Let's go to Hawaii!!
Waikiki
Our visit to the Hawaiian island of Oahu was everything we thought it would be! We landed in the afternoon, and by the time we unpacked and settled into the condo, it was dusk. The sun sets around 6:30p here, and though we were tired from the flight, we certainly couldn't wait to explore until tomorrow... so we took an initial look around the area into which we settled: Waikiki. It was a dream come true for both of us. A tropical paradise.
Immediately, the atmosphere hit us. The scent of the ocean, the sounds of the waves hitting the shores, the beautiful colors of dusk, the people passing by headed to or from the beach... truly a sensory overload! We saw the Waikiki walls to the left, so we walked over to the pier to take a look.
The Waikiki Walls
The warm glow of the busy shops off of the beach was captivating.
Such a picturesque shoreline, day and night.
Waikiki is beautiful day and night!
Much of the vegetation in Hawaii was actually brought here by people from many different nations in the past. We saw trees and shrubs that originated in Africa, New Zealand, Europe, China, and Japan.
Not a comfortable seat, but a great comparison for size.
This tree drops vines to the ground which turn into roots to further search for nutrients.
I love the gnarled, twisted look of this species.
Monkeypod trees have a cap that is nearly symmetrical and forms a large dome.
Palm trees of all kinds everywhere. I love the tropics!
This species of palm grows in a fan shape. How neat!
We had an outstanding view from the condo we rented, with a clear view of Diamond Head crater on the left, the ocean on the right, and the beautiful park and zoo in the center. Each morning, we stood on the balcony for awhile, taking in all the sights and sounds around us.
Diamond Head, a volcano extinct for 300,000 years.
Waking up and seeing the ocean. Aaaaaah, vacation!
Well, you don't see that everyday.
The first day was dedicated to Robert's Hawaii Circle Island Tour. It was such an exciting and informative trip, despite Jim's occasional heckling of the driver. The guide, in retort, kept saying he "may forget where he picked us up at." We had a lot of fun and our tour guide had a wonderful sense of humor. What a great time!!
Time to go exploring. Smile!
Our eyes were fixed on those cresting waves over the reef as our tour bus took us to our first destination.
The Halona Blowhole
The Halona Blowhole is a lava tube that, on windy days when the tide is high, ejects water up to 30 feet into the air. Truly a marvelous sight to see.
Each wave fills the large part of the cave below the rocks.
The water, forced into smaller and smaller area, increases in pressure.
The result is an explosion of water.
There it goes!
The current is not good for swimming, but the waves crashing on the rocky shore are incredibly picturesque.
Right next to the blowhole is the Halona Cove, better known as Eternity Beach.
This beach was featured in a few films, notably the famous love scene in From Here to Eternity (1953) and 50 First Dates (2004).
Jim snapped a picture when I was exploring the cove.
There is also a long cave tunnel leading to the other side of the beach. It would have been much prettier if people hadn't littered. Respect the Earth! Mahalo!
"Five minutes until the bus leaves!" No time to see the other side.
Hanauma Bay
There was also a scenic stop at a lookout in Hanauma Bay.
Nu'uanu Pali Lookout
Nu'uanu Pali is the site of the Battle of Nu'uanu, one of the bloodiest battles in Hawaiian history. The turning point of the battle for this island happened here, where many warriors were driven off the cliffs of the lookout.
Another tourist was kind enough to take our photo together.
Nice backdrop!
Neat rock formation at the top of the cliffs.
Imagine being forced off by spearpoint. Ouch.
What a beautiful view.
Suddenly, The Army and Darth Vader shows up at the lookout point. Interesting.
Byodo-In Temple (平等院)
Our next stop was the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of a Buddhist temple nestled in the mountains.
The misty mountains in the background really added a Zen feeling to the atmosphere.
This whole experience was surreal, like traveling from Hawaii to Japan in a heartbeat. Even at half size, the replica captures the grandeur all the same. As is tradition, shoes were to be removed before entering the Temple.
Statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus flower.
The Peace Bell sounded many times as visitors took their turns using the swinging hammer.
Even the cemetery was beautiful.
According to our guide, even the least expensive plots here cost around $500,000.
Chinaman's Hat
On our tour bus ride, we also came across Mokoli'i island, also known as Chinaman's Hat due to it's shape resembling an old style Chinese hat.
Mokoli'i translates as "little lizard." According to Hawaiian mythology, this island is what remains of a dragon's tale that was chopped off by the goddess Hi'iaka and thrown into the sea.
Kualoa Ranch
Kualoa Ranch was both a scenic and informative stop. Our tour guide mentioned that this 4000 acre ranch consisting of three valleys is an often-used location for Hollywood movies.
The valley used in the Jurassic Park movies.
