Hawaiian Maiden - A Classic Island Image

Of all the vacation destinations in the world, the dream of countless millions is Hawaii, and in particular the fascinating island of Oahu with its world famous Waikiki Beach. Universal images of palm trees, white sandy beaches, blue waters and exotic island people will all come to life on this pleasure isle. It was from Hawaii that such images first became part of mainstream culture. Oahu is by far the most visited of the Hawaiian Islands, and little wonder - as well as Waikiki, the state capital of Honolulu has many interesting things to offer the visitor. This city is steeped in the history of the Hawaiian people, their ties with the first European settlers, and then with the United States.

In 1941 the notorious Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which lies just west of Honolulu, brought instant world attention to the island as this marked the entry of the United States into World War II - from then onwards Hawaii has been a household word. The north coast of Oahu has some of the best surfing available anywhere in the world (after all, surfing was invented in Hawaii), and the east coast (or windward side) has spectacular, green lush cliff formations, which seem a world away from the development of Waikiki. Of course for many the mass high-rise development of Waikiki Beach is exactly what they come to Oahu for, and a lot of people never desire to leave the glamour filled beach or the resort strip with its wide range of accommodations, restaurants and shopping. Waikiki caters to all budgets, with even the most reasonably priced hotels and restaurants usually offering a high standard.

AREA GEOGRAPHY

The geology of the Hawaiian Islands is totally unique, and this is what makes the islands such a tropical paradise. The Hawaiian Islands are isolated from any other landmass by thousands of miles of ocean. Basically the islands lie over a 'hotspot' in the earth's crust, and the islands were forced up to the surface by volcanic action. This process still continues on the Big Island of Hawaii where the volcanoes Mauna Loa and especially Kilauea are still active and add acres to the landmass every year with their output of lava. The Big Island is the youngest of the islands geologically. Initially the islands' landscapes consisted of barren lava - seeds and other very primitive life forms drifted in with the wind and the tide. The winds and the ocean still have a huge effect on the island. The windward side is moist, and with time the islands became lush tropical paradises - encouraged by the prevalent warmth and moisture.

When the first Polynesian settlers arrived they brought animals and much in the way of plants and seeds with them. After the arrival of Europeans much more in the way of fauna and domesticated animals were introduced, and these thrived in the islands' ideal climate. However this had many negative repercussions. In less than 200 years, so much of the native flora and fauna have become extinct or endangered. This has been caused by over consumption and/or by the introduction of non-native species that have undermined the local plants and wildlife. For instance the introduction of feral domestic cats, pigs and goats has been devastating to vegetation, birds and small native mammals. Fortunately there are still plenty of unspoiled areas and many of the introduced species are still tropical in character, so the visual appeal of Hawaii remains intact in many places. The majority of Oahu is actually relatively undeveloped outside the large Honolulu-Waikiki area, for those who seek it, a truly relaxing 'away from it all' vacation is still a possibility.

HISTORY AND ECONOMY

The Hawaiian Islands have no truly indigenous population. The first arrivals - Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands came between 500 and 700 A.D. Four or five hundred years later the islands were invaded and completely overrun by Polynesians from Tahiti. The Tahitians introduced the concept of kapu - simply put, a society that is regulated socially by taboos, and they also introduced the custom of human sacrifice to appease the Gods. Today in Hawaii the remains of stone temples called heiau can still be seen - these were also introduced by the Tahitians.

For around 700 years the islands remained much the same, until January 18th 1778 when Englishman Captain James Cook arrived in the islands, specifically on Kauai. Cook was amazed to find a civilization and language so close to that of the Polynesian Islands thousands of miles away. To show the effects of this chance discovery on the Hawaiian culture, it is estimated that when Cook arrived there was a population of around one million Hawaiians. Today Hawaii's population is about the same, but of that one million, only eight thousand are completely descended from native Hawaiians. Just over one year later Cook was killed in an unfortunate incident that has traditionally been blamed on the natives. Actually extensive studies indicate that Cook's slaying was mostly as a result of provocation and disrespect for the ritualistic kapu traditions by the English.

Just weeks before Cook and his men had been welcomed to the Big Island of Hawaii with traditional Hawaiian hospitality, but their behavior and consumption of the island's already sparse resources soon brought resentment. When Cook and his men left, the Hawaiians were not sorry to see them go - despite going through the motions of declarations of friendship. The Hawaiians were far from welcoming a week later when Cook returned to repair his ship the Resolution which had been badly damaged in a storm. The declarations of friendship were forgotten and full-scale hostilities soon broke out. What was overlooked in the tragedy of Cook's death was the appalling massacre of the natives that the British carried out in revenge.

