabrics... most necessary for sprucing up the many areas of our home that need a change... tablecloths, pillows, curtains, and also for wrapping gifts.

HA Fabric Store is wonderful... don't miss this lovely little shop in Chinatown. I was surprised to find a fav fabric of mine that I bought here on our 2002 trip was still available as a "close out"... half price... heaven for me because I had wished that I bought more the last time here. I bought some of the bolt and a few playful others... oh,the simple joy of aloha!

I LOVE BEING HERE! Pinch me.

The boys and I (minus Mr. Makai, he was really sick) walked to the market that night in search of a yuekelele and ended up at Trattoria for dinner. Dinner was nice and relaxing, not the best Italian I've had, but it was fine, especially w/ the 1/2 off coupon we found in one of the "best of" books on the walk there. We enjoyed looking at the photos & autographs of all the "famous people" that had eaten there.

On our walk back, we picked up some Gatorade and saltines for poor "dad". He was oblivious of our return to the condo, so I relaxed on the lanai, read for a few hours and then called it a day. I was really hoping that Mr. Makai would shake this thing soon... HE NEVER gets sick. amp;

bonniebroad

Waiting for more............... Bringing back memories - on one of our trips, my DH hiked Diamond Head the morning before we left for home. For the first time, he slept on the plane on the way home from Hawaii! I was very lonely...... nobody to talk to!

makai1

Friday, March 26

It's a new day. We all slept in and lounged around... the boys at the pool and I relaxed on the lanai while DH was coming out of "it" in bed. Around 10:30 we headed out for Pearl Harbor. This was kind of a late start, but DH really still needed to take it slow.

We got tics for the 2:30 tour and headed out to Pearl City for some lunch. This was the first meal (rice & 7up) that Mr. Makai was able to eat since our breakfast yesterday. Much better with some food!

Back at Pearl Harbor we toured the Missouri - Mighty Mo - which was facinating. It really is hard to put into words the beauty and might of this ship.

Our shuttle driver whisked us back to the theater for the Arizona Memorial, and we watched the movie prior to taking the ferry out... I really appreciated the announcer's request for reverence while touring the memorial... it really seemed to make a difference.

At the memorial, the atmosphere was serene, respectful and just very touching. To read the names of those lost was breathtaking... very surreal.
We stayed about 45 mins and as we were leaving a number of servicemen and women in full dress were arriving to participate in a funeral memorial service on the Arizona for one of the Pearl Harbor survivors. We were told that many survivors request to be buried with the others that were lost that day. It was very silent and moving as we left.

Afterward, we toured the Bowfin, WWII submarine, and we all really dug it. The boys did the audio tour while I did some photos, and we really enjoyed the fact that it was late in the day, and we had the whole sub just about to ourselves.

Before leaving, we checked out the museum and reflected on all of the history we just experienced. Amazing.

The weather was overcast for most of the day, but it really seemed fitting considering what we were doing. We all loved every minute of the long afternoon.

That PM the boys grabbed KFC for dinner... Mr. Makai and I put on our leis and headed for the Shorebird. It was a fun and lively place, but when we realized that it was "grill your own" we decided to enjoy our and then head over to Nick's Fishmarket to "be served" instead. DH just wasn't up for all the grill smoke after checking it out.

So off we went to Nick's and enjoyed a quiet romantic dinner in a curved booth... the atmosphere really felt more like downtown Chicago than Waikiki... and that was strangely comfortable. I enjoyed a perfect mahi filet and Mr. Makai had a filet mignon rubbed w/ fresh garlic.

It was a great day.


Saturday, March 27

Up early, and ready for some snorkeling. It was a soft lovely sky this morning, the beginning of a bright sunny day. The ride over to Hanauma Bay was really enjoyable... heading out of Waikiki past Kapiolani Park and the lighthouse... with the top down on the jeep.

Once we got there, we watched one of the first showings of the movie (7:30ish) and hiked right down to the empty beach. What a beautiful bay. When we got down to the sand we saw a few whales frolicking not too far out... what a great way to start the day.

