Looking south from a balmy evening atop the Empire State Building.
It only took 20 minutes to get up here this time!
What’s your sign?
Well, in New York, THIS is my sign!
I spent more time on the 6 Local than on any other line on this trip. I saw that sign everywhere!
Art at the Guggenheim!
Here’s the famous gallery
Fun to skate down, can?
How about some disco lights?
Dance with the girl, lah!
Or some kid art?
That’s a frog!
Here’s the latest prototype from Airbus. WAHAHAHAH
A few days in Manhattan (in the summertime)!
Note: More hotel pix to come, erm, when I feel like posting them!
Did you know…
That New York City gets about 4 inches of rain EVERY MONTH? That sounds amazing to me, a native Californian, who comes from a place that’s basically a desert with irrigation.
I found out about the rain when I came out of the Guggenheim (which is currently being renovated) and it was raining Bangkok-style. It reminded me of the deluge that I got caught in when I was over there last. That much rain in 15 minutes!
Also, NYC has the most ridiculous lodging prices, period. First off, it’s high season. Second, you can’t make a nice place affordable here because of land prices and to keep it bum and scum free. So US$125/night for a “European Style” (which means common bathroom) room is not bad.
Presenting room 1526 at the Pod Hotel!
This is my room as you walk in. Really, this is it.
Desk and Chair and Bed and Window that opens
Flat screen on the wall and wash basin
Remember how I said that this room was with shared bathroom? Well these lights above the door go on and off to let you know if there’s anyone in the can. If the light is off, run on in.
No lights on, time to grab the FT and go on in!
Those of you who appreciate irony will like this: It’s across the street from the Singapore Consulate.
Well, at least I can read week-old copies of the ST here…
Things are relative here in NYC. US$125/night for a nice newly remodeled place like this is a good deal. The neighbourhood is nice and the #6 is two blocks up on Lex. So I’m hoping that their rates go down in the off season. Think I found my place to stay when I’m here (unless one of my buds winds up with a two bedroom flat somewhere around the 5 boroughs…).
The Pod Hotel
230 East 51st Street (btwn 2nd & 3rd)
New York NY 10022
212-355-0300
http://www.thepodhotel.com
Mouse House (the original)…
After 20+ years, I visited the Magic Kingdom AKA Disneyland with an out of town friend. Even though a lot of things have changed here (where’s Fort Wilderness?), much of the charm is still there.
As far back as I can remember, people have always complained about the high price of food and beverage at Disneyland. The stalls scattered all around the park are pricey but the sit down restaurants are strangely reasonable, considering what you get.
And naturally, the day ends at Disneyland with fireworks.
I realized during this trip that my interest in transportation began with a visit to Disneyland when I was very young. A LOT of the rides and attractions here revolve around transportation.
Space Mountain
Autopia
Matterhorn
Big Thunder Railroad
Monorail
All are things that society needs to get around (or will get soon). That explains my facination with transportation maybe?? Some things here are more recent necessities…
Tourist Traps, Waikiki and ramen
My brief visit to Waikiki Beach (5 hours total) over 5 days in O’ahu demonstrates my aversion to known tourist traps. But first, some clarification…
There IS a difference between a tourist trap and a tourist attraction.
A tourist trap can be an attraction that has allowed the area surrounding it to get all whored out with businesses whose sole purpose is to relieve dumb tourists from their money, regardless of taste or cost, because they are there.
Examples: Waikiki Beach, Great Wall of China (Mutanyu Section), Fisherman’s Wharf (San Francisco), Times Square (NYC).
A tourist attraction is an place or item of interest where the “whoring out” that a tourist trap has is either non existent or unnecessary for the place or item of interest to exist as an attraction.
Examples: USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, Diamond Head, North Shore.
I don’t think you can accuse the above Hawaiian attractions of being “whored out” or “tourist traps”.
Sometimes there are reasons to brave tourist traps. In some cases, it’s the only way to visit an ancient wonder (Great Wall) and in other cases, it’s the businesses that are part of the tourist trap area. In San Francisco, the only reason to go down there (if you live here) is that the Wharf has The City’s only (ONLY) In & Out Burger and Hooters as well as the old school seafood restaurants. In Waikiki Beach, there’s a firing range (yep) and several good ramen shops. And like the idiot that I am, I went to Waikiki Beach to eat ramen…
The first shop I hit was on my second night in O’ahu. Ezogiku Ramen is a chain of ramen shops that are scattered all over O’ahu along with the original shops in Tokyo and Sapporo.
