The following is an excerpt from a statement issued by Mayor Billy Kenoi of Hawaii County (the Big Island), regarding initial damage reports from the tsunami that hit Hawaii Friday morning following the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan, last Thursday.

“County Police, Fire, Public Works and Environmental Management crews worked with State Highways, the American Red Cross and the county Office of Housing and Community Development to conduct preliminary damage assessments in the County of Hawai‘i today. Their findings include the following reports:

• Seven homes suffered extensive damage on Manini Beach Road near Kealakekua Bay. Power lines also were downed in the area.
• One two-story home at Kealakekua Bay was reported completely washed away, and a number of vehicles in the area were damaged.
• King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel on Ali‘i Drive suffered extensive water damage to its ground floor, and observers reported possible damage to the Ahu‘ena Heiau on the hotel grounds. Shops across Ali‘i Drive from King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel also suffered extensive damage.
• Large amounts of asphalt, concrete and other debris were thrown onto Ali‘i Drive near the hotel and near the breakwall at the edge of Ali‘i Drive. About a half-mile of Ali‘i Drive remains closed, from the King Kamehameha Hotel to Hualalai Road.Crews are at work cleaning up debris, and Alii Drive is expected to reopen later this afternoon.
• Large amounts of debris were also deposited on Kailua Pier, and two vehicles left parked on the pier were damaged when the tsunami pushed them across the pier.
• A hall at Pu‘uhonua Road suffered severe damage, while the Puu O Honaunau National Historic Park (City of Refuge) also reported flooding.
• There were no sewer spills reported, but the county Department of Environmental Management reported water damage to a sewer pump station near King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.
• Extensive damage was reported to businesses on both sides of Ali‘i Drive, including the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, the ground floor of the Kona Reef Hotel, and the Kona Inn Restaurant.
• The last open county shelter was closed at about noon today after guests who had been evacuated from the King Kamehameha were relocated to a new hotel.
• In Kailua-Kona, crews reported one single-family home was destroyed, and one suffered major damage. Six Kailua apartments or condominiums suffered major damage, and 19 had minor damage.
• The Kona Village Resort had 20 guest units damaged when they were lifted off their foundations. Two restaurants at the resort were flooded.
• The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai reported water damage to utility buildings, pools and damage to a restaurant at the resort.”

From some of the video that I have found, it appears that two areas in particular were hit pretty bad.  Kailua Bay where water washed over the  wall that separates the Bay and Ali’i Drive and where Bubba Gump, mentioned above is located, as well as the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel where it was reported that there was a foot of water in the lobby area of the hotel.

The second area is Kealakekua Bay, where a house was completely washed away, as well as destroying several cars.  For those who may be familiar, Kealakekua Bay is where the Captain Cook Memorial is located, as well as Pu’uhonua o’Honaunau (Place of Refuge) National Historical Park.

While I have not seen any reports from the Park Service, the fact that wave action was strong enough to wash a house out into the Bay tells me that the park had to have sustained damage as well.

Trying to get information on the damage throughout the state has been very difficult.  The initial report filed by the Associated Press said that Hawaii was being “slammed” by a tsunami and grossly over-stated the situation at the time the report was posted.

Later Friday morning, the word was that there was minimal damage except for possibly the Kahului, Maui area and Hilo Bay on the Big Island.  No mention was made of Kailua-Kona, although it appears they caught the worst of it.  No significant damage has been reported out of Hilo.

The good news is that it could have been much worse.

Significant damage to harbor facilities were also reported at Haleiwa on the north shore of Oahu.  Several smaller harbors also suffered considerable damage along the southern coast of Oahu and many small boats that moved out to sea to ride out the tsunami are still out there as they try to figure out where and how to get safely back to shore.

All attention has been focused on the on-going tragedy in Japan and little is being said, even by local news, about the damage in Hawaii.  If you would like to help those in need in Japan, the Red Cross is appealing for you donations at:  http://american.redcross.org/Earthquake

After a world record 8.9 earthquake struck Japan, followed shortly by a devastating tsunami that caused billions of dollars in losses and what I’m sure will be 1000’s of  lives in Japan, Thursday evening (EST), Hawaii braced itself for the arrival of tsunami waves early this morning.  If you want to help, you can make donations to the Red Cross here:  http://american.redcross.org/Earthquake.

The first wave was expected to reach Hawaii around 3:30 AM Hawaiian Standard Time, as mandatory evacuation of affected coastal areas sent residents and visitors alike, scrambling for higher ground.

Officials at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center anticipated wave heights of about 6′ and fortunately, the only two areas that got close to that were Kahului, Maui, where the surge reached 7-8′ and Hilo, Hawaii, where a rise of 5′ was recorded.  Haleiwa, Oahu, also received  a rise in water that covered the parking lot of the marina and did some damage to the harbor.

As word was received that another earthquake of a 6.6 magnitude struck Japan this afternoon, residents of Hawaii are again on the lookout for another series of waves that could possibly reach them later this evening.

