‘Twas it was two nights before Christmas, when all through the city, we gathered together to be shuttled to our starting point for our last perimeter walk of the year.

Diamond Head Tennis Courts

Thanks to Aileen for cramming Aida, Cinja, Leianne, Mari, Quan, Scott, Tessa, and myself in her dad’s truck to be dropped off at Mapunapuna.

Mapunapuna

Ferlino met us at the drop off point and harmonized his harmonica for our listening pleasure. Seasonal tunes.

Mapunapuna

Light being blocked under refracted light in water droplets.

Nimitz Highway

Row, row, row your cart
Gently down the road
That was built for the military bases and the airport
Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Until the homeless asks for it back

Nimitz Highway

Crossing over Moanalua Stream as it emptied into Keehi Lagoon.

Nimitz Highway

Bathroom break and free ice water at the fast food chain that first arrived to Hawaii in 1968.

Nimitz Highway

Passing alongside the mural that combines elements of Kapalama, Kalihi, Kukui and Kou trees, Diamond Head and a school of Aku.

Young Brothers

Walking across the inter-island shipping company that was established in 1913 and has basically kept a monopolizing stranglehold on the water market in Hawaii.

Nimitz Highway

Nobody wanted to get their blood pressure taken but some of us really wanted our picture taken with the fire fighters.

Nimitz Highway

Passing the former Xerox building that was witness to the worst mass shooting in Hawaii. On November 2, 1999, Bryan Uesugi killed seven of his co-workers and later surrendered to the police. He is currently serving a life sentence without possibility of parole in Tallahatchie County Correctional facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi.

Lilihia Bakery

Getting our sugar fix at the bakery that started out in 1950 selling loaves of bread.

Nimitz Highway

Entering the outskirts of downtown Honolulu, which is the business and political nexus of the islands.

Nimitz Highway

Passing through Honolulu Harbor that is the lifeline for the islands as over 80% of our goods arrive by sea.

Aloha Tower

Group photo in front of the 184′ retired lighthouse that once greeted thousands of immigrants that sailed to Honolulu. The iconic landmark opened in 1926 and was the highest structure in the island for four decades.

Aloha Tower

Walking around the seemingly deserted Aloha Tower Marketplace that is currently owned and managed by the Hawaii Pacific University. Perhaps they best stick to what they know best, which is higher education.

Falls of Clyde

Looking at the last surviving iron-hulled, four-masted full-rigged ship, and the only remaining sail-driven oil tanker that is currently moored at Pier 7. The State wants to remove the 145 year old ship so that it can develop the area but Friends of Falls of Clyde, a non-profit organization that currently has ownership of the ship is fighting efforts to evict the ship from her berth.

Ala Moana Blvd

Feeding the fishes and the birds.

Kawaiaha’o Church

The Westminster Abbey of Hawaii was built between 1836 and 1842 of 14,000 thousand pound slabs of coral rock quarried from offshore reefs. Kawaiaha’o Church was once the national church of the Hawaiian Kingdom, as well as the chapel of the royal family. It was here that Kamehamhea III said the phrase that would become Hawai’i’s official motto “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘aina i ka pono.” “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”.

Frank F. Fasi Civic Center Grounds

Walking through the annual month-long December City of Lights celebration that was started by Mayor Fasi back in 1985.

Kapiolani Blvd

Crossing the street as we passed the Advertiser Building that was built in 1929 and once housed the island’s oldest newspapers and radio station. It was purchased by Hawaiian Dredging as their headquarters in 2016.

Kaka’ako

Walking around the ever changing landscape of the Pow!Wow! graffiti murals that add a splash of color to the industrial neighborhood.

Kaka’ako

Checking out 1-2buy Asian warehouse that stocks esoteric and exotic snacks, drinks and merchandise in a no-frills shopping environment.

Kaka’ako

Japanese imported fire truck complete with working sirens and lights can be yours for only $18,000 USD or 2,567,889 JPY depending on the daily exchange rate.

Kaka’ako

We caught a last gander at the street art that was dominated by gas mask wearing rodents. One thought is that the gas masks symbolize government oppression against free speech.

Kaka’ako Farmers Market

Window shopping as we passed the corridor of tasty looking but rather expensive morsels of food and drink and immersive butterfly dome. We settled for the cheap and tasty $5 bento box lunch wagon nearby. Comfort food. Can’t go wrong.

Ala Moana Blvd

Group photo with Big Santa in the background that has made its annual appearance since 1959 to kick off the holiday season at the world’s largest open air shopping center.

Ala Moana Park

Passing the beach park that sits on reclaimed swamp land that was filled in with dredged coral fill and was dedicated by FDR in 1934. Nearby Magic Island was also a man-made peninsula created in 1962 that was originally slated to be home to a hotel and shopping complex until public outcry turned it into a public park.

Hilton Hawaiian Village

Standing in front of the sculpture that is home to one of the largest hotels in the world that sprawls over 22 acres of beachfront property.

Kalia Road

Passing the former Battery Randolph that was built in 1911 for coastal defense and became the US Army Museum in 1976.

Kalakaua Ave

Walking down the main shopping street in Waikiki that used to be for two-way traffic until 1971. We also learned a new German word, Fremdschaemen. To be embarrassed for somebody behaving in an embarrassing way. Hai! Hai! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Kalakaua Ave

Group photo in front of the nine-foot statue of Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing, that was erected in 1990.

