Pineapples and Shrimp

Another day off, another day out and about. Nothing quite as strenuous or exciting as the recent hikes, nor quite as touristy as Pearl Harbor or Waikiki. A day on the North Shore at the beach. Trying to hit as many destinations and local gems as I can before my time on this island ends. A year tops. Maybe less if things work out the way I hope over the next few months.

Well, we had intended to hit a beach on the North Shore anyway. Add a little color to my ever Casper-esque pallor. Granted we didn't head out until almost 10am, and needed to be back to Honolulu by 4pm for yet another meeting for the stuffed dog side project (he's looking better...still surprised, but we've finally settled on a fur she likes). And the clouds overhead threatened to spit at us throughout the afternoon.

What to do instead? Stop by the Dole Plantation and look at pineapples. Normal looking pineapples.
Baby pineapples.
And scary mutant red pineapples.
And after the fruit farm fix, eat some shrimp served out or the side of a truck. Mmmm...shrimp trucks. Those were some of the tastiest garlic saturated crustaceans I've ever had the privilege to peel and eat.
My pasty self did manage a little color. With about two hours to kill before needing to head back towards Honolulu, we stopped by Shark's Cove and waded a bit among the shallows. The fish aren't nearly as large or abundant as in Hanauma Bay, and the cove lacks in coral, but Shark's Cove nonetheless seems to be a prime destination for snorkelers and scuba divers. Maybe we just hit the area at too low of a tide to see much. But last time we poked around, back in February, the water breaking over the rocks almost took us out. Handfuls of little convict tangs and a few unidentified bottom feeders did dart around our toes. (Ross, with his fancy polarized sunglasses, managed to see many of them below the surface of the water before I could...bugger all.) Tiny fishy. And a few crabs...

Work continues...vaguely ahead of schedule. If I remember to take my camera to work, remind me to post pictures of the princess' garment. It's actually a stunning bit of work...considering I butchered a saree for the embroidery...