Day 44: Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu means sheltered harbour, which was welcome after the choppy seas and the residual effects of Hurricane Christie on the way to Hawaii. Hawaii was the destination I was most looking forward to. It has a tropical climate, but Honolulu, according to the guidebook, “receives too little precipitation” or rain “to be classified as tropical”. So I was a bit dismayed to find it raining when I went out on deck, as the ship pulled into port just beside the Aloha Tower.

Watching the ship arrive into a new town still gives me a thrill, but I wasn’t just on deck to watch that. The ship had layed on a Hawaiian blessing ritual, and after a hurricane, rough seas, and now rain, I hoped those blessings included good weather!

Well what do you know, the sun came out. Maybe there was something to that blessing after all. With the sun now shining, 26 degrees, and a warm gentle wind blowing, we were not in Seattle now, (as the cruise director pointed out when wishing passengers a good day on the ship’s intercom).

With only a day to see this iconic city, I rushed off the ship, passing on a Hawaiian floral necklace (that is handed out to all tourists). There had been several talks on ship about Hawaii, the 50th US state. There are around 137 Hawaiian islands, but eight main islands, of which Oahu is one. Oahu is home to Honolulu, the capital and most populated city in Hawaii. I had booked a hop on hop off trolly ride which offered four different routes and 49 stops. The only thing it didn’t cover was Pearl Harbour, for that I’d just need to watch the 2001 Ben Afleck film!

When I got to my pick-up point, most tourists were waiting for the Red Line tour. This covered the main historic and cultural destinations. Departure wasn’t for another half hour though, and involved waiting in a long line of increasingly frustrated tourists. There is a concept in Hawaii known as ‘Island Time', which means a relaxed attitude to punctuality. I think most people in line expected departures to be as regular as subway trains! I asked a guide in a Hawaiian shirt what was departing next. He told me it was the Green Line, and pointed to the trolley parked up the street. I got on, and within minutes was on my way out to Diamond Head Crater.

Diamond Head is Hawaii’s most famous landmark. It’s a “deep sided volcanic cone” (crater), and is a great place to go hiking and get stunning views of Honolulu. On the coastal route to Diamond Head, I got a great insight into the outdoor lifestyle in Honolulu. Lots of people were running, hiking, swimming and surfing along the shore. When we got to Diamond Head I was surprised by how dry the area was. I guess outsiders' vision of Hawaii is of it being pretty lush, but it has different microclimates.

The next route was the Pink Line which showed me much of the downtown area. Some parts of downtown Honolulu reminded me of Orlando, such as Honolulu's giant shopping mall the Ala Moana Center, which some tourists get lost in! But then you see a school bus, which is actually a ‘Surf School Bus’ and are reminded you are in Hawaii.

Exploring Honolulu felt like being on a film set. I’d grown up watching the TV series Hawaii Five-O (set and filmed in Honolulu). So even sites that weren’t exactly tourist attractions, like the Ilikai Hotel (below), I recognised from the opening credits of that cop show. Other TV shows were also filmed there, such as Magnum PI and more up-to-date shows like LOST and NCIS Hawaii, among others. The tour guide pointed out the spot on the Ala Wai Canal where the SS Minnow, in the sitcom Gilligan’s Island, set out for a "three-hour tour”. The canal had a greater significance for Honolulu though, in helping control mosquitos. Waikiki was built on a swamp, but the canal drained the wetlands which were a breeding ground for mosquitoes, preventing them.

After the Pink Line, I was about to go and get some lunch, when a Red Line trolly appeared. There was no line at that moment, probably because the trolley was early, what did I say about ‘Island Time’? So I got on with no wait. No line Linda would have been proud of me! (If you don’t get that reference, see my New Orleans post). Our guide had worked in many professions: army, police, and accident emergency. He was also a man of many ethnicities: Hawaiian, Chinese, Mexican, Scottish, Portuguese and French. He explained most Hawaiians are of multiple ethnicities.

The landmarks on this tour were big ones. One of the biggest was the Punchbowl Crater (above), another volcanic crater formed 75000+ years ago from a type of volcano that only erupts once. This may have been the largest landmark, but the best, for me, was seeing Jack Lord’s headquarters in the aforementioned Hawaii Five-O. The building (pictured below), at the time of filming (in the 1970s), was used as the State Capitol, but it was originally the Iolani Palace home of the Hawaiian monarchy.

A statue of the most famous monarch, King Kamehameha I, is across the street (in front of the State Supreme Court). He conquered and united Hawaii and was its first ruler. Much of his success came from superior firepower obtained from allying with Western visitors after the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778.

You may have noticed, dear reader, that the flag on the palace (in the image of the palace above) looked familiar. King Kamehameha I was quite a fan of the UK, and to commemorate the British Royal Navy's historical relations with Hawaii, the Union Jack (the UK flag) was incorporated into the Hawaiian national flag. The tour then jumped from kings to presidents. We were taken past the ice cream shop where Former President Obama worked. Did you know he grew up in Hawaii?

After the Red Line, it was definitely time for lunch. I had been riding around for hours, and I was desperate to get to the beach. So I stopped at one of the many ABC Stores (basically a convenience store combined with a tourist shop) and got a takeaway lunch.

I found a great spot to eat lunch on the famous Waikiki Beach. Looking out on the vividly blue sea, and Diamond Head, I enjoyed my ‘Southwest Chicken Wrap’. Ok, not a very Hawaiian culinary choice. Perhaps I should have opted for Spam? Spam is bizarrely very popular in Hawaii, who knew?

After lunch, I took a wander along the beach and saw the Duke Kahanamoku Statue. The ‘Duke’ is seen as the father of modern surfing, which originated in Hawaii. He was also a sheriff, and military policeman during WW2. Earlier one of my trolly guides had explained that Kahanamoku rescued eight men from a capsized fishing vessel using his surfboard. It was this rescue that encouraged lifeguards in the US to use surfboards as rescue equipment. And there was me thinking it was just because of the TV series Baywatch!

I was going to explore Honolulu more, but Waikiki beach was too inviting. So I relaxed on the beach for a while. It’s a hard life this travel business! Nearby people were playing beach volleyball. Feeling I should do something active too, I went for a swim in the warm water.

The lifestyle in Honolulu was really growing on me. Unfortunately the chances of me living there are slim as the cost of property is very expensive and in very short supply due to overdevelopment (more on that in the next post). Ninety percent of houses have three generations living there, and extended families will often club together to buy a large house for several family members (and their partners and children) to live in. Overdevelopment was something highlighted in Hawaii Five-O in the 1970s, but the warning seems to have fallen on deaf ears. This paradise is also not without workers’ disputes either. I saw a protest at Hawaii’s oldest hotel (The Moana Surfrider dating from 1901) and another protest at its most popular (The Hilton Hawaiian Village).

However, despite its flaws, Honolulu has some real beauty and excitement. Back on board the Westerdam, the sun setting, I went up on deck and looked out on the Aloha Tower, which was a lighthouse at one time. Listening to Hawaiian music coming from a bar on shore, the warm wind gently blowing, I was really sad to be leaving.