Day 40 – Sunday, April 28th again
Which ever way one wishes to track them, this is the halfway point of our – Around The World In 80 Days. Flying across the Pacific Ocean, better done in two parts. Honolulu (Oahu, Hawaii) could not be overflown. Prior to arrival, Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach, was the sum total of Hector’s knowledge about this city.
There was a sense of relief as land was spotted, the longest flight the Hector has made across open water. What was taken to be Kalaeloa Airport, adjacent to Nimitz Beach, was flown over as we approached Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. 21.3ºN, we’re back in the tropics, no summer or winter, just the matter of sporadic rainfall. Too much Geography, and if anyone has spotted the pun above, apologies.
Would they let us in?
As was written two days ago in Auckland, the Hector was not 100% certain that our ESTA had been correctly completed. They had let us on the ‘plane in Sydney, surely room for optimism. As it happened, our story made sense, and after finger prints – and a look into the camera, we were in The United States of America.
Leftover Dollars got us into the city by bus. The city map had been previously downloaded to the Oppo, but with no US SIM, and no blue dot, navigation took much concentration. It was a lot further to the city centre than anticipated, plenty of opperchancities for nutters to get on and off.
Hotel Ala Moana Honolulu was chosen for two reasons. Firstly, Waikiki is walkable to the south and east whilst the interesting locations for Bier lie to the north and west, no need for travel cards. Also, this hotel is part of the Accor group. After many night in an Ibis, Silver status has been maintained, hopefully securing early check-in, a bonus.
The chap on check-in was excellent, our status was immediately recognised, our room was ready, the thirteenth floor. A spacious room, an ocean view, the most expensive hotel room the Hector has ever paid for. One trip per lifetime to Hawaii, no point in slumming it.
After some zzzs it was time to face the World. Marg was hungry but was persuaded that if we ate mid-afternoon, dinner would either not happen or be ridiculously late.
Adjacent to Ala Moana Honolulu is Ala Moana Center, a shopping mall. With shopping malls designed for cars, finding the pedestrian access can be frustrating. In the end, pick a store, walk in/through, hope for the best. And so we found ourselves in the lower eatery, ice-cream from Zagu. Proper white ice-cream, from a machine, most satisfying.
Behind, the Hector was an outlet for Cinnabon, where – Saul Goodman – worked in his latter years. Well, not this one, but until I watched – Better Call Saul – I had never heard of them.
Still no – blue dot – Hector was not in a happy place, a SIM card was required asap. Before leaving the hotel I had used the wi-fi to locate likely sources in the adjacent Ala Moana mall. The chap at AT&T revealed information that was otherwise unknown to the Hector. On the previous trip to USA in 2018, EE were paid hideous daily roaming charges. Back then, purchasing a local SIM was something never considered. Today I was advised that it was unlikely that any European mobile phone would work. He inserted his company’s SIM, nope. We were sent to a nearby pop-up stall, if the chap there couldn’t find a solution, there would be trouble ahead. Another SIM, partial success but calls would instantly time out. Buy a cheap phone – was the suggestion. This time we were sent to Target, who even have stores in the West of Scotland. There – the phone chap – was on his break.
Sitting on a bench in Ala Moana Center it was time to take stock. Let’s turn on – roaming.
In a matter of seconds I had the – welcome to the USA – from EE, then another text. Apparently, as one of my chosen add-ons I had free roaming in the USA and four other countries outwith the EU. Three of these are Canada, Australia and New Zealand! Why could the staff at the Clydebank store not tell me this when I asked?
What about Marg? Her status with EE did not match mine. For a flat fee of £25.00 per month she too could use her phone as if she was at home. This information was immediately sent back to Blighty. When we reach Boston in thirty days: Dr. Stan plus Lord Clive and Lady Maggie of Crawley will be waiting on us. The sooner they got something arranged, the better.
With a spring in the step, though the right foot still gets stiff as soon as I stop walking, we headed off to the beach opposite the mall, as seen from our hotel.
Time to take stock: proper palm trees, we are in the tropics, we’re in Honolulu, Hawaii, one does not get to know this, feel this and write this. Waikiki lay to the east, south-east more precisely.
As it was approaching Bier o’clock, Hector had a mind to head west. Off The Wall was the nearest Craft Beer outlet. Google were not up to admitting that this is an exterior unit in South Shore Mall. And hopefully, this is where Bier-Traveller helps.
Off The Wall is a pour your own venue, as first encountered some years back in Riga, Latvija.
A contactless deposit was taken from my Revolut card, at the end the bill would be settled, each Bier tap being metered. As Marg wasn’t playing this game, she secured her own soft drink.
Two Hazys stood out in the array:
Check Yourself Before You Nect Yourself, a 6.0% Hazy IPA, a collaboration from Howzit Brewing, Honolulu HI and Mirage, Seattle WA.
Rad Sauce a 6.1% NEIPA collaboration from Hana Koa Brewing Company, Honolulu HI and Other Half Brewing, New York, NY.
I had both, the first was a stunner, full on hoppiness, smooth, the full flavours I have come to love. The other was hardly a NEIPA/Hazy, thinner body and lacked the hop hit.