Cook's discovery soon made the islands a port of call for Europeans engaging in the lucrative fur trade between what is now known as the Pacific Northwest and China. The Europeans introduced venereal and lots of other diseases to the local population - with devastating results. They also traded firearms with the consequence that war between the different native groups broke out and King Kamehameha finally united all the islands under his rule. Kamehameha still kept the old kapu traditions alive, but from this time on Europeans constantly intervened in native politics and in the economy, generally for pragmatic reasons and not for the good of the Hawaiian people. The time-honored livelihoods of fishing and cultivation were soon abandoned for the more lucrative cultivation of the native sandalwood, which was very much desired by the Chinese. By 1820 the Hawaiian sandalwood forests were totally depleted. Today the barren ranges that remain are often used for cattle grazing, especially on the Big Island of Hawaii. Very quickly whaling was introduced which impacted the natural environment of the surrounding ocean in a major way.

These new ways of exploiting the islands' resources broke down the traditional Hawaiian culture with alarming speed. After the death of King Kamehameha, society was thrown into chaos with the breakdown of the kapu system. Kaahumanu the new female regent who replaced the old king, was perhaps a feminist born before her time - she refused to follow the taboos forced on women. This had a traumatic effect on the society and mores of the Hawaiian people.

Arriving just in time to take advantage of the breakdown of the natives' traditional belief system were a large number of Puritan missionaries from New England. This era was evocatively recreated in James Mitchener's famous novel - 'Hawaii', mostly set on the island of Maui. Very soon the missionaries were the dominant and governing culture on the islands, and claimed vast tracts of land, making their progenitors very wealthy in a similar way as their ancestors arriving on the Mayflower had done in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The next boom in natural resources was for sugar; making it expedient to have the islands' officially annexed by the USA to ensure good prices for the output. White landowners and sugar barons deviously machinated the system, overthrew the monarchy and formed a republic in 1894 - with the support of a U.S. warship called into Honolulu Harbor. U.S. President Grover Cleveland was outraged, but Congress supported the provisional government. In 1898 the United States officially annexed Hawaii.

For many years thereafter there was little call to grant Hawaii statehood. The white elite had no desire for the large native labor force to be given citizenship and therefore be protected by federal labor laws. Additionally by now there was a large population of Japanese descent (know in Hawaii as nisei, and the U.S. Congress, fearing that they may be more loyal to Japan than the United States, had no desire to grant these industrious people (many of them born in Hawaii) citizenship either.

In the first four decades of the twentieth century, the 'big five' agricultural business conglomerates run by wealthy descendents of the Puritan missionaries, dominated virtually all aspects of Hawaiian society and the economy; sugar and pineapples provided great profits. The tourism market also grew and Hawaii became a favorite port of call for luxury liners bringing wealthy vacationers. In 1941 the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II brought massive turmoil, but also marked the entry of Hawaii into mainstream America. Many servicemen enchanted by the islands, returned after the war to settle there. The war also proved the overall loyalty of the nisei to the United States, so the move to grant statehood accelerated. After much controversy, the Hawaiian population voted 17 to one in a plebiscite in favor of becoming the 50th of the U.S.A., which it did in 1959. The only people really opposed to statehood were the relatively few remaining native Hawaiians.

In more recent times native Hawaiians have gained support for the notion of Hawaiian sovereignty, similar to that granted to Native American tribal nations in the Continental United States. In 1993 to mark the centenary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, President 'Bill' Clinton and Congress issued a formal apology to the native Hawaiians, for something that just cannot be rationalized in today's much more aware world. The debate continues. There are still many unspoiled areas on Oahu for those to whom the concrete of Waikiki does not appeal. But to a large extent Hawaii has succumbed to the pressures of being a major world tourism destination. Though Hawaiian culture is a major draw for visitors - the erotic and exotic hula, flowered leis and appetizing luaus have tremendous appeal - what the tourist sees is a very sterile version of what is really Hawaii. Despite this Hawaii remains a relative paradise; the climate is perfect, the vegetation lush, the beaches inviting, and it provides a tropical overseas ambience - but with the hometown familiarity of the U.S.A. - which makes it irresistible to millions of vacationers.

