Dumped off in the dark in Kalihi, I head down an unlit alley cutting over to Dillingham Street. What could possibly go wrong?
A garbage can rattles, my heart skips a beat, a rat scurries behind some cardboard boxes. No worries. I check six, then press on to the street
At 6:05 AM Monday morning I make my way down Dillingham to a bus stop that will take me back out of town, up to Wahiawa and on to the North Shore. I left the house at 5:00 AM to catch the bus from Waipahu to downtown Honolulu because Google Maps said it was the preferred routing to get from Waipahu to Haleiwa. Not the most direct route, but you’ve got to go where the buses go, and the Express buses into town are the most frequent and fastest, with few intermediate stops.
I had 20 minutes to kill at a desolate-looking Kalihi bus stop, which featured a wide overhead cover and the new-vogue seating of individual concrete stools, as opposed to benches. I’m sure the burgeoning vagrant population on Oahu did not vote for these individual concrete stools; I mean, how’s a guy supposed to camp out at a bus stop that doesn’t feature full length benches for napping?
At 6:30 I climbed aboard a bus heading north, through Mililani, then Wahiawa, then downhill to the North Shore. I stared out the window as the early light danced on pineapple fields. It suddenly all felt strange. Was it a strange land, or was I the stranger? I put on my wireless headset and played some of Joe Jackson’s latest album, Fool. I dozed off.
Luckily, I was able to do some smooth talking to wiggle my way back into the good graces of the offended woman sitting next to me. She didn’t exactly smile or anything, but at least she put away the pepper spray.
I got off next to Haleiwa Beach Park, on the east side of Haleiwa town. I walked around the park to reacquaint myself. I don’t frequent this area of the island. I’ve been to this park before, but it’s been a while.
After perusing the park, I headed back to the road leading into Haleiwa town. The first building I encountered had a mural on the side featuring a Rasta-type dude, Bob Marley I guess. Welcome to the laid-back land of the North Shore.
Going into Haleiwa town I was greeted by the classic bridge over Hanaulu Stream. Somebody told me locals call it the “Rainbow” bridge. I’m not sure.
The two pictures above were taken about 8:00 AM while the town and tourists were still waking up. The three pics below were taken about 10:30 AM when things were getting in full swing. I didn’t realize it was such a hot paddleboard/kayak area……may have to come back with my paddleboard and explore further.
After crossing the bridge, I checked out the boat harbor on the right.
Now that I’m in the main part of town, let’s see what we got. First on the right is Haleiwa Joe’s, a fine eating/drinking establishment, from what I hear. I’ve never been in there, but go to the front door to see what time it opens.
Onward down the street I wander, checking out the eclectic popouri of stores, shops, eateries, drinkeries, and galleries that make up Haleiwa. How many shave ice places and shrimp trucks does one area really need? I guess plenty, to greet the throngs of tourists, although not to big a crush at 9:00 AM. Breakfast places are open now, but most shops don’t open until 10:00.
The
I went into the McDonald’s on the far west side of Haleiwa. Why would Waipahu Bob venture into McD when there were so many lovely little eateries along the way? Well, I wanted a cup of coffee and I wanted to sit down out of the sun. I paid $1 for a small coffee, as opposed to $3.50 at the two coffee shops I had passed. That’s right, Waipahu Bob is a bargain hunter. I sat down and read some news of the day on my phone…..scanned headlines at CNN, BBC, Reuters and Google News. Yelp popped up with something on local eateries and I scrolled through some. I noticed most places were averaging 4-star reviews, but the McDonald’s I was sitting in was at 2-stars. I sifted through the individual reviews and saw that every other review was a 1-star wanting to be a 0-star if that was possible. Why, because they all had their cars towed from the McDonlad’s parking lot, some of them while they were in the restaurant itself. Apparently the owner is in tight with a local tow company and incessantly scours the parking lot for non-patron vehicles, which are common. Anyway, lot’s of folks complained about the cost ($175) and hassle of having their cars towed. A popular word in the Yelp reviews was “scam.” It rhymes with “spam” but not so tasty. Hey, I’m not trying to make news, just reporting it!
Back over the west-end bridge and back-tracking eastbound through town. It’s after 10:00 AM and the shrimp-truck bonanza spot is firing up, with some early customers starting to wander in.
I hike back through town and notice significant more movement than two hours earlier. It’s after 10:00 and all the shops are open now, and small packs of tourists course the streets. It smells good, with all the eateries now sizzling away with their favorite dishes…..Spicy Indian Chick dances with Thai Bo who mingles with the Grass Skirt Grill.
I end up where I started off, at a bus stop accross the street from Haleiwa Beach Park. Although Google Maps recommends a bus back into downtown Honolulu for a transfer, I discuss with the bus driver while he is on break, and he recommends I get a bus up to Wahiawa transit Center, then catch the #51 route down Kam Highway until Luminau Street, then transfer to the #433 route bus into Waipahu Transit Center. From there, I know I can get the #434 route bus to home. Sounds like a deal. I like the idea of avoiding downtown if possible. Too much can go wrong in that bottleneck. Man, I’m turning into a regular bus-riding pro!
I finally make it off the bus at Kupuna Loop in Waipahu at 1:50 PM. I walk home from there and arrive at my house at 2:15. Can you say “cold beer!”
Waipahu Bob 