Both Howzit and Hana Koa were walkable from Off The Wall. Howzit was calling.
It was time to embrace the American tipping system. Why should I pay 15, 20 or 25% above the asking price when I have just done the work? Still, there’s a sense of obligation, the lowest level was chosen. Self respect.
Marg was hungry. We had spent the previous night on a ‘plane, reasonably well fed, the time difference between Honolulu and Auckland, ignoring the calendar, isn’t a lot. Maybe the Hector was hungry too. Having reached USA, the avoidance of Pizza and Burgers was now paramount. Menya Le Nood, a Japanese restaurant, wasn’t too far away.
This turned out to be quite a find, a new experience in Asian cuisine. Getting round the various components that made up a meal was the first challenge. Avoiding just soup, the second.
With good advice from the waitress I managed to get a decent wad of meat, noodles and an accompanying broth. This may well have been the best Asian food I’d tasted since Chinatown in Singapore, and I appear to have had way more than normal given the fundamental objective.
The walk to Howzit Brewing was maybe longer than I hoped. One can never tell distances on Google Maps until feet are on the ground, such is the way their scales constantly shift.
The chap behind the bar at Howzit was top notch but inadvertently only added to the confusion that was about to unfold. Check Yourself Before You Nect Yourself was not on the board. Instead there was Nectaron Hazy at 6.3%. He assured me this was the same Bier. It wasn’t the same as I had drunk earlier.
Nectaron Hazy as sold at the source, lacked the magic I had recently experienced. Untappd say Check Yourself Before You Nect Yourself is no more. Did I have one of the last kegs, the wrong keg, the wrong tap? The Howzit chap suggested that Off The Wall may have had the wrong Bier on the wrong tap. Visiting Hana Koa Brewing might solve this mystery, but that was not happening tonight. Marg was fading rapidly.
As I said, the chap was excellent, realising I had travelled a long way to sample his Bier, a decent serving of the 6.9% – Solar Excursion – was duly placed before me, a freebie. Classed as a Hazy, this certainly lived up to the classification, had the appropriate body and tasted a bit sharp. The warming hop glow that Bier #1 of the day possessed was not here either. Somehow today, I had sampled a truly outstanding Bier but cannot be sure what it was.
An Uber was ordered, we were back at Ala Moana in no time, better than the hike.
April 28, 2024, literally the longest day of our lives.
Brewery, bar, restaurant and cafe visited today:
Howzit Brewing – 330 Kamani St, Honolulu, HI 96813
Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine – 1170 Auahi St. Suite 140, Honolulu, HI 96814
Menya Le Nood – 560 Pensacola St, Honolulu, HI 96814
Zagu Bubble Drink – Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
Day 41 – Monday, April 29th
Rise and shine! A beautiful day, a beautiful location, an ocean view. Marg was up and out for her morning exercise/constitutional, the Hector caught up with some writing. Indeed, last night the extensive lobby proved to be an excellent place to get some more done. Huge tables with power sockets, as if the need was anticipated. Ala Moana Honolulu is quite a hotel.
With the namesake shopping mall providing multiple opperchancities, there was a choice of food styles. Buffalo Wild Wings spoke for itself, out we went into the delightful warmth to track it down. With EE having delivered, the trusty Oppo still could not overcome the fact that Google Maps cannot work in three dimensions. If it ain’t where the blue dot insists, then it’s a level above or below.
The lunchtime deal permitted two coverings for the abundant Wings and free top ups.
The spicy fries were excellent. This set us up nicely for the day which would prove to be one of gross indulgence.
Heading south-east towards Waikiki, we crossed the Ala Wai Canal. This is the drain for the coastal plain which permitted the creation of the Waikiki Beach area. Passing Ala Wai Boat Harbor, the wealth of the few was much apparent, highlighted further by the sheer volume of pukka hotels, way out of our price range.
Hilton Lagoon is surrounded by an inland artificial beach. A sheltered area, ideal for weans, move along. Onwards to Waikiki Beach. For the first time since Singapore, Hector was wearing sandals. The ongoing recovery of the right foot would hopefully not lead to aggravation. It was also accepted that the water’s edge is where Marg would be headed.
Dip a toe in the Pacific Ocean? No way, Pedro, did that in Los Angeles decades back. Our visit to Auckland’s – Sea Life – merely confirmed the declaration made last year at Berlin’s equivalent, the Hector is not going into these tropical waters, there be danger.
Marg continued along the wet sand of Fort DeRussy Beach, Hector on the boardwalk. At times, hotel bars had commandeered this, detours required. To access Waikiki Bay we had to head inland and walk through a hotel lobby to get back on to the sands. 
With Diamond Head and the Zoo becoming ever closer, it was time to call a halt. Kalakaua Avenue, which had run parallel to our walk, was now open to the waterfront. Here was Waikiki proper, resembling any European seaside resort with a promenade.
There was a small gathering of people at a statue. We stood, waiting for our turn to take photos at the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue. Who he? The Hawaiian Olympic champion and father of surfing. Some didn’t understand – turn.
*
Being our first tropical daytime since Singapore, time to take refuge. Being too early for Bier, the Hector had a cunning plan on how to amuse Marg.