We snorkeled in the bay for awhile... saw a lot of varieties of fish, and some "other" creatures ... and THEN I decided it was time to head out past the breakers. DH really wasn't too keen on heading out there, but of course, the wild child in me really wanted to get into some deeper water, SO I talked him into it. We started out there and to my surprise, I had a heck of a time getting past the breakers... my snorkel filled up w/ water and when I'd clear it, it'd fill again x3 or 4... finally I popped up for a breath and the drive of the surf pushed me into some coral heads... I got a few bruises to show for it, AND the knowledge that Mr. Makai didn't want to head out there in the first place, TO BOOT! Stubborn dutch german girl! Mental note: ("pick up the clue phone") NEVER underestimate the power of the ocean... AND listen to DH in situations like this!

After we had our fill of the water we headed back to the "tower" to pack up & head to the north shore. I was ready for the laid back lifestyle. Even though Waikiki was a great time, the best for me was yet to come. The boys said they would've liked one more day in the city... Mr. Makai and I, on the other hand, were ready to head out.

It was a gorgeous, warm clear day... perfect for the drive up the central plateau through the sugar cane and pineapple fields... the Koolau mountains on one side, and the Waianae mountains on the other... just breathtaking. Before long the hwy. starts to descend toward the north shore and the blue pacific again. I'm excited to be back... this is what I dream about.

ggrtist

Aloha makai1, your trip sounds wonderful Really gets me itching to get on my way! Don't want to interupt your report, but this shorebird restaurant, do you really get to cook your own food? Do they have a website? I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the North Shore, we'll be spending couple days there at the end of next month.

user339993

Lovely reporting! Thank you!! My mom and I leave in 3 weeks (she won the trip!) and I'm still researching. What rental company did you go with and did you get a good rate for the confertible? Prices seemed high.

Maggi

Makai, I'm curious, how did all four of you fit in the Jeep with your luggage? Was it a Grand Cherokee? We will be traveling with another couple and don't know what kind of four wheel drive to get.

JohnD

Aloha makai1,
Enjoying reading your T.R., in addition to Hanauma, could you please indicate your favorite beaches/areas for snorkeling on Oahu? Mahalo.

makai1

Aloha and mahalo!

gg, yes dinner is "cyo"... looked like many people were having a ball w/ it. The prices are very reasonable. The Shore Bird is located beachfront in the Outrigger Reef Hotel, 808.922.2887.

maggi & user, we rented a Jeep Wrangler from Budget - $357 for 10 days... it was definitely a very tight fit w/ our bags... Greg from Ke Iki needed to make a treck to "the city" when we were checking out, so he drove w/ us to the airport helping out w/ the luggage. It's really too small of a vehicle for 4 adults w/ 4 med bags...
I would suggest a Cherokee or some other SUV avail.

JD, more to come

ms_go

Welcome back, makai1. I'm enjoying your report, and particularly looking forward to hearing about the north shore for my future planning!

Hopefully the warm, breezy past weekend here in Chicago was close enough to Hawaii-like to help soften the blow of coming home just a little bit!

makai1

Saturday, March 27 cont... North Shore

We continued toward Haleiwa on 99 until we hit the bypass - 83 north... the sights are all familiar and my starts to beat a little faster. The last time DH & I were here w/o our son, so it was fun sharing it w/ he & his friend.

Within minutes we were passing Waimea Bay Beach Park, makai, and the old Waimea Falls Park, mauka, which is now run by the Audubon Society.

Another mile or so up the road and we're "home". We pulled into Ke Iki Beach Bungalows and were greeted by Annie... in no time we were in our suits on the beach... the boys jumping in the surf, which was to my surprise not crazy, and completely safe for them... this is a beach that experiences HUGE surf in winter months.

I started shelling while the boys messed in the water and a young local girl, Kate, showed me her "prizes" from her collection of the day. One shell that she showed me, named a SUNRISE, was her pride & joy, and her mother explained to me the significance of that particular shell, and how "prized" it is among the locals who scour this beach daily in search of it... :-? never heard of it before (and I'm a collector). Thanks for the clue, Katie!

