In my high school book I wrote atypically that within ten years from graduation, I was going to live in Hawaii. My prophecy was fulfilled two years ago when Dean took me there for the first time. I did not however, foresee that I will go there again for my honeymoon…
There is something special about Hawaii, which makes me want to back there every month. I never get tired of walks along Waikiki Beach and the warm Pacific Ocean. Sunsets, as if cut from postcards, are always perfect scenery for a honeymoon…
I did not also foresee that in Hawaii, I would see so many tourists from Asia. They seem to enjoy making shopping sprees in many of Oahu’s exclusive boutiques. For our last dinner we went back to our favorite and intimate Japanese restaurant, Hana na Soto, owned by a hard working married couple from Japan.
In Hawaii, there are also attractions a la Americaine. On the main Kalakaua Avenue, one can practice at the Waikiki Gun Club, and then enjoy a meal at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Tourists, also from Asia, visit the historical base of Pearl Harbor.
Yet Hawaii is not a paradise to everybody. The city’s authorities are working intensively on a plan to remove homeless people from main tourist areas. As I read in the local press, the actions are not met with consent from, often religious, residents of Oahu.
During our holiday, once again, we did not hike on the Diamond Head– a famous volcanic mountain. However we treated ourselves with a car trip to a less exclusive region of the North Shore and a submarine cruise. Huge oceanic turtles slumbering on the wrecks of old, abandoned ships made a quite impression on us.
I also did not try a popular Hawaiian snack: spam. This kind of cheaper meat is available in
many forms. Even well-known fast food chains offer sandwiches with spam.
Initially, it was served as a food of American soldiers based around the world, icluding Asia. Spam was an instant hit with Asians and Polynesians, which led to its popularity in Hawaii. Email spam owes its etymology to this product; I find neither appealing.
It is hard to stop writing about the unique island of Oahu. Queen Emma’s palace, the oriental pagoda hidden in the center of Honolulu, enormous hotels and the unique Hawaiian
hippie atmosphere all deserve more than just a casual remark. Dean should add a few words about the fish he saw while snorkeling in the phenomenal Hanauma Bay ..
Now I should go back again to From Here to Eternity or Paradise News books, and perhaps to the movies Pearl Harbor andThe Descendants…
And finally, a little trivia – maybe you know which well-known ling American was born in Honolulu? Hint: Not everyone believes it.
Hang loose !