Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Trip to Hawai'i (2007)--Day 7
4/29/2007
Waianae Coast
Driving the Waianae Coast in search of photo opportunities was something I had wanted to do during our last trip to Hawai1i in 2004, but time didn't allow such a venture. We weren't going to bypass this again, so off we went on another sunny morning, driving the Farrington Highway all the way to the end of the paved roadway a couple miles south of Keana Point (the northwestern tip of Oahu). In the process, we found a few tasty vantage points for pics along the way. It's an interesting area, one where, once you get past the Ko`olina Resort, you won't find many tourists. It's also an area where we'd been advised to be careful and keep as low a profile as possible. Let's face it; as tourists, we aren't welcome everywhere in Hawai`i, for a laundry list of reasons which I don't find necessary to examine on this site. It is what it is.
More sun and leftover Buca food in the afternoon; after a quick nap to recharge our batteries, we walked down Kalakaua Avenue to Duke's Canoe Club. On late Sunday afternoons each week, they stage what is called "Duke's On Sunday", usually featuring music by Henry Kapono and his band (when Henry is in town). We were both looking forward to seeing Henry in person after listening to so much of his music during the past couple years as part of Cecilio & Kapono (with Cecilio Rodriguez).
Getting to Duke's at 3:00, we found every railside table (overlooking the stage) to be occupied. For that matter, every table at the Barefoot Bar was taken, so we wandered down to the bandstand/dance floor area, sitting on a rock ledge and sipping our drinks. Soon, chairs were put up on either side of the bandstand, and we found out they're not reserved, so we planted our okoles (buns). Shortly, his band arrived and started getting in tune for the show, followed briefly by Henry. "I should have brought my camera", a familiar refrain I used whenever we went somewhere sans camera. But nowhere did that statement ring more true than on this evening.
Henry's band was outstanding, featuring more of a raggae/Jawaiian (a mix of Jamaican and Hawaiian which has established a very strong footing in the Hawaiian music scene) sound than Contemporary Hawaiian or any other kind. They played from 4:00 until after 6:15. The setting is fantastic; you're right next to the beach with Diamond Head in the background. On a warm, sunny Sunday, this is as perfect a place to kick back with drinks as any other venue I can think of. Even the brief period of light showers couldn't diminish our enjoyment of this early evening.
Previous: 4/28/2007--Our Trip to Hawai'i (2007)--Day 6
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