Memorial day walkabout (lots of pictures)

May 28, 2012

Today I went for a walk. I picked the opposite direction I had headed before which ended in Waikiki. I ended up finding some of the gorgeous homes of the super rich here. I took took some pictures of the plants I saw along the way and a REALLY cool gateway.

I found the ocean! It was very very windy this morning. I took some pictures and video of the ocean and the waves crashing against the rocks in the distance. I picked up a few small pieces of coral that way broken off and washed onto the shore to take home as gifts for folks. I won't break off living coral, but if it is washed up I think it is ok. The bottom three are videos, I have also put them on YouTube for those that can't see them here.

More walking through some of the gorgeous homes in this area. Jeff, I took the first picture specifically for you, look at the really cool window on this house. It is right across from the beach. I saw it and know you'd find it cool :) Susan, the second and third are for you - I think these are called Birds of Paradise in the second picture and the third I have no clue but they looked neat.

A couple more neat pictures. These palms look melted or something. they remind me of Dr. Seuss trees! Next is a picture taken across a local park, it shows some gorgeous scenery. The last is called a Monkeypod tree. I love these trees and you may have noticed I put lots of pictures of them on here. They drop these brown pods whichlook nasty but horses LOVE them because they are full of a sweet goo.

A new type of palm I haven't seen before and the gorgeous gates on that property. plus another neat gate from another multi-million dollar home.

I found Kahala Mall. I'm not a big mall person but they have a drugstore (needed a replacement alarm clock) and Whole Foods attached to the mall. So I went in and got my few groceries and had lunch. There are some things i just can't get at the farmer's market. I got some rice, some corn chowder with lemongrass, 2 ears of corn (I just wanted 2 instead of 7 so couldn't get only 2 at the farmer's market), a fresh loaf of multigrain bread (I've finished off the rosemary baguette), and a grapefruit.I got a cup of the beef bourguignon stew for lunch and ate it outside at a table in the shade.

This is Michael, he is homeless. He walks around with a duck on his head. the duck's name is Dougie. He solicits money from people to take pictures of him. I wouldn't pay him because he was drinking beer and I'm not going to support a homeless man drinking. He let me take a picture of him and the duck while they were resting outside the mall before they started searching trash cans. Homelessness is a HUGE problem here. the cost of living is very high and a lot of folks just sleep on the beaches or in the parks because with this weather they can. Most of them are not native. the locals say that a lot of them were given one way tickets here from california and other big cities so they'd get dumped here and no longer be an issue from their home city. I don't know if it is true, but I know a LOT of homeless are here. If you're going to be homeless it seems like it would be better here where the weather is always decent temperatures than freezing in New York or somewhere super cold. Like I said, I don't know if it is true or not. Regardless, here is the duck man - he is a local celebrity of sorts.He is usually in Waikiki but today he was out at Kahala Mall. He found a transfer bus ticket in the trash and headed back to Waikiki as I was waiting for my bus.

I rode the bus home and climbed the ginormous hill of death back to my place. It is REALLY steep - especially carrying groceries. I got home and did my laundry. $2.25 a load to was and dry, so $4.50 a load total. I hand wash a lot and leave it to air dry so this is my first and only load of laundry since I've been here. So I got that done and chatted a while with Nikki and her boyfriend Dave. He leaves Wednesday to go back to California.

I'm watching a WWII era movie on Netflix "Too Young the Hero". It is a true story about Calvin Graham who at 12 (he looked older) managed to join the navy in WWII and was sent to Guadalcanal. It being Memorial Day it seemed fitting. My blisters are done for the day and my muscles are tired. I walked for about 5 hours today, a little over 5 miles total. I'm ready to relax and call it a night.

Aloha nui loa, (Much love, fond regards)
~Melissa