Unfortunately, Honolulu routinely lands on the annual top three “worst traffic in the USA” lists. Not a proud distinction, with dire consequences for paradise.

So this trip, I decided to walk and to take The Bus instead of renting a car. Though the overall walkability index for Honolulu falls way short of cities like Boston, New York and San Francisco, my Ala Moana neighborhood actually scores higher than the top five walkable cities in the country. Additionally – a true sign of promise for my upcoming forays around O’ahu  – the Ala Moana area also boasts a third-place transit score of 75, just behind NYC and San Fran.

Yesterday was all about exploring the neighborhood by foot and testing the walkability rating, while gathering the household staples I’ll need for the next 29 days. I’m happy to report that according to my Fitbit at 10+ miles, the landscape is safe and easy for willing pedestrians seeking trusted local services. Though both are within walking distance, I prefer the local Japanese market Nijiya to the Safeway, despite the latter’s impressive offering of poke. Nijiya’s vast array of sake and the sumptuous to-go case quickly won me over. Added bonus:  Nijiya is just a block away, making the grocery haul a whole lot easier, plus a half-gallon of organic milk is nearly two dollars cheaper.

Sake, sake and more sake.

Ethnic cuisine.

To-go case, my go-to.

Nijiya won me over.

Poke at the Safeway.

My beautiful adopted neighborhood hugs the shoreline and overlooks one of O’ahu’s busiest recreation areas. By the time I wandered there on Sunday just before sunset, Ala Moana Park was still alive with family picnics, fishing from the rocks, yoga/SUP lessons, and a number of intimate weddings.

The beach at Ala Moana.

Fishing the slippery rocks at sunset.

Three pre-teenage girls confided to me as they zipped by on their shiny pink and silver bikes, “this is the wedding hour!” Witnessing three ceremonies within 30 minutes, turns out the girls were right.

Wedding number 1.

The flower circle from wedding number 2.

Wedding number 3.

Sadly, it’s also the final hour before dark. The hour when the homeless settle into the countless makeshift tents and canvases that pepper this 100-acre city park. Ala Moana Park is, like it or not, “home” to many of O’ahu’s nearly 5,000 homeless, offering yet another manifestation of O’ahu’s blending of cultures. Somehow, family picnics hum with joy and sacred nuptials are softly spoken, side-by-side the harsh reality of so many living life without permanent shelter.

I walked slowly back across the wide boulevard towards the beautifully luxurious condo that is my home this month (due to my incredible luck with amazing and generous friends). A little tired, and deeply obsessed with this island’s contradictions, I found myself wishing I’d bought at least a small bottle of that sake from the Japanese market.

Twilight sky for both the haves & the have-nots.

Beautiful view from the condo overlooking Ala Moana Park.