Oahu Trip (Day 5)
Day 5: Sunday, March 19 -- My birthday!
Snorkel with "Guaranteed Honu" + Open Houses + Top of Waikiki
I started the day with another 40-minute swim followed by a great Vinyasa Flow outdoor yoga class on the pool deck. I'm glad I brought my own mat with me so that I could double up on the hard stone terrace surface!
Mr. E and I returned to the buffet breakfast for a quick meal before getting ready for our Hawai'i Nautical catamaran tour, which included snorkel time out over the reefs with "guaranteed sea turtles." We ended up over the same reef where we had scuba dived two days ago! This time, we saw about half a dozen of the wonderful honu, including two that surfaced nearby to breathe and another lazing near the surface as we headed back to the marina at the end of the tour. We also cruised out around Diamond Head and caught a quick glimpse of a whale as it breached the surface.
We got back to the hotel in early afternoon (lunch was included with the boat tour) and changed quickly so that we could go check out some condo open houses in and around Ala Moana Boulevard. Mr. E had been in touch with a realtor from Hawai'i Life, and she provided us with a list of properties within our desired location and price range. We decided to set a minimum of 700 square feet to help filter the list, so we prioritized three locations and set out on foot, trying to keep to the shady side of the street as much as possible!
Finding the entrance to the first listing was a bit tricky, since the residential side faces away from the street. The condo had a great panoramic view, but the building isn't pet-friendly, and we also learned about the concept of a "leasehold," which is relatively common in this area but presents a more risky investment. So... on to the next viewing a couple of blocks away. This spot was pet-friendly with restrictions, but we weren't impressed with the listing agent, who almost got us stuck in the elevator when he forgot that he needed to use his fob for us to exit the property. We had just enough time to find the final condo, a great place in the Villa at Eaton Square. Clearly, we saved the best for last, as this condo included covered parking, a rooftop deck with BBQ area and pool, and no limits on pet companions.
We're definitely not yet ready to make an investment in another home, but it was very helpful to get a sense of what we might find within our price range as well as to learn about more questions to ask for the next time around.
To celebrate my birthday, we went to the Top of Waikiki rotating restaurant and managed to get seated at a table in the bar area, where we enjoyed some yummy cocktails and snacks and eventually ordered dinner. Yummy scallops for me! Mr. E also conspired with our very friendly and personable waiter to bring a surprise dessert to finish off the special sunset-view meal.
On our way back to the hotel, we did a bit more shopping and then wrapped up the evening by watching the last bits of "Dr. Strange" and catching the new episode of "Elementary" on TV.
Snorkel with "Guaranteed Honu" + Open Houses + Top of Waikiki
I started the day with another 40-minute swim followed by a great Vinyasa Flow outdoor yoga class on the pool deck. I'm glad I brought my own mat with me so that I could double up on the hard stone terrace surface!
Mr. E and I returned to the buffet breakfast for a quick meal before getting ready for our Hawai'i Nautical catamaran tour, which included snorkel time out over the reefs with "guaranteed sea turtles." We ended up over the same reef where we had scuba dived two days ago! This time, we saw about half a dozen of the wonderful honu, including two that surfaced nearby to breathe and another lazing near the surface as we headed back to the marina at the end of the tour. We also cruised out around Diamond Head and caught a quick glimpse of a whale as it breached the surface.
Finding the entrance to the first listing was a bit tricky, since the residential side faces away from the street. The condo had a great panoramic view, but the building isn't pet-friendly, and we also learned about the concept of a "leasehold," which is relatively common in this area but presents a more risky investment. So... on to the next viewing a couple of blocks away. This spot was pet-friendly with restrictions, but we weren't impressed with the listing agent, who almost got us stuck in the elevator when he forgot that he needed to use his fob for us to exit the property. We had just enough time to find the final condo, a great place in the Villa at Eaton Square. Clearly, we saved the best for last, as this condo included covered parking, a rooftop deck with BBQ area and pool, and no limits on pet companions.
We're definitely not yet ready to make an investment in another home, but it was very helpful to get a sense of what we might find within our price range as well as to learn about more questions to ask for the next time around.
To celebrate my birthday, we went to the Top of Waikiki rotating restaurant and managed to get seated at a table in the bar area, where we enjoyed some yummy cocktails and snacks and eventually ordered dinner. Yummy scallops for me! Mr. E also conspired with our very friendly and personable waiter to bring a surprise dessert to finish off the special sunset-view meal.
posted by jms | 4:11 PM
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