San Francisco – USA – 2014 – Day 4-5

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I woke up early and went to B. Patisserie and grabbed the Kouign Amann & a hot chocolate. We hopped onto public transit to the California Academy of Natural Sciences which is in the same vicinity as the De Young Museum which were both options included in our Citypass but it was either De Young or Natural Science and we chose Natural Science. My favourite exhibit was the earthquake simulator that simulated the huge earthquake of 1906 & 1989 with a magnitude of 7.9. You are told to hold on to something as it recreates a simulated generic townhouse interior that we stood in.

We decided to go into the auditorium to watch the universe film in imax but I guess we were all tired and fell asleep which I am sure many others did too. The butterfly ecosphere takes over a large section as well but is a very nice walk through.

We lined up for the Powell & Hyde street cable car. We waited for one that we could take over the front and I claimed that spot hard right at the front. The streets slope to very steep angles but it was so cool to go up and down the streets on the cable car. We ended up jumping off at the windiest street – Lombard St. Beautiful homes built on this street. And somehow by the end of it, we ended up walking back to Fisherman’s Wharf. We grabbed a clam chowder bread bowl. We also returned to Union Square for some shopping. Union Square had a huge crowd growing and the marching band. It was actually the USC marching band – Prep rally. They were taking a long time warming up and practicing so we left and headed for the shops. Courtney and myself went to Macy’s while the boys went off to Topshop or somewhere. By the time we came out, the commotion was done and they all disbanded.

Our last night here so we decided to sort of meet up with Crystal and her friends. She was eating in Japantown so we got there a little bit after. We ate at Tanpopo where I got the Ramen. It was actually very chilly in the night time but we were determined to find bubble tea / boba or dessert after dinner. Places close relatively early or at least in the area we were situated. We walked a bit following helplessly to yelp directions and our end destination was a Artisanal organic yogurt place called Fraiche. I wanted the acai bowl but they didn’t have any so I settled with the Almond Joy.

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The Michael’s and Courtney’s flight were at an earlier time than mine so Cassie & Victor had agreed to drop me off at the airport. But before they did, we had one more stop before I left the Bay area and it was to a Mexican place called Taqueria El Forolito (2779 Mission). The burritos are literally brick sized. I got the super shrimp and I inhaled it. I never leave food behind and washed it down with a Jarritos grapefruit. A great way to end off a trip by seeing old friends while discovering new cities and places.

San Francisco – USA – 2014 – Day 3

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We went back to Fisherman’s Wharf for breakfast at Boudin. Fresh bread – what else can you ask for. We got the normal bacon, eggs, potato wedges with toast. After breakfast, we met up with our friends Crystal, Michelle and Joanna to rent bikes just down the street.

We grabbed the bikes and road the coast line towards the Golden Gate bridge. The ride was testing in certain areas. There was one big hill in the beginning by the beach that you need to get up then it’s a nice park you ride through until you hit the main street. Continue biking down the street then onto the boardwalk which leads you to a pier where locals fish. We stopped for a moment then up another hill that I ended up getting off my bike and walking it up the second portion. Taking a breather, we stopped for another split second to take photos by the bridge. On the bridge itself, there is a dedicated lane for bikes and a dedicated lane for pedestrians. The rental place told us that we should make a shortcut at one point so we don’t end up biking on the side of the road after the bridge but apparently I didn’t see it and I was leading but not leading so we ended up going down the side of the road which was really steep and just flew by. Michelle had stopped by a car park because the view was so nice but it was on a turn on the steep hill so I had to backtrack a bit. Since we rode over the bridge, we rode to the town of Sausalito which is a cute little place. We ate at Napa Valley Burger Company where I had the Baker Beach BBQ Turkey Burger in a lettuce Wrap and it was delicious. We then had to make sure we caught the ferry with our bikes that brought us back over to the mainland.

When we returned to the main pier, Crystal, Joanna & Michelle parted ways with us and we decided to head to the Exploratorium and it was so much fun. Unfortunately timing wise we only had maybe an hour to go through the whole place and we went reverse way. It’s similar to the Toronto Science Centre and I love going through these types of places. They also do late night at the Exploritorium similar to Toronto’s late night at the ROM where it’s adults only but we skipped it. We had enough time to head to Union Square and goto Uniqlo. Right across the street was a restaurant I was told I need to goto called King of Thai Noodle (184 Farrell St) and man it was so delicious. I got the pad see ew and it was heaven on a plate.

