Day 1: E-ville to Honolulu

Day 1: E-ville to Honolulu

Do they always tilt the same direction? Sometimes they lean in...

Weather: pleasant in E-ville, humid and overcast, low 80s in Honolulu

QOTD: In the top 2 or 3 great omakase meals, all-time

Is this our plane? Maybe...maybe not...maybe...maybe not

Before THB gets into the first post of 9 days in Hawaii, he has to go on record: Hawaiian Airlines sucks. And, that's before you try and get on the plane.

- Switched aircraft on the Oakland outbound flight TWICE and since their website didn't handle changes to seats after the switch, THB was on the phone for well over two hours in total with HA, including a half hour for THB at 4am this morning dealing with the second switch

- Bumped today's flight back 1.5 hours

- Switched aircrafts (only) once (so far) on the Maui - Oakland flight

- Charge $80 for "extra comfort" seats that disappeared during the aircraft switches and then re-appeared on the Oakland-Honolulu flight when HA went back to original aircraft; resulting in a refund and then another charge

- Changed the fare for a biz class upgrade while THB was on the phone with them...that call took over an hour on its own as THB waited 10+ minutes while the rep had to discuss with her supervisor (at least they came back with lower fare on 2 of the 6 seats)

- Their call center is in the Philippines and all but one phone rep sounded like a robot speaking English

- The gate-checked stroller should be back at the top of the ramp in 5-10 minutes. Think 15+...and this is for people traveling with young children

- There's a genzu-knife ad for the HA credit card given by one of the stewardesses that goes on forever. Thank goodness we finally landed so the spiel had to end

- Bag fees 

- Grumpy staff on the ground and in the air

Enough!

Toy or the real thing?

It's real!

Is it a toy or the real thing. THB assumes it is a toy

DB sez it's the real thing...C sez: plug me in J, plug me in

Can you hear anything?

DB researches and finds there is a very nice little lounge in Oakland terminal one, accessible for AMEX platinum holders and a guest (kids enter free), so since DB and THB each have a card we all get to relax and snack on breakfast fare with room for the twins to roam around. 

On the plane

Waiting for the stroller in Honolulu airport

We're in Honolulu to aid in transporting the twins and parental units for a short visit to friends of theirs (the six of us are linking up with LB on Maui on Saturday for 7 days there as a small family unit) and a visit with friends from Japan. The twins do pretty well on the plane with lots of support from K&E (of course, they are adorable when allowed to roam free), the usual crying when landing and the air pressure changes. Plenty of kids on the plane and boy in the row behind the twins makes friends with C&J (of course, he needed help telling which one he was friends with at any given time, same-same for THB)

View from our room

It turned out the Japan couple changed plans (we met in SF in late July instead) and so we're at the Halekulani on Waikiki Beach, where they like to stay when in Honolulu, on our own. 

After seeing the twins and their parents off in a rental car, THB and DB taxi to the hotel, $47.

Leaning out from our balcony

With your eyes closed it doesn't matter that you are sitting facing the inner courtyard highrise

DB discovers a secret shortcut to the bathroom

A luxury hotel that feels like you're in a fishbowl facing the inner courtyard and pool in front of Waikiki since you are looking at the other guests in the 100+ rooms on this half of the hotel, some of whom are on their decks. The guy next to us fell asleep on his deck facing the back of the courtyard (maybe he didn't realize he had a slanted beach and garden view) 

THB didn't get a pic of the room, it's nothing special except the back of the closet slides open and you can see into the bathroom. Hmmmm....very Japanese? 

Maru from the outside

Maru's foyer where the second seating of the night awaits a great meal

Dinner a short distance/long ride from the Halekulani at Maru, a seven seat sushi place (one of the seats taken by a very well mannered 5 year old who had the kid's meal). 

Tremendous omakase meal, Edo/Hokkaido style, just terrific from the beginning of slim sliced toro appetizer to the end of raw live abalone slices in ice bath with strawberries. The sous chef had spent 10 years in the Bay Area and knew Ikea (E-ville local landmark) and Sasaki, another excellent Edo/Hokkaido style omakase spot in SF. The chef spoke some English, good sense of humor and willingness to explain things (a big plus). $400pp with a nice bottle of dry sake and generous tip. 

For you foodie diehards, here's a link to the review that brought us to Maru. Does a great job of describing our meal, way better than THB could, especially since THB was in a world of ecstasy. No pics of the food, there are no cameras in the world of ecstasy. 

A 15 minute walk back to the hotel with a brief moment of rain, going partway with a couple from Irvine who sat next to DB.

Other pics:

Is it cheating to fill a post with the same pics twice?

Halekulani emblem in the pool, lit up at night