Penny, Penny, Penny!
Until Big Bang Theory, Hector had never heard of The Cheesecake Factory. 
Marg is not a huge fan of cheesecake but was surprisingly keen to try. As we reached this source of big calories so the local taproom for Maui Brewing was spotted across the street. That was the rest of the afternoon taken care of.
The Cheesecake Factory was busy, there was a moment’s wait until we were led to a table in full view of Maui Brewing. The glass of ice cold water was appreciated, as was the top up. The service was pure – american – our chap was keener than mustard. Marg had a somewhat modest Fresh Strawberry cheesecake, Hector totally went for it: Chocolate Caramelicious. Total indulgence.
Across the street, we were offered the use of the lift to take us up to the Maui Brewing taproom. Really? At least the doorway sentries didn’t ID us.
A vast room, our table was allocated. Why this one? Marg had a Ginger Ale which is proving to be a great soft drink, and has been generally available on this trip. Why don’t we have this served in large glasses back home?
OMG, a 7.0% Fruited Hazy IPA was reminiscent of AleBrowar’s (Polska) El Fruto. Orange, mango and guava were reportedly present. Dry, bitter, a totally tropical taste, befitting of our locus. El Dorado, Citra Cryo and Mandarina hops were featured.
There was only one Bier, it was too early to start a session, there are other places to visit. Heading home, northwards along Kalakaua Avenue, there were actually people walking on the side-walks, like they do in a proper city. This was a true – downtown – area with atmosphere, pedestrians, patrolling police cars. It was all happening here.
Back at Ala Moana, the Hector finally agreed that it was time to make use of the hotel facilities. Time to do a few lengths.
In the early evening sunshine, the water was bearable.
After sunset, we headed back along Kalakaua Avenue to Waikiki Brewing Company. A glorified shack, we were led to the quieter of the three sitting areas. From what were we being protected?
Food was required, and finally we had to give in and order Pizza. With a reasonable thickness, this proved to be OK, better than the last resort, a Burger.
The Bier choices were not great, no NEIPAs. Six years ago I would have had a different reaction to facing up to West Coast IPA, it was why Dr. Stan and Hector were in California, Oregon and Washington. Times have changed, it was a matter of warn the palate a high IBU is on its way.
Eeh Pah IPA at 7.2% was the first of two. Six weeks on the road and I’m not sure if anyone has ever registered this pronunciation of IPA, I have used it sparingly. Amber/amber-red, this WCIPA was appropriately dry, befitting the 75IBU. Centennial, Cascade, and Simcoe were the hops. I didn’t feel I needed a second of these and so tried a lesser Bier.
808 Pale Ale at 6.3%, another West Coast style Bier, featured Centennial, Perle, and Cascade hops. Similar in colour, this felt like the little brother of the Eeh Pah. Despite the hops being entirely different, it was possible the power of the Eeh Pah was still ringing on the tongue.
*
Had we been sat in one of the other two rooms, around the bar in particular, the stay here might have been more memorable. Among the last to finish eating, there was a sense of isolation.
With the other breweries to the north of our hotel, another venue this side of the Ala Wai Canal was required. Google Maps to the rescue. Metres away, and in the direction of home lies Suzie Wong’s Hideaway.
A – dive bar – was how this was described. Located in a backlot off the main avenue, if Waikiki Brewing was a shack, then this was a beach hut. As it happened, this was the atmosphere they were trying to recreate, and we were nowhere near the beach.
Rather than sit in the side room, or prop ourselves against the wall, I led Marg to the far side of the bar where one stool was available. This just happened to be where the furthest Bier taps were located.
There it was, the second Bier I had poured for myself yesterday at Off The Wall: Rad Sauce, the 6.1% NEIPA collaboration from Hana Koa Brewing Company, Honolulu HI and Other Half Brewing, New York, NY. Poured in an iced bolleke glass, behold a full on haze! This was nothing like what I had poured yesterday. It was damn good, but was it as good as Bier #1?
The chap on Marg’s right gave way, the second stool was acquired. Marg was on the Baileys.
There are no photographs of the serving Doris, both Marg and I were mesmerised. This young girl could work a bar. An older chap who hovered near the entrance may have been her minder, but she had the place in the palm of her hands. Could she serve? She knew what everyone was having after one round, and was serving multiple customers simultaneously. Wetherspoons, this was not.
There was more Bier, and why not? The Bier was great as was the atmosphere, wonderful service and two young ladies had just taken up the space on Marg’s right. One reminded me of another Julia, an F.P. From the 1980s. I sent Fiona, her sister, the photo to see if she spotted the uncanny resemblance, of course we are all older now.
As midnight approached, there was the realisation that back in Blighty, it was already Hector’s birthday. Well wishers were already on it. We also had an early rise, a big day tomorrow.
