Aloha to "Aloha"

I’m kinda on a roll with these two day blog entries, and why ruin a good thing right? Anyway, this will be my last entry from the lovely islands of Hawaii so enjoy it while it lasts (note: this is not the last entry in the blog, just the last entry from Hawaii. Minnesotan on the Loose will continue as normal from lovely Minneapolis upon my return.). It has been a wonderful trip with lots of ups, downs, and all arounds. I’ll try and wrap it up as best I can.

Yesterday we explored downtown, specifically the Royal Palace (the only one in the United States) and the State Art Museum. We started off by taking the long way into town after a scrumptious breakfast at Anna Millers, definitely one of our favorite places to eat during our visit, and parked at a downtown parking garage. From there we walked up and through the Royal Palace grounds, enjoying a few of the plaques describing its significance and the sights of its walls. It isn’t breathtaking by any imagination, but it is a neat piece of history that was great to see and enjoy. Following that, the fam and I walked over to the highly acclaimed State Art Museum, which features works by native Hawaiians and works portraying/discussing Hawaii.

The works at the museum really are a great collection and proved to be very thought provoking, though not in the way the artists’ obviously intended. As should be expected, many works in the exhibit deal with the takeover of the islands by the United States and the gradual displacement of the Hawaiian population by foreigners. The works describe themselves as expressing a quiet outrage of the indigenous population at the loss of their land and pass heavy judgment against western culture (aka: white people) who have ruined their paradise. While I understand where they are coming from, the whole thing is just a little heavy-handed about it and, at some points, can be downright racist in its presentation. Most of the works are highly enjoyable though, and I would definitely recommend a visit just to get an idea of where the Hawaiian artistic community is going.

In the evening, we went out for dinner with my cousin Nick and his family to Bravo Italiano, an Italian restaurant relatively close to where we have been staying. It was a monumental effort for them to come out with us since one of Nick’s new babies, Jaime, was sick in the afternoon with sinus congestion and had to be taken to the doctor’s office. I can’t describe how grateful I am though that he decided to see us again, considering that this might be one of the only times I ever get to see him and his family. The whole thing was so surreal for me. I mean, I don’t exactly have run-ins with long-lost family all the time, especially ones that are already married, have children, and are leading exciting lives. It’s just wild to think that there is this whole world going on out here that, in a very small way, I am a part of and am related to. Suffice to say that Nick is a great guy, and anytime any of you are in Hawaii, be sure to let me know and I will have you look him up to say hi for me.

Today, I woke up early and headed down to Waikiki with my dad to catch some surfing before I head back to Minneapolis. Surfing was good and I caught 5-6 good rides and 2-3 ok rides before heading in. It is just insane how crowded it gets down there; it really is amazing that people don’t get run over by surf boards and sliced up all the time. After surfing, Dad and I headed back to the house and had some breakfast before running a few last errands. That pretty much brings us up to the present, which sees us backing our bags and cleaning the house getting ready to return to our homeland,: the Twin Cities.

Overall, it’s been a great trip. On the positive side, the scenery of the Hawaiian Islands, especially the less populated ones, really is breathtaking. There are endless things to do and see and it is entirely possible to spend a month thoroughly exploring everything there is to do on every island. For the most part, the people are very nice and friendly and will say hello to strangers walking down the street, which definitely makes it a more enjoyable experience. On the minus side, there is the constant worry while in Hawaii about theft since it is so rampant and heavily advertised (everywhere you go, people/guidebooks warn of possible thugs or thieves), something nobody should have to worry about no matter where they go. Additionally, it is hard to escape the obvious resentment Hawaiians feel toward tourists since they are often rude to them or mistreat them for no apparent reason other than they are not Hawaiian. This makes it hard to enjoy some activities or experiences simply because some, though not many, people make you feel incredibly unwelcome.

My overall recommendation, after visiting, would be to skip Oahu unless you have family and friends to visit or are dying to see the Banzai Pipeline. The islands of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui all offer much more in terms of adventure and scenery and are far less crowded than Oahu, especially Honolulu and Waikiki. Don’t get me wrong, Oahu is great, but Kauai was spectacular, and I’ve heard that the Big Island and Maui are equally mesmerizing. Thus ends my blog of Hawaii. For the last time, aloha!