Greeted by some tiki statues.
Monkeypod trees growing naturally on the landscape.
Replica of an ancient Hawaiian temple.
Waimea Bay
We made another stop on the North Shore, on Waimea Bay and Makapu'u Beach.
Beaches everywhere!
I would like to point out the chickens in this picture. There was a hurricane that broke the unsecured chicken coops and scattered the chickens to certain parts throughout the island. Now they grow wild!
A guy was selling fresh coconuts at this stop.
Rabbit Island
After stopping at the Dole plantation for some delicious pineapple ice cream, we headed back for Waikiki. On the way, our tour guide pointed out a small islet offshore called Manana, or commonly referred to as Rabbit Island.
Its shape looks something like a rabbit's head and it was once inhabited by introduced rabbits, that were later eradicated due to damage to the ecosystem of the island.
Iolani Palace
Iolani Palace was the royal residence of King Kamehameha and Queen Lili'uokalani. Its architecture is quite interesting, and the history behind the walls was rather fascinating.
There are also lots of palm trees on the grounds, further adding to the Hawaiian feel to the building.
The Grand Staircase was pretty impressive, specifically the small statues holding the light fixtures.
The dining room was beautiful!
Two thrones on the dais.
I can imagine King Kamehameha wearing his crown and holding his scepter during events.
The seats on the side were for the important visitors.
Queen Lili'uokalani was held prisoner in her own home when the US invaded. During this time, she composed several songs and created this quilt.
"Imprisoned at Iolani Palace"
The top of the Grand Staircase
The Polynesian Cultural Center
The PCC, by far, was the biggest highlight of our entire trip. We chose the most expensive luau package available ("Super Ambassador") and we were treated like royalty the entire time. Our personal tour guide was dedicated to us, and led us around the entire center. He always stayed one show ahead of us to reserve front row seats to the next event!
The first thing our tour guide pointed out to us was the statue of Hamana Kalili, who lost three fingers while working in a sugar mill. When he would wave, people would mimic the sign.
It is now widely used in surfing venues and known as the shaka.
Where are the flower leis? Well, those are for common guests. The kukui nut leis they we are wearing are reserved for the Super Ambassador tickets. In ancient times, only royalty wore the kukui. We loved the bright magenta flowers on the shrub behind us!
Each of the six Polynesian cultures was represented here in separate areas, each with unique shows and demonstrations: Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, Tonga, Hawaii, Samoa, and Tahiti.
Our guide led us to Aotearoa first, and explained how the tribe would greet any visitors (with much caution, as the tribes were often at war): The lead warrior from the Aotearoan village would lay down an offering, and the visitor would either accept or reject the offering.
We were then led into the main hall, which had very ornate carvings made of wood along the walls and ceiling. The detail was exquisite.
The red carvings were to symbolize different tribes who settled in New Zealand.
This demonstration showed us the changes that the introduction of the guitar made. The first song is how music used to sound before instruments, and when the guitar was introduced... just listen!
There is a rhythm game played with sticks called Tititorea. They showed Jim and I the basics of playing the game and snapped a picture for us as well. Whether Jim admits it or not, I clearly won.
Here are the pros playing the game:
The tribe performed a traditional haka, a series of movements and chants meant to intimidate anyone that may bring harm. Said to drain the confidence of the enemy, you'll notice the women getting just as fierce looking as the men. Watch out!
The next dance they performed was called the poi dance. Such a cool thing to hear and see.
They took our picture with one of the dancers. Shaka!
Another highlight was the music and dancing in the Fiji area. They had the audience keeping time with bamboo sticks. Have a listen.
Our guide took a picture of us in front of a replica of a Fiji temple. Keep in mind that, despite its height, these were all constructed traditionally as well!
The PCC Canoe Pageant
PCC hosts a canoe pageant every night, where each of the six islands are represented.
I AM SORRY ABOUT THE VERTICAL VIDEO. I KNOW, IT IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND I SHOULD BE FLOGGED.
Aotearoa
Fiji
Hawaii
Samoa
Tahiti
Tonga
Royal Procession
The Luau
The luau that the PCC hosted was pretty neat. We again had front row seats right by the stage to watch the performers as we ate. The food was so good!!
Let the fun begin!
The kalua pig that is eaten during the luau is cooked traditionally in an in-ground oven. Lava rocks are heated and, due to their porous nature, they retain the heat exceptionally well.
There were many different dance performances during the luau, though I only videoed one. I took lots of pictures, though! The rest of the time, I was busy stuffing my face....
At the end of the luau, the finale included fire dancers. Check out this kid!!
Ha, Breath of Life
The main attraction was a performance they called, "Ha, Breath of Life." This was an outstanding experience, again from the front row. Unfortunately, photography and video are not allowed.
