PEACHFRONT SPEAKS

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oahu trip report part 1 2007-01-17 - 10:35 a.m. all photos © 2007 by elaine radford view from the airplane Wednesday, January 10 I got both of the first class upgrades that I was eligible for. There's no more breakfast omelet, so I had the scrambled eggs. They don't give free upgrades to Hawaii, but it didn't matter, since I had my cherished seat 27A on the LAX-HNL leg and therefore had all the room in the world. I read 4 books along the way, and here's a first. After I left a finished book at LAX in the gate area, they got on the plane and announced that another passenger had found a lost book. Yeah, it was mine. I told the flight attendant that I was finished with it, and that the finder or anyone else who wanted it was welcome to have it. "Isn't that nice!" she exclaimed. She actually sounded surprised. Don't people do this all the time? Upon arrival at HNL, I did notice some people giving out white leis, but I sort of ducked around them in case it was a sales pitch and easily located the bus stop. The bus pulled up after maybe all of five minutes wait -- $2 to get to my hotel. Why can't other U.S. cities have decent bus service? I hate taxis. It isn't like solo female travelers need to be hopping in cars with strange men. Anyway, both the driver and the other passengers were very helpful, and they pointed me to my right stop with no worries at all. I took this hotel for only one night, in case I got a bump. I wouldn't have minded staying there longer, though. It had a microwave, coffee maker, and fridge, and was only a short walk to the beach. I took a stroll, enjoying the tiki lanterns and the sudden smell of ocean or flowers that would hit from time to time. I noted several restaurants that looked interesting, but I didn't have any appetite after my long flight, so I ended up buying some sunscreen and an instant noodle soup to heat up in the microwave. manoa falls Thursday, January 11 My breath caught as I looked out the window of my hotel to see some graceful white birds flying around the beach. As I quickly started the day's list with such Oahu classics as Zebra Dove, Spotted Dove, and Common Mynah -- not to mention the ever-popular Feral Pigeon and House sparrow -- I wondered if I could truly be lucky enough to see White Tern (the old "Fairy Tern") out my window. But my excitement faded a bit as I realized that Waikiki was inhabited by a huge, huge, HUGE population of crisp white domestic pigeons gone feral. Oh well, that would have been a little too easy. After the complimentary Kona coffee and the South Beach protein bar, I packed for a hike and then checked out of the hotel, leaving my bag at the desk. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get to the rain forest. I had barely sat down on the bench before the bus pulled up, and I was on my way. You can actually buy a four day bus pass for $20, but each trip is only $2 and includes transfers, so I ran the numbers and figured I wouldn't bother. You see, I'd brought a huge bag of quarters and dimes from the coin bucket at home, so it was really like free money, since I was just using up coins that had been sitting around the house anyway. Anyway, it's pretty easy to get to the rainforest patch -- just get on the #5 Manoa bus and go to the end. Then, with a smile, the bus driver told me to follow the other hikers. He said that all of the others had been there before, so I knew instantly that it would be good, since it invited repeat visitors, despite the 158 inches of rain they get each year. And my excitement only mounted as I strolled through the neighborhood and toward the trailhead, because with almost no effort at all I was soon face-to-face with White-Rumped Shama Thrushes, Japanese White-Eye, and small groups of Red-Billed Leothrix -- the new common name for the bird known to us humble pet writers as the Pekin Nightingale. The Shama was the spirit of the rainforest, with a variety of songs, including a mysterious flutelike number. I'd heard of this bird's talent for 25 years, and now I could see that it deserved every bit of the hype. For some reason, they post signs advising you not to hike alone in Oahu. I made an executive decision that this advice was CYA nonsense. As I later said to my bird guide, I figured if I got killed in a rock fall, I'd just call 911 on my cell phone, since I had plenty of bars with my new Verizon phone. In any case, you're never really alone for any real length of time, since the area trails attract lots of other visitors. I later learned that Manoa Falls can vary quite a bit -- sometimes it's a trickle, sometimes it's a Niagara. It all depends on the rainfall they've been getting. Well, today the area lived up to the name of "rainforest," and the falls were indeed spectacular, so high and huge that it was impossible to capture the whole thing in my camera lens. A pair of Pekin Nightingales were playing at the upper trailhead, two small brash birds in a big, big world. After I descended from the Manoa Falls trail, I turned down the path to Lyon Arboretum. Along the way I encountered Red or Feral Junglefowl, Common Waxbill, and Java Sparrow. The durn parking lot offered two life birds -- Red-Vented Bulbul and Red-Crested Cardinal (what the pet industry used to call Brazilian Cardinal). The Cardinals in particular did everything but come down and tapdance on my shoes. The brilliant red of their crests in the dappled sunlight was nothing short of amazing. It was time for lunch -- some bottled water and more South Beach