KAILUA

I'm starting this with a video I took from TV of surfers, because who doesn't love surfing videos?

 For the first time in a few days, we got up kind of early today (this means before 9 for us) and decided on the spur of the moment that we would take the bus to Kailua today.  We checked the schedule and decided we could make it to Ala Moana Center (where we would catch the 56) by 10:30.  This sounds ridiculous when you realize Ala Moana Center is only about a mile from here, but the bus takes a really roundabout route.  As it turned out, we got there one minute later than it would have been to take the 56 bus at 9:40, but we ended up getting the 57 at 10:12.  Once again, we got the last seats on the bus, and everybody who got on after us had to stand.  My idea is that Kailua is about 30 miles from here, based on having driven over there about 10 years ago in a pouring rain.  In actuality, I think it must be only about 10 miles.  But it's over the mountains. 

When we got there, the bus driver told us we had to wait for the #70 bus, which would be along in about an hour.  Well, we had the whole day to spend, so we stopped at Starbuck's for a coffee.  We were sitting outside, because we were frozen from our trip in the over-air-conditioned bus, and while John was sitting holding a piece of banana bread in his hand and not paying attention to it, a little sparrow came and hovered and took a bite of it.  Scared John to death, because he just felt something yanking his banana bread.  Spilled coffee all over the table. 

By the time we finished, we didn't want to wait for the bus, so we walked to the beach, which someone had told us was a mile, but didn't seem that far to me.  One of the cool things in Kailua is that they have these bike rental kiosks all over town where you rent a bike, ride it to a destination, and lock it up there.  We didn't rent one, but it would only have been $5 for the whole day. 

Kailua has a beautiful beach.  So inviting, plenty of shade to sit in should one desire.  We had taken our swim suits, but never put them on, because there weren't any waves to ride. 

We didn't bother to take towels or grass mats, because we thought we would spend more time walking around the town so the only thing we took with us for the beach were the pareus which we have been using for just about everything -- sun screen, tablecloth, beach coverup, bus blanket. 

By the way, this is the beach where President Obama stays when he visits Hawaii.  It was really a nice day.  The only bad part of the day was when I went to put my glasses on and took them out of the case and the leg piece fell off.  When we got back to Honolulu, I took them into an optician at the mall, and he told me they weren't reparable, so I'm going to try sending them back to Jeffrey's in NY and see if they can send them back to the factory, or whatever.    

After we left the beach, because we had really had enough sun, we went to Buzz's which was celebrating 50 years, and had a fish sandwich.  It was one of those kind of places that struggles to be modern and yet keep the funkiness that it probably started out with.  It generally succeeds, and the food was good, too.  We had a fish burger that was some kind of fish that tasted like shark.  There is a canal that runs into the ocean here.  John took this picture from the bridge, and I can't believe how cloudy and threatening it looks, because it was a nice day. 
Hhere's a wonderful video of these two dogs  who loved swimming way out in the waves to fetch a stick, and then insisted on carrying it back together.