We chilled on the beach most of the afternoon, doing little or nothing, shelling, wave jumping, laughing... just enjoying paradise... and before we knew it the sun was going down. We decided to simply relax and enjoy the sunset. Later the boys headed to Foodland for supplies... as you'll soon learn =D> Mr. Makai is the chef in our family. We enjoyed a simple dinner of grilled BBQ chicken and camp potatos on the lanai listening to the crashing surf and Hapa playing in the backround... so good to be back here.


Sunday, March 28

The birds and rooster somewhere down the street woke me up before the sun was up... I lit some candles, made coffee and camped on the lanai. As the sun came up, I found myself venturing down to the sand and looking for a "sunrise"... a thick scallop type w/ color varying from white at the base to bright orange pink some w/ a mix of green. I didn't find any sinrises, but I collected quite a treasure of white & purple pukas, sea glass, and many other shells. The variety of color in shells native to Hawaii is incredible... shades of purple, black, orange, yellow, olive green... all the color combined on the sand w/ the sea glass in the bright sun really is beautiful.

The sand at Ke Iki is multi tones of gold, orange, white & tan... my guess is pieces of broken shells combine to make this multi color... I try to souvie a pinch of sand from all the beaches we visit, and this really is one of my favorite sands.

The bungalow that we enjoy here sits up on stilts in the trees above a private patio and hedge directly on the beach. It is at the end of a row of 4 ground floor oceanfront bungalows... and set behind are 5 garden units.

It is a beautiful and breathtaking piece of property... numerous swaying palms lining the "million dollar view" with hammocks just waiting in front of every bungalow. Greg and Annie are very gracious hosts, and will provide just about anything you would need... Annie catered a few dinner parties for the other guests during our stay.

The units are simple, clean, updated and very comfortable. Our unit had undergone a facelift since our last stay in Nov '02... new jalousie windows, ceramic, carpet, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, the works. We were thrilled.

The bungalows have a full spice stocked kitchens, cable tv, large lanais, 1 & 2 bedrooms/baths. Coin op wash & dry is on premises.

During our stay here in '02 they were filming the movie "The Big Bounce" on the north shore, and as we were checking out of Ke Iki, the crew was moving in, creating a set in one of the bungalows for filming. It was very cool.

I'm afraid I've let the out of the bag about this wonderful spot, but it's so fun to share someplace so wonderful. One word of warning to those w/ small children, this is not a swimming beach in the winter months.

makai1

Sunday, cont.

We ended up staying on the beach the entire day. Surprisingly, the water was still calm so the boys were in the water most of the day. It was nice to stay put, not run around, and enjoy doing nothing.

Later, Mr. Makai grilled steaks... I tossed a salad... opened the wine... and we enjoyed a lovely meal watching a spectacular orange yellow and blue sunset... another evening of fine dining on the lanai.

makai1

Monday, March 29

The weather was overcast & drizzly, and the swells really picked up. After our AM on the lanai, DH and I had a new routine of heading down to the sand and looking for a sunrise shell... there just had to be one down there. I had always wondered why so many local people would be down on the beach so early in the morning, sometimes with flashlights, and now that I knew, I was right there... :-" DH too. This was fun. Yesterday, DH talked to a woman who was staying at Turtle Bay, Carol... she had been here a month & came to our beach to shell every day. She too was looking for a sunrise, her daughters each had found one, but she hadn't.

After our fill of finding much treasure, minus the sunrise, we decided to take a drive... the boys were ready to check out some other beaches. So we threw the boogie boards in the jeep & went to Waimea Beach. The waves here were perfect for the boys, and it was fun to watch all the boarders & body surfers who do this all the time... they're amazing!

After a few hours there, we just had to have some shave ice... we tried Matsumotos and the boys were hooked. Can't remember the flavors, but it was .

On the way back to Ke Iki, we stopped at the little beach ? where the sea turtles hang on the rocks in during low tide... there was a huge turlte up on the sand, chillin' out. It was so cool to get such an up close look... it reminded me of the BI black sand beach where we've seen them doing the same thing.