San Francisco – USA – 2014 – Day 1 & 2

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I travelled with 3 friends (Michael H, Michael Y & Courtney) to San Francisco for 5 days and also met up with a few friends (Michael T, Cassie (who now resides in SF), Victor, Crystal, Michelle & Joanna). There was no real itinerary made for this trip however we did purchase the CityPass which is a great solution for first timers who want to see what attractions the city has to offer on a short period of time including unlimited access to buses and streetcars.

NOTE: If you want to goto Alcatraz – BOOK IN ADVANCED!

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We flew from Las Vegas to San Francisco after a volleyball tournament. We grabbed a SUV taxi and headed for Japantown. The trio booked a really cool little hotel on Sutter St called Hotel Tomo (1800 Sutter St). Originally when Courtney booked this incredible flight and hotel deal for her and Michael H, it was for a single bed so I had messaged Cassie who had just recently moved there for work and coincidently she lives not even a full block away which made my decision to goto SF finalized because she said I could stay with her.

After settling in and me leaving my stuff in their hotel room, we decided to walk from our location through to Chinatown and find some dinner. We first stopped by a place that sold $1 bubbletea. I had asked Cassie for a recommendation and she mentioned Great Eastern Restaurant (649 Jackson St). The food was good but I think we ordered items off the menu that the restaurant wasn’t known for looking at surrounding tables. We walked back from Chinatown to Japantown which was a decent 30-40 minute walk each way. Good thing the Bay area is a 4×4 grid where everything is relatively close. When we returned to the hotel, I grabbed my things and walked over to Cassie’s. The trio (Cassie, Victor & Michael T) had spent the day doing touristy things when I finally met up with them. We all jumped in and headed out for late night bubble tea at Little Sweet Café (3836 Geary Blvd) and I must say bubble tea aka boba is so cheap in SF! I got the Tie Kuan Yin milk tea which was a little too sweet but it was under $5USD.

 

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Michael T and myself woke up early so we went for a stroll while the couple slept. I was also giving my group ample time to get ready. Cassie recommended Sweet Maple (2101 Sutter St) for breakfast. They have millionaire bacon which is a cured bacon that is featured on “United States of Bacon” of Discovery Network. Thick, free range bacon, baked with brown sugar, cayenne, red and black pepper. I got the Eggs Benedict with maple bacon. We grabbed a taxi right outside the door and off we went to Pier 38. At the pier we also grabbed our Citypass which gave us unlimited bus, free entrance into museums and attractions etc. The Alcatraz audio walking tour was really good as it leads you all the way around with informative stories of the history behind this prison and the life of inmates. Remember to book early if you want to do this tour as it fills up quickly. Alcatraz at night tours fill up months in advance.

We came back to shore and took the old school streetcar to Fisherman’s Wharf and grabbed In-N-Out for lunch. A double double with animal style fries yes please! The aquarium was our next calling. It actually wasn’t the warmest day in San Fran and very windy especially near the pier. We also went the tourist route and went to Pier 39 to see the sea lions. We walked around killing time at the pier as we were meeting Courtney’s uncle and his friend for dinner. We settled on Scoma’s for fresh seafood. Too bad we ate a late lunch at In-N-Out that we weren’t hungry enough to order full meals.

After dinner we parted ways from Courtney’s uncle and friends and followed the light; the lights of the Ghiradelli sign that is. It is pronounced gear-ar-delly. We got ice cream and hot chocolate with sea salt in it at the main store and it was delicious plus chocolate to go!

Kailua – Waimānalo – Waikiki – Oahu – Hawaii – 2014 – Day 12 & 13

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We drove over to Kailua and Lanikai beach. The sand was so soft and white but the water was a little choppy. NOTE: It is easier to find parking at Kailua Beach surrounding area then walk over to Lanikai Beach. We walked over to Lanikai beach which has a few alleys/access points to get to the beach – Enter through the 3rd entrance / gate. The journey over to Lanikai beach just looks like normal residential making the beach seem like a hidden secret. The waters were calmer at Lanikai. Such a relaxing oasis. If we had the time we would’ve tried to go for a hike to the pillbox. We were hungry so we ventured back to our car and made our way to Agnes Portuguese bakery (46 Hoolai St) for malasadas. We then walked over to the next plaza and ate at L&L drive-in for Chinese/Hawaiian food. I got the Saimin Burger (fried ramen buns) and it was only $4.99USD. So oily because it was fried but so tasty after it cooled down.

