Getting Lost In Honolulu

Let me put it to you this way: aside from traveling (and I try to take cabs when I travel) there is only one place I have driven: Scottsdale. The nice thing about Scottsdale and its navigation is aside from a couple of key places (downtown Scottsdale, North Scottsdale) it is on a GRID. It has several key land marks (Camelback, the McDowells, some weird art on some corners -FLW/Scottsdale) and additionally, I lived there 20 years. I never, never, never got lost there. NEVER.

Those glorious, carefree days are OVER. I am now a googlemaps FANATIC (I prefer it to mapquest, personally) and find that if I do not map out all destinations, then I should leave myself ample time to get lost.

Case in point:
3 times, while venturing around in downtown Honolulu, I have found myself in the middle of China town..even on the same street all three times (I seem to always get lost coming from the same direction, as this particular street is a one way.) The one way, BY THE WAY - is the nemisis of the of the directionally challenged, city neophyte. Additionally, I have never quite known how I got to that same location (King St.), it seemed that I just kept "finding myself" there. I have joked that I have found Chinatown, but if anyone asked me how to get to Chinatown, I would be at a loss. ANYWAY - I have often noticed an open market selling fresh fish, and wished that I was on the side of the one way, bottlenecked street, over crowded with pedestrians, that would allow me to pull over and inspect. Alas, each time, from 3 lanes away, I have looked longingly at the big red crab over the Chinese named fishmarket and hoped that eventually, I would be able to get there.
Move ahead:
I learn of a fantastic fish market named: Tamashiro on King St. It's reputation is fabulous and it is quite easy to spot - as it has a giant crab hanging over the door. (AH-HA! You say!) So one day, while downtown, I decide that I will try my navigation skills, I am emboldened by the fact that this fish market is so easily identifiable, I have seen it before, and how many can there be!? Plus, I am desperate for fresh sushi. YUM! At 4:00 pm I begin my travels. I easily locate King Street. I travel it, looking for the address. Looking for my fish market. I find that I can not find my fish market or Chinatown. Ironic huh?

At 5pm (spectacular timing I might add) I locate Chinatown. I am practically dancing in my seat. I have persevered. I have navigated. I have....become lost again. I can not locate King St in Chinatown. I continue to drive through one-way streets, in crawling rush hour traffic, constantly assessing what direction I am heading by locating either the water or the mountains. I determine that I have gone too far Ewa (West), for I am certain that I have not been lost in this particular area of town before. At 6pm - I give up. I crawl my way back to the rush hour traffic freeway (another story entirely as I initially get on the highway going the wrong direction) and limp into my neighborhood Safeway around 6:45pm.
After some nourishment, I crawl to my computer to retrace my steps and find out where this fish market is. Well, well, well. It IS on King St. I am quite familiar with S. King St which is in Chinatown (I couldn't find that either) but the fish market that I am seeking (also with a giant crab over the door) is on N. King St AND, to add salt to the wounds...it is a mere two blocks from the place where I turned around to go back to the freeway. Indeed. I had NOT been to that area of town...and it was NOT the same fish market I had seen before. Not be deterred: I visited there today and triumphantly got myself there after only 2 wrong turns.

Shall I share more?
This is the "incident" that made me switch to googlemaps, by the way.

I was meeting a new friend for lunch. She suggested a museum, which I have actually been to. I knew that I would need to look up directions, but I was also fairly confident in my ability to get there. Strangely, when I print out the map, I do not review it, or my directions. I simply jump in the car, and go. While in the car, I look at which exit to get off the freeway. I follow said directions. I turn Right On University, Right on Dole...SMACK in the middle of the University..as class is getting out...and many unrushed, casually ambling students are taking much advantage of the favorable pedestrian laws here. I have plenty of time to ponder..."I do not think that museum is near the University....I do not remember it being on this side of the freeway..." I turn right on St. Louis and as the directions say...I get right back on the freeway. WTF!?!!!! WHY?! WHY?!! WHY?!!! Did it make me do that useless detour?!! WHY?! Gratefully, I left myself the requisite 20+ "Late minutes" and arrived in time for my lunch.

This is a map of my journey in these two stories. Notice the detour at the University and the dark blue lines where I kept driving over and over like an obsessed terrier hunting for the rabbit.

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So, you can see....I adventure. I pay much in gas. I find sushi. Eventually.