Kapolei, HI

Wed 23rd Ala Moana Day

Today started a little differently with everyone participating in the morning walk to coffee… even Tom! I remembered to take my phone today and so there are shots of the shore-line walk included in this update.

The plan for the day was straightforward: morning walk, pool time, Ala Moana (for last minute shopping), show Matt Waikiki, Moana Surfrider and Dukes, sunset drinks at Dukes and then dinner at our favourite Waikiki venue… Tanaka of Tokyo – a great Teppanyaki restaurant.

The day started out well with a fairly clear and blue sky and less wind than previous days which then made for enjoyable pool time. We even managed to find lounge chairs in partial shade. The resort doesn’t provide umbrellas as the prevailing winds would turn these into WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and they’re rather touchy about that issue here.

After showers and a quick bite to eat we headed off on the 35 min drive to Waikiki’s Ala Moana shopping centre. We shopped until we dropped there and that peaked at about 4.30 pm. The drive downtown to find parking for dinner went smoothly and we showed Matt the Banyan Tree Courtyard at the Moana Surfrider before heading to Dukes for sunset drinks.

Dinner was at Tanaka of Tokyo but the restaurant had moved across the road since our last visit. This was a much better location as there were large windows facing the street and this allowed better lighting and a better aspect. The dining experience was top notch as always though and the evening finished with a birthday cake for Annabelle and the staff singing her Happy Birthday. We shared out table with a friendly young Hawaiian couple and they gave us a tip to check out some of the great city Christmas lights which we did on the way home. The photos don’t do them justice but you can get the general idea.