After re-fueling, off we went to Makapu’u lookout but we really wanted to head to the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse. We hiked up to get to the lighthouse which technically is in a restricted area. We climbed around the fence and walked where the white fence was. We walked all the way about 10 meters from the lighthouse which was also blocked off with barbed wire. There was a cliff where the fence ended and it was such a sight.  Juan and Melissa climbed the cliffside and placed their blessings of flowers that was wrapped at their ceremony and put it up in a little corner where the wind wouldn’t take it away and stay forever peacefully (hopefully). They put it high enough that it would be hard for others to reach. They took the remaining flowers and threw them over the cliffs. The hawaiian saying is if you throw flowers into the ocean and they return to the shore it means that you will return back to Hawaii once again.

Also located at Makapu’u trails are tide pools which you must climb down to (there is no true path down but you figure it out as you go). I ended up driving home after a McDonald’s run.  The drive back seemed so long but not too bad. We ended up just hanging in the living room together and talking, eating and sharing photos with one another.

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Woke everyone around 545AM so that we could all take in the last sunrise of the trip. We walked over to the field where the basketball courts were and just took it all in. The sun started rising fast and it started to sink in that we were nearing the end. We all hopped into the 3 cars to head back to Waikiki. As we arrived at Aqua Bamboo, we unloaded and the shuttle for Juan & Melissa’s family arrive forthwith.

From there, 6 remained who were leaving later in the evening and Megan & Kim who were staying a day or two more. We decided to go back to Surf N Turf Tacos for lunch – I finally got the kalbi and spicy sesame poke tacos but they just didn’t compare to the grilled fish taco. The spicy sesame poke taco was pretty good though. We walked over to Lawson’s for mochi ice cream. I grabbed the guava, passionfruit, cantaloupe and li hing mango. We ended up just hanging by the beach for a little bit as we had about 3-4 hours to kill before our shuttle to the airport arrived. Ronnel, Jennifer and I decided to walk the beach one last time and it was such a great day for it. The waves were perfect but too bad we didn’t have time to surf. At 330PM Jennifer, Eric, Ryan and I went to Food Pantry and got our final steak plates and mochi ice cream. I finished off with pistachio, chocolate peanut butter and finally the azuki red bean bringing my total to 20 mochi’s eaten this trip. My true love of Hawaii. The airport shuttle arrived and we said aloha to 13 blissful days in Hawaii.

Recap the trip. I love the culture & lifestyle here with the integration of so many multicultural groups that it still phases me how I can’t tell ethnicities apart especially realizing that we were still in America. I kept getting mistaken for a local surfer girl because of the long hair (longest I’ve ever had which is almost to my butt) and how dark I’ve gotten. Hawaii is beautiful and relaxing but it is a little too laid-back for me to ever consider moving there. I need more city life, more hustle and bustle.  I do however love the weather though and wish Toronto had it year round.

Polynesian Cultural Centre – Laie – Oahu – Hawaii – 2014 – Day 11

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We went to the Polynesian Cultural Centre (55-370 Kamehameha Hwy). 7 islands in one place.

It was such a fun experience. We got a 10% discount because of our large group which included luau with buffet and a show – $99CDN. It was pretty much a large outdoor facility with majority of its staff coming from the local university. At certain islands, we were able to get temporary skin tattoos from Aotearoa (Ow-T-O-roa), Tonga and Tahiti.

We started at the Samoa pavilion and the Kap was an amazing MC. He showed us how to open a coconut and start a fire with its husk. You can tell when a coconut is ready by the colour – it needs to be brown – therefore a ripe coconut. We played the stick game at the Aotearoa island where you throw 4 sticks back and forth. We walked around and tried to catch all the shows. We saw the huge canoe pageant on the river where all the islands had their own float and did a few dances that represented each particular culture.

