Uncle Rod's conundrum

Merlin666 and any Seniors planning on visiting HNL and using the Bus system:

not positive about the age (65+), but HNL Da Bus will sell you a Holo Pass for just
$6 for the month (before the 20th) which will permit you to use the Bus system
as much as you want for the rest of the month.

I refilled my Holo card on the 1st for my monthly bus pass while I'm in HNL. If I
return in July, I will endeavor to get a July Bus pass, and August if needed :)

Each bus trip is almost $3 ($2.75?) so this can be a great savings to you. Currently
I believe you will need to go to the Kalihi Transit Center in person to get your
Holo Card as they will need to take your picture.

Just thought you, and anyone (senior) reading this, might want to know what the
State of Hawaii does for its Seniors :) If you knew about this already, Great!

Even if one only uses it for a couple of trips or a few days, it can be a savings!

BTW the Senior can be a visitor and does not have to be a permanent resident
of the State. Your age will qualify you for the possession and use of the Holo card :)
 
Update Holo Card and the Monthly Bus Pass.
It looks like there are a couple of ways to save money while using the State of Hawaii Transit (Bus) System.

There's a Senior Pass that can be used as a Bus Pass for $6 monthly Pass sticker. It will also double as a
State Senior ID card so that even without the monthly pass the bus fare will be reduced to just $1 per trip.

I'm not sure if the Holo Card will double as a Senior ID card, but it can be used as a Bus Pass as long as it
has the required amount ($6) on it... or something like that.

Check online (Holo Card Honolulu, and The Bus, Honolulu Transit) for the best information :)

and keep uke'in',
 
Merlin666 and any Seniors planning on visiting HNL and using the Bus system:

not positive about the age (65+), but HNL Da Bus will sell you a Holo Pass for just
$6 for the month (before the 20th) which will permit you to use the Bus system
as much as you want for the rest of the month.

Thanks, yes it is for ages 65+ and we are not quite there yet ... but the regular day pass for $5.50 should be ok for the few times we will venture out of Waikiki.
 
Speaking of Waikiki, there's a jam called 'Kanikapila at the Racks', that's where the surfboards are stored
behind the Waikiki Police Station at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, where the Moana Surfrider Hotel
is located just where the shops on the beach side end.

the Kanikapila is held on Thurs and Sunday nights from 8-10. the leader is Leonard Jenkins and everyone
is welcome... but you may be called on to 'pick a song'. Don't worry, just about any song will do, but if
you have a Hawaiian song you want played and sung by the group, they will probably be able to comply :)

if you go, please greet them for me.

I don't always go because trying to catch the bus home after 10p means lots of waiting at the bus stops...
or a long walk home in the dark :)

if you do go, it's a lot of fun!~ :)
 
Speaking of Waikiki, there's a jam called 'Kanikapila at the Racks', that's where the surfboards are stored
behind the Waikiki Police Station at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, where the Moana Surfrider Hotel
is located just where the shops on the beach side end.

the Kanikapila is held on Thurs and Sunday nights from 8-10. the leader is Leonard Jenkins and everyone
is welcome... but you may be called on to 'pick a song'. Don't worry, just about any song will do, but if
you have a Hawaiian song you want played and sung by the group, they will probably be able to comply :)

if you go, please greet them for me.

I don't always go because trying to catch the bus home after 10p means lots of waiting at the bus stops...
or a long walk home in the dark :)

if you do go, it's a lot of fun!~ :)

Thanks, that is about two blocks from our hotel, though I think on Thursday evenings there's also the awesome hula show nearby (which should be over by 8). I have books of Hawaiian music and I wanted to learn some this year, but alas got side tracked by the low hanging fruit. I am a native German speaker, so pronouncing Hawaiian comes naturally and is fun for me. Too bad I have only youtube to actually listen to the music for learning.
 
Last edited:
I'll try to make it to both Kanikapilas (Thurs and Sunday evenings) since I need the walk to exercise my knee.
I had replacement surgery on May 13th and since my job is clerical and sedentary, I need to move around and
there's no better place than in Paradise! :)

Hope to see you around... several times! :)

OH, I just got word that Cynthia Lin will be hosting a Kanikapila at the Whole Foods at the Ward Center area,
Wed the 20th about 6 or 7p. I hope to make it there as well. I'll be arriving around noon or 1, hope to hit
The Makai Food Court, and will try to make it to Cynthia's Kani at Whole Foods.

Looks like we both picked a good time to be in HNL! :)

Will you be going to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet on Wed? lots of walking, but interesting. Try to get there
early as things wind down around 11 or so, and you'll probably be tired of walking.
 
I'd take the OU. The Martin might sound better, but in a big group who will notice? The OU is different enough to be a conversation piece and of course you always have a good excuse for being out and about with a uke that's rugged enough to survive anything. If you can't disappear in conformity, be as different as possible and proud of it!
 