Waikiki Beach

Standing at the end of the Kapahulu Groin that was built in 1951 to keep the sand from coming and going.

Kalakaua Ave

Passing the surfer on a wave statue erected in 2003.

Kalakaua Ave

Itai! Itai! Japanese couple muttering to themselves “look straight ahead and perhaps this person will lose interest in us.” Fremdschaemen.

Kalakaua Ave

The futile quest to find a working payphone on this island outside of the airport.

Kalakaua Ave

Group photo at the Dillingham Fountain that actually replaced the original Phoenix Fountain that was built in 1919 and gifted by the Japanese people that were living in Hawaii at that time. However, after the Pearl Harbor attack, the fountain was torn down and scrapped for metal. If it wasn’t for the war, the more aesthetically appealing fountain might still be standing today.

Kapiolani Park

Standing in the drizzling rain in the first public park in Hawaii that was dedicated in 1877 and had its origins as home to a horse racing track.

Pioneer Saloon

Post walk meal at Pioneer Saloon. Utensils? How else am I supposed to eat? With my hands? Fremdschaemen.

GPS Tracks

Our year end perimeter walk covered 11.39 miles with a fun group. Only two more sections left to complete the entire island of Oahu.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Cinja Strickland, Leianne Lee Loy, Mari Saito, Quan Haberstroh, Scott Dea, Tessa Bugay, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

Our hike in the mountains got rescheduled, so it was back to the pavement for our perimeter walk #11.

Waipahu

Mahalo to Chico for dropping Aida, Aileen, Akira, Lilyn, Mari, Ryan, Tessa, and myself off on Waipahu Depot Street.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Walking on the bike path where we soon passed the HFD Waipahu Maintenance Facility and Ted Makalena Golf Course that opened in 1971.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Sharing the path with bicyclists and stray dogs. Luckily, one of them didn’t bite.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Looking out towards the Middle Loch of Pearl Harbor that are home to 13 mothballed naval ships.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Yielding to two-wheeled and four-wheeled traffic.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Boarding the bus to shorten our time on the path.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Exact change only. Get behind the yellow line!

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Crossing over Waiawa Stream.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Passing the community project that is working to restore the coastline through education and engagement.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

We crossed over Lehua Avenue to continue on the path and passed a marker that stated 11 miles to Honolulu Depot in Iwilei, which was the old train depot of the Oahu Railway and Land Company (OR&L).

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Measuring up to one of two shoe trees, unlike its arboreal brethren on the mainland, these shoes are nailed to the tree trunk instead of dangling from the branches.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Mixed messages or perhaps complementary in a patch of taro and watercress plants.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Passing the HECO Waiau Power Plant that started generating power for the island back in 1938.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Catch and release?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Akira enjoying the views of East Loch.

Japanese Peace Bell

We detoured off the path to visit the wooden pavilion located on the edge of Neal Blaisdell Park, that was built entirely from interlocking lumber using no nails by two craftsmen from Japan.

Japanese Peace Bell

Group photo with the bell that was donated by the Buddhist Bishop Ekan Ikeguchi of Kagoshima, Japan in 1991 to mark the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Best Buy

We dropped into one of 1,138 stores to enjoy some air conditioned air, use the bathrooms and pick up a laptop.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Somebody had the bright idea of stuffing the laptop in their backpack. Somebody ended up carrying the laptop for the remainder of the walk.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Akira trying to channel his inner hamster. Epic fail.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

I guess it was hot for some.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Going underneath Moanalua Freeway, that was surprisingly devoid of homeless encampments.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Detouring around the fenced compound that is home to the COMPACFLT Boathouse.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Climbing and hanging onto the tree branch as we channeled our inner Ferlino.

Kamehameha Highway

Why did the hikers cross the road? To avoid getting run over.

Halawa View Apartments

Life imitating art. The mural in the background that covers one side of the 14-story building depicts Hina, the Hawaiian moon goddess, who was believed to have guided sailors with the moon and the stars.

Kamehameha Highway

Crossing over Halawa Stream. Always one in the crowd.

Kamehameha Highway

How the Grinch stole Christmas. So much for giving other people’s laptop to those in need.

Kamehameha Highway

Walking underneath the largest public works project in the State’s history. Today, it was at least good for shade. $54 per person.

Kamehameha Highway

Hitchhiker. Thumb is not big enough.

Kamehameha Highway

Trying to avoid being roadkill.

Nimitz Highway

Walking underneath Hawaii’s busiest highway and the not ready for prime time Skyline.

Nimitz Highway

Traffic mirror group selfie.

Big Kahuna’s Pizza

Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Not the dentist. Hai! Hai! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Nimitz Highway

It’s not a shopping cart, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Nimitz Highway

Unattended cart.

Nimitz Highway

Does this have a seat belt?

Nimitz Highway

Trying to make short work of our walk back to the yard.

Nimitz Highway

Pushing maximum load capacity.

All pau

Akira practicing catch and release on our way back to the cars.

GPS Tracks

Our eleventh walk around the island covered 11.2 miles through the urbanized parts of the island with a fun group. Back in the yard, we spent an inordinate amount of time transferring photos to each other. Some of us drove to Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats in Kalihi for refreshing Halo-Halo dessert to cool us down from our walk.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Aileen Agustin, Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Lilyn Avendano, Mari Saito, Ryan Nakahara, Tessa Bugay, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.