While Kona might be the most famous source of coffee from Hawaii, the islands of Kauai, Maui, and Oahu also grow coffee. If you drive up to the North Shore of Oahu, you will pass pineapple fields and coffee plantations. Until recently, these fields were all used for sugar cane and pineapple. While sugar cane is no longer grown on Oahu, coffee now is.

Coffee plantation on Oahu

If you are ever in Haleiwa and crave a breakfast other than McDonald's, there is a good hole in the wall called "Ted's Bakery" a few miles past Haleiwa (past Waimea Bay) near Sunset Beach. While mostly known for their pies, they also sell pastries, coffee, sandwiches, and other things for breakfast or lunch.

As more people visited the North Shore either to visit Haleiwa or on their way to the surf spots, traffic became an issue for the residents. To solve this, a highway bypass was built that went around the town so that all traffic did not have to channel through the old road that runs through Haleiwa. Still, if you want to get a glimpse of what old rural Hawaii must have been like, Haleiwa is one of the few places left on Oahu.

Anyways, my friend did have the proper permits and so he built a firecracker tower and tied it to his mailbox. Version 1 was too tall and unstable so we decided to shorten it by 3 feet. What you see here is the shorter version as the firecrackers begin blowing up.

As you can see, there is a lot of red firecracker paper all over the street. It took a team of 6 of us about 30 minutes to clean it up completely.

The best part of the firecracker chain is the end when a ball of densley packed firecrackers explode in such rapid succession that it sounds like one continuous tearing explosion.

I think the point of all of this is to scare away the bad demons and bring in good luck for the year. I am not exactly sure, but it sure was fun! Ahhh...culture!

One of the hole-in-one prizes was a brand new car. On the par-3 16th hole, I got my chance. Not that the outcome would have been different, but the wind blew my ball off course and I didn't even come close.

But it didn't matter because it was all for a good cause and I got free food so I was happy.

view of Pacific Ocean from Diamond Head side of trail

By the way, here's a piece of trivia to file away in your memory banks. Aiea, a suburb of Honolulu, is the only city in the United States that is spelled with only vowels. Hopefully this bit of information will come in handy to you someday.

Perhaps the biggest change since the last time I hiked here in the mid-70s is the view of the H3 Freeway. This freeway wasn't around back then as it opened in 1997. For a while, it was the most expensive interstate in America per mile at $1.3 billion until Boston's Big Dig took that honor. From the east facing slopes of the trail, the H3 Freeway can be seen winding up the valley connecting Aiea to Kaneohe on the windward side of Oahu. If you ever visit Hawaii, I recommend driving on the H3 from Aiea to Kaneohe in the morning while the sun is rising. The view is spectacular!

H3 Freeway visible from east side of Aiea Loop Trail

It took about 2 hrs to walk the 5 mile trail. We saw edible fruits along the way, but played it safe and didn't eat any of them. The Aiea Loop trail is a pretty easy trail but there are other more scenic trails around the island. Still, it was fun and I felt happy and accomplished when we were done. 

http://starbulletin.com/2008/04/09/news/story02.html#full

Under the right conditions, the volcanic haze (aka "vog") can reach Oahu. You can actually follow this trail if you fly from Kona to Honoulu. Because the air is usually so clean in Hawaii, the sunsets are usually just a beautiful gradient of orange and yellow. But the vog in the air scatters more light showing off more colors resulting in purplish sunsets. Here's the view from a building near Pearl Harbor.

