oahu day 5

//day 5
//friday
//hanauma bay, waikiki/kapahulu, ala moana.

SNORKEL_rentals from snorkel bob's (kapahulu). snorkeling at hanauma bay nature preserve (hanauma).
snorkel bob's is good. better gear than you'll get elsewhere, and not too expensive.
daily rentals are $3-$9 depending on what grade of equipment you get.
weekly rental are $9-$30something. again, depends on the grade of equipment.
if we hadn't been in line behind the slowest people in the world, we would have been in and out in no time.

so the bay is THE place to snorkel, supposedly.
pay for snorkel gear.
pay for parking.
pay for admission.
(not much total, but many lines and lots of cash to have on hand.)
crowded.
we got there right before they closed the parking lot to any more cars.
then waited to watch the short film everyone needs to watch beforehand.
respect the reef, yo.
it repeats NOT to touch, step on, or otherwise do anything to the reef besides look at it.
then a line for lockers.
then getting on the beach.
at low tide, it's super shallow in the inner bay.
so hard not to touch/step on the reef at certain points.
but we were good.
others, not so much. ERRYONE and their moms were standing up ON it.
grr.
anyway, an hour or so in the water was enough for us.
we saw plenty of the endemic species (only exist in that area).
saw plenty of humuhumunukunukuāpuaa (the state fish).
snorkeling in the caribbean's still way better.

oh, and when we left around midday, they had opened up the lot again.
morning people were leaving, and there was room again.
maybe instead of getting there first thing and waiting w/everyone else,
you should just go around lunch time.

LUNCH_rainbow drive-in (kapahulu). yep, again. needed to try plate lunches, not breakfast.
me: loco moco plate. i really like their gravy, so this was solid.
bear: mix plate. they are known for this. it's a great deal as you get beef, chicken, ahi katsu, 2 scoop rice, mac salad.

SHOP_waikiki. we got iphone 4Ses! on the release date! just waltzed in! no lines! paid way less sales tax than at home!


our phone family. from left to right:
my iphone 3g
bear's iphone 3g
bear's work droid
bear's new iphone 4s
my new iphone 4s

DINNER_combo ahi bowls from ono seafood (kapahulu). yes, again. our favorite ahi poke.

they close early--around 6. so pick yours up early then eat it later, as we did.

seaweed salad to share.


me: hawaiian on the left, shoyu on the right.
i know they look the same.
they taste the same, too, although the hawaiian is a bit drier.


bear: "the usual" for him. spicy on the left. shoyu on the right.

"GO OUT"_dave & buster's at ward entertainment center. meh. (ala moana)

don't go as early as we did on a friday night.
lots of strollers.
nothing too different from dave&buster's at home.
although we noticed a LOT of people eating dinner there.
blech.

WALK_waikiki.
the usual.

NIGHTCAP_five-o bar & lounge (waikiki).
mistaken for locals again when some guy asked us if this was the place to be on friday nights. no clue. i mean, it's technically in a mall on waikiki. but good live music, a nice outdoor area, and good drinks at decent prices for waikiki.