I chose the title “Island Time” for this blog because that is the necessary embodiment of the “Aloha Spirit” when you’ve had the weather that we have had since arriving. It is our 18th day in Waikiki and yesterday was the first sunny day we’ve had since March 8th. “Island Time supports Hawaii’s social and cultural values by mentally prioritizing nurturing relationships, such as stopping to talk to a friend, over adhering to a strict timetable. It values relationships over schedules.” We may have had some ambitions or schedules before we arrived, about what we hoped to do during our time here based off of how beautiful the weather was when we were here in September, and the weather had other plans, so we’ve embraced the pivot.
I’m glad that we went on the whale watching/sunset boat trip the first day because it wouldn’t have happened any time after that. Honolulu got 10 inches of rain between March 10th and 13th. On March 13th Honolulu recorded a record breaking 5.51 inches! This was the day we were supposed to arrive from Fiji and the day all those flights, including our friends who were trying to get back to CA from Maui, were canceled. I wonder if we would’ve even been able to get here if we hadn’t changed our plans or if we would’ve been stuck in Fiji!!! And it didn’t stop. March 14th through the 20th Oahu got 12 additional inches of rain which caused major flooding, the North Shore to have to be evacuated and threatened the breakage of the 120-year-old dam there. It was the worst flooding in 20 years! We are praying for the safety of the people on the North Shore and the other islands that are experiencing worse devastation than in Waikiki and it has become somewhat depressing to be soaked every time we go out. And, I’m grateful we didn’t have to evacuate and that we have had places to go. All the things.
During our time here I have learned a little bit of the Hawaiian language and pronunciation. One of the locals that I met explained how simple the Native Hawaiians were at naming things. For example Haleiwa. When you break it down, Hale means house and iewa (pronounced eva) means great frigatebird. So house of the great frigatebird, which is a sea bird that is prevalent on the North Shore where Haleiwa is located. Ahi means fire and the tuna were named that because tuna were known to be the strongest fish among Native Hawaiians. Aʻu (pronounced owe) is the word for swordfish because they have a huge point on their nose and if you touch it you’ll say “owe”. I love learning new things!
As I mentioned in my previous post I’m glad we’re easing back into the US by starting in Hawaii. And, in spite of the weather, we have managed to be able to do a few things. The first week we focused on indoor activities by visiting the Army Museum and the Bishop Museum. We braved the elements on the 14th and went to Waikiki Brewing for their free beer festival that featured some of the local breweries.
The second week I managed to get out before the rain for my morning walk everyday but Friday. It is unfortunate that Dave has to work until noon because the mornings were ok, as far as rain goes, but it seemed to rain every afternoon. Which I believe is pretty common in Hawaii this time of year, just not this volume of it. On Saint Patrick’s day they had a little parade down Kalākaua Avenue, which is one of the main thoroughfares through Waikiki that runs parallel to the ocean. It was fun to be able to go to Maui Brewing Company watch from the terrace that overlooks the avenue. The next day we took the bus to Foster Botanical Garden which was cool. We only had about an hour to explore and it was fun to learn about some of the trees that you can find in Hawaii. I started to get a little stir crazy by the 19th so I took the bus in the morning to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater. I had never been and I heard that they have a good view overlooking Honolulu that I wanted to see. I got a little wet, and the view was somewhat obscured by clouds, and I’m still glad I went. I like visiting cemeteries in the cities that we visit and this one was beautiful. After I visited the cemetery it wasn’t raining too hard and I noticed that the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), which I had also been wanting to visit, wasn’t too far of a walk away, so I went and did that. What a cool museum HoMA is. It “houses an encyclopedic collection of over 50,000 pieces, specializing in Asian art, American and European painting, and Pacific, African, and American traditional works. Highlights include significant Japanese woodblock prints, Korean ceramics, Buddhist sculpture, modern and contemporary art, and a vast collection of works on paper and textiles.” The building itself is also structurally beautiful with several different courtyards. If you’re ever in Honolulu I highly recommend a visit to this museum.
This past weekend as I mentioned the deluge continued. We were supposed to visit Diamond Head for the first time but all the state parks were closed for obvious reasons so we decided to take the bus an hour and half to Kona Brewing in Hawaii Kai for lunch, just for something to do. Afterwards we visited Chinatown and met a new friend at Skull and Crown Trading Co. which is a Tiki Bar for a drink.