Brewery, brewery taproom, bar and restaurants visited today:
Waikiki Brewing Company – Waikiki – 1945 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Maui Brewing Co. Waikiki – 2300 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Suzie Wong’s Hideaway – 1913 Dudoit Lane, Honolulu, HI 96815
Buffalo Wild Wings – Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd Unit #3326, Honolulu, HI 96814
The Cheese Factory – 2301 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Day 42 – Tuesday, April 30th
A visit to Pearl Harbor on my birthday was the plan from the outset. FYI, this – Around The World In 80 Days – trip is scheduled to end on June 6, the eightieth anniversary of D-Day. Being born eleven years after the end of WW2, this conflict was still current affairs rather than history. I invite the reader to think back eleven years from today and ask how recent that feels.
Marg appeared in the hotel room yesterday, all was sorted. Our Pearl Harbor and city tour bus would collect us from the side entrance to our hotel at 07.30. This was why the Hector reined in the birthday celebration last night, tonight, ah well.
Cousin-Lisa, our driver for today, was parked outside already, we were to be the first pick-up. Cousin? We were all her family, good for tips. This meant we had to go round the houses to pick up the rest.
For the nth time, Lisa advised that we could not take any bag into the National Park that is the Pearl Harbor National Monument. The brochure had already relayed this information, yet many boarded the bus with what could be described as luggage. Marg brought a jacket to provide pockets for the necessaries. Not losing our hats on the boat was our only concern.
We had an hour upon arrival before joining the queue to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. A photo at the recovered ship’s anchor felt appropriate. The gestures made by others at this locus did puzzle. Why were they here?
The opperchancity to visit the USS Bowfin, an American submarine was considered. Spending another $40.00 and rushing the experience was dismissed. We did have a look at the museum, until it was time, we would return after the boat excursion.
The narrative here cannot be what it was originally. There was an acceptance that the USA were essentially strangling the Japanese’s access to resources in the years prior to the raid. Water and timber are Japan’s only natural resources, they rely on trade to function, access to oil was being cut off. The solution? Bomb the USA’s naval fleet and remove their influence in the Philippines etc. What a mistake to make.
Prior to boarding the boat to the USS Arizona, a National Park ranger briefed us before we watched a short movie. Nothing here I didn’t know already except the answer to the question nobody else asks?
“We interrupt this broadcast…”
Militarists had long known of the long conceived Japanese plan to control the triangle of major ports in the West Pacific. From the average red-neck in conterminous USA, who doesn’t know what’s over the horizon, why did we never hear:
“ Where is Pearl Harbor?”
The Navy sergeant who commanded the boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial was a bitch. That we were under their jurisdiction, this was a navy boat, and we would follow their instructions, was OTT. No photographs! Don’t even think about it.
We were civilians here to pay our respects, tourists not terrorists, sod them.
I got my photo as we approached the white concrete and steel construction. Our boatload had to wait our turn to disembark.
Within the structure, the central opening revealed no more than a glimpse of what lay below, the remains of 1,102 and sailors and marines. The still leaking oil from the shipwreck is visible. The support of a gun turret is the visible part of the USS Arizona above water.
The commemoration wall for the fallen has them listed, alphabetically, not by rank, religion, or colour. For Hector, one family name stood out.
The return boat journey, manned by chaps, was a more relaxed affair. Photos aplenty for those who still required them. And so back to the museum and the rest of the story about WW2. The were a number of people here that I took to be Japanese. It would be interesting to discover their perspective.
With no time left to visit Ford Island and the battleship USS Missouri, and/or the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, it was – everyone back on the bus.
The City Tour, the price of our ticket had to be justified. North of the coastal plane lies Punchbowl Crater and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the burial site honouring the veterans of four wars. Unable to stop and so alighting impossible, it was like hovering at zero feet.
With a US election later this year, it was poignant when we passed Barack Obamas’s primary school. Driving along South King Street and Queen Street, we were retracing the route of the airport bus. We were about to establish the importance of the historic buildings we had passed two days ago.
We were permitted to alight at Iolani Palace, once the home of Hawaii’s final monarchs.
Opposite this, the statue of the first king: Kamehameha. That he died in 1819 kind of truncates the history of these islands. Having just left New Zealand, the similarity of Hawaiian and Maori names cannot be coincidental. Behind this lies the State Supreme Court building: Ali’iolani Hale.
Having been picked up first, we were first to be dropped off. Somewhat parched we headed to the Starbucks in the hotel lobby. Brew Dr., note the brand, avoid, horrible stuff. An iced-coffee would have been much more satisfying.
Unsuitably refreshed, we headed back to Waikiki, the walk along Kalakaua Avenue was becoming quite familiar.
Some of the architecture was impressively bizarre. Hector’s birthday Curry was the objective. This didn’t stop us taking in a mall or two en route. Somehow, we missed the turn off for Desi’s Indian Curry. At the corner of Waikolu Way was a quaint Italian restaurant, noted for later, just in case.
There was nothing quaint about Desi’s Indian Curry. Had this been Marg’s birthday, we would have walked on by. 
Desi’s was no more than a stall at a mini-eatery, outdoor in effect. The Curry available was nothing like the Hector norm, it was a case of make do. How the white polo, making its first appearance on this special day did not end up as – Old Yellow Stain – (sorry, Herman) remains a mystery.
Combining coffee and it being Bier o’clock led us to the nearby Yard House which claims to have the largest selection of Bier on tap – in the World! So more than the hundred or so at PiwPaw Beer Heaven (Warszawa, Polska).