Yes, I got the addresses to the shops in Japan and they’re on my “to eat” list now.
After reading about the history of Ezogiku and its Japanese roots, I asked the waitress (who was bringing me a beer, yeay!) what the specialty of the house was.
Waitress: “Miso Ramen”
Me: “One please!”
The miso had that “zing” that we all love in our miso ramen. Or maybe that was a touch too much MSG. But in either case, it was very well done. The noodles were snappy and the scallions were good too. The slice of cha siu was cold, like it was taken out of an icebox and put onto the bowl and the broth could have been a bit warmer.
Many of the customers inside the shop were Japanese and if I closed my eyes while slurping down the noodles in my bowl, I could imagine I was in Tokyo in some unknown ramen shop. Bliss. Until a squad of PRC tourists came in, excessively loud (in both dress AND volume) and hungry. Then when they all got their food, the slurping began. A great sound! Guess they love ramen too.
Ramen Ezogiku Waikiki
2146 Kalakaua Avenue
Waikiki HI 96815
808-926-8616
Warning: There ARE differences between shops that share the same name. There’s an Ezogiku Ramen on University Avenue down the hill from UH. Other than sharing the name, the ramen here was mediocre. I won’t go on further because it was a big disappointment as this was to be my last meal before I caught the red-eye back to the mainland. A word of advice: If you go to a ramen shop and you see the bowls coming out of the kitchen with heaps of bean sprouts on top, think carefully before you order. Too much bean sprouts on bowls of ramen is like maki (sushi rolls) that’s all rice and not enough fish. It’s FILLER!
Run away!!
Sunset from Portlock
Sunset from Portlock, near Koko Head, O’ahu
Final afternoon in O’ahu
When people think of “Hawaii”, chances are they are thinking of “Waikiki Beach”. Waikiki Beach is a very nice strip of beach but it’s also a big money shopping and hotel district along with some of the flotsam that these districts attract.
Of cors, you dun see that on the Beach, lah!
Beeyoutiful day to take in some sun!
More white sands, more people
I’m sure the scenery is better on the weekend. Must come back! Here you get BOTH shopping and beach for those of you who find both to be important…
Aloha O’ahu! Till next time!
Now back to the land of the cold and the home of the wet! Did I mention that I’m flying out on a Red-Eye?!?
Secret Spots on O’ahu
Many of my friends that travel to Hawaii are snobs, I think. They think of O’ahu as simply an airport as they jet off to Maui or Ha’waii (big island) because it’s “more beautiful”. True, O’ahu is the most urbanized because of Honolulu, but the city is NOT the island.
There are places all over O’ahu that make it seem like Honolulu is a jillion miles away. But one advantage to the City being so close is that these spots are easily accessible, unlike Maui or the other glam islands. These are some of the spots I found by mucking about. In a Roadster.
Tantalus: The drive here is fairly easy. Past the Punchbowl National Cemetery, there’s Tantalus Road. Turn right and go up. Within 3 minutes, the houses will thin out and you’re in rainforest. Within 20 minutes you’re at the summit.
About 2 minutes down, there’s the Puu Ualakaa State Park with a lookout that puts all of Honolulu and a lot of ocean at your feet.
Urban Honolulu with Diamond Head looming in the background
From the right, HNL, Hickam Field and Pearl Harbour
This is the gate to the Puu Ualakaa Park. Please note the sign. What happens after you leave a message?
I hope someone checks the machine…
I also found a lookout that evening near Koko Head near the Portlock, Hawaii Kai area. It’s a cliff that overlooks the ocean that you have to shimmy between two houses and a very steep sandy path gets you here.
If this were in CA, there would be warning signs every 10 feet and a fence.
It’s a little part of O’ahu that’s frequented by locals. Not many tourists come out here, according to a fellow photographer.
Also got photo shoots happening here too.
While I was here watching the sunset, I heard and saw a whale go by, flapping its fin. Cool!
kersploosh
Finally, showtime!
The end to a good day
…a shining house on a hill…
Sunset from Oahu
Here’s a nice shot to end my first full day here on O’ahu.
This is the view you got if you were sacrificed at the Puu O Mahuka Heiau. People still bring offerings. Here’s all that’s left. And it’s a National Historical Landmark!
The stones are sacred here; dun touch or go inside!
Thankfully, all I had to sacrifice was about 6 minutes of mountain driving to get here. Parking right in front…
I was the only one out there round sunset. Along with a wild boar. Too fast to take pic…
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