Oahu

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We arrived in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day browsing thru The International Market Place, which is home to Waikiki's outdoor flea market and shops that spans several blocks in an open-air environment.

The International Market Place is built around a 100 year old Banyan tree - everything from tee shirts to candles and every imaginable Hawaii souvenir can be found here. This labyrinth of kiosks is a souvenir hunter's paradise. We also browsed the "Kalakaua strip" which is Waikiki's main strip that runs from one end of Waikiki to the other end with its high end shops such as Fendi, Gucci and Tiffany's. This is the strip that made Waikiki famous, with all the local shops and abundance of hotels that front the most famous Waikiki Beach. At night, the street vendors come out and do performances of music, juggling, drawing caricatures, all for pocket change, that is. Almost anything goes on Kalakaua avenue! At 9:00pm, there's still tons of people walking around, taking in the sights and scenery and just enjoying the nice weather. ABC stores cover every corner, sometimes several on one street. ABC is like a variety store, selling everything from tee shirts to soda's. The locals call it "All Blocks Covered" because you see the stores "everywhere" you go and every block has one. But a trip to Hawaii is not complete until you've been to the local ABC store!

We started out with breakfast at Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab restaurant. Sam Choy has several signature restaurants in Hawaii and is a very popular local and international chef.

The Dole Plantation - Pineapple factory and the worlds largest maze - We covered the entire maze, from front to back in 38 minutes! ( following a picture map, of course! ) Even still, the task was somewhat difficult and without a map it could take a person "hours" to figure it out. It is the worlds largest maze, spanning a path length of 1.7 miles and over 100,00 square feet of space. Guests stop at 6 different stations located inside the maze to "validate" their maze cards and proceed to follow thru the maze from start to finish. Guinness Book named it the world largest in 1998. There's also educational displays about pineapples, a souvenir shop and a small cafe to get everything from pineapple whip desserts to pineapple breads and cookies.

North shore - Banzai pipeline and Sunset beach area - The 20 ft waves that make this a surfer's dream was not there this time - We did see some pretty large waves though, probably about 10ft, and lots of local surfers in the water grazing the waters. Very popular area for surfers and beachcombers.

Built in beautiful Laie in 1920, it was the first Mormon Temple to be constructed outside of Utah. This white structure was made with pulverized volcanic rock and coral. Although you cannot go inside the temple itself, you can browse the grounds and visitor's center and the family research library.

At the edge of Kahana Bay, on the ridge bordering the shore, the figure of what appears to be a resting lion is silhouetted against the sky. It is believed to be an ancient god who has been chained to the cliff in that position for hundreds of years. Many years ago, Kauhi was sent from distant Kahiki to be the watchman on the cliff. His full name was Kauhi Ke I Maka O Ka Lani, or “The Watchtower of Heaven”.

He was a stranger and was not welcome when he took his position as guard. He mourned but kept his vigil faithfully. But as the years passed, the trees of kukui around him slowly covered his limbs and almost hid his face. From a distance, it appeared as though his body had merged with the rocks about him.

One day Hiiaka the goddess, Pele’s younger sister, passed by on her way home to Kauai. Seeing Kauhi, she stopped and awakened him.

Seeing the beautiful goddess, Kauhi longed to join her and pleaded to be freed of his monotonous assignment. But Hiiaka refused and Kauhi was overcome with a burning anger. He lifted his body, wrenched it away from the binding trees and earth of which he had become a part, crouching on his knees at the top of the ridge.

But after many years of inactivity, the effort was too much for him. His strength ebbed away and he remained in the crouching position as he still does today. The “Watchtower of Heaven,” turned to stone in the form of a lion.

Look above and to the middle at the rock formations to find the "Crouching Lion".

Chinaman's Hat, also referred to as Mokolii ("little lizard"), is a tiny island off of Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii - You can see by the shape why it is called Chinaman's Hat. They say that at low tide, you can "almost" walk out to the island.

One of the most visited special attraction in the State of Hawaii is the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The memorial honors the sacrifices and achievements of American Armed Forces in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean conflict plus those missing from the Vietnam Conflict.

The memorial to U.S. astronaut Ellison Onizuka of Hawaii who perished aboard the Challenger space shuttle is also at Punchbowl.

An unknown soldier killed in the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 was the first internment at this site. Annually, over five million people visit the Memorial, making it the most frequently visited attraction in Hawaii. The cemetery is set within the crater of an extinct volcano known to Oahu's residents as "Punchbowl" because of its shape. The crater was once known to Hawaiians as Puowaina, or "the hill for placing of sacrifices." It is for this reason that the street leading to Punchbowl is also called Puowaina. During World War II Punchbowl served as a fire-control post for defense of the harbor. It was the Territory of Hawaii that offered Punchbowl to the federal government for use as a military cemetery.

This beautiful Buddhist temple is a replica of the 900-year-old Byodo-In located in Uji, Japan. It is located in one of the most peaceful locations in O'ahu - the Valley of the Temples. This area is also a cemetery and mortuary. The valley is situated against a back-drop of tall cliffs and is landscaped with traditional lush Japanese gardens and koi ponds. Inside the Byodo-In Temple is a nine-foot Lotus Buddha. Outside is a three-ton, brass Peace Bell.