This place was stowed, so many people drinking and eating late afternoon. As we were not eating, it was seats at the bar, no bad thing. One stool at the corner of the bar was available, another was fetched and squeezed in. An adjacent couple were finishing their bar meal.
Marg secured her coffee, Hector studied the Bier list. Lots of the bleeding obvious is always the problem, little in the way of exotic. The Yard House (Escondido CA) Hazy IPA at 6.9% was suitably hazy but tasted so bog standard. El Dorado and Cascade hops.
So, one hundred plus Biers on tap, and this is all the Hector had to show for his visit. FYI, Steve and Hector struggled similarly at PiwPaw.
ABC stores – had been mentioned on our city tour. I hadn’t been aware of just how many there are, as in, on every block. They didn’t sell anything I wanted either.
*
Still daylight, there was a stop-off in Kalakaua Avenue at Aloha Beer Waikiki. The brewery lies the furthest north from our hotel, walkable, just. Sampling their Bier here might save a trek.
The taproom resembled a pop-up, the seating was the enclosed area on the side-walk.
A dozy Doris served us. Hector’s level of tolerance is clearly being tested. I call it speaking loud and clear, as is the US norm, Marg calls it – barking.
Hiker’s Dream IPA at 6.3% is an Unfiltered IPA. If it was unfiltered why was it gold and clear? The body impressed, almost syrupy. The Bier tasted mellow for the 55IBU. Clearly a West Coast style IPA, this wasn’t too shabby, but not enough to make one stay. Suzie Wong’s was calling.
We took our – usual spot – at the bar in – our local.
It was a chap serving tonight, consequently, Marg’s Baileys shrank in measure, the Hector was not served his Rad Sauce in an iced glass. In time, I asked for one, and was duly charged for doing so.
Let’s take stock of the day so far. Pearl Harbor, principal objective of the day had been achieved, but only partially visited. The Birthday Curry was not as – Desi – as the name suggested. The two Bier Houses visited so far were nothing special. A Tuesday night, the quietest night of the week universally, but we were in our spot and Hector was getting into the zone. Time to celebrate the birthday properly, and so I did.
The heavens opened, beyond the classic tropical downpour. This was not a short-sharp-shower, but clearly going to be a prolonged event. The door to the side room was slid closed, it was becoming a pool.
We were dry on the outside, well-oiled on the inside. Uber!
I may have mentioned how wonderful our hotel is. There is a substantial Craft Beer bar in the lobby. How do these things keep happening? And so to the Pint & Jigger.
Marg escorted me until I had chosen my Bier and completed the ritual photography.
With Chicago scheduled in a couple of weeks, an opperchancity to try a Bier brewed in The Windy City. Orderville (Modern Times Beer, Chicago IL, USA) at 7.2% yet another Hazy IPA. This had the full haze and quite an array of hops: Mosaic, Simcoe, Ekuanot and Sultana. With a 55IBU, not in the New England style despite what others may claim.
Apart from friends of the staff, Hector was last out.
Mayday!
Bars and restaurants visited today:
Suzie Wong’s Hideaway – 1913 Dudoit Lane, Honolulu, HI 96815
Yard House – 226 Lewers St, Honolulu, HI 96815
Pint & Jigger – Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI 98614
Aloha Beer Waikiki – 2155 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Desi’s Indian Curry – 2239 Waikolu Way, Honolulu, HI 96815
Starbucks – Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI 98614
Day 43 – Wednesday, May 1st – Lei Day
Hopefully, last night was the last we’ll see of rain in Hawaii. It’s too early for the ITCZ to reach this far north, if indeed it does reach these islands on the northern edge of The Tropics. Another beautiful day dawned, time for Marg to have her say in what we do, so that means animals. Honolulu Zoo, the only zoo for thousands of kilometres in any direction, so no competition then. That may explain why it’s shite.
*
We took another route to Waikiki this afternoon, crossing the Ala Wai Canal on the same bridge as two days but avoiding the beach. After yesterday’s uncharacteristic Curry, the Hector was still claiming birthday rights. Bombay Palace Restaurant provided something more typical. Marg had a decidedly poor salad, not enough to sustain her for the day.
Thereafter, it was a case of trying to walk parallel to Kalakaua Ave, something different, but knowing there had to be a convergence of routes eventually. By chance, we stumbled upon the Hawaiian Army Museum. The two tanks parked out front may well be the highlight, a quick bit of research suggests it might be OK for a rainy day. The zoo was calling, Hector was not going to get away with more military hardware when a return to Pearl Harbor was planned for tomorrow.
The US built M24 arrived in the last year of WW2, fast but under-armoured and under-gunned. Had US tank designers not heard of the T34? Needless to say, it didn’t last long on the front line, but did appear in Korea where it wasn’t up against much. The M24 has appeared in many a movie, standing in for the Sherman in The Battle of The Bulge. As for the Japanese light tank on display, the less said the better.
As we walked along the Prom at Waikiki Beach it became clear that there was something brewing. Lei Day, people were flocking to Sans Souci State Recreational Park for a gathering. At any other time, we would have gone to investigate, but having started early, the scheduled events for – day of garlands – was drawing to a close. We were on a mission.