We then met up with the rest of the group for the luau buffet. It was really good. The mango smoothie in the pineapple is really tasty (if you decide to purchase). The food selection consisted of kalua pig, poke, steak, chicken, fish, taro, sweet potato and salad for the most part. It was such a good meal to have while watching a luau.

After the luau, we went to the show – Ha Mana. Sortof like a musical with incorporation of all 7 island styles of dance but also showing that the Ha (spirit) gets passed on within the ohana through centuries. It was such a good show but the highlight was definitely the aeoteroa haka dance and the fire baton spinning sections.

North Shore – Waimea – Oahu – Hawaii – 2014 – Day 10

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Awoken by roosters morning call. A nice walk on the beach and a little dip into the ocean. Off to north shore – Waimea Beach. It is a gorgeous beach with a jump rock that is about a 25FT drop. If you plan on jumping, wait until a wave comes in so that the water is deeper and make sure your swimwear is tightly fastened. Watch out for sea turtles before you jump and NEVER touch them because humans have bacteria. The tide pulls you back and forth but the water is pretty calm once you pass the first bit. Technically could just tread all the way out there. Not many waves here to surf but bring some flippers and snorkel! We were only there for an hour and half.

We rushed to find the original Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck (66-472 Kamehameha Hwy)  but the guy literally saw us and closed up shop. So we had dessert before dinner and hit up the famous Matsumoto shaved ice (66-087 Kamehameha Hwy). I don’t know what it is about it but damn it was delicious. I had the azuki bowl with shaved ice, ice cream, red beans and not sure what else but it was amazing. We went to the second location for Giovanni’s aloha shrimp truck (56-505 Kamehameha Hwy). I got the lemon and butter shrimp – I think my plate of shrimp from Mike’s Huli Huli was better and bigger to be honest. We all wrote on the truck as well!  We returned back to the estate for a fun night in with the crew.

Kaʻaʻawa – Oahu – Hawaii – 2014 – Day 9

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It’s finally Wedding day!

The bride and groom were both busy trying to write their vows.

The videographer Philip and his assistant Gabriel of Supreme Video Productions joined us that morning to get well acquainted with the space and people.

In Hawaii, rain is counted as a blessing which we were blessed with a light sprinkle in the morning. The actual ceremony went off without a hitch after the morning blessings. It was a breathtaking and beautiful event to be present accompanied by the fact the couple was surrounded by loved ones and the environment just added to it.

For the dinner portion – John, Julian & tall Ryan our chefs (who came over from Toronto) created a wonderful feast kamayan style served on banana leaves. These family style platters included fresh locally sourced fish, ahi poke they made, chicken, kalua pulled pork, taro chips, corn, mac & cheese just to name a few.

The desserts were amazing too! They made rum cake with a pineapple glaze (apparently too strong) and Melissa and Juan’s wedding cake was actually a cupcake tower and smashed a cupcake into each others faces. They would have loved to do paper lanterns you light up or even sparklers but apparently both are illegal in Hawaii now.

Kaʻaʻawa – Oahu – Hawaii – 2014 – Day 8

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Rented 3 cars. Took a hour or so to get everyone and everything organized. They ran out of compact cars so we got upgraded to 2 SUV and still got 1 van – It was real life tetris to pack the cars with luggage and people. We left Aqua Bamboo to our next location – Plantation Estate in Ka’a’awa. Before we got there, we stopped by Mike’s Huli Huli Food Truck (43-525 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe). Guy Fieri has been here and you know Diners, Drive-in and Dives recommended is always good as I’ve tested in Vancouver. I got the garlic shrimp plate and it was so tasty and the shrimp were huge! The estate is so beautiful with mountains peaking from behind one side and the ocean across the street. This estate can accommodate 22 people.

The rental company came and set up the beautiful lanterns and brought all rentals including utensils, plates, cups, chairs and the archway. While that was happening, a group of us set out to Foodland (Kaneohe – 30 minutes away) to purchase food to feed 17-25 people for dinner plus breakfast as well as get alcohol for the wedding the following day. We purchased roughly $1100USD worth of groceries and alcohol but the savings (when you give them your phone number) were impeccable and we saved $245USD.

