Hawaii 2

Oahu, 1989 (continued from Page 1) Polynesian Cultural Center
	The entrance to the Polynesian Cultural Center (at least my photographic rendering) isn't too impressive, however it's what's inside that counts. We thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was well worth the drive from Waikiki. We spent most of the day there, arriving around mid-day and staying through the evening shows. The schedule may have changed, but in 1989, it wasn't open on Sundays. Inside the Center are numerous exhibits and shows that represent the ancient cultures of Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, the Marquesas and New Zealand. My pictures and scant commentary won't do it justice, but you can take a look at: http://www.polynesia.com/

The following are some images from the shows and displays put on at the Polynesian Cultural Center:

I remember that we particularly enjoyed the show representing Samoa. The demonstrations were interesting and informative, and the demonstrators, particularly the one pictured below, were comedians. We had some good laughs. On the right is a display of tree climbing that was awesome. The climbers had speed contests. Using nothing more than hands and feet, they could climb a palm tree in just a few seconds. If I remember correctly, the fellow below is making fire by rubbing sticks together.


	Part of the day was set aside for shows and displays on the water. Notice that the colors worn by the man in the picture on the left are the Samoan colors, and in fact, he had been one of the funnier comedians at the Samoan village show.

Polynesians Making Music with Guitars, Drums, etc.	Tourists Making Music with Bamboo Cylinders


Waiting for the Poi Making and Tasting Exhibit (Yum!)	Walking Around the Polynesian Cultural Center

Here's a few shots of the evening show to end our look at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was a very enjoyable day.

Sounding of the Conch to Start the Show	Singing and Dancing into the Night

The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, is a gravesite memorial to the lives lost in the sinking of the Arizona on December 7, 1941. It is a floating concrete bridge that spans the width of the hull of the Arizona that sits beneath it in about 40 feet of water. Nearly 1200 men are entombed in that ship. We were taken to the memorial (photo on right) by boat from the Visitor Center (entrance shown in left photo). At the time of our visit, the Visitor Center (run by the National Park Service) had been recently improved and contained a museum, movie theater, book store, and snack bar. We watched a short movie about the battle of Pearl Harbor and had some time to look around before our group was called for the shuttle boat




Above is a shot of the memorial as we approached it on the boat. The photo on the right is looking lengthwise down the memorial. We visited the "Shrine Room" at one end of the memorial where the names of all the Arizona crew members lost in the battle are engraved on a marble wall.

Our 1989 "package" to Hawaii included six days on Oahu, and three-each on Kauai and Maui. It didn't take us long to realize that six days on Oahu was too much for us. So we decided to splurge and take a one-day excursion to "The Big Island" (a.k.a. Hawaii), including air fare and a bus tour. It is sometimes confusing when a person says "Hawaii" whether they are referring to "The Hawaiian Islands" or "The Island of Hawaii." So just to set the record straight, when I say "Hawaii," I may mean either one.

So on to the Island of Hawaii, "The Big Island," Vintage 1989 (click on [3] or [Next]).

Barry & Phyllis	Hawaii
Updated, January 27, 2003	Page 2