My best friend Mo was adamant about island hopping, I had planned to stay put at the Outrigger Waipoli Beach Resort until I finished my work on the screenplay. But there was no stopping Mo, who was getting Kauai Fever. She’s from New Jersey. Enough Said. My deadlines were fast approaching. But I was a bit stir-crazy so off we went. At the Kauai airport, I had a momentarily lapse of reason and told Mo, that I had to go back to the hotel to finish the pages. Mo said, with a somewhat heavier east coast accent, “Listen, I need some pollution, car exhaust..Something! My lungs can’t handle this much botany!" I surrendered.
We opted to Island Hop to Honolulu’s Chinatown. My internal whining died down when the plane arrived in Oahu. Mo lit a cigarette outside the airport while we waited for a cab, “What do you say we rent some motorcycles?”
I was systematically checking our carry-on’s, something felt like it was missing. My brain went into instant panic. Did I forget something? It felt too light. Looked around again, “Mo, they rent scooters not motorcycles.” Mo snorted, “Scooters are for bitches.”
She threw her cigarette out. A Japanese woman glared at me. Instantly, I forgot about my earlier panic and flagged a cab.
Once the cab dropped us off in Chinatown, we hit Thirtyninehotel, a gallery by day. We sipped a colored cocktail called Hawaiian Punch. Afterwards, to continue the art theme we found ourselves across town at Arts at Marks Garage, a gallery cum performance space that exhibits work by leading local artisans. Mo mentioned this would be a good day to find gifts for family/friends. So we bought pikakes, straw bags, and silk cheongsams at Cindy’s and across the street at Lin’s. For $2.00 we caught the Bus from Ala Moana Center and discovered Indigo at Nuuanu St., where we enjoyed a twilight aperitif.
Mo’s thirst was quenched. Chinatown was a mixture of people and culture. Fun and activity. Her urban island expectations were met. My feet hurt and I remembered our earlier plan to rent scooters/motorcycles. Mo was just about to get her second wind. I thought twice.
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