Hawaii Day 10: Visiting Kamehameha Friends

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I can’t remember why I went back to Shima’s market again, but I did, and that is where I bought some apple bananas. They were grown locally in Waimanalo and when I brought them home, Makai scarfed one down, then asked for another, and then the other kids attacked the rest. They were gone in minutes!

img_4146.jpgimg_4144.jpgFullSizeRender-6 FullSizeRender-5 img_4126.jpgimg_4108.jpgimg_4142.jpgI decided to stop in to this spot that I kept on passing by. I didn’t even know what it was before I decided to check it out. The Waimanalo Market Co-Op. This place was filled with local produce, food, arts, jewelry and clothing. Everything in the store is locally grown or made, and 80% of the farmers from the Waimanalo community. I bought a jar of Macadamia Nut Honey Coconut Peanut Butter, made by North Shore Goodies, and some earrings made of puka shell and pearl, made by Waimanalo Wahine Sea Jewels. The peanut butter is A-MAZE-ING and I love the earrings. I’ve worn them a ton of times already. I also really liked some jewelry made by Maile Girl Designs, but didn’t buy any. In the back of the co-op they had an area where they were making fresh poke and other local food.

img_4122.jpg img_4118.jpg img_4124.jpgimg_4136.jpgAcross the parking lot, I stopped in at ‘Ai Love Nalo, a vegan restaurant. Ging had told me about this place and their amazing food. She especially likes the veggie laulau. I didn’t have the time to get food, but I did get some iced Kona coffee with coconut milk and some iced tea.

cropped-img_4154.jpgWhen I got back, Dallas, Makai and I went up to the Punalu’u to see our friend, Hoku, Dallas’s classmate from Kamehameha Schools. Hoku lives in a guest house outside a beach house that has been in his family for generations. He’s so close to the water that when the waves get rough they splash onto his patio doors! I’d love to go to bed listening to the waves every night.

FullSizeRender-7FullSizeRender-4FullSizeRender-1 img_4164.jpgWhen we arrived we were all pretty hungry, so the first thing we did was go get lunch. I had garlic shrimp and it was SO GOOD. A week later on the trip I was still thinking about it! And wouldn’t you know… we got it at a tiny kitchen with a window in the back of a convenience store! The store is Kaya’s and the tiny window restaurant is 2 Bald Guys. SOOOO good.

img_4173.jpgimg_4169.jpgimg_4167.jpgBack at the house, Makai had so much fun playing with Hoku’s ukulele! Everywhere we went on this vacation, he pointed out ukulele’s, so we, of course, had to get him one!

img_4180.jpg Hoku has a big dog named Zen Boy and Makai got to meet one of his baby relatives!

img_4183.jpgimg_4181.jpgimg_4200.jpgimg_4195.jpgDallas, Hoku and Makai (and Zen Boy) went swimming right outside Hoku’s house.

img_4202.jpg FullSizeRender-3 FullSizeRender-2Though we were having fun chilling out at Hoku’s house, we had another party to get to, so we ran to Whole Foods in Kailua and then to Billy and Ging’s to shower and then to Red Hill at BJ and Nalani’s house. We brought a gorgeous chocolate and raspberry torte, poke, purple sweet potatoes, Mehana Brewing’s Volcano Red Ale, and Cabo Chip’s elote flavored tortilla chips (they were SO delicious!).

cropped-img_4212.jpgimg_4214.jpgAt the party there was soooooo much food! Standouts: Racie brought saimin, kalbi and katsu from somewhere in Kaneohe, where she lives, and Nalani got poi malasadas from Kamehameha Bakery! Oh, and Ku’ulei brought homemade brownies that were hot out of the oven!

img_4247.jpgimg_4255.jpgimg_4257.jpgMakai had so much fun playing with all the kids, both big kids and little kids! This party sure was different than our parties a few years ago!

FullSizeRender Trying to take a photo of the kids was nearly impossible! Especially with the youngest – Kaneoa, Ka’io and Makai – at the end! Big kids did good – Raycen, Rustyn, Pakamia, and Li’ua.

img_4245.jpgThe kids did a little better when their parents joined! Racie with Raycen and Rustyn, BJ and Nalani with Kanehoa, Ku’ulei (Ty not pictured) with Pakamia, Donovan (Healoha not pictured) with Ka’io, and Dallas (me not pictured) with Makai.