CLIMATE

	Honolulu Skyline at Dusk

Oahu is always warm with temperatures ranging between an average of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit year round. Winds from the northeast bring rain making the windward or eastern side of the island lush and moist, contributing to the beauty of Oahu's windward side. Most of the rain comes between December and March. This coincides with the most popular tourist season, as the rains rarely last very long and do little to spoil a vacation as the temperature is always so pleasant. Waikiki and the areas to the southwest are much drier. The winds of winter make for especially magnificent surf on Oahu's north coast. Warm weather apparel is always the order of the day, but bring a light jacket for protection from showers. Save room in your suitcase for Hawaiian shirts, mumus, and other colorful beachwear - many visitors purchase them on arrival and wear them throughout their stay.

TRANSPORTATION

Honolulu International Airport is a Pacific Ocean crossroads, and as such has services from most major cities in the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Aircraft is the only means of scheduled transportation between the islands and there are regular and reasonably priced flights between all major points. Honolulu is the hub for these flights. Oahu has an excellent and amazingly cheap bus transit system. The whole of the island is linked by The Bus, and this makes renting a car not really as essential as it is on the other islands.

Unfortunately unless one is traveling as part of a cruise, ocean voyages from Honolulu are long a thing of the past. Some cruise lines have occasional one-way voyages that travel between North America and Hawaii or vice versa, (most of these use Vancouver or a Mexican port as a terminus to avoid restrictive U.S. shipping laws and Honolulu as the Hawaiian port of embarkation or disembarkation.) These cruises also stop at most of the islands as part of the voyage, but the complete one-way voyage must be purchased. There is also a very popular week-long cruise available traveling throughout the islands that starts and ends in Honolulu. There is no ferry service of any kind between the islands.

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

Waikiki Beach with Royal Hawaiian Hotel (Center)

There is no better place to start a tour of Oahu than its most famous resort, and probably the most famous resort in the world, Waikiki. Many people come to Waikiki and never venture from its long sandy beach (complete with imported sand, mostly from Molokai) and hotel, retail, and condominium strip, until it's time to leave for the airport. For lovers of sun and surf and an upbeat lifestyle, there is really no need to leave Waikiki. A hedonist's dream, Waikiki offers all the essential ingredients for a beach vacation. What is so interesting about Waikiki is that it is truly universal. Everything is available here, and the tourism industry is eclectic in every aspect.

Accommodation ranges from the highest luxury imaginable to simple but perfectly adequate hotels and condominium studios, often referred to as 'efficiency' units. Similarly eating opportunities abound, from world-class restaurants with their own 'designer' chefs, to simple low cost buffets, where the food may be bland but nourishing and plentiful. Of course being a part of American culture Oahu has all the usual fast food establishments. Shopping is phenomenal, and once again runs the whole gamut from luxury boutiques of all the big fashion houses, to tee-shirt stands - offering excellent deals on everybody's favorite souvenir, especially useful if you can't afford Versace for all the folks back home.

Waikiki has long been the focus of Hawaiian resort life, and a couple of classic hotels here make it fairly easy to remember how it must have been at one time in the heady pre-war days of the 'Palm Court' era. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, affectionately known as the 'Pink Palace,' built in 1927 and the Moana Surfrider which dates back even earlier to 1901 - both have always been landmark properties and are now managed by Sheraton. The Moana was the first hotel on Waikiki, and as such has just about the best location in town. But it is the hotel's history and ambience that makes it so attractive. A focal point of the Moana is an old Banyan tree in the courtyard, where 'Treasure Island' author Robert Louis Stevenson sat and wrote. This really puts the tradition of the Moana in perspective, and yet the tree still stands - albeit surrounded by a very different Hawaii. The Moana conjures up images of navy officers in tropical whites, dancing under the moonlight with their elegantly dressed wives and girlfriends to the sounds of a big band, or a palm-court orchestra. A really worthwhile indulgence in Waikiki is to take afternoon tea at the Moana.

The Royal Hawaiian is located west of the Moana Surfrider. It is a pink stucco building with a Moorish palatial style and contrasts nicely with the Moana. The Royal Hawaiian was built originally by the Matson Line as accommodation for guests arriving from the mainland on their luxurious liners. The Royal Hawaiian was equally if not more prestigious than the Moana, and was also frequented by the elite of Oahu. The Royal Hawaiian Orchestra used to broadcast a regular radio show to America from the ballroom of the hotel. Where the Moana is typically tropical, the Royal Hawaiian is very 1920s and brings that era to mind - Rudolf Valentino would not seem out of place here. During World War II the hotel was requisitioned by the military and was used as a rest and recreation center for war weary soldiers returning from battle.