The first shirt that caught my eye was a "reverse print" shirt that is still quite popular in Hawaii today. A reverse print shirt is one where the shirt is manufactured with the "inside out" side of the fabric on the outside giving it a faded look. I grew up in Hawaii in the 80s and for as long as I can remember, the reverse print shirts have been a part of Hawaii's fashion. Though perhaps not quite as popular today as it was back in the 80s and 90s, many men still go to work in reverse print shirts today. I think the shirt below is from the 80s.  

faded reverse print Hawaiian shirt

As I dug deeper into the pile of Hawaiian shirts, braving the dust and old-clothes smell, I found many shirts that look like they're from the 70s when polyester was king. Another thing that struck me is that many of these Hawaiian shirts contained Asian-inspired designs. Interesting. Maybe one reason is that the 1970s were a boom-time for Japanese tourists in Hawaii. As a kid in Hawaii, our stereotypical image of a tourist was a Japanese male wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt with a giant camera.

I am not sure if these shirts are from the 70s because I was too young to really get out and about during those years and don't remember what people wore. But they look like 70s to me.

Smooth, shiny, polyester 1970s Hawaiian shirts

The best thing about these shirts is that I got them for $1 each. That's right! A buck apiece! Many people I showed these shirts to say they like the shiny brown one on the right. Anyways, I look forward to finding more shirts and adding them to my collection.

If you want to impress your guests with your culinary prowess, kalua pig is the way to go. Not only is it very easy to make, it's also got a high yum factor. Unlike poi, lomi salmon, and other dishes that people either love or hate, almost everyone likes kalua pig. For those of you who have health concerns about eating kalua pig, this recipe contains cabbage. So you're actually eating a salad AND pork together in the same dish.

KALUA PIG (serves 6-8 people)
Ingredients:
Pork butt chunk - 4 to 6 lbs
Head cabbage - 1/4 head or to taste
Hawaiian salt - 2 to 3 tablespoons
Liquid smoke - 2 tablespoons
Aluminum Foil
Roasting Pan

The traditional way of cooking kalua pig is an underground oven full of hot rocks. For those of you who don't have a large underground rock oven in your back yard, here's how you can make it in the comforts of your own kitchen.

First, take the pork butt and score it all over. Rub Hawaiian salt and liquid smoke on all sides. Place the seasoned butt onto a piece of aluminum foil and put the chopped cabbage on top and around the pork. If you are a hardcore carnivore, you can skip the cabbage. Wrap it so that no steam can escape. Place it in a roasting pan and roast in an over preheated to 450 degrees F. Cook at this temperature for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees F and cook for another 3-4 hours or until done. Shred the butt and add more Hawaiian salt if necessary.

That's it! Easy, huh?

 

I visited this beach a few years ago and the thing I remember most was the gentle rolling waves made it very easy to float and stare at the sky. As the waves rolled past, I slowly rose and fell, almost like being rocked to sleep as a baby, I suppose. So I decided to go back and visit one of my favorite beaches.

As usual, I went on a weekday when I knew there would be few people. I have never been to that beach on a weekend so I have no idea how crowded it gets. Even if it is 10 times more crowded on weekends, that would still mean that the beach is pretty empty. When I took these pictures, there were only 5 other people on the beach, including a lifeguard and his lady friend.

Watching a wave crash gently onto the sand

A view to my left

A view to my right - see those 2 people walking in the distance?

I got to play in the sand, float in the water, soak in the sights and sounds of nature,...old Hawaii...way before people got here.  Not a bad way to spend a few hours!

International Market Place along famous Kalakaua Avenue

As I passed through one of the hotels, I saw a young couple dressed in a wedding gown and tuxedo. I think they were from Japan. I don't know the exact statistic, but many of the hotels in Waikiki have 3-4 weddings per day. I have only been to weddings on weekends, but I think many vistors get married during the week.

Young couple taking pictures before the rest of their party arrives

While I waited for my appointment to start, I went out to the beach just to check it out. What a beautiful morning! On Kalakaua Ave, I could tell it was a nice day. But when I went out to the beach and saw the sky, sand, and ocean I thought to myself that this view is what Waikiki is famous for going back over 100 years. Even though I live here, the view still impressed me. And if you think this is nice, you should see it at sunset!

Diamond Head overlooking Waikiki Beach

Not a bad way to start a work day, I must say!