We got back and prepped dinner. We made chicken wings, steak plate styled steak, mixed salad, asian potato salad and rice courtesy of Justin, Eric, and myself.

All in all, perfect night.

Waikiki – Oahu – Hawaii – 2014 – Day 7

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Final night in Waikiki. Melissa & family went to High tea and had to run errands and since they still had mopeds they took advantage of it. A group of us did a early morning beach session before we headed over to Ala Moana mall once again to shop.

We ventured around Ala Moana for a bit checking out some stores and of course stopping by Foodland for more poke. We went to Kicks HI again and finally hit up Don Quijote (801 Kaheka St). It’s a little different from the Don Quijote I’ve been to in Japan but it’s very similar. Don Quijote is a one stop shop for everything from souvenirs, fresh food to electronics and and even facial products. To make it even better – It’s 24 hours! For food products that you can find in the ABC stores, Walmart & Don Quijote as the places to go to purchase them for cheaper. They also had tons of green tea related candies and chocolates.

We ended up grabbing poke again at Foodland before heading back and stopping by Food Pantry – Hi Steaks for steak plates. We brought it all back and ate by the poolside. Afterwards, the girls went up to help Melissa with wedding preparations. What the made the night even better, the boys came back from a night moped ride with treats from Leonard’s Bakery – Malasadas!

Manoa Falls – Oahu, Hawaii – 2014 – Day 6

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Started off the day with an Acai bowl ($7.50USD) at Hawaiian Crown Plantation (159 Kaiulani Ave – 105). Our destination for the day was Manoa Falls. The boys rented mopeds while the rest of us took the bus up. It’s beautiful. Hawaii 5-0 and Jurassic park were/are filmed here. Since we decided to go on the bus, it took forever after getting on the 8 bus to Ala Moana and waiting there for the 5 bus to Moana Valley. It’s a whole different area being in the valley between mountains. So tropical but the houses on the hillside reminded me of Jamaica homes. By the time we reached our destination, we realized after standing for a good 20 minutes that the boys had already parked and were already half ascended to the mountain top. We then hiked as a group with some difficult areas to the falls. Being a tropical area, there was rainfall which made the hike more difficult and muddy. Jaira had received a text from the boys telling us that there was a hiking trail to the top after you have reached the waterfall to take you to a higher elevation. The waterfall was pretty and we thought the hike to the top would be relatively short similar to our ascent to the falls. We then decided to go all the way up to join them. It was the Manoa cliff trail and it continued onto the Pauoa Flats trails. Worst decision especially on a rainy day. The parent’s were struggling just to get to the waterfalls so they went back down but the trails we continued on got windier and muddier. At first I was trying to avoid ruining my shoes but by the end of it, I got up and didn’t care where I stood as my shoes would be engulfed in the mud.

The hike above the falls to the top took about and hour and half – two hours. It started raining harder. Two gave up half way and the rest of us (8 of us) kept going up to join the boys. There was spot along the way up that is definitely worth seeing. The trail opens up and the mountain trail turns into a deep curve where the trees create a vignette that surrounds an open clearing to see what is held beneath and that was the only thing worth it. From that point, it was another 30 minutes until we would reach the top. Reaching the top,  the lookout point was cloudy and raining making it hard to see anything. Disappointed by the lack of view after a grueling hike, I had no care in the world and pushed through hard to descend. In total, we hiked 7KM/ 13000 ft.

Jennifer and myself led the pack back down. It was actually easier to go down especially since I had put my camera away and was using both hands to grapple and manoeuvre. We had to wait for everyone else to finish their hike before we could leave as the boys drove mopeds and the rest needed to cab back together. It actually took 1-2 hours for the cabs because of the area we were in and they were looking for a cab that took 7 specifically. We ended up staying there all miserable and wet but the convenience store staff felt bad for us and said that if his wife came before the cabs, that they would drive us back for free. Luckily 2 taxi’s came and we made our way back. When we got back to the hotel, we threw all of our shoes into the washer.

For dinner, we as a group of 15 went to the Cheesecake Factory (2301 kalakaua ave). I had the Kalua Pig Pizza ($13.50USD) and the white chocolate raspberry truffle cake ($7.95USD).