Hawaiian Art

One place we returned to visit was the Hawaii State Art Museum...

... with its beautiful mosaic fountain.

Wandering through the displays, I was intrigued by this modern piece of art made of recycled bike tire tubes.

There were numerous older traditional pieces of art, too - like these necklaces (leis) made of bird feathers...

... and sea shells.

Also some paintings depicting life as it was when Europeans first arrived ...

This free museum in the heart of downtown Honolulu is an oasis of calm to visitors - who can also stop in at the museum cafe for a meal or a coffee break.

Ukulele Lessons

Travel is always an educational experience!

In addition to learning by simply being there, my daughter and I took two free workshops while in Hawaii - a lei making one...











And an introductory group lesson in playing the ukulele... (an instrument brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese). The Hawaiians embraced it, giving it the name "jumping flea" - which is what "ukulele" means in Hawaiian.

The ukulele class was very popular. We were lucky to get in!

After the class, my daughter and I were so taken with the ukulele that we considered buying one there. We didn't, not knowing if we could fit it into our bags!

But as soon as I got home, I bought one here and signed up for a few group lessons. By the time I have my first one, I may already know a few songs - thanks to You Tube tutorials, like this one!

A Waikiki Church

Next door to our hotel was an interesting Catholic church - St. Augustine's.

A year ago I noticed that they offer free meals...

This time, on Sunday, I noticed a group of women wearing red and white "aloha print" dresses entering the church.

(Are they a choir, perhaps?)

Next time, we'll have to attend a service and find out!

Weather Warning

A few Sundays ago, I headed to Hawaii for a week's break from the snow and cold with my daughter. (Terry hates to fly.)

Was it too late in the season to benefit from a change in weather? I wondered. Unfortunately, my daughter (who also needed a break from winter) couldn't leave any earlier... I kept my eyes on the weather, both here and in Honolulu...

The day before we left, there was a weather warning here... Freezing rain.

Surprisingly I found a weather warning in Hawaii, too: High surf!

Now is this a good thing or a bad thing? Good - for surfers who like to be challenged by high waves? Bad - for anyone sleeping on the beach?

While we were there, we heard a few complaints about the weather from locals - who apologized that it was so "cold" - average daily temperatures were in the 70s, not in the 80s Fahrenheit! (Mid-20s, not 30s Celsius!)

I assured them that I loved it that way - I added that, in fact, Canadians often prefer weather that is moderate rather than extremely hot! (Or am I only speaking for myself?)

Honolulu Aquarium

One of the interesting places we visited during our week in Hawaii was the Honolulu Aquarium, a short walk from our hotel.

It was fascinating to see, not only fish, but also samples of coral...










 

I had no idea there were so many kinds.

The visit was made more interesting with the self-directed audio guide that was given out for free.

Having had an indoor fish tank (with goldfish) for several years, I know how hard it is to maintain perfect living conditions for sea creatures.

So I appreciate how much work goes into maintaining an aquarium.

The Honolulu Aquarium - definitely a fascinating place to visit!












(Where else would I see - or want to see a sting-ray - or a shark - up this close?!)

Why Hawaii?!

Why do you always go to Hawaii to escape from the cold? my husband asks me. There are other warm places that aren't that far away..

He's right: It is a long way to fly. I don't enjoy sitting cramped in a plane for 12 hours (more or less) - the time it takes to get from eastern Ontario to the middle of the Pacific.  

But until now, this hasn't been a deterrent, only a slight inconvenience outweighed by the things I really enjoy.

My generation grew up fascinated by the Polynesian culture: we enjoyed movies about the South Pacific. (My mother even tried to learn to play Hawaiian guitar.)

 

Hawaii is warm and beautiful... And Hawaiians speak English! (If I spoke Spanish, maybe Cuba would have more appeal.)

I've never felt unsafe in Honolulu. People are friendly. There are fun things to do. (Free workshops in lei making and introductory ukelele classes for beginners are two activities we did this visit.)

Most of the time we are outdoors walking, exploring Waikiki beach and the downtown core.

Hawaii has an interesting history - though some parts are sad.








 

Two of my favorite times of the day are sunrise and sunset, when I sit outdoors on the balcony (without a coat or hat), listening to waking birds  beginning to chirp - and later settling down for the night.

The food is familiar...

What more could a snow bird ask for?!

(Almost) Climbing Diamond Head!

We arrived in Honolulu with the idea that we would try some new adventures.

Top on the list for me was to hike from our hotel to the top of the Diamond Head Crater, which we could see from our hotel room.

I've thought of doing it before, but was afraid to try!

According to Google, Diamond Head was only a 35-minute walk - though, to me it did look a little farther away!








 

We headed out after lunch, assuming (erroneously) that the sun's rays would gradually weaken...

Walking down neighborhood streets, we passed stretches of barren land.

Shade was often sparse.

The walk was all uphill!

From time to time we had to stop!

Needless to say, it took twice as long as expected to get to the tunnel that leads into the crater...

Once inside, the challenging part: the hour and a half climb up and down the crater wall!

After sitting down to catch our breath, we decided to leave that part for another day - a day when we would take a city bus to the mouth of the crater, and only attempt to hike the crater wall!