|
Newsletter #2 - June 26 to July 2, 1959 |
|
#2 June 29, 1959
Hello everyone, After spending a full week in Honolulu and on the island of Oahu, we no longer feel like Malihinis (visitors) since we are slowly learning how to pronounce names of streets and Hawaiian words almost as well as the natives. Today [June 26] , while enjoying Waiki's wonderful beach, we watched the Matsonia, framed