protein bars. OK, it wasn't fancy, but it did the trick and was easy to carry. If I was hiking with another person, I might have packed in a picnic and a small bottle of wine. I did say a small bottle, maybe airplane size. The footing can be muddy and slippery in the rainforest, and you wouldn't want to fall down and have to explain yourself, since technically speaking alcohol is not allowed. There are a lot of trails and paths on the Arboretum grounds. I started out by hiking to Aihualama Falls. It isn't hard to find, but the directions I'd printed out are fairly unique: "...A little further up the trail, you will be able to hear the waterfall. Before you get to the waterfall, you will pass a patch Heliconia "Richmond Red" (28) on the left. The trail will then lead you around a Podocarpus (29) tree and..." You get the idea. But even if you don't know your Podocarpus from your Heliconia "Richmond Red," then you can't get too far lost on these well-marked albeit muddy trails. I did manage to put the H. "Richmond Red" on my right, but I still got there. Another hike I took was the trail to Inspiration Point, where I sat for a long time enjoying the antics of my life Red-Whiskered Bulbuls and also the feral Cockatoos, of which I quickly identified many Moluccan Cockatoos and at least one Goffin's. It was funny with the Goffin's. As I was studying the smallish bird, a saucy male Electus parrot flew up on his branch and chased him to the next tree. Who says that male Eclectus have a reduced testosterone level? Apparently there used to be a restaurant with a bird park, called Paradise Park, and some disaster hit and the trained birds got away and have been living quite raucous lives in the wild ever since. At one point, I could hear an entire tree of Cockatoos laughing their asses off. I don't know what struck them as so hilariously funny. For all I know, it was me in my bright orange rain poncho. buddha, lyon arboretum I had a strange experience by the Buddha statue. As I snapped the picture, I could see a white bird fly across the viewfinder. A white bird of light which didn't exist. Classic ghosting, I suppose. But it was just so spooky when it happened. I know it's a trick of light, not a supernatural experience like the temple in Arishiyama that put up a mental barrier against being photographed, but I'm not sure any more how I know. I used to know everything about ghosting, aliasing, and the rest, but time goes by, and when you don't use it, you lose it. Oh, and folks, just a suggestion: When leaving money by the Buddha in a rainforest, I strongly advise you to consider donating coin rather than paper. That paper U.S. dollar that somebody left was on the brink of dissolving. Anyway, I pretty much devoted the entire day to the area, until it was almost 4 and I realized that the Arboretum was closing. On the way out, I met an arboretum worker who told me that there were actually three species of cockatoos and a second male Electus, making me wish I'd looked a bit harder. Oh well. Next time. I certainly got plenty of entertainment value out of my visit. The bus was again impressively prompt and I wondered to myself about the scold on the thorntree forum who said that you need to rent a car to see anything of wildlife in Oahu. Maybe he worked for a rental car agency. Certainly if I had only a one day stopover in Honolulu, I would choose to use my day at the rainforest. It was wet, yes, but it was worth it. When I picked up my bag, the lady at the front desk refused my tip for fetching my bag. OK, that's a new one on me. I didn't mean to insult her. I just figured, it's a hotel, you give someone a buck for fetching your bag. But whatever. I strolled down to the new hotel and was delighted to see that it also featured microwave, coffee maker, fridge, free coffee and tea, room safe -- and it actually had dishes and utensils including a wine opener, not just coffee stirrers. Whoo whee. It also had a small rooftop pool and a large jacuzzi on the fifth floor. Damn. I showered off the trail mud and hurried down to grab a $1.75 Mai Tai before happy hour closed. I really did intend to eat in a restaurant that night, but as I strolled the streets of Waikiki, I realized that I still had no appetite. I enjoyed such sights as the store with the huge aquarium, complete with diver being pestered by sting rays for hand-outs, but eventually ended up at the good old ABC store, where I purchased milk, wine, and another noodle soup. I actually got the wine bottle open and drank a glass before I fell into a deep, sound sleep. storefront, waikiki Friday, January 12 Thanks to the fridge and microwave, I had heated milk with today's Kona coffee. My breakfast was the last of the South Beach protein bars. Then I looked at my walking shoes and shook my head. They were popping out in holes everywhere -- the wet of the rainforest was the final blow, I guess. But I had no intention of trying to hike in new shoes, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped they'd hold together. At the bus stop an obviously homeless bum gave me $7 and asked me to buy him cigarettes and a 40 ounce thingy. Since the store was right behind the bus stop, I instantly surmised that he'd been banned from the store. I bought the cigarettes and brought him his receipt and his change. He seemed pretty crestfallen that I didn't buy the alcohol, but I just said "I don't believe in that" and he accepted it. Honestly, can you see Peachfront buying a 40 ounce thingy? They'd know right away I was buying it for some bum, don't you think? But they