Million dollar condos and monarchs
I wouldn't say I'm starving. I would really say, you could tell I'm not missing no meals, but I'm so hungry today! I'm sitting on the second floor of a restaurant it took me almost thirty minutes to find because I have been trying to change my diet and I didn't want to eat sushi for a second time today. Though tomorrow, I have my order in mind. Would I say that I'm greedy? Yes. I would say so because who am I to not indulge in life's pleasures?
I was thinking to myself earlier, vacationing in paradise is one thing but moving there is totally different. One thing that would give me pause, or just make me cook more at home, is the food. It's not nasty, it's just that culturally, my tastes differ from the islanders. Lots of pork and beef and I'm eating neither. Lots of Asian inspired eats, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and such. I'm trying to eat more whole foods and those just never leave me satiated and as much as I've been enjoying the sushi, that's not doing it for me either. I want a meal! Something that's going to tuck me right into bed and not make my tummy feel wonky.
I ordered a garlic shrimp plate, with white rice and veggies and an yuzu iced tea. The tea is so good, the plate has yet to arrive. The view is phenomenal, right across the street from the ocean. The only thing blocking the beach is pulmeria trees -- what a good problem to have.
Today, I did my second full island tour but with a different company than my prior trip. I seen some sights I had visited already but learned some history I hadn't before. Our tour guide, Lola, was so personable. I enjoyed her insights a lot! We departed at 7AM and as much as I enjoyed myself, by 11AM I was catching myself falling asleep. Mouth open as she teaching us Hawai'ian history about where we're driving part and visiting. Embarassing but I couldn't help myself. Did you know Hawai'i was suppose to be the 49th state and not the 50th? Or that they had a law passed that, if you have 50% Hawai'ian ancestery, you can apply for a home that is yours for 99 years? Or that they have about 100 years of monarchy rule?
We drove from Waikiki, in the south, to Haiwea, in the north. For 90-minutes we had the chance to walk around part of the town and grab lunch. The spot I wanted to stop at was a deli, the only deli I have seen in Hawai'i. I was salivating! Man after writing about that sandwich yesterday it was all I wanted. I got to the register and found out they only accepted cash... With my dreams crushed in front of me, as I'm watching these Aunties make these Scooby-doo sandwiches, I leave and walk to the left down a couple blocks, back right a couple blocks, back left and right again. Mind you, I'm doing this in those kitten heels over gravel, no sidewalk. I felt like I was walking the blade!
My hoe stroll came to an end when I found a Brazilian sushi truck. I took it to go in search of coffee so I could stay up for the rest of the ride. I don't remember having affogato before but I need it again, and again.
By 2PM I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck on the plane again. We get off every now and then but I'm antsy. One thing about visiting a place that relies heavily on tourism is that: there are so many tourist traps. That is part of what these full-island tours is. You get the history, an opportunity to meet people but I knew that going into it we're getting off the bus to buy something: trinkets, food, clothes, souvenirs, you name it. By 4PM, I had jumped off the bus, painfully dashed to an ABC Store to buy flip flops, got back to my hotel and changed into my swim suit and I was off into the Pacific. It was well needed!
You know what, Waikiki reminds me of Manhattan. They have so much in common and surprisingly, one of those things is that both cities are sinking under the weight of their skyscrappers. I'm caught in-between. I'm not a big fan of these big towers and at the same time, some of them look so artful. So many of them are getting built and they're probably one-million dollars minimum for a condo overlooking the water. One had a suspended pool and according to Lola, you won't get a call back from management without a credit check. It's like not putting the price on the menu! You know you better be ready to spend.
What I loved much about today was that I got to see so many monarch butterflies. So much orange flying around in the sky, it brought a smile to my face each time. :)
Perfectly tucked in,
xoxo,
Ashanti