I just received word from Priceline that they will continue to offer American Airlines’ flights on their system.  You can earn your AAdvantage frequent flyer miles booking thru them, as well.

For those who have not noticed, American Airlines recently pulled their flight availability from Orbitz and Expedia.  So, when searching for flights on those two systems, you will no longer have AA flights and prices searched.

It is an unfortunate trend as the more airlines pull their availability from various search sites, the less convenient it becomes for travelers to find the best price.  I happen to be a fan of both Orbitz and Expedia.  I should point out that American Airlines flights can also still be found on CheapOAir.com, at least as of this writing.

As airfares continue their trend to higher and higher levels, and there does not seem to be any end in sight for rising oil/fuel costs, it is less and less likely that you will find flights available at 2010 levels.  So, if you’re among those lucky ones who purchased your airline tickets earlier, congratulations!  (I’m jealous.)  For the rest of us, all I can say is that there are still some good deals to be had from the west coast, especially from Hawaiian Airlines.

Back in October of last year, I  commented on the United/Continental Airlines merger and how it might affect the number and cost of seats to Hawaii.  Well, I’m happy to observe that there has at least been one positive addition to come from this merger.

United/Continental has just announced that Continental will begin direct service in and out of Hilo (ITO) to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).  This brings direct service in and out of Hilo for the first time in 21 years.

Flights to and from LAX will be offered on a daily basis while flights to and from SFO will be offered once a week.  These new flights are scheduled to begin in June of this year.

This should be a welcome service to Hilo residents who will no longer have to drive to Kona (KOA) for direct service to the mainland or connect through Honolulu (HNL).  It could also be good for Hilo by making Hilo a more easily accessible destination for those interested in visiting the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is only 30 miles away.

No special introductory rates have been announced, but tickets may be purchased now.  An initial check comes up with a rd-trip, mid-week ticket cost of $676 LAX-ITO.

That’s Merry Christmas for all of you who aren’t as familiar with this Hawaiian greeting as you may be with Aloha!

By now you’ve completed your Christmas shopping and are simply looking forward to getting together with the family, sitting back and enjoying, as the wrapping paper is shredded and boxes torn opened and in mere seconds, days…weeks…months of finding the perfect gift, is over.

These are difficult times that we are struggling to get through, the best way we can.  Hawaii, with its tourist based economy, is especially hard hit by the world economic slow down.  Tourism is down, hotel rooms sit idle, and restaurant revenues are less than they’d like, which means higher unemployment levels throughout the state.

Its a good time to remind ourselves that Christmas is NOT all about the gift giving or receiving.  It is a time to celebrate the Christian beliefs or whatever beliefs in a higher power you may hold.  It is truly a season for giving, but not necessarily in a physical gift.

It is the sharing of the gift of love for one another that no lack of money can take away.  In fact, often the tougher our finances become, the more the power of family, of Ohana, comes through the strongest.

So, with that in mind, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

Now, don’t forget to cheer on the University of Hawaii Warriors at tonight’s Sheraton Hawaii Bowl…8:00 PM EST!

Randy

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but its not enough that car rental companies charge you a late fee if you return your car more than an hour later than you say you will, but now it appears, some of them are charging a fee if you return your car earlier than you said you would!

Dollar and Thrifty now charge a penalty if you return your car a day or more earlier than you had scheduled it for.  So, make sure your plans are firm if you intend on renting your car from either of these two companies.

Think that’s bad?  Well, ever since I heard the airlines were going to start charging a fee for blankets and pillows, I have been joking about how they will start charging to use the bathroom next!

Well, its finally happening!  After charging us for baggage, taking away the meals, downgrading snacks, and adding a fee for using their blankets…Ryanair, a European airline, recently announced plans to start charging $1.50 to use the bathroom!

Ryanair recently garnered media attention when passengers revolted by refusing to get off the airplane when fog closed their destination airport and caused them to land at another airport.   For the full story on the passenger revolt:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40233766/

Of course, there’s always a chance that this charge will not spread, as the overhead baggage charge of $45 for using the overhead bin on Spirit Airlines, which has so far not gained support from any other airlines. (Knock-on-wood!)

Anyone care to add your two-cents to this post?

As of today, United Airlines and Continental Airlines are ONE!  It will likely take till the end of next year before all components of their operation are unified, but their airplanes should start to show off their new “United/Continental Globe” look, soon.

Since United and Continental represent a significant percentage of passenger seats from the mainland to Hawaii, this merger will result in higher fares we will all have to pay more to fly back and forth.  As if Hawaii’s tourist-reliant economy is not already suffering from the on-going recession (I don’t really care that the government says that we are “officially” NOT in a recession, nor do I think that most hotel/restaurant/service unemployed workers in Hawaii care), higher airfares will simply add to these woes.  To be fair, I should also include restaurant/hotel management/owners to that list.

The advantage to United/Continental are obvious.  Consolidation of operational services will result in savings.  The elimination of redundant flights will result in savings.  The removal of a competitor in a market will permit higher fares.

