THE STOLEN KINGDOM

Hawaii is paradise, no doubt. It is a top rated destination for many and for many traveling to this archipelago would be considered a trip of a lifetime. I am fortunate. Between work and play I have been to Hawaii six times. This is Janet’s first trip and although I have frequented Hawaii so often over the years I share her excitement. I actually pushed for this trip; it has been over a decade since my last visit.

Well, I can write here about the pervasive, infectious Aloha Spirit which usually transitions into at times frustrating Aloha time. I can talk about the swaying palms and incessant waves and surfing, Honolulu dive bars, Diamond Head vistas, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Kona coffee,  Hanaumu Bay, Waimea Bay, the road to Hana, Haleakala National Park, the Parker Ranch, Moana Loa, volcanos, white sand, black sand, green sand, macadamia nuts and sea turtles, but I won’t.

All are brilliant destinations on the tourist trail, but my two fondest memories of Hawaii from my past visits are slices of everyday life. Once I rented a house in Lanikai on the windward side of Oahu and went to a Chinese restaurant and tried to pay the tab with a travelers check. I offered my ID and was told that wasn’t necessary. They surmised that I must have just returned from a vacation on the mainland. The other came from kicking around a Honolulu neighborhood around Christmas time; I was in Honolulu to run the marathon there; and seeing kids lining up in a playground to sit on Santa’s knee. Santa wore flip flops and the beard was bit too warm so it had migrated to his neck.

Lives being lived, families being tended to, those are my fondest memories of this far flung American outpost. Since my first visit, courtesy of Sinatra in 1986, until this seventh excursion I have felt like I belonged here and each time I leave I yearn to return. Dare I call myself a “kama’aina” a child of the island?  That I guess is too high an opinion of myself and perhaps it may be over reaching. Island fever would probably grip me too; living here on these islands with no escape, despite the paradise, may eventually lose its allure.

north shore Oahu

Sadly, for many residents of Hawaii lives hover near the poverty level. Get away from the glitz and polish of Waikiki and you have simple folk living normal lives filled with the same expectations and disappointments found elsewhere. It may be “paradise”, but you still have to slog through the day. Hawaii too was “stolen” from the people by American entrepreneurs in a coup in the 1890’s. When the 100^th anniversary of the “annexation” Hawaii came up Senator Daniel Inouye suggested the state flag at the U.S. Capital be lowered to half-staff.

Yes, a quick read of Hawaiian history makes one wonder how anyone could smile at all. Native Hawaiians have endured war, invasion and conquering corporations and to this day the resentment remains. It is a thread that is just beneath the surface. I personally have experienced prejudice here. I’ve heard the derogatory term “haole” launched in my direction. I honestly have never had the desire to visit the Wainae coast of Oahu because of the native Hawaiian population. Car break-ins are common in some spots there. I’ve had my rental car keyed at the Waimea Bay parking lot. But, you know, there are bad people everywhere and in Hawaii it is the same.

So, why have I returned so often you may ask? I’ve painted a somewhat grimmer than expected picture of Hawaii I know. How could this remote volcanic ecosystem be so alluring? Those two fond memories are just the start. The beauty, the diversity of people and views and experiences keeps me wanting to return. You can never beat a sunset in Haleiwa Town; you just have to be aware that although this is “paradise” not everyone is swaying their hips at the waves and drinking Mai Tai’s all day.

the Chinaman's Hat

We are staying in Waialua on the North Shore, at Kristin and Billy’s house. We rented a room with them for three days through a website called Airbnb.com, one of several similar bed and breakfast access websites. In all the visits to Oahu I have never stayed this far west. Rather than driving the quick way across the island, up H2 directly to Waialua, we drove the long way up the windward side of Oahu. 

We stopped at the Chinaman's Hat, Laie Point and the Banzai Pipeline, although in July there aren't any monstrous waves; they come in the winter. We had dinner at one of the many shrimp vendors near the northern apex of Oahu, Kahuku Point, where there are a lot of shrimp farms. 

When we drove out of Haleiwa we passed a lush baseball field. Mountains were in the distance. The ocean was behind us. The colors were shockingly vibrant. There was a game going on, not an organized, little league game, just a pick-up game. Younger kids too, not teenagers, just some kids playing around and I remarked to Janet that this is the Hawaii I love.