were suspicious anyway, as in moments, a bus transit supervisor drove up and told the bum that he could no longer sit at the busstop. Glamorous Waikiki indeed! After I took the bus to Kapiolani Park, I was a little sorry, because I saw that I could have very easily walked it -- and it's quite a scenic walk past the beaches and foofy beachfront hotels. Even though it wasn't breeding season, it wasn't long before I saw my life Fairy Terns, and quite close too. These birds aren't shy. Then I studied the huge flocks of Java Sparrows and Common Waxbills, inspecting each bird for the wished-for rarities. I soon spotted my first Yellow-Fronted Canary (the old pet store Green Singing Finch, the first pair of finches I ever owned) and House Finch. I also noted a House Finch of the yellow variety, although most of the males were the usual raspberry reddish. waikiki from diamondhead I meant to ascend Diamondhead, but I got off at the wrong place and actually hiked quite a long way around the base of the volcano, an area of million dollar homes and snooty pocket beaches. I enjoyed the beautiful walk for some while after I knew in my heart that I wasn't getting any closer to a trailhead, but eventually I stopped one of the many jogging retiree couples and asked for directions. They seemed worried that their explanation wasn't clear, but it was actually quite crystal, and I was soon confidently headed on my way. Just before my turn, I noticed the cutest Common Myna of the trip. This bird had captured a plastic shopping bag and, by damn, he was going to conquer it. He caught it, wrestled it into submission, and flew up into a tree to stuff it into a cavity -- at which point it fluffed out and the wind blew it out again. Poor bird. You could feel his spirit deflate as he watched the effort of the last 30 minutes go up in smoke. After that, I looked more closely and noticed quite a lot of trash packed into nooks and crannies of various trees. They ain't got squirrels; it's the work of the Mynas. As I strolled past the community college, an older lady -- and I don't mean a lady of a certain age, such as myself, but a lady probably 20 years older than Peachfront or more -- asked me if I was going to Diamondhead. I said that I was, and she said that she was lost. I knew the college was on the path and assured her that we were going in the right direction, and after that she joined me in walking for the rest of the day. I was a little surprised, because most non-birders quickly become annoyed at how slowly I walk, but she didn't seem to mind. Sometimes she did get a little ahead, but I think she was willing to put up with my poky pace for the sake of company, so it all worked out. Near the tunnel -- if you've been to Diamondhead, you know what I mean, and if you haven't, when you go, you will easily see it -- there was a South Asian man selling pineapple slices, smoothies, and bottled water. We both had our bottled waters and didn't need to purchase more, but I sprung for a mango smoothie and she tried the pineapple. Sorry, honey, I know it's all carb hell, but at least I passed the glucose test you gave me on New Year's Day. In any case, the salesman seemed so tickled to make the sale that he then hopped out of the trailer-type booth to take our photos by the overlook. There's actually a small fee of $1 to ascend Diamondhead, and I bet they could get away with charging more if they wanted, considering the huge crowds. In the fields around the ticket taker and the toilets, I saw a decent sized flock of my life Nutmeg Mannakins. These LBJs were of zero interest to my companion, but we were both fascinated by the huge flocks of the gregarious Red-Crested Cardinals. The volcano itself is a desert ruled by the song of the Zebra Dove. Words don't do justice to the 360 degree views of Waikiki, Honolulu, and various turquoise-colored bays. I'll just say that when you are wondering if it's really worth climbing all of those stairs, it is! We had our second wind after descending Diamondhead. You can catch a bus right there, but we were cranked from our success and needed to walk some more. At some point we stopped at an informal little restaurant where I tried the mahi mahi tacos -- excellent! I didn't need all of the sides, though. If the Life Without Bread doctor is right, and I'm starting to think he is, we need look no further than the Hawaiian practice of serving rice and pasta on one plate as an explanation of why the average Hawaiian is so, well, large. We explored a formal garden, the rest of Kapiolani Park, and the beach along with several hotels. I feel like I must have taken photographs of Diamondhead from every angle in search of the perfect one. Finally, it was time to return to our respective hotels and freshen up. Because Diamondhead is on the desert side, my shoes had not taken on any water, and the rot had not progressed any further. Thank goodness! Today is the day that I actually had two of the Happy Hour Mai Tais. Naughty me. But I only had to ascend two floors. Another noodle soup, another glass of wine, a long soak in the tub, and I was ready for a long winter's nap. Ah, the exciting adventures of Peachfront. Oh well, I did say it was a birding and gardening blog, not swingerdiarydotcom. Note: You have just read Part 1 of my Oahu trip report. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion, with official bird tour and whales, coming soon. Click "back" to see my Oahu bird list. Part 2 is coming soon. back - next All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2002-2017 by Elaine Radford