It all started well, the flamingoes in their pond, quite scenic, but nothing we hadn’t seen in our mini zoo visits in both Brisbane and Sydney.
Things then went rapidly downhill. October 2012, Chester, England, was the first time a zoo visit was recorded in these pages. Then I accused the animals of deliberately ignoring the public. Animals must all belong to the same union, the exhibits in Honolulu Zoo were on strike. If there was an animal house, they were inside it. Else, and this is worse, they simply were not present, gone, away, somewhere else, entirely. Honolulu Zoo is where I believe despatch staff at airport gates come to train.
A zoo keeper was playing with the elephants thus spoiling the opperchancity of decent photos.
Eventually, the arse end of an elephant was captured. Any animal that lived in water was camouflaged by the dirtiest of pools ever encountered. What Hippos? Organic my arse. Comparing the meerkat, by definition, requires more than one.
Giraffes are Marg’s favourite animal, at least they couldn’t hide. The bird cage may have contained some exotic species, but get a grip, we’re in The Tropics, there were as many birds freeloading outwith the cages. In fact, I would challenge the owners to admit that the visiting wildlife outnumbered the captured. We paid money for this. Having walked many kilometres by this stage, our thirst need quenched. Plantation Cafe had closed already. Not since Calderpark Zoo (Glasgow, Scotland) c1986 have I seen such an array of tired exhibits. Calderpark closed soon after. I add the zoo map to highlight the many animals not seen today.
Ice-Cream! The nearest outlet, Aloha Whip, was minutes away from the entrance. No chance then of walking along – Paki Avenue – on the far side of the zoo. Google Maps gave the locus, but not the information that Aloha Whip was inside a hotel lobby. Aloha Whip, – whippy – comes to mind.
The wee girl serving assured us she had no ice-cream. Needs must, the Ersatz iced liquid on offer had to suffice.
Hector’s sense of humour had been tested to the limits. It was approaching Bier o’clock and there are no breweries on this side of town. Growler Hawaii, located at the terminus of the Ala Wai Canal, was a ten minute walk, but not in the direction of home. Multi-taps reported, there should be something. There was something else. Two doors down, Hawaii Cat Cafe.
Marg saw me settled into Growler Hawaii and headed out to have coffee with cats. One cannot see enough animals on one day it appears. Or does this confirm that even Marg had felt animal deprived this afternoon?
Having worked at many a Bier Festival, I know one can only serve what is on. I do object to smart-ass bar staff who claim their Bier is the best when it’s clearly not in the style asked for.
Chaser (Kalihi Beer, Honolulu, Hawaii HI, USA) at 7.3% was served as a NEIPA, it wasn’t. Gold with only a chill haze, it was otherwise clear. Malt was prominent, not the hops. Citra, Azacca and Centennial could not save the day. Nor were they quenching the thirst, it was time to turn the clock back six years. It was on Dr. Stan’s Big Birthday Trip in 2018 when I first realised that Cider, is not only a thirst quencher, for me, it’s the best thing to have after Curry.
Crisp Apple (Angry Orchard Cider Company, Walden NY, USA) at a modest 5.0% was gold, clear, and had a surprisingly good body. With only a slight sweetness, this was the refreshing drink that was required. American keg Cider has proven itself to be streets ahead of the boxed, often too warm, flat, Real Cider, served in the UK.
Time to move on, and no time to lose. Marg returned from her cat experience, an Uber was summoned. A charming chap drove us back up beyond our hotel to the land of Honolulu Breweries.
Honolulu Beerworks is part of the loose cluster in Kaka’Akao, this more industrial part of Honolulu. A blue, corrugated shack is a fair description of the industrial unit in which Beerworks is housed.
A standard size, getting served was straightforward in the well-staffed and perhaps disproportionately large bar. Alas, despite the multi-taps, there was not a single Hazy on offer. $8.00 for a US pint on the main board, the Hector managed to find a reassuringly more expensive $11.00 pint.
She’s The Moment at 7.00%, a Grapefruit IPA, yellow with a chill haze was reminiscent of the once great Jaipur (Thornbridge, England). At 20IBU a much more mellow affair. 2024 Pink Boots hops was a new one. A pleasant Bier, but not enough to keep me here.
The clothing on offer had to be examined. One is always on the look out for quality t-shirts, but US brewers don’t do them so well, too many transfers, no embroidery. The stock at Beerworks was mostly vests, not the apparel suitable for a Hector.
We walked past an empty looking Howzit Brewing, seeing it in daylight for the first time. This was the brewery which created the mystery of exactly what was Bier #1 had in Honolulu at Off The Wall (Day 40). Marg and Hector were now heading to Hana Koa Brewing Company, the source of Rad Sauce, Bier #2 as poured at Off The Wall, and enjoyed over the last two nights at Suzy Wong’s Hideaway.
The exterior of Hana Koa gave little clue as to the sheer size of the operation. A comparatively large unit with ample seating. Food was also being served on the premises as opposed to the – chuck wagon – which prevails at many venues. We selected a table in view of the impressive menu on the wall.