Back at the bungalow, I headed to the beach... with the swells up I knew it was pushing a lot of shells up. As I kept following the line where the new shells were being deposited, a young local guy behind me moved around in front of me about 15 ft and picked up a shell... I wondered :-?

He turned around and looked at me and asked if I lived in Hawaii... no. Then he asked if I had found a sunrise yet... no. He walked over and handed me the most colorful sunrise I'd seen, and said this is yours, you would have found it if I hadn't cut you off. ><

WOW... I told him that he was an O for doing that... he gave me the shell, and then he kept asking me if he could look at it again... evidently it was a beaut! We had a nice chat, and he shared his shelling secrets w/ me. I learned his name was Sam. I wanted to scream, I was so excited.

The rest of the day was relaxing, and I finally got down to getting us fully unpacked.

The menu for this evening's dinner was fresh grilled ono, rice, and salad w/ a pinot gr. It was nice to have the tunes out to the lanai... I always bring my discman w/ mini speakers on our travels, and am never sorry.

Even though the day was mostly overcast, we were blessed w/ yet another colorful sunset... the big waves crashing, the palms rustling in the breeze, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole sofly singing in the backround... this is truly where I want be.

makai1

Tuesday, March 30

Am routine... and shelling... we are assembling quite the collection. Our son's friend is collecting only BIG sea glass and of course I can't resist anything pretty .

DH was down to the beach first and w/in a minute turned and was signaling V w/ his arms. Sure enough, he found a sunrise... not as colorful as Sam's, but really cool.

We decided to see what the surf looked like on the windward coast... Carol had told us that Hukilau was good for bb'ing. While the sky was bright blue on the ns, as we rounded past Turtle Bay it turned grey... we decided to head back to the sun, what the heck.

We stopped at Romy's Kahuku Shrimp truck and had shrimp deep fried in egg roll wrap served w/ spicyhot

makai1

oops

anyway, the shrimp was served w/ spicy hot sweet/sour... mmmmmm fabulous.

Back to Waimea Bay beach & the boys were in the water in no time flat... this is a very picturesque bay that is easily recognised by the white church tower up above on the north side. There is great snorkeling here around the rocks when the swells aren't up... which they were.

Many people were getting slammed onto the beach... AND they ENJOYED this... a concept I don't understand. The boys left the bb on the beach & floated in the big waves... no worries, I just watched.

We stopped at fL for pasta ingredients and a nice Chianti. I made my basil gravy and we all hung out on the lanai to enjoy the sunset while the sauce simmered. This was hands down the most beautiful sunset of our trip... maybe because we had such a full & wonderful day... who knows, it was just perfect. We turned the video camera on and set it on the railing for about 20 mins... something I'm very much enjoying now that I'm back in IL.

makai1

Aloha ms_go,

AAAhhhh the weather last weekend was ><

Off to meet w/ a client... work work work...

More to come.

mimilou

I've enjoyed reading your trip report so much. I'm going to Oahu in October and I can't wait, especially after reading this!

makai1

Wednesday, March 31

Meeting up w/ Carol on the beach in the AM was nice... she was still looking for a sunrise, but her time was running out as she was leaving Friday.

It was a beautiful day, and we hopped in the jeep to check out Sharks Cove. I was ready to get in the water and do some snorkeling... not today, the surf was too big.

We went to the turtle beach again, since we didn't have the cameras w/ the last time, and had fun watching them in the shallow surf. They approached us which was very surprising to me since I know that they're protected and there were signs everywhere saying not to touch them. We got some great video footage and were on our way.

We decided to head down the windward coast, so we packed up the cooler and set off heading south.

Our first stop for photos was Chinaman's Hat, right offhore from Kualoa Beach Park. It was also very cool to see Kualoa Ranch where some of Jurassic Park was filmed. This drive is spectacular w/ the Koolau Mountains jetting up on one side of the road, and the calm waters of the east coastline just along the other side... sometimes right next to the 2 lane road. Indescribable!