Inside the Byodo-In Temple is a nine-foot Lotus Buddha. It is the largest wooden Buddha carved in over 900 years and is covered in gold and lacquer. Inside, where you must remove your shoes out of respect to those who are interned here, has the faint scent of burning incense. To the left and right side of the Buddha, there are wall niche's for private urn placements.

Behind and to the left of the Temple is the Meditation House, a place for private thought and inner peace. Situated against a backdrop of mountains, the Temple is landscaped with traditional Japanese gardens and a 2-acre koi pond.

Beside the temple is a 5-foot, three-ton brass Peace Bell. The deep tone of the bell sounds a message of calm and peace. Ringing this bell before entering the Temple gives the person good-luck.

The Nuuanu Pali is a rocky, near-vertical cliff covered by thick vegetation that rises about 2,000 feet from the level ground on the windward side of the island of Oahu. About two million years ago, a catastrophic landslide caused half of the Ko'olau volcano to slide into the sea. The portion of the elevated terrain that remained is the Nuuanu Pali. On this site a reinforced concrete viewing platform was constructed that it is now called the Nuuanu Pali Lookout.

There is a historical fact attributed to the Nuuanu Pali. It is said that in the late 1700s, Kamehameha I, from the island of Hawaii, sought to unite under one rule all of the Hawaiian Islands. The battle for Oahu began with the arrival of Kamehameha's forces at Waikiki in 1795. The opposing force on Oahu was at that time under the leadership of Chief Kalanikupule. After numerous hard-fought battles, Kalanikupule's warriors were driven to the Nuuanu Valley and up to the cliff of Nuuanu Pali. The two waging forces fought with Hawaiian spears and Western firearms but Kamehameha had the winning advantage since he employed powerful cannons. The battle, called Kaleleka'anae (leaping of the fish), refers to the Oahu warriors who were forced off Pali's cliff. There were about 400 who died during the battle. With Kamehameha's victory on Oahu and the signing of an agreement with Kauai, his rule was solidified and he became the first king of the Hawaiian Islands.

From the Nuuanu Pali Lookout on windy days, you can feel what it is like to be blown away by the strong winds coming from the windward side of the island. Some people will tell you that if you fall over the cliff, the wind there is so strong that you would be blown right back up again ... this, however did not seem the case and visitors should not attempt to jump off the cliff. The day we were here, the winds were relatively calm and nothing thrown over the cliff would have made it back over. It does get quite chilly at the lookout and light rain was falling. The view from this cliff at the top of Nuuanu Valley is unsurpassed. Here, one can see a panoramic view of Oahu's windward side. It has been said that Mark Twain once called this view the most beautiful in the world.

Ciao Mein offers the best of both worlds with award-winning Chinese and Italian cuisine under one roof. Popular amongst locals and world travelers alike, each fresh, flavorful dish is served "family-style" to allow sampling of both cuisines. Two kitchens are maintained and headed by chefs specializing in their respective cuisines to ensure quality of each dish. We enjoyed the all-you-can-eat buffet so we can sample both cuisines.

The Memorial straddles the sunken hull of the battleship USS Arizona and commemorates the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Memorial was dedicated in 1962, and became a National Park Service area in 1980.

The Navy has a free tour that operates several times a day and takes you out and on to the memorial itself. Part of the ship is still sticking out of the water and oil still bubbles to the surface. Out of respect to those still entombed there, there is no loud talking ( just whispering ) when aboard this memorial.

The USS Missouri is a registered national historic landmark and now serves as a memorial/museum in Pearl Harbor. During operations in the Pacific theater of World War II, she provided gunfire support in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Then on September 2, 1945, the Missouri ( nicknamed the Mighty Mo ) was the stage for the signing of the Formal Instrument of Surrender, marking an end to the world's bloodiest war. The "Mighty Mo" finally arrived home at Pearl Harbor in 1998. The first visitors toured aboard the USS Missouri Memorial January 29th, 1999, the 55th anniversary of her launching. To read more about the Missouri, click here

Bishop Museum is the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific and is recognized throughout the world for its cultural collections, research projects, consulting services and public educational programs. It was established in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop as a memorial to his wife Bernice, a princess and "the last of the Kamehamehas". It has one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world and a 50-foot Sperm whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. As the largest museum in the state, Bishop Museum hosts over 500,000 visitors each year who experience over 2,000 years of history and cultural heritage, from early Polynesian migration and settlement to space exploration.

Due to the success of Ciao Mein with its mix of Chinese and Italian cuisines, Texas Rock 'n' Roll Sushi Bar was born, offering a cross-cultural delight of Texas sized portions of BBQ pork ribs, chicken, prime rib and innovative and traditional sushi. The portions of food was enough for several people sharing a main course. The spicy Tuna roll sushi was some of the best I've ever tasted, but after a few bites, I needed water - and quickly!

Where we live, we always see tossed on the side of the freeway, that "one shoe" that no one seems to knows why it was left there - in Hawaii, they have the same epidemic, only it's "one flip-flop"

So that's the end of our adventure in Oahu. Hope you enjoyed our presentation as much as we enjoyed this trip. We are looking forward to going to Oahu again soon.