Early in the day, Jason took his Corollawagon into Midas to figure out what was going on with the brakes. Ah well, there goes the potential Pimp My Ride video. Can't open the driver side door with a key? A/C broken? Brakes of jet engine doom? I think it would have made a great candidate.
Roll out of bed, and Jason and I head to Eggs 'N Things (if you're local, you pronounce it Eggs'n'Teengs). Hash browns omelette (3 eggs!) that comes with 3 buttermilk pancakes. Mmmm food coma to the max.
Head out to the Diamond Head State Monument area, high above the beach south of Diamond Head to check out the view and the surfers. Watch a guy with a yellow board really tear it up out there. See a breathtaking view of the ocean, and also see through it to the rocks and coral below (go polarized sunglasses, go!).
It's getting near 1 pm, so we head on down to the Honolulu Zoo. We meet up with Sheri (she's a zookeeper!) and she takes us on a backstage tour of the birds area where she is stationed. Hence, the awesome closeup photos of all these animals.
Did I mention I love animals?
Big Head, the big headed bird with cool looking rainbow colored wings.
More animals from this entry and more photos from the set here .
The toucan. It looks so menacing, with its huge beak that can totally double for a blade. Man, if I was a toucan, I'd be one dangerous ass bird.
Jason at about this time takes off to pick up his dad from work, swap cars, and grab the fixed Corollawagon.
Duck duck duck duck duck duck duck
I can't help but say that whenever I pass one.
Komodo dragons look fiercely regal.
Tortoise with grass whiskers. It makes him look wise. Or Chinese. Like me. Except I'm not bald.
Possibly halfway to skin cancer and a few hours later, I make my way through pretty much the entire zoo, hitting up small animals and big, seeing a gazelle, some zebras, a rhino, really geriatric boars, giraffes, and a bunch of monkeys. I can't help but feel that the Zoo is in a sad state of affairs, with the telltale signs of really old animals and giant sections of the zoo blocked off with fences and nothing inside them. Guess they're in a period of renovation, tough financial times, or animals just aren't as popular with people anymore. Boo.
The plan for tonight is Yotteko-ya Kyoto style ramen. We pick up Sara from her work and head over to the place. It's situated on the second floor of a small plaza, right in front of a Taco Bell. Sara apparently really likes Taco Bell.
We go inside the ramen place, finding it to be small and tidy, and pretty empty. Vince, Jason's cousin, and Vince's fiancee Heather show up. Before we begin ordering, Heather and Vince show us their prowess with the chopstick paper holders, turning them into highly elaborate origami sculpture chopstick pods.
Look at this thing. It took like 10 solid minutes of blood, sweat, and precision folding.
Vince comes back with one of his own, AND this rose made out of the same chopstick paper.
Quite the formidable fiancee.
Anyway, back to the food. I grab the Chashu shoyu base ramen and a curry fried rice. Kyoto style shoyu soup is very different. It's not a straight shoyu/salty taste, it has this kick and aftereffect that lingers on your tongue after you sip it. Hard to describe, except for my wholehearted recommendation that any fan of noodles should go to this place immediately---when they get around to visiting Honolulu.
The chashu itself is also very different. Not as soft or tender as regular chashu in ramen, but it has this great barbecued sweetness to it which provides an excellent contrast and character placed aside the Kyoto shoyu soup. F*ckin good ramen.
Curry fried rice is regular Japanese style fried rice with a curry kick to it, though it comes with more of a taste explosion.
We're finishing up and Kristl calls, deciding to come join up with us since she's hungry from her day of class, work and oral practice. She stops by and grabs a veggie ramen, mentioning that her recent influx of carbs and red meat needs a balance. Meanwhile, chatting with Heather and Vince about random things, when Vince mentions he wants to eventually get a motorcycle. Heather is totally for the idea as well.
Holy. Freaking. Awesomeness. She kind of remindes me of Christina from Grey's Anatomy.
Anyway, I pounce on the subject like a starving lion descending upon a gazelle, asking them all sorts of questions and totally giving them unsolicited advice on random motorcycle crap. Whoa, I hope I didn't bore them. Man, I'm still in love with the bike idea. I should rent one and ride around the island. Ooooo that would be so cool. And possibly prematurely end my stay in Honolulu. And begin my stay in the hospital.
And with that, the night ends.