We meandered along to Kailua and Lanikai where the water is calm and lagoon like... with very turquoise water color. The access to Lanikai beach run every block in the neighborhood of the beachfront homes... the beach is narrow, but very lovely. Next time on O'ahu, I would like to spend at least a full day here w/ a stocked cooler, a chair, a kayak and a good book. I saw a lot of kayaks and the view of the Moku Lua Islands was really pretty.

Time to turn around and head back north. We stopped at the Mac Nut Farm (outlet) and had a variety of tasters and some really great coffee. We grabbed some cut pineapple and we were off again.

Pretty soon we were rounding the curve by Turtle Bay and close "to home".
We ended up at Waimea Bay, as the boys had enough sightseeing and were ready for the big waves... they were disappointed with the lapping surf of the east coast.

At Waimea Beach Park, to get to the beach from the parking lot, you have to walk across the Waimea River... the current was getting stronger and the water was rising every day... today it was just about to my hips.

The boys were in the water in no time at all... the surf was big, but not crazy. Out at the mouth of the bay were some surfers and all of a sudden a large set started rolling in. Our son's friend came out of the water when he saw them, but our son got caught by them... 10-15 footers... he ended up riding on top of the large swells in and tried to stay above the backwash... we kept hand signaling to see if he was ok, and when he signaled so-so, Mr. Makai and a local surfer were in water after him. The minute they reached him, the set died out, and he swam in fine... tired... he's a good swimmer and he didn't panic which was smart... but never underestimate the power of the ocean. My was out of my chest.

Of course the boys were saying things like, "THAT WAS AWESOME", and "DUDE, YOU SHOULD'VE GOTTEN THAT ON TAPE", and I was relieved that we didn't have a camera with us... I wouldn't be able to bear watching it again!

I was so thankful to get back to the bungalow after our long day of sightseeing and "excitement". I went down to the beach to relax and do a little shelling.

All of a sudden I spotted a whale in pretty close to shore... the noise of it slapping it's tail got my attention.
I scooted up to the lanai, and shouted to TS to grab the video camera.

It a large whale and it was consistently slapping about 2/3 of it's tail end back & forth out of the water. WOW! I've seen a lot of whales, but I've never seen one do this. After about 3 minutes of the slapping I saw a small one, a baby?, breaching out of the water. After seeing the tape, I wonder if she was giving birth... a friend told me that after a mother gives birth, she will flip the pup out of the water a few times... amazing.
I've realized that I need to learn more about the whales.

What a day...

We enjoyed sunset once again... secret recipe burgers on the grill w/ a great cabernet... and the waves were getting really monstrously huge. There was much rumbling through the night.

makai1

Thursday, April 1
April Fools Day

Mr. Makai and I were up early today, again, on the lanai and down to the sand for some early shelling... the sun was barely up, and the birds were really active.

Watching the shadows playing off the Waianae Mountains was just beautiful from the beach... I was sorry I waited until later in the AM for some photos... the scene is forever committed to memory.

Carol was down on the beach with her video camera, her last day. The waves were ferocious. I found some cool perfect shells, don't have the book handy, so I can't label all of them, but it was a good shelling morning.

TS (teen son) came down to talk w/ us awhile and as I was heading up to the bungalow I looked down & saw a small sunrise shell... "look what I found!" and DH and TS start laughing... TS had dropped it in my path... HA! "April Fools!":-"

My boys, forever the joksters.

DH & I head up to the bungalow and ever thirsty from all the hard work shelling, DH takes a big swig from the water jug in the fridge and spews it all over the kitchen! Salt water somehow made it into our jug... :-" wonder where TS gets it?? I'm hoping the entire day doesn't continue this way.

My hopes of snorkeling Sharks Cove are dashed again... I'm realizing that when the surf is calm you must take advantage w/o delay... I wish I would've realized this a little sooner.

Mr. Makai and I decided to take a ride, and headed toward Haleiwa... we stopped at the "turtle beach" on the way, and there was a group there doing some "turtle research". We learned alot about their habits, and were able to see one up on the beach again... I was glad I had my this time.

