Adventures in Paradise - Part 3

We arrived at the Hale Koa Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, October 6, after picking up the van and the Rughs. We settled into our room, and then got something to eat at the snack place at the hotel. Unfortunately, the food was less than satisfying.

Fortunately, the hotel itself is beautiful. We were so grateful that the Rughs invited us to join them. You have to be military (active or retired with a military ID) in order to stay there. Non-military people have to be sponsored by a military person.

Then we went back to our rooms to rest and settle in. Each of our rooms had a small balcony with a view of the ocean.

We got dinner and made it an early night. The Rughs had just arrived after a cruise, and we had spent the previous week on Maui, so we all needed the rest. Unfortunately, I coughed all night.

By the next morning, I was truly ill and felt as though I was running a fever. Larry dragged me to the walk-in clinic in the building where the old Planet Hollywood used to be. We called first to make sure the doctor was in.

He confirmed I had bronchitis (not flu), so he prescribed yet another round of antibiotics—this time a double dose for six days. Unfortunately, there isn’t a pharmacy in Waikiki. (Long’s is opening a store in the two-story space where Planet Hollywood used to be, but it won’t open for another year.)

I dragged myself back to the hotel, trying to keep up with Larry. By the time we returned, I was exhausted.

We checked in with Len and Lu, and told them we had to go to Long’s at Ala Moana to fill the prescription. They needed a few things, so we piled into the van and headed for the shopping center.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find it. (Ala Moana is a MESS. It was torn up the last time we were there, and it’s worse now.) We asked a construction worker where Long’s was. She said it had been moved upstairs, but it would reopen on the first floor soon. She wasn’t even sure either location was open. But she told us WalMart had a pharmacy and gave us directions for how to get there.

Off we went again, and this time, we found the WalMart easily. I turned in the prescription and waited for it to be filled. Len and Lu and Larry wandered off to find other things they needed. We finally collected all our items.

I needed makeup, so we went to Ward Warehouse, where Merle Norman was supposed to be located, but when we arrived, we found a sign on the door saying they had moved. Fortunately, the daughter of the owner caught us and told us exactly where to go. As we were talking to her, the mother saw us and drew us a map.

We followed directions and wandered around until we found the new store. They had what I needed, thank goodness!

On the way in, we saw Kua Aina Burgers in the same center. We always ate at the original in Haleiwa, so we decided to have lunch there.

I took the first pill and hoped I’d feel better soon.

We returned to the hotel where we took a nap. We had a special trip planned for the next day and I needed to be in better shape to go.

I had a container of yogurt and a banana for dinner. Larry joined Len and Lu at the hotel restaurant.

The next day, I was determined to go on the tour we had planned. It was the highlight of the trip, and I’ll tell you about it next week (with photos, I promise).