Granted, many of the vendor kiosks display many of the same items albeit at different prices, so
please plan on comparison shopping unless you really like to barter :)

There are a few ukulele vendors - some only have imported models, some even have K-Brand mostly
used models. Some are true garage-sale stalls, meaning a family is trying to unload their stuff -
this is generally on Sundays.

I go to get trinkets as small gifts for friends, or stickers for myself, T-shirts, etc. I have purchased
several less expensive ukes to have on hand for the Summer, and some to just give away as gifts.
These would be in the $30 to $50 to $80 range and were ukes I was happy to use and give away.

If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive uke to use during your trip, the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
is a pretty good place in my estimation. If I had a budget of $100 or less and limited time, I would
go to the Swap Meet and surely find something I could use, keep or give away :)

It costs about $1 to get in and you can leave if it becomes boring, but I think you might find it interesting.
you could get take home gifts or even do Holiday Shopping!
 
It costs about $1 to get in and you can leave if it becomes boring, but I think you might find it interesting. you could get take home gifts or even do Holiday Shopping!

Well I will mention it to the Boss and we will contemplate if we want to take the bus ride. The Bishop Museum is in the area too I think, and we never have visited that either. Many thanks for the great suggestions.
 
no worries, Merlin666.

looking forward to meeting you... if can. No worries if it doesn't happen, so
don't stress about it.

Enjoy the Islands!

Rod
 
Speaking of Waikiki, there's a jam called 'Kanikapila at the Racks', that's where the surfboards are stored
behind the Waikiki Police Station at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, where the Moana Surfrider Hotel
is located just where the shops on the beach side end.

the Kanikapila is held on Thurs and Sunday nights from 8-10. the leader is Leonard Jenkins and everyone
is welcome... but you may be called on to 'pick a song'. Don't worry, just about any song will do, but if
you have a Hawaiian song you want played and sung by the group, they will probably be able to comply :)

if you go, please greet them for me.

I don't always go because trying to catch the bus home after 10p means lots of waiting at the bus stops...
or a long walk home in the dark :)

if you do go, it's a lot of fun!~ :)
I walked down to the racks to check it out. And indeed Leonard put his uke in my hands and asked me to sing a song. Lol. What an awesome group. I am looking forward to going back. I really need to learn a few hula songs. Which ones would you consider the top 3 or 5 one needs to know? I have the big Hawaiian song book and a few small ones so it's mainly a matter of picking the right tunes to start.
 
Uncle Roy, I’d take the outdoor uke just cause it’s different. You know you can play anything and make it sound good. Years ago you had some music files that went with your songs and I listened and played along to learn some of them.

Our cruise is docking in Honolulu Monday the 25th. Of course that’s the day you leave to go home. We plan to stop by Kamaka (no tours on Monday), stop by HMS at the Salt, and Uber to KoAloha to see their new factory and have a tour.

My biggest problem is which uke should I take, or maybe more than one would be a better choice?? Decisins, decisions.
 
if you dock in the morning, please text me at (206-234-6972).

I'll most likely start the day at The Makai Food Court at Ala Moana Shopping Center.
I play for the lei makers who settle near Honolulu Cookie's kiosk and Cinnabon.

My plane leaves around 1p I believe, so I'll probably need to leave around 10-11a,
perhaps a bit earlier.

Anyway, would love to make some kind of contact if possible! :)

Have a wonderful Cruise and a great time in HNL!! :)
 
Sounds good. We’ve been by the shopping center but never went inside. It’s huge! If we ate lunch in the food court would it be a short walk to the new KoAloha Factory for their 1 pm tour? Those neat murals on the sides of the buildings in the Salt were nice to see last year but we got sooo lost and I know the tour starts on time. We only needed to go about 2 blocks and we went at least 20.
Shirley, Bill, Alan, & Chris
 
Sounds good. We’ve been by the shopping center but never went inside. It’s huge! If we ate lunch in the food court would it be a short walk to the new KoAloha Factory for their 1 pm tour? Those neat murals on the sides of the buildings in the Salt were nice to see last year but we got sooo lost and I know the tour starts on time. We only needed to go about 2 blocks and we went at least 20.
Shirley, Bill, Alan, & Chris
Yes very short walk couple of blocks. It is a bit tricky to find as the factory is accessed from parking lot behind.
 
Sounds very doable as long as we walk the right direction. The old factory wasn’t easy to find either but took a taxi. Thanks.
 
Yup! from The Makai Food Court to Koaloha is maybe a 15-20 minute walk including
traffic lights, and so well worth the effort! if Pops is there, he is a great guy to meet!

Hope to see you sometime although the window of opportunity appears so small... this time :)

I'm looking forward to my flight on the 20th with about 5-6 days in Paradise! :)

keep uke'in', everyone!

PS Hawaiian Air is contacting me to bid on a First Class upgrade. I'm almost tempted to try,
but I'd rather apply the bid to my next Outdoor Ukulele purchase... a Blue Tenor? :)
 
Top Bottom