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Post by Catherine Toth.
I didn’t realize how attached I was to my car until this weekend.
Long story short: I got three tickets. One for not having the current insurance card in the car. The second for having an expired safety check. And the third for not having had the car registered.
The total damage: close to $300.
Here’s my excuse: I don’t have the insurance card on me, which means I can’t get a safety check, which means I can’t get the car registered.
I realize it’s still my fault. I should have called for another insurance card — but didn’t. And I waited a few months before even calling my mechanic about scheduling an appointment to get a safety check. (He’s been on vacation, which didn’t help.)
And now I’m car-less.
Yes, I can still drive the car, though not legally. And the officer informed me that they have the right to tow car without current safety check and/or registration. So if I’m caught on the road again without having updated all that information — and I got busted just a block from my house — I might get my car impounded.
That was enough to scare me into public transportation.
I didn’t have a car until college, so I lived on the city bus. It’s how I got around all through high school and even the first couple of years at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. We used to even catch the Circle Island bus to the North Shore — just for fun.
Unless I was lucky enough to score a ride from someone — usually my boyfriend or mom — I either walked or rode the bus. So I’m no stranger to Hawaii’s public transportation.
But I’ll be honest, it’s been awhile.
I looked online for the bus schedule and routes and figured out I needed to catch the No. 23 on Kalanianaole Highway to get to Waikiki, where I had an appointment.
So I walked to the bus stop — only two buses stop there — and waited. I was about six minutes early for the 7:26 a.m. bus.
Which never showed up.
So I waited for the 7:51 a.m. bus.
As soon as I saw it round the corner, I started putting my Kindle away to get up. But the bus just drove right past, didn’t even wait or slow down. And it wasn’t empty, either.
Annoyed, I looked up the time for the next bus. I had to wait another 10 minutes. By this point, I had been sitting at the bus stop — with cars and trucks zooming by me on the busy Kalanianaole Highway during rush hour — for nearly an hour. Kinda ridiculous.
Finally, at about 8:09 a.m., another No. 23 came by. This time I knew to be ready — standing with my $2.50 in my hand. He stopped, I got in, I found a seat, and I was off.
It didn’t take more than 20 minutes to get to Waikiki. I can’t complain about that.
I have no problem with public transportation being that 1) it’s on time and 2) it actually stops to let you get on.
That was my first day on the bus. Can’t imagine what it will be like tomorrow.
There are a few food-and-activity pairings I love.
Surfing and Spam musubis.
Watching sunsets and drinking moscato d’asti.
Hiking and Slurpees.
But it turns out that last one about hiking may now be adjusted slight.
It might prefer acai bowls to Splurpees — especially after having breakfast at the Hiking Hawaii Cafe in Waikiki.
I’ll be honest — at first I was skeptical. This is a cafe that’s paired with a hiking outfitter. You meet here for hikes to Makapuu or Kuliouou Ridge — and grab a chai latte or breakfast pizza while you wait.
It’s really a great concept, started by partners Crystal Evans and Fabio Vilela about a year ago.
And the best part — the cafe isn’t just for hiking clients. Anyone — like my friend and I who just finished stand-up paddleboarding in Waikiki (which ended tragically with an iPhone 5S on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean) — can stop by for an all-fruit smoothie or yogurt topped with housemade granola.
I’m always on the lookout for the Next Great Acai Bowl. (My favorite is still the one from Jewel or Juice in Kaimuki.) So when I saw this on the menu, of course I ordered it.
Hiking Hawaii Cafe’s acai bowl comes with a blend of acai berry and mango — different! — with guarana topped with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey and coconut (which I opted out of). This big bowl (above) was $8.25.
I couldn’t taste the mango much, except that the acai blend had a fuller taste and a little more tang. (Credit the mango?) But the consistency was great — I like mine a little thicker — and the toppings were better than at most other shops.
My unfortunate — and now iPhone-less — SUP partner got the pitaya bowl (above). Same concept as an acai bowl but with the trendy dragonfruit — called pitaya. Despite its vibrant exterior and color, the fruit is surprisingly mellow in taste.
It’s become the new superfriut — acai was called this once — because it’s low in calories, a source of beneficial dietary fiber, and rich in vitamin C, B and antioxidants. It’s even has vegetarian-brand omega 3 fatty acids.
But the cafe also serves hearty plates like pizzas, panini sandwiches and salads.
It’s a little hard to find and parking is lacking. But if you’re in the area and you’re craving a nice big bowl of goodness — and you don’t want to wait in line at Bogart’s Cafe on Monsaratt — this is the place to go.
And maybe book a hike while you’re at it.
Hiking Hawaii Cafe, 1910 Ala Moana Blvd. underneath Todai Restaurant in Waikiki. Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Phone: (855) 808-4453.
A while back I stumbled across something I hadn’t seen in years.
OK, decades.
The Fortune Teller Miracle Fish. Remember those?
And I couldn’t even tell you where we used to get these red plastic fish from, either, or whether we believed in them or not. But I do remember them.
Here’s how it works:
You place this paper-thin fish in the palm of your hand and its movements will indicate your mental state. Jealousy, indifferent, romantic — the fish knows.
Supposedly, the fish is made from sodium polyacrylate that will grab onto whatever water molecules it touches, thereby changing its shape.
I don’t know if this means I’m in love or passionate — or crazy to believe either! At the every least, it was a fun trip down memory lane.
Now all I need is a set of Chinese jacks and I’m good to go!
