All Across Kailua
Hey everyone!
This weekend was quite possibly my busiest one! Over the weekend I was lucky enough to go to the town of Kailua and see much more of the place I've only ever driven through. Stay sitting for this one, because this is going to be quite a long post!
The day begins Sunday morning, bright and early, at 7:00. The plan was for Daniel, who had spent the night as to allow us the chance to leave early, and I to wake up, pack a day bag, and head off to Kailua. Because we were both running on only a few hours of sleep, it's surprising that we were able to be up and out the door by 8.
Our first stop was Cinnamons. Cinnamons is a very well-known hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Kailua that, supposedly, has the best pancakes.
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| Pictured (L-R): Red Velvet half stack, crab cake eggs Benedict, Guava half stack |
Needless to say, the pancakes were pretty good. Actually, they didn't really taste like pancakes but more so just cake. Daniel and I ordered a half stack of red velvet, a half stack of guava, and one half order of crab eggs Benedict's. Here's a picture of the breakfast.
After breakfast the two of us agreed we should try and recoup in the car before heading off to our next destination: Target.
Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Aislinn, why in the world would you go to target when you could be going, quite literally, anywhere else.' Well, I'll tell you why. On Oahu, the nearest target to Manoa is a good half hour away-- by car. By bus you're looking at at least an hour- probably closer to an hour and a half. So, while most people on the mainland take a trip to target for granted, I have come to accept the fact that unless I'm getting a ride, there's no possible way for me to go to target while on Oahu. Luckily for me, there's a target in Kailua that is conveniently located near the downtown area, meaning I was able to go inside for a bit and just enjoy being inside a clean, not-Walmart quality, store.
After Target we parked the car and then began perusing the town. Kailua has tons of little boutiques and shops, many of which are places that carry overpriced clothing and trinkets. In addition to these hole-in-the-walls, there are also quite a few restaurants, such as Bee and Tee, a boba shop that doubles as a Chinese snack shop. We came here later in the evening to grab something to drink and eat. There is also a small bookstore and quite a few dive shops in this area. For those interested in window shopping, downtown Kailua is a great place.
After spending some time in the town the two of us made a quick stop at his place before heading off to Byodo-In.
As some of you may recall, when I first came to Oahu last year, one of the sites my mom and I had the privilege of seeing was Byodo-In. For those of you unfamiliar with the temple (or my post), allow me to briefly introduce it.
Nestled in a valley at the base of the mountains, Byodo-In is a replica of a famous 900 year old Japanese temple. To get here, you have to first drive through a large cemetery that is broken down by both religion and ethnicity. Overall, the area is very peaceful and serene, with no chickens to be seen. Once arriving to the temple, you'll be asked to pay a $5 entrance fee. After that, and once you cross the bridge, you will find yourself in undoubtedly one of the most serene places on the island.
Daniel and I spent about a half hour here (give or take) before heading out. There wasn't many people at all while we were here, so for those interested I would maybe suggest going on Sunday evening. By this time the island tours have ended and, at the very least, you will find yourself surrounded by a lot less tourists.
After Byodo-In, we drove back into town to stop at a boba shop called "Bee and Tea". Carrying an eclectic array of both boba teas and light bulb teas, (if you've never heard of light bulb tea, google it now!) the shop is located along those same lines of stores in downtown Kailua. Bee and Tea also carries small Chinese snacks, like 包子, in case customers are also hungry.
Realizing that by now it was starting to become late-evening, the two of us finished our drinks and buns, got back in the car, and started our commute back.
Our day ends at Sandy's Beach, where we pulled over to watch the sunset. Fun fact, but the sun doesn't set on the windward side of the island, meaning all we watched was the sky change from a blue to a dusty pink. While we missed the sun itself, laying on the beach was still nice. Only downfall was leaving and realizing we were covered in sand from the strong winds.
I included some pictures to help everyone get a better idea of what we did. If you made it this far, kudos to you! I haven't written a long post in quite a while, but it's nice to be able to come up with longer posts.
I hope everyone is having an enjoyable week.
Until next time,
Aislinn
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