Notice, none of these merger benefits result in better service or lower fares as a result of these improved efficiencies.  In most businesses, operational savings often result in lower prices to the consumer, but the airlines operate under a completely different set of rules.

The existence of, and continued growth of, Southwest Airlines shows that the flying public is quickly reaching their limit of higher fares and add-on fees.  Southwest Airlines’ latest advertising campaign highlighting their “Bags Fly Free” policy makes a great point that by the time you ticket a family of four for a vacation, you end up paying for a 5th ticket by the time you add in all the add on fees the airlines seem intent on charging us.

AOL published an article regarding both these issues today:

http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/08/13/airline-fees-on-the-rise-again/

The one change I would love to see is making the costs of tickets transparent and easily comparable.  Right now, when you go to a ticketing website and find a fare, what you see is not often what you end up with!   I know I have gotten excited about finding a low fare, only to have that excitement smothered by the time I see the final price after they have added on all the fees and airport security and landing fees, etc.

If they know these fees apply to a particular routing and there is no option for NOT paying them to fly, then isn’t that really part of the cost of the ticket?  Does it really matter, other than being a technically different part of the cost?  When I click to select a flight based on the fare offered, I don’t want to have to go through another step, let alone 2 or 3, in order to see what the final cost of that ticket will actually be.

I would like to see travel websites and airline websites show the actual ticket cost up front, including all fees and charges.  I would also like them to post all the “optional” add-on fees in an easy to read, even easier to find, chart…baggage charges, seat selection charges, blanket/pillow use fees, etc., similar to the one that the AOL article uses.

What do you think?

World Class or Street Fare and Everything In-Between

It wasn’t that long ago that Hawaii was considered a waste land when it came to “good eats”, but that has changed and even the fussiest of connoisseurs will find dishes that will satisfy their pallets.  As for me, I personally am drawn to the more everyday dishes that can be found throughout the islands.

Some local favorites are well-known, such as King’s Hawaiian Bread which can be found in most grocery stores throughout the US.  Most tourists have heard of kahlua pig and the greater majority eventually get to try some at one of the many commercial luau’s.  And, of course, there’s the always popular, “poi”, which has been most aptly described as being a “paste-like dish”,  in appearance, consistency, and taste.  Even many of the locals add sugar when they eat it.

The beauty of Hawaii is the variety of food that are so readily available.  Food Courts have become standard fare at every major mall across the country.  Unfortunately, so have the vendors…the usual fast food chains, Chinese take-out, and occasionally a local or regional surprise or two.  My favorite food court doesn’t quite fit this standard mold and sits in a non-plus setting of the Ala Moana Shopping Center.  It doesn’t matter what you or those you are with are in the mood for, everyone will find something that will appeal to them.

Whether I’m in the mood for Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese, a slice of pizza or a hotdog…they offer it.  And, for the most part, very tasty fare at that.   Its popularity with the locals attest to that.  It’s hard to beat the combination of variety and prices offered and I never miss an opportunity to eat there.

Odds are that you will have ample opportunities to try “Spam musubi” and “Loco-Moco”, both iconic foods unique to Hawaii.  It should be noted that, contrary to what many think, “Spam” is not made in Hawaii, but rather in Minnesota.  However, Hawaii leads the world in per capita consumption of this somewhat mysterious meat.  A love affair that can be traced back to the rations of World War II.   (I will say that if you compare the ingredients with the more popular hot dog, you might re-think your lowly opinion of Spam.)  You can even attend the annual Spam Jam, held in Waikiki around the end of April each year.

Loco-Moco is a dish consisting of rice topped traditionally with a hamburger patty, fried egg, and brown gravy.  Currently, there are a myriad of iterations of this favorite dish, cholesterol not withstanding.  Some places give you options as to what type of meat you’d prefer, some add macaroni salad as a side, but the rice, egg, and gravy are pretty much mainstays to the dish.  In other words, a lot of food for the money and a fitting meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I also have a soft spot for Chinatown.  Whether I’m just wanting some manapua, char siu, roast duck, almond cookies, or something more substantial, the quality of food available there is pretty consistent.  It has to be, after all that’s where many of the recent arrivals and locals get their food daily.  Having said that, it should be noted that everyone has their favorite place to go when they want some manapua or char siu, which often times is not in the confines of Chinatown.

Legends restaurant is hard to beat for their dim sum…and I admit to having a passion for these little plates of delicacies.   The novelty and the chance to try something different by simply pointing out a tasty looking dish from a passing cart is hard to beat.  If you go, go with an adventurous mind and revel in new tastes and flavors that come with not knowing exactly what it is you’re pointing at!

The only danger is forgetting that each finger-point adds to the bill that can sometimes surprise you at checkout time.  Of course, you can get yourself somewhat prepared by simply counting the dishes piled on the table in front of you as your eyes add to your bill.

What’s your favorite eating establishment?  Is there a must-have dish for you?