Yesterday was the first day that we have seen the sun since the 8th and I’m hopefully optimistic that it will be beautiful for the rest of the week. Just in time for us to leave for San Francisco on Friday. 😂 I made a reservation for Diamond Head tomorrow morning so fingers crossed that finally happens. Otherwise we’ll just be enjoying the rest of our time here.
Next week we’ll be visiting friends in Pacifica that we haven’t seen in seven months. I am SO excited to be with my people again I can’t even tell you!!! Even though I have been to visit CA several times we have some things planned that we’ve never done. We’re going to go the Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur and then will spend the night in Monterey. I have a friend from MN coming to visit on Thursday for the weekend and we’re going to go to Alcaraz. I heard that the cherry blossoms are blooming in Golden Gate Park so we may even get to see those for the first time. I’ve also heard that San Francisco has been having some beautiful weather so I’m very much looking to all of it!
I hope this finds you happy and well wherever you are!
Love, Alison
This is a Great Frigate bird like the ones found in Haleiwa. This is an example of how the citizens of Honolulu prepared for chemical warfare during WWII. It was at Hawaii Army Museum Society.This is the first U.S. Army helicopter designed to perform attack missions and initially flew in 1965.The view from the roof of the Hawaii Army Museum Society.Pacific Golden-Plover. Rose-Ringed Parakeet enjoying a little palm tree snack in the park outside of the museum. There were many events planned for the Honolulu Festival the weekend of March 14th, like parades and fireworks, that were unfortunately canceled due to the weather but it was fun to get a taste of it during a break in the rain. This is an image from the Waikiki Brewing Beer Festival that I thought would make my uncle proud. 🙂Cool murals and birds on a wire. The view from where the elevator stops at our Air BnB. It goes to the 12th floor and we’re on 14. Waiting in line to visit the Bishop Museum which is the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific and the largest museum in Hawaii.Bishop Museum. What a cool space!This is part of a 16-panel artwork titled Kumulipo by Hawaiian artist Carl F.K. Pao. This is “beginning-in-deep-darkness” portion of the piece. This is the ‘ahu ‘ula (feathered cloak of Chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu.“Hawaiian Lunar Month” is very important to the lives of the Native Hawaiian people. This is “Hawaii” by Hawaiian artist Kaili Chun in the Kau Moana (Peoples of the Ocean Deep) room at the Bishop Museum. It was fun to see a visual of the “Polynesian Triangle” that we learned about while we were on the North Island of New Zealand. Mokuʻāweoweo Crater During Eruption of 1896 by David Howard Hitchcock. The Kāhili Room. “The Kāhili is a traditional Hawaiian royal standard, consisting of feathers on a staff, that symbolizes the presence, lineage, and high rank of aliʻi (chiefs).”Aloha Bricks ’26 at the Bishop Museum began with a recreation of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel created by Peter Roy Barti. It is interesting how many “brick” exhibits we’ve seen in our travels and I’m here for it!The Iolani Palace by Yusuke Yamana, HILUG.ʻIʻiwi. My goodness it would’ve been cool to see one of these in person! Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. The state fish of Hawaii and no I cannot help you pronounce it. 🙂Kapa kuiki, Hawaiian quilt made by Kuahine Kamalau to commemorate Hailey’s Comet of 1910.Hawaiian Hawksbill Sea Turtle. One of my “dryer” morning walks through Kapiʻolani Regional Park with Diamond Head in the background.My first trip to Leonard’s for Malasadas (donuts). YUM!What better way to start a Saint Patrick’s Day parade than with bagpipes? Aloha Spirit. While enjoying a post parade beer at the International Market Place we were gifted this by an artist that just happened to be sitting across from us. Check out @tobikoproject on Instagram. A somewhat promising sunrise. The temple at the entrance to the Foster Botanical Garden. Where are we again? The Quipo tree originally from South America. This Red Powder Puff flower reminds me of something that you would see in a Dr. Seuss book. The Pride Tree of Honolulu. Wilhelmina Tenney Rainbow Shower Tree. Tower ‘Mystic Maze’ orchid, commonly known as a type of spider orchid. A fallen bloom from the Shaving Brush Tree. More Seussical magic!Hala Tree. “Nicknamed “walking trees” because their stilt-like aerial roots (ulehala) grow outward and downward, anchoring into the soil to support the tree and making it appear as if it is moving on legs. While they do not “walk” in the human sense, they can shift their position over many years, as new roots grow forward and older, rear roots die off.”Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii is a Shinto Shrine near Chinatown in Honolulu. The first views from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater. Lady Columbia Statue built in 1964 to symbolize the sacrifices of American Armed Forces. Even though I got pretty sick of the rain by the end of it, it does create some dramatic views. Diamond Head from the Punchbowl Lookout. Honolulu and the ocean. A bloom of the Bottlebrush plant after a rain shower. The entrance courtyard at Honolulu Museum of Art. HoMA.This incredible sculpture entitled Hortensia by Jaume Plensa was as tall as me!“Looks Can Be Deceiving” by Noah Harders is made from Ula, Hawaiian Spiny Lobsters. “Ku’u Hae Aloha” (My Beloved Flag) Artist unknown. I’m sure you recognize this artist. “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet. And this Artist. “Wheat Field” by Vincent van Gogh. This cool piece is entitled “The Long Rain” by Yves Tanguy. How appropriate. 🙂Another Artist you might recognize. “Waterfall-No. III-‘Iao Valley” by Georgia O’Keeffe. I actually went to ‘Iao Valley, which is on Maui, back in 1994. These amazing ceramic vases were created by Toshiko Takaezu who “was an American ceramic artist, painter, sculptor, textile artist and educator whose oeuvre spanned a wide range of mediums, including ceramics, weavings, bronzes, and paintings.”Another one of the beautiful courtyards at HoMA.This hat came from the Philippines and is made of wood and glass beads. I thought it was unique. This piece which I thought was somewhat reminiscent of Picasso is created by Onchi Kōshirō and is part of his Lyrically Rebellious exhibition. This piece is entitled ” Lyric No. 23, 1952″These gigantic ceramic sculptures are known as “Dangos” and they were created by Jun Kaneko. They are in yet another courtyard at HoMA.More amazing creations by Toshiko Takaezu. These are all inspired by the Moon. “Gaea (Mother Earth)” Made from stoneware and found hammocks. This awesome piece is part from the Contemporary Art exhibition entitled Past Forward. The piece is “Colony (Young Laundry)” by Gaye Chan. “Hirebecca” by David Smith is made of welded and painted steel. An interesting metal screen. Sarong from Java. “Nandi’s Head” From India in the late 18th Century. Made from polychromed wood. “Nandi, the god Shiva’s vehicle, is gaily decorated for a festival.”Guanyin Bodhisattva from early 11th Century China. Dragon Jar from the Korean Joseon Dynasty.Yet another beautiful courtyard. HoMA is a special museum and I’m glad I visited it. This beautiful mural is entitled “he’e Nalu: Two Hawaiian Olympians” It was really cool to see these “Architectural Screens and Breeze Blocks” out in the wild after learning about them at the museum. This is a post WWII architectural design originated in California designed to provide shade without obscuring light while simultaneously allowing the cooling breeze to pass through. Stylish and functional. 🙂Views of Hawaii Kai from Kona Brewing.“Make Life Fun!” by tattoo and graffiti artist Marko Livingston. Skull and Crown Trading Co. Potentially promising morning on Monday. The birds definitely enjoyed a wee bit of flooding in Kapiʻolani Regional Park.The Banyan Tree doesn’t seem to mind it either. 😉It did end up raining more on Monday afternoon so we took the bus to Beer Lab. We got to see this incredible Kapok Tree though on the way to the bus. The Kapok tree is native to Tropical America and Africa. Tuesday morning was a wee bit more promising for a nice day, albeit windy. 12th floor view in the sun. And it really ended up being incredibly gorgeous out so we FINALLY made it to Waikiki beach!!! #lifegivingWe finished our day by getting to see the view of the rooftop outside our 14th floor walk up for the first time. 🙂Even though we went through what we went through I’m happy that we returned to Waikiki and that our time here is ending on a high note!
