Microblog

Visited ‘Iolani Palace, once home to Hawaii’s monarchs. In 1893, the reign of the beloved Queen Liliʻuokalani came to an end when the sons of missionaries played a significant role in illegally overthrowing the Hawaiian Kingdom, disenfranchising the native people.

Hula, a tradition that tells stories passed down for generations, was banned in the 19th century by missionaries who dismissed Hawaiian culture as heathen. Today, we watched Hawaiian hula performers who had participated in an annual international festival of performers from across Polynesia.

After a beach walk, we headed back along a public beach access path located between two hotels. This narrow passage was lined with surfboard racks that surfers can rent.

Today’s adventure was a delightful loop hike through the jungly/rainforest hills above Honolulu. The trail, accessible by bus, combined the Kanealole, Makiki Valley, and Maunalaha Trails for a complete escape from the city.

Held on tight during a morning coffee cruise on the Vida Mia, a motor yacht built in 1929. It has a storied past, including serving as a coastguard vessel during World War II.

A longer walk than planned took us to a semi-industrial area to a place where beer is unlikely to run out, the holy of holies of Waikiki Brewing Company. Aloha Blonde for him, 808 Pale (a nod to Hawaii’s area code) for me, nachos with pulled smoked pork to share. A number 13 bus whisked us back to our VRBO.

Rode public transit one hour out of Honolulu to Koko Crater Botanical Garden where we hiked a trail surrounded by desert plants nestled within a caldera.

Jonathan Butler, the world-class South African performer, was the artist. However, the sound quality was poor, so we left because sunk cost is a poor reason to stay. A relaxed nightcap on our balcony wound down a good day.

After walking through a tunnel and across the Diamond Head crater floor, we reached the far side where we hiked up to a gun emplacement and were rewarded with a superb view. On our walk back to our VRBO, we stopped for a traditional Hawaiian mixed plate lunch, which, of course, included macaroni salad.

Took in a lovely Hockney exhibition at the Honolulu Museum of Art, filled with the artist’s humanity. Bonus: Hokusai prints from his final (1839) series, One Hundred Poems Told by the Nurse, a small sample from James Michener’s gift of thousands of significant Japanese prints.

We enjoyed this lunchtime view from the beach bar at the Royal Hawaiian, sharing an order of pupus. You don’t have to stay in spendy hotels to enjoy their public spaces! Afterwards, we picked up a creamy dessert from a nearby Japanese konbini to enjoy with tea back at our VRBO.

Visited the Battleship Missouri, the ship where Japan surrendered, ending World War II. My friend Dave’s father served on a sister ship, and his story tracks much of the Pacific War. He was an electrician, so we signed up for a small-group engineering tour. I was impressed by the sheer size of the vessel and the enormous network of electrical cables.

Every morning, breakfast begins with ripe Hawaiian bananas and papaya. Dwight has a knack for letting them reach perfect ripeness before serving them. Since these fruits are delicate and don’t travel well, they’re a special treat only in Hawaii.

The weather went from no prospect of rain to heavy rain when I took a transit bus up a mountain, through a tunnel, and down the other side. Without a jacket I got soaked, accepted getting wet is temporary, and walked to a non-practicing Buddhist temple. It didn’t have all the features or atmosphere of a practicing temple, but the location was lovely.

Visited Foster Botanical Garden via city bus, where we encountered some rare trees, including one species extinct in the wild. Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi,” based on a trip to Honolulu, references Foster Garden in the lines, “They took all the trees, and put ’em in a tree museum / And charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ’em.”

Visited Shangri-La, the former home of tobacco heiress Doris Duke, which is now a museum showcasing rare and beautiful Islamic art and architecture. At times I was transported to the grandeur of the Alhambra. Tickets go fast, so I booked this visit the day tickets became available a few weeks ago.