Day 4; Bombing a hill to Dog's place

Took a bus ride early in the morning up a street called Liliha. I chose this street because it led right down hill to Da Kine bail bonds. So as I am riding the bus I am the only white dude on the bus. Everyone that was getting on were Japanese and over 50. Below is a picture of the neighborhood . I like the architecture of the houses , couldn't have picked a better hill to skate.

So I fell 3 times and only ended up with a scrape on my palm. Which is fortunate because I was going so fast I couldn't stop. My board was swerving and I ended up going through a green light on a busy street. Finally when I was slowed down and having to push did I fall,..and fall..and fall! Below is a picture of Dog's office. No one was there but that's O.k. because they really don't like all the tourists as they are trying to run a business. There was a sign to the left saying "we wish you were still on the air" and one that said "we came all the way from Denmark to take a "pecure" with you"

As I left Da Kine I was surprised that I was right around the corner from the Iolani palace. This is a picture I took, in the distance you can see the king Kamehameha statue in front of the supreme court building.

This is a story the bus driver related on the way from the airport.

The Kamehameha Statue stands prominently in front of Aliʻiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. The statue had it's origins in 1878 when Walter Gibson, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the 100 year "discovery" of Hawaiʻi by Captain Cook. The legislature appropriated $10,000 for the project and made Gibson the director of the project, which originally included native Hawaiians but they soon were off the project and Gibson ran the project by himself. Gibson contacted Thomas R Gould a Boston sculptor living abroad in Florence, Italy to create the statue.

During this time David Kalākaua had become king and was completing Iolani Palace which was his tribute to Kamehameha and to be the destination of the statue. The statue was too late for the 100 year anniversary but in 1883 the statue was placed aboard a ship and headed for Hawaiʻi. In the proximity of Falkland Islands the ship wrecked and with it the statue, however the Hawaiians had insured the statue for $12,000 and Gould rushed to complete a second.

Before the second statue could be sent the original had been recovered by some Falkland Islanders. They sold it to the Captain of the wrecked ship for $500 and the Captain then sold it to Gibson for $875. Now Hawai'i had two statues. The original stands at the legendary king's birthplace of Kapaʻau in Kohala, on the island of Hawaiʻi. The re-ordered one stands in front of Aliʻiolani Hale.

I was riding the bus back to waikiki and saw a Papa Johns pizza so I get off the bus and I felt like I was missing something. I had left my board on the bus. It was meant for Hawai'i It had big softie wheels and was just perfect for the terrain. I was bummed out for a bit, but I had to get over it. After all I have a ton of boards and although that board had some of my best components, I was in Hawaii and I just hope it gets lots of use.

This guy had a bike I thought about making along time ago. I had the perfect bike to make it too. He was making straw hats. In the background on the left is a magician and a performer named "Basketball Man" who does a globe trotter type show. He had the perfect hustle as he gave a kid a $5 bill and when it came time to collect his tips he reminded everyone of his kindness. I am guessing he gets $70 per show. I headed back to the hotel and a guy who looked like he needed a friend tagged along with me to pick up my custom bracelet for bear cub. I also showed him the free 2:00 pineapple slices and pineapple juice at the Sheraton princess Hotel hook up.

Went back and met my people for a night of dancing. Tomorrow = North shore.