Honolulu's Chinatown seems a world apart from the rest of the city and Waikiki. For the duration of the U.S. military presence on Oahu, Chinatown has been a center of entertainment for enlisted military personnel, just as much as the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Surfrider have been for officers. Despite the bawdy nature of some of the businesses in the area - pool halls, tawdry bars and massage parlors are common - the Chinese character of the stores, various enterprises and cultural sites is fascinating. Many of the buildings are traditional and open onto courtyards. Whatever you are looking for will be found in Chinatown. Consult with a traditional herbalist, or just look at the amazing collections of remedies in their stores. Cheap and delicious restaurants are in abundance, as are various temples and shrines. This is the place to get the tattoo you have always contemplated, but never dared to get done. For unusual ingredients for Chinese cooking the place to go is the Oahu Market; it is amazing to browse at the selection here. The nooks and crannies of Chinatown's alleyways can be confusing to visitors - so to see the best of what the neighborhood has to offer, take a walking tour offered by the Chinatown Historical Society.

	Kailua Beach

Oahu's Windward Coast is remarkably beautiful. Take 'The Bus' on the Pali Highway and see the magnificent lush green cliffs. The Nuuanu Pali Lookout marks the site of a great battle when King Kamehameha's warriors massacred hundreds of Oahu troops by forcing them over the cliff. Their skulls remained there for over a century and even Mark Twain wrote about them. The Windward Coast is popular for windsurfing, and one of the most popular places for this is Kailua. The beach here is one of the island's best and while there are no hotels it is possible to rent a cottage or stay in a laid-back bed and breakfast - though close in miles, Kailua seems worlds apart from the commercialism of Waikiki. Camping is also a popular option on this part of the island. Oahu's largest bay is Kane'ohe, where sailing is ideal because of the constant trade winds.

The Byodo-In Temple is a spectacular sight with the mountains forming a very photogenic backdrop. It is a recreation of an ancient Japanese-Buddhist temple. The actual cliffs are inaccessible by road, the only way to get close to them is by taking a hike from Kahana Valley State Park. The final attraction on the Windward Coast is a very popular one. The Polynesian Cultural Center is owned and managed by the Mormon Church, and it is interesting to see their sanitized interpretation of Polynesian culture and history. Inaccuracies not withstanding this is good family entertainment, and the place is meticulously clean and very well run.

In downtown Honolulu a great traveler's secret is the little known, but very impressive Academy of Arts. As well as what is probably the best American collection of Chinese ceramics, bronzes and other Asian sculpture, there is an excellent selection of different visiting artists impressions of the islands in various forms. These enable visitors to see the rapid development of the state through artists eyes, including a sketch of Waikiki from 1838. The greatest surprise though is the collection of impressionist work including Van Gogh's 'Wheat Field', Monet's 'Water Lilies', and with a Polynesian theme - Gaughin's 'Two Nudes on a Tahitian Beach.'

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor

The events of December 7th 1941 at Pearl Harbor changed Oahu, Hawaii, and in fact the whole planet forever. The entry of the United States into World War II irrevocably thrust the country onto the world stage and left the United States with no choice but to become a world super power. As one Japanese military leader put it "A sleeping giant was awakened." The attack was devastating and took the military - many drowsy from the excesses of a tropical Saturday night's partying - totally by surprise. The death toll was large, over 2,500 people lost their lives. 21 U.S. ships were sunk or damaged, and 347 aircraft were destroyed. Particularly tragic was the loss of the U.S.S. Arizona that was destroyed and sunk within minutes of the onset of the attack. Pearl Harbor is the final resting place for the majority of the 1,177 officers and crew (with an average age of 19) who went down with her.

Today Pearl Harbor is still a huge military compound, most of it is not open to the public, however the wreck of the Arizona has been chosen as a poignant, simple and yet remarkably effective memorial of the events of that day, it now forms the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, an attraction managed by the National Park Service. Launches take visitors out to the site; the monument is built over the hulk allowing visitors to look directly down into the depths of the harbor at the ship's grave. Oil from the ship's machinery still seeps from the wreck and floats to the surface in what seems almost like a continuous protest at the indignity of such a sudden, violent and tragic end for so many. Passage on the launch to the wreck comes by numbered card given out in advance on a first come first served basis - often the wait is several hours. A large proportion of the visitors to the memorial are in fact Japanese. The Visitors Center at the memorial shows a film that is neutral in its perspective of the attack. From a military standpoint, the attack was brilliantly executed, and as well as marking a watershed for the United States, actually initiated a very turbulent period for Japan. For the Japanese in particular, World War II culminated in a terrible tragedy, and the end of many centuries old Japanese traditions. Although a sobering experience, it would not be right to visit Hawaii without coming to this place - the site of one of the most significant events in modern world history.