There were a few more turtles in the shallows, and a young local girl, about 9 yrs old, was pulling some of the algae from the rocks on the beach and taking it in the water to the turtles swimming there. They came right up to her and ate it RIGHT OUT OF HER HAND! Now I understood why they approached us the first time there. Her dad said that she'd been doing that since she was three... it was fun hanging w/ them for awhile. Got some great pics.

Mr. Makai and I walked that beach for awhile and picked up some interesting black iridescent shells that we didn't see on Ke Iki beach.

Someone on this board posted a report not long ago that had stayed in a house on this beach, I believe the name of the house was Hale Koa? Can't remember her name, but it was neat to see the area she had described.

We went back to pick up the boys and took a ride to Kahuku? to Giovanni's Shrimp truck... I'm still tasting the garlic from their famous scampi...

We met a lovely couple and shared a picnic table w/ them while we ate. She was from China, and they had retired on O'ahu... she shared w/ the boys how to say "April Fools Day" and wrote it down for them in Chinese. It was a very enjoyable time.

On the way back, we stopped at one of the farm stands for some pineapple, bananas and papaya. On past trips past this particular stand, I had been eyeing the unique woven baskets and bags, w/ very lovely designs of turtles and such painted w/ dye on them... the owner said that his wife made all of them... I was impressed w/ the quality of her work. So much of what is sold in the islands is not locally made, so when you find crafts like this, they're really special. I bought something for my mom, and we were off.

We headed back to the bungalow and hung out for a bit... the weather was beautiful. The guys were scoping out the tidepools that the large swells were leaving in the coral rock at the end of the beach while I sat on the beach and soaked up some .

We were all craving some shave ice, so we hopped back in the jeep and drove straight to Aoki's... the BEST! Must do the Hawaiian Delight or the Rainbow over ice cream... mmmmmmmm!

They have a nice display of locally made jewelry in the back of the shop, and a number of puka shell necklaces w/ a sunrise shell center... $75-80... now I know why so many people are hunting for these shells. A few other shops in town had locally made necklaces similiarly made and priced close to the same.

Most of the puka shell chokers that you see in stores are made in Taiwan or the Philipines, but the authentic Hawaiian puka chokers are much heavier, more purple in tint and graduated in size of shell from front to back... very interesting now that I have "hundreds" of pukas to create some jewelry with.

We stopped in a shell shop, Hawaii Moon, on the west side of Haleiwa, and the owner, Jubran, was a jem. We talked story awhile, and bought some "hard to find" shells from him. He was a wealth of knowledge and DH and I really appreciated his hospitality... the shell man!

On the way back, we pulled in to Waimea Beach Park for a little more surf jumping and bb.

We were sitting on the beach, and all of a sudden a commotion broke out on the north end... we walked down there and the saw that the Waimea River had broken loose and started rushing into the bay.

What a sight! All of the "pros" grabbed their boogie boards and surf boards and started riding the rush... it was VERY dangerous and as we stood on the edge of the sand, it kept breaking away, creating a 10-15' ledge down to the rushing river. The lifeguard kept everyone stepping back, and we watched these surfers in amazement. I've never seen anything like it. This was no small potatos! They wouldn't allow anyone but experience surfers in the water... it was quite a show... a huge cesspool of rushing water... surfers jumping in and out to catch the thunder... UNBELIEVABLE & CRAZY!

Another exhilerating day on the north shore! >< The fun never ends...

Driving back to Ke Iki DH stopped at the surf shop so I could grab a sarong and some board shorts that I had my eye on for a few days. What a honey.

We came back to the bungalow and whipped up tacos for our "survivor party". Showers and rainbows rolled in, and still we caught another lovely sunset.

Another great day...

lahainaluna

Great trip report! Thank you! Now I want to stay up on the north shore. Do you share your recipe for basil gravy?

makai1

Aloha laluna,

Mucho mahalos! Yes, the gravy recipe is up for grabs... email me at [email protected].

Sorry for the delay in getting this report done... I left yesterday for TX to visit a bud for the weekend... I've got a window of time here, maybe I'll be able to finish... aloha for now.