The Royal Pine
First full day in Oahu and we had no plans. All I had was a list of restaurants I wanted to visit and perhaps one or two touristy spots.
Jason had a brilliant plan of renting mopeds (sarcasm). I was very hesitant, knowing I’d be vulnerable, exposed and riding alongside real cars that could potentially run me over. Not exactly something I’d like to remember Hawaii by.
We walked several blocks to Hawaiian Style Rentals and got the rundown of renting the mopeds: $65 per day with insurance and one full tank of gas. Pricey, I know, but I'm only in Hawaii once, no?
A guy gave us some quick instructions on how to operate the mopeds and we were able to ride them around the block until we felt comfortable. If we felt uneasy, we could immediately cancel our rental agreement.
It took me about five runs around the block and I still wasn’t 100% comfortable. I was ready to cave in. Going around the block was sort of easy, but out on the real road?! Scary! Jason kept coaxing me and the next thing I knew, I was riding along the beautiful coastline of Oahu.
Yes, it was scary and I wore my silly red helmet the entire time (there’s no law in Hawaii that says you have to wear a helmet and 99% of the locals do not). But one great thing about Oahu is the main road we were riding on (Diamond Head and Kahala) had a speed limit of only 35mph. 35! So my little red moped was perfect for these roads. I slowed traffic a few times and barely made it up steep hills, but it’s OK. I’m on Hawaii-time, everything’s a little bit slower and chiller.
I wish I had a video camera attached to my moped, so I could capture the scenery. Plus, I couldn’t completely appreciate the beautiful scenery; I was focused on driving safely and not getting killed. Haha.
We stopped at Diamond Head State Monument, but realized it was way too hot and humid to go hiking. We didn’t go into the park, but there was still a beautiful spot overlooking Oahu.
Not exactly having a destination point (we were having fun just being on our mopeds), Jason and I realized we haven’t eaten anything yet and picked the closest thing, Kahala Resort.
Kahala Resort was outrageously luxurious. Sea turtles, exotic fish, stingrays and waterfalls planked the outdoor area. You could even swim with the dolphins (!) in their private pool area. Kahala Resort was also away from touristy Waikiki and felt like it was on its own island.
Jason and I opted for Seaside Grill, an outdoor restaurant right on the beach.
Remember how my Hawaiian requisite was to order a pina colada and fresh coconut? Now this is the perfect spot for my authentic pina colada.
Royal Pine, please.
Holy cow.
THAT’S a pina colada.
The drink came in a beautiful pineapple hollowed and filled with a tropical blend of peaches, papaya, pineapple, banana, light and dark and coconut in a fresh pineapple. What I loved the most about the drink was there was no cream at all. Fresh, fruity and quite strong, I was in Hawaiian paradise.
Ouch! I should have looked at the price before ordering, but I was too excited to get the drink, I didn’t even glance at the price.
Trust me, it was worth it.
Craving for something healthy, considered our last meal wasn’t, I ordered ‘Nalo (local farm) green salad that came with shaved Maui onions and drizzled with papaya seed vinaigrette. I was wary with the onions since I hate raw onions, but these Maui ones were sweet and didn't have a bite at all.
I preferred Jason’s dish, a chilled soba salad that was severed in a box. A little odd in presentation, but what was inside was delicious: buckwheat noodles, ‘Nalo greens, cucumbers and mushrooms in wasabi ponzu dashi.
High off of excellent food, the beautiful beach view and perhaps the $22 Royal Pine, we continued our moped adventure and wished we had a chance to stay at the opulent Kahala Resort.
Even if I couldn’t afford to stay there ($500+ per night), at least I was able to indulge a small taste of the luxurious life.
