Lee’s World
California and Hawaii November 2006
November 2006 and I'm California bound again. This time for a few days in California and my first trip to Hawaii.
After a few days
in Palm Springs catching up with Mark, we headed off to Los
Angeles
for a day to visit the newly refurbished Getty Villa. The Villa sits on a
prime site in Malibu, and was built in the 1970s to showcase Getty's art
collection. Whilst much of the collection is now at the Getty Centre, the
collection of mosaics, ancient sculptures etc is now rehoused in the Villa.
There are only a limited number of tickets available each day, so we needed
to book ahead. The villa is really a must-see now in Los Angeles and should
not be missed.
Having spent the
night at the Westin LAX, we flew to Honolulu for fiv
e
nights on the island of Oahu. We were staying at the Park Shore Hotel,
Waikiki, with a view across the ocean. Whilst Honolulu is quite built-up
with contemporary condo towers, much of the island fulfils the fantasy image
of a South Seas island of deserted sandy beaches and palm trees. Much of the
interior of the island too fulfils the image, with lush vegetation covering
odd shaped volcanic rock formations.
The
American philanthropist, Doris Duke
made a home on Oahu, which is being restored. The home features the islamic
art and design which she saw on her honeymoon. Limited tours are available,
and we were fortunate to be on one of them. It really was a highpoint of the
visit to the island.
During the stay, we also toured the island visiting the north shore, the east coast, and visiting the Byodo Buddhist temple. We also ate a couple of great dinners at Town, a new restaurant away from the beach area of Waikiki, but well worth finding. The grilled chicken is particularly recommended, as is the Cosmopolitans!
After too short a trip - we are already planning on returning! - it was time to return to Palm Springs, for more memorable meals (Johannes in Palm Springs has to get a special mention for their veal), and to spend more time with Mark - as ever, a very special friend.