Escaping the Pacific Northwest’s wettest week in June wasn’t really in the plan, that’s just how it happened.
Escaping to beautiful Hawaii, on the other hand, was very much part of the plan – one that spent years in limbo, then erupted in a flurry of activity, not unlike one of those islands’ famous volcanoes.
Flying in to Oahu, armed with lots of recommendations on places of interest and food (of course), from friends who know the place well, we hit the ground..er..walking. From the minute you step off the aircraft, things take on a gentle, island gait. No one’s in a hurry. Even the birds seem more inclined to walk about, rather than make any effort to fly.
My first feeling on the ground was one of déjà vu. Lightly overcast skies, a gentle breeze, frangipani, gulmohur, and rain trees, mynas sauntering about the parking lot..it took me back to arriving in Bangalore airport in the early 1970’s. And again, being greeted by our hotel shuttle’s escort with a warm “Aloha!‘, and a welcoming “lei” flower garland was also a scene so familiar from film, TV, books, even comic books, that it’s taken on a life of its own, in my mind!
That sense of déjà vu would haunt us throughout our visit – from familiar trees, birds, fruit (many of them introduced to the islands from India or elsewhere in South Asia) to the changeable landscape – one moment all intensely tropical, the next, a little bit of Coorg, Mysore, or some colonial enclave in Pondicherry. And yet, these familiar scenes were framed by an unfamiliar horizon. These Islands have a proud and unique culture, a mighty ocean surrounding them and centuries of history lapping at the shores.
It was quite apparent right off the bat, that we would be trimming what we had thought of as quite a reasonable itinerary for the six days we were there, starting with a decision to remain on Oahu, one of the seven main islands that comprise the state of Hawaii, and home to the capital city, Honolulu. From hiking up the volcanic cone of Diamond Head, to visiting museums, palaces, cultural centres, markets, gardens, the fun of a Luau and naturally, the magnificent beaches, there is so much to enjoy on this one small island. It didn’t seem right to hasten off to explore further afield. Not on this visit, anyway! So, clocks set to island time, we meandered our way around downtown Honolulu on foot, made use of the excellent bus services to cover more ground, and a rental car to drive around the Island.
Among the highlights of our time on Oahu, was a visit to Historic Pearl Harbour, and a tour of the USS Missouri, on whose gigantic Burma teak deck, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender that ended the Second World War was signed at Tokyo Bay. If you’ve seen Under Siege, in which Steven Seagal plays a navy seal on the Missouri who is also the captain’s personal cook, we have it on good authority that he never set foot on the ship during filming – it was all studio effects! We met a guide who was indeed personal cook to the ship’s captain, beginning in the 1950’s, and he had some fascinating anecdotes to share.
In direct contrast to the military might on display there, windward Oahu, with its craggy mountains and magnificent vistas, shows off the power of nature at its dramatic best. The exquisite Byodo-In Japanese temple, set in the surreal beauty of the Valley of the Temples, is definitely a place to linger.
A note on the food – Hawaii has wonderful seafood, of course, and locally grown produce, including some of the best mangoes I’ve eaten outside India. It is possible to get a taste of traditional Hawaiian foods including the infamous pounded taro paste known as “poi“, at casual diners like the locally owned Zippy’s chain. The amazing diversity of cultural influences in the local cuisine – Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Filipino, Samoan, Vietnamese and many other nationalities have all added to the delicious mix that is Hawaiian cuisine in their own unique fashion. Whether it’s spicy Portuguese sausage, or delicate malasadas (doughnuts), a steaming bowl of saimin noodle soup (Japanese, Chinese and Filipino influenced), the enduring popularity of canned meat like Spam, or the combination of macaroni salad and steamed rice as the starch element in a “plate lunch“, a tradition descended from the days of the sugarcane plantations, eating in Hawaii is eclectic, casual, and full of surprises.
You describe precisely how I felt when I was there, but you say it sooooooooo well!
“That sense of déjà vu would haunt me throughout our visit – from familiar trees, birds, fruit to the changeable landscape – one moment all intensely tropical, the next, a little bit of Konkan. And yet, these familiar scenes were framed by an unfamiliar horizon.”
Thanks,ET!How did you fare on the food front? Did you get a chikoo juice fix?
Shalini, I went there years ago, in the pre-digital photo era (that is how I am increasingly seeing my life sometimes these days :)), and when not everything came with a web-site. I relied mostly on some guidebooks and printouts of emails from friends and co-workers! I did fine on the food front, but did not seek out anything Indian in parrticular, because I visit India regularly anyway. While talking to a friend who visited recently, I realized a lot has changed since then. I went to Kauai, btw. Did you see banyan trees on Oahu? That was such a wondrous sight to me.
No looking for Indian food here, either- not even remotely interested in butter chicken, as featured on the menu of one Indian restaurant we passed by in Oahu :-p It was good vegetarian options, I was curious about. We ate some really delicious salad wraps at Aloha Salads.Now that’s a good salad bar. And all that beautiful fruit! A juice stall in Chinatown had such a familiar selection –sugarcane, chikoo, custard apple, lychee. And all those lovely mangoes. Turns out, the ones we ate are originally from “pairie” stock, from India. They certainly travelled well.
Banyan trees aplenty, and a most beautiful one in the grounds of Iolani Palace.