Monday 24th July
We wake up in the Royal Hawaiian hotel, just a quick pinch of the arm to make sure I am awake and not dreaming. Then down to breakfast at the aptly named Surf Lanai restaurant, where we are seated almost on the beach itself. An early morning shower has left the pathways wet, but hasn’t deterred beach goers, the beach is already a busy place. The blue sky rapidly banishing the clouds back to whence they came. The ocean today still a pale milky blue that stretches to the horizon. Diamond head crater in the distance with its skirt of green palm trees overlooks the scene. A catamaran with a hoisted blue and white striped sail sits beached but ready to sail at a moments notice. An outrigger canoe also beached sits waiting for the first daring passengers of the day.
No need to hurry today just relax, drink in the view, soak in the atmosphere live the moment. No matter how much I concentrate though, my super powers don’t extend to freezing time altogether. Then the moment evaporates, we have missed a call from Troy now at his home in Philadelphia, I call him back, disaster has struck, a burst water pipe has left them with some major problems, just when life seemed so good, reality smacks you in the face. As I am talking someone grabs me from behind its Kylie with mother Julie & husband Peter. After an early morning swim, sand still between their toes, they are out looking for a dinner spot for their last night tonight and have stumbled upon us. After a brief catch up and some dining suggestions from us they continue their search. Breakfast now over we return to our room and in a blink of an eye the time has accelerated forwards to midday before we make it out into the hurricane Fernanda influenced muggy humidity of mid summer Waikiki. Our task, where to eat tonight, there are three thousand restaurants in Waikiki and only one will tell its story to us tonight. Problem is where to start. Wandering around the beachside hotels in the local vicinity finds us in vaguely familiar territory, memories of past visits flash through our minds and we rediscover the “Ocean House” our combined memories are of good times here, wish I’d kept a diary back then. The restaurant is closed but we obtain their number from a sister restaurant next door and make a phone reservation for an early 5.30pm sunset dinner. While doing this my trusty little Canon S101 Powershot camera slips from my wrist, by the time I realise the camera is gone too much time has elapsed for there to be a reasonable chance of recovery. We retrace our steps and enquire at various points if anyone has handed it in, but sadly to no avail. Thankfully I download all my shots each night, leaving only a few taken early while leaving the Royal Hawaiian on the SD card. Ever the optimist I look on the bright side, the camera needed updating and I can now buy a new one.
It is mid afternoon before we arrive back at the Royal Hawaiian where we relax for awhile before heading out again for our dinner date.
The Ocean House restaurant is just a short walk away, located in the Outrigger Reef hotel, through the lobby area and an arcade of shops selling Hawaiian artists works, souvenirs and Hawaiian style beach clothing. The custom here is to be on time for dinner reservations as although there are many restaurants they are nearly always packed with diners, especially those with ocean front views. Any tables left vacant outside a small margin of error risk being given away quickly if the restaurant is not notified beforehand.
We are seated at a quiet corner table over looking a waist high wall that separates the diners from the beach. The sun is going down to our west while we face south east with Diamond Head just visible to our east through a few palm trees. There is a rocky surf break to our right, with the ocean tide now dropping away from the beach that rises up to the wall in front of us. The milky blue of the ocean is now a greeny grey dappled with golden sunlight. Bathers stand on a ledge splashing in the cooling water that runs along the surf break as the tide takes the ocean out the ledge is revealed as man made. Sunset dinner cruises ply along the coastline back and forth, no doubt giving their diners a spectacular view of Waikiki from the ocean.
We consider our upcoming meals from the menu and specials annunciated by a server dressed in a blue Hawaiian print shirt with an obvious Polynesian background. Decisions made we order, coconut encrusted lobster skewers to share as an appetiser (entree), I order the Monchong fish with ginger and cilantro (coriander) over a bed of mixed grain rice. While Amanda orders the local version of red snapper that is served with a crispy skin in a sea of tasty green purée that has a distinctly lemon tang, also caramelised broccoli. To go with this we enjoy a bottle of Kendall Jackson reserve Chardonnay, all buttery and luscious in the mouth and refreshingly chilled.
The sun slowly descends behind a rack of surf skis, lighting up the sky as it sets.
Accumulating clouds above the ocean begin to darken as the fading pink light vanishes and the restaurants beach torches are lit. A much needed gentle cooling breeze flows off the ocean to refresh us and the other diners as we order our shared dessert of vanilla bean & macadamia nut ice cream.
Darkness descends in earnest, the sea views now just a sea of shadows, our meal over we take our leave and stroll back to the Royal Hawaiian and to our beds.