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| Waikiki Beach |
Our current life straddles the great Pacific Ocean, 7,000
miles or so in a line from Timaru, New Zealand to Fort Bragg, California.
Midway in distance and in culture is Hawaii, the 50th American state and
Polynesian cousin of the Aotearoa. When I decided to renew my “Certification for
Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine” to burnish my CV, I found I had to
return to US soil for the exam. Honolulu was the closest spot, and seemed like
a good place for a brief Easter Week business/pleasure trip: some visiting,
tourism, and an 8-hour high-security monitored test. What fun! It was also a
good time to take a break from the increasingly cold and short South island days. The flight was a bit disorienting, leaving NZ Saturday am and arriving in Honolulu the prior Friday night.
Sister
Athena and Niece Emily were there too for half of the week, and it was good to
see them. Initially, Athena and Em were staying with her friends John and Geri who
split their time between Ketchun, ID and Kailua, HI. Their insiders'
tips were much appreciated.
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| E&A |
As always, Athena had lots of plans, foremost was to get reservations
from the Honolulu Museum of Art to visit
Shangri La, the estate of the late
heiress
Doris Duke. Located on the opposite side of Diamondhead from Waikiki,
it is a jewel of Islamic-inspired secular art. Photos are not allowed indoors,
but visiting was a unique glimpse into the life of a legendary and fascinating
20
th century celebrity.
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| The understated entry to Shangri La |
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| Athena with her friend Geri at Shangri La |
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| The usual suspects |
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| The pool and guesthouse |
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| Shangri La Gardens |
Easter Sunday we walked down to the end of Waikiki to the Honolulu Aquarium. It is not large, but the collection of sea-life is impressive. They have beautiful coral gardens stocked with brightly colored tropical fishes, and a mammal or two.
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| A Giant Clam |
Anyone with a passing acquaintance with the Wallace Family knows food will be involved, both in quality and quantity. We sampled many of the local delicacies, and although I intended to snap a photo BEFORE eating, somehow I always forgot.
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| An Ex-breakfast: Perhaps banana pancakes and a side of Spam? |
With our interest in Polynesia, I had long wanted to visit the
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, home to the world's largest collection of Polynesian cultural artifacts and natural history specimens. Mrs Bishop (1831-1884) was a Hawaiian princess - the last legal heir of the
Kamehameha Dynasty. The main hall features magnificent koa wood columns and display cabinets, local carvings, and an outrigger canoe and sperm whale suspended from the ceiling.
There is a wall of various woven hats that through the magic of technology you can "try them on" virtually.
I also wanted to track down the rare display of
rongorongo, the mysterious writing from Easter Island (Rapa Nui).
Before the Kyles (Athena and Emily) left Tuesday, we had time for a stroll down the beach to pay our respects to the iconic statue of international Hawaiian legend
Duke Kahanamoku, a "close friend" of the aforementioned Doris Duke.
One unexpected benefit of our 29th floor condo was the nightly serenade of the Polynesian show at the Hilton Waikiki Village. Our lanai was perched across the street from the venue. To the naked eye it was like this,
but with binoculars it was more like this.
Wednesday, we took the bus downtown to see sights familiar to many Honolulu visitors, foremost being the Aloha Tower, the landmark that greeted passengers arriving from the Matson Company Liners.
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| Panoramic view from atop the tower |
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| Hula Dancer statue at the base of the Tower |
A few blocks away you will see the heart of the city and its historic sights.
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| King Kamehameha Statue in front of Aliiolani Hale, home of the Hawaiian Supreme Court |
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| Iolani Palace, former home of the king |
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| Hawaiian State Capitol |
Thursday was exam day. I swore an oath of secrecy not to reveal anything about the exam, but there was an intriguing multiple choice question about two rest home residents experiencing mutual attraction and wanting to "get busy" over the objections of an irate daughter. The security at the test site was so over the top as to be frankly absurd (multiple palm vein scans, for example), but again it is all hush hush. Fortunately, although I expect to pass, I can think of no repercussions if I don't, so I don't believe I will do it again.
Since Hawaii is actually in the USA, we were able to conduct a lot of home business during the week with our US mobile phones (like US taxes). Right before I left I learned my brother Charles was ill in the hospital. He is one of the faithful readers of my blatherings. I am glad he is improving, and wish him a speedy recovery.
I had hoped that the Grandkids, Kimarra and Isaiah H. might see Honolulu with us, but maybe next time. Back to Timaru, and I hope to get another NZ post up soon.
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| The "Papou and Grandma went to Hawaii and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" Photo |
