The Boat - Everybody's talking about ways to have fun on very little or no money these days. (I can start ranting but I won't even go there so I can stay on the subject!) I recently had a lovely ride on The Boat from Aloha Tower's pier 9 in downtown over to Barber's Point. I was able to use my bus pass to go on because The Boat is run by the clever people from The Bus.
The whole idea behind this new boat/ferry system is to have an alternative way for people from the west side (like Kapolei and Waianae for example) to have a way to get into downtown Honolulu to work in a reasonable amount of time without having to fight horrible traffic on a daily basis. Judging from the long line at the pier I could tell there was a big demand for this service!
The Boat takes one hour total each way and the ride is incredible. As we left Aloha Tower and went out into the clear blue ocean I felt like I was going away on a vacation! The tall buildings of downtown grew smaller but Waikiki and Diamond Head came into view with the backdrop of gorgeous green mountains. As we motored west we passed the airport where we could see planes taking off and landing. We also passed the mouth of Pearl Harbor and an enormous mountain that was most likely the remains of a volcano. Everything looked so new and different from this point of view.
The outside deck upstairs is the best place to enjoy the ocean and scenery. If you're looking for comfort there is the main cabin and upstairs cabin where there is roomy seating, AC, and free wi-fi.
I think one of the highlights was a fun demonstration by a cute crew member on how to use a life vest, safety rules, floatie rings for people who go overboard, and how they have "aloha" bags available if anyone is feeling sick. He was like "Please don't be embarassed if you start feeling sick. If you let a crew member know we'll take good care of you." Now, you won't hear bus drivers talking like that! This was like a cruise ship!
Adult fare is $2, student fare is $1, schedule, route, and other fare info at the website trytheboat.com.
Past events have included a masked ball and Victorian/Tim Burton character theme.
What I absolutely love about these events is that they give people an excuse to dress up and also help out those less fortunate than themselves. Camera Obscura guests have helped different organizations such as the 
The maestro of this dark symphony is 
The most recent event had a pirate theme and elements of the evening included a pirate costume contest (Halloween all year long at Camera Obscura!)
and a naughty strip tease show by sexy 
DJs at the pirate night included 
July's theme will be sci-fi and aliens and I'm looking forward to seeing the costumes for that night!
Camera Obscura at 
The 
Local publishers represented the voices of local writers. There were the major ones like 
There was a table also at the Bamboo Ridge Press area that had a mysterious message on t-shirts that said "Bumbye". You can check out what the buzz is about at 
Barnes and Noble had a huge tent but further down that same row 
Loved the diversity! Since it is a Hawaii themed festival there were also panels and serious discussions on issues that 
It was great to see such a diverse representation of local talent (musicians, storytellers, and writers) and also local publishers that continue to help educate and entertain the community. This festival is for people of all ages who love words, spoken, sung and printed.
The Japanese take great pride in the presentation of the food they serve and everything looks absolutely yummy in this bakery. I went to the Ward Center location because of their convenient spot right next to Borders and for their free parking. 
This Ward location also has indoor seating as well as outdoor tables with big umbrellas so you can enjoy a slice of their cake (about $4 to $5) along with a cup of gourmet coffee. You can also special order cakes in advance on their website or by giving them a call (whole cakes starting from $18). 
This lovely Kyoto chestnut 
