First time on Maui and I will only be here for an hour before the last leg of the flight to Honolulu. Enough time to look around the airport
Near my departing gate is the Central building of OGG(Kahului airport)
There are the typical stores that you would see at most airports supplying souvenirs, snacks, clothing.
Of course, beverages are a big business since you can bring them in through security and must purchase them beyond security check
The short 40 minute flight flies over/by a few of the other Hawaiian islands.
I believe this to be Molokai. On the western side, theres a swatch of bright blue that caught my eye. Not sure if its a coral reef or shallow waters but it was very striking.
Not long before we catch the eastern edge of Oahu. In quick succession, Diamond Head's rim
Waikiki and Honolulu are a blur as we make final approach into HNL(Daniel K Inouye) airport
I will be using public transportation throughout this trip. It starts with the 20 towards Waikiki. The 20 to Arizona Memorial will take you to the west. Alighting at Ala Moana Blvd and Atkinson, a short walk to the Ala Moana Hotel. I chose this because it is close to Ala Moana Center. Though each trip is a 5 minute walk.
The food court is one thing that stuck in my mind about this place. It has a great varied selection of foods and cuisines to choose from.. I made a bee line to Coco Ichiban Curry house. This is a branch of my favorite japanese curry chain in Japan.
Beforehand, I walked by Lahaina Chicken Company. I looked them up before arriving and their offering piqued by interest.
They offered prime rib. Sure, it was fast food prime rib but it made my mouth water to think about having that for dinner/ It comes in various sizes and is served with 3 sides of your choosing.
So, I ordered the smallest cut at 6 ounces with broccoli and cheese and macaroni can cheese.
Wait, 3 sides, right? Underneath the meat was a mountain of mushroom risotto. I thought all 3 sides were good and the portions, as you can see, were large. The prime rib while not the most tender had good flavor and was well priced at $18
But you came for the curry you say. Thats true and I did not leave without ordering it. I fell for the marketting and ordered their best seller, veggie croquettes with stewed chicken curry. Admittedly, I ate the curry for breakfast the next day and fell short. The prime rib meal was more than enough. The flavor seemed kind of bland from what I have had in Japan. Maybe it would have good if I had eaten it when I ordered it or should I have gone more bold than mild on the spice level
With so much food eaten, I had to walk it off. I proceeded to walk down to Ala Moana Blvd then towards downtown Waikiki past the mouth of Ala Wai canal.
I headed toward the lagoon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. From there I made my way towards Kalakaua.
I wound through some small streets lined with several different types of shops around the Hilton Hawaiian Village. From luxury brands to coffee shops and dessert huts.
I followed the main drag down to the beach. This was a Saturday night around 8:30pm. The strip was decently busy but less than what I had expected from my last visit years ago.
Once I got to Duke Kahanamoku's statue, I went up to Kuhio on the return trip. Aside from the area around the International Marketplace, it was devoid of much foot traffic. Got back around 10pm local, wrote this and went to bed. First full day in town tomorrow and will start on the farthest west I will be on this trip
