Day 3: March 25, 2017
From 'Dillo to Hula
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Here's another meal choice influenced by yesterday's tour guide. As we passed by an Eggs 'n Things, he told of their reputation for serving great macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup. That sounded so enticing that I just had to try it so I did. This is the only one of their four locations identified as "eggspress" though I don't know why. If I'd arrived earlier I might have been able to sit at a beach side window. If I'd arrived later I would have been able to stand in a longer line.
Honolulu has several public transportation options including a Medicare assisted bus system called The Bus. It's not actually Medicare assisted but the already low $2.50 fare is reduced to $1 for seniors and flashing a Medicare card is accepted as proof.
Friends Tom and Monica, who used to live in Hawaii, shared some recommendations and I headed toward one on my first bus ride. I tugged on the door at Murphy's Bar & Grill before reading the sign saying it would open in about three hours. I made do by crossing the street to the already open O'Toole's. What is now Murphy's opened in 1890 as the Royal Saloon. The building that houses O'Toole's was constructed a year later.

Thanks Tom and Monica. I'll be taking advantage of more of their advice over the next several days.

After one beer (a special of the day Killian's) I walked down to the harbor and the Aloha Tower. When built in 1926 this was the tallest building in Hawaii and apparently still held that honor when Hawaii became a state. There are some really good views to be had from the tenth floor observation deck.
I decided I really wanted to get inside Murphy's and that meant there was more time to dispose of so I took a stroll down to Honolulu Beer Works. After one red and one porter I strolled back.
A big reason for wanting to get into Murphy's was to see the armadillo that Tom had told me about. It seems Tom's neighbor was the first to take the armadillo on the first of many long distance trips. John has tended bar at Murphy's since before the armadillo arrived. He didn't remember Tom's name but thought the neighbor's name (Ellis) sounded familiar and did recognize the name of the submarine (USS Charlotte) on which that first trip took place. As we talked, John, on his own volition, removed the armadillo from its place of honor, wiped away a little dust, and placed the critter on a table so I could get a picture of all its decorations.
I returned to "my neighborhood" by bus and immediately headed to Kuhio Beach for the advertised Hula Show. I missed the very beginning but did catch some torch lighting on the way and arrived in time for the ceremonial conch blowing and a goodly amount of singing and dancing.
There were very few clouds tonight and I briefly turned away from the show to watch the sun drop slowly to the horizon then disappear in an instant.
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