Seventeen of the twenty taps were in use. Of these there was a choice of four Hazys. Make that three, Dawn Patroller at 6.0% is not available for another two days. Rad Sauce was not on the board.
Christopher was our waiter this evening. Boy was he good. As I posted our whereabouts on a certain social medium, so it was established that a fellow CAMRA acquaintance back home had been served by the same chap.
It was confirmed that Rad Sauce was no longer available, Suzy Wong’s may have had the last batch. Start again.
*
Shootz Da Bootz at 6.0% was the first Bier in what would become a long night. Suitably Hazy, this Bier had Idaho 7, HBC 630, Talus, Triumph and Loral hops. Talus can kill a Bier, this one survived, hoppy, but not heavenly.
Marg was hungry. Macaroni-Cheese was duly ordered. This was so good, another plate was required. Hector was not missing out.
Shine A Light at 6.0%, the Bier style, packed full of harmonious Flavours, the Hector seeks at every opperchancity. With the full milkshake haze, this may not have resembled the fabled Bier #2, but was as close as Bier #1 as encountered in Honolulu. The hops remain unknown, but no nasties here. This was a sublime Bier, there would be more, however, Christopher insisted I try the DIPA.
Marg was hungry, dessert. Apfelstrudel arrived with one spoon. Maybe just as well, though I may or may not have been tempted to have a Soupçon.
Double Drop at 8.%, a Double Hazy IPA may have had more body, the same level of haziness, but lacked the flavour. That it came in such a small serving eased its disappearance. Back to Shine A Light, it was a matter of getting as many in as time would permit.
Whilst there has been Bier on almost every day of this trip, some more than others, tonight must remain a standout. Nights where I have managed to get my feet under the table to this extent and sample a range of Bier from a board, have been few. Great Bier, food, service, and a t-shirt on offer was at a decent standard, albeit tie-dye. Hector was not quite last out.
We walked back to the hotel taking a route which led us along Ala Moana Boulevard. Honolulu, Hawaii, we have a winner.
Breweries, bar, restaurant and cafe visited today:
Hana Koa Brewing Company – 962 Kawaiaha’o St, Honolulu, HI 96814
Honolulu Beerworks – 328 Cooke St, Honolulu, HI 96813
Growler Hawaii – 449 Kapahulu Ave #105, Honolulu, HI 96815
Bombay Palace – 1778 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI, 96815
Aloha Whip – 150 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Day 44 – Wednesday, May 2nd
Back to Pearl Harbor, now that we know the lie of the land, no tour company necessary. The intention was to visit both USS Missouri and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. There was a slow start to the day, and food was required before we set off.
Heading back to where it all began, we crossed the bridge from the hotel to Ala Moana Center. Finding our way in through the upper level car park was no longer an issue, getting one’s bearings on the way out, another matter.
Down in the basement market eatery, Marg decided The Sunrise Shack would provide brunch. Hector chose well, the Tropical Bowl being full of swallowable delights, and lots of them.
Marg’s choice was a horror story. Kale, it’s fodder for sheep. Why do the Americans think this is hip? I can’t see ever being ordered again. Hideous.
*
Once we eventually found ourselves outside on Ala Moana Boulevard Bus 20 took us via the airport to Pearl Harbor. It’s a longer journey than the map conveys. When the new tram line is finished, this journey will be transformed.
For reasons unknown, the driver did not stop outside the entrance to the National Park but took us one stop beyond. This wasted time. Given the lack of a queue at the free shuttle to Ford Island, we had just missed one. The next coach let people off then drove off. Valuable time had been lost, seeing aeroplanes today was looking unlikely, but this was choice two, Boeing’s – Museum of Flight – in Seattle awaits next week.
A causeway connects Ford Island to the mainland, back on military territory, the civilian driver was not as fractious as the Navy Doris on the boat to USS Arizona.
We sped along the runway which lies along the long axis of Ford Island. The battleship USS Missouri is docked adjacent to the offshore USS Arizona Memorial shipwreck.
USS Missouri was commissioned n 1944. The last US battleship built, Missouri was mothballed in 1955 for some thirty years, before being recommissioned for a few years to take part in the Gulf War. Many rooms hence contained desktop computers and terminals from the 1980s.
Accommodation was pretty awful for the ratings. Cooking for thousands must have been a military operation. The doughnuts are plastic.
Once upon a time, HMS Glasgow was docked at Faslane. Our Depute asked me to take a minibus full of seniors for a visit. Lunch on board was promised. Our guide duly marched us through the vessel to the mess, the aromas tantalised. Here was the opperchancity for Hector to eat aboard ship and not lose it in minutes.
On arriving at the empty mess we were marched straight through and out the far side. TANSTAAFL.
USS Missouri has massive gun batteries fore and aft. These must have caused damage when called into action. However, ‘planes and aircraft carriers win wars, not behemoths such as this battleship.
Still, this was history. It was on the quarter deck of this mighty vessel that the Japanese signed the surrender notice officially bringing WW2 to a close. The US involvement in WW2 began at Pearl Harbor, that this ship has its resting place here and not San Diego makes the entire visit all the more poignant.
Deep into the bowels of the ship as we could get, the twenty minute warning to – get aff – was announced over the tannoy. Up is out, Marg had other ideas. We became separated, she opened a door that the Hector daren’t. I had quite a following by the time we reached fresh air. Now to find Marg.
With quite a crowd gathered for one of the final buses, the Hector had to employ his knowledge of how to board. Anyone who has been in Jerusalem Bus Station at the end of Shabbat has learned not to mess about, get on, sod everyone else. So it goes.
We stopped at the Aviation Museum, with only a half hour remaining before closure, there was no point alighting. Some did. We’ll always have Seattle.
At the bus stop outside the main gate, the Hector had our return to Ala Moana worked out. Google Maps give live bus times and show bus locations as a dedicated bus app should (First Bus excepted).
Is this ours? – remains Marg’s attitude towards all public transport. 20, 40, 51 and Express Bus A all go back to Ala Mona. For once, it was. Why is this journey so long?
Marg was hungry. It couldn’t be Curry, we’ve had Pizza and Asian, Chicken Wings, the safe fallback. Buffalo Wild Wings impressed in visit #1, so back we went.
Early evening, this venue was way busier than on our Sunday lunchtime visit. Sat closer to the Bier taps revealed quite a range. If this is typical of things to come across the USA then gone are the days of – we have both Beers, Bud and Miller!
Our serving chap was useless, distracted. Marg had the salad. The potato wedges that had impressed so much on Sunday did not. The abundant wings were less so today, and we were paying way more being a peak time. Beware.
Maybe I should have suggested we return to Hana Koa Brewing Co., however, we had already agreed that our last night in Hawaii would be spent at – our local.
We took – our spot – at the bar. A different waitress, at least the decent pour of Baileys was reinstated. For Hector, the Rad Sauce (Hana Koa Brewing Co.) in an iced bolleke. This could well have been the end of the batch. An excellent Bier, so what was Bier #2 at Off The Wall?
Suzie Wong’s Hideaway, a dive bar is how it is described. A beach shack not at the beach is Hector’s take. Anyone visiting Waikiki should give it a try.
Bar, restaurant and cafe visited today:
Suzie Wong’s Hideaway – 1913 Dudoit Lane, Honolulu, HI 96815
Buffalo Wild Wings – Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Unit #3326, Honolulu, HI 96814
The Sunrise Shack – Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
Day 45 – May 3rd, Thursday : Honolulu to San Francisco
With an early afternoon flight, there was no horribly early rise this morning. Checking out of Ala Moana hotel there was the knowledge that it would be a while before we stayed in comparable accommodation. This was plush and points had been earned towards future Ibis hotels in Europe.
With the bus stop around the corner on Ala Moana Boulevard, we were soon heading towards the airport. A busy bus, not everyone was airport bound. One chap had a loud phone-call regarding his lack of social security payments. Another chap resplendent in girlie clothing had to let us all know he had found a way to stay in Honolulu for nothing: get a night shift security guard job.
Unable to check-in online, we presented at the Alaska Airlines desk. Whilst our One World ticket was recognised in their system, our entitlement to two 23kg check-in bags each was not. As it happens we had one bag each. The wee girl wanted to charge us $70.00 to check in our bags. Hector was not having this, and asked for her supervisor. The song remained the same. Pay up or don’t fly, the latter not an option. The card reader didn’t work, try again. $80.00 was taken from my card. Hector knows how to haggle. I would later realise that I had been charged twice.
Flying to San Francisco on a domestic flight meant no passport control or customs, wrong. The queue to get through security was the longest ever encountered, worse than BER – Berlin Brandenburg and that says a lot.
In the departure hall, the Hector spent the wait establishing a complaint with Alaska Airlines head office. Something resembling food was had in one of the few outlets, nachos, not great.
This is not a great airport. Strangely, there appears to be no outside wall, airside is open to the elements. There is a Japanese Garden in which to seek solace. Is everyone ripped off at this airport?
Alaska Airlines flight 876 departed on time at 13.59. A Boeing 737-Max, oh yeh, two engines across the Pacific Ocean. What could possibly go wrong?
Once again we had the aisle seat free so had lots of room. There was wi-fi. Somehow all the bumps and movements were recorded on my step counter. 93,000, a record, this should improve my monthly average.
The movie choice was remarkably similar to Qantas, poor. I haven’t been to the cinema for over a year, have they stopped making good movies?
The quickest way to pass time on any flight is to write this stuff, it genuinely makes time fly.
The sun set behind us, no lights below, a void, an empty one. Flying across the Atlantic passing Iceland, Greenland and Canada, land is not too far away. What if?
We landed just on 22.00, clocks would forward again. Our San Francisco hotel claimed check-in was available through the night. As soon as I could, I phoned to ensure we were expected, we just had to get there.
The baggage reclaim hall was a mess, ongoing works. Where’s the BART? The last train was around midnight. The Air Train to the BART station was upstairs, difficult to establish in the chaos of the basement. A choice of directions, the Air Train does an elongated loop. The direct side was off. It took a ridiculous amount of time to get to the BART station, thereafter, the Hector could relax, next stop Powell Street.
San Francisco, the Hector was, for the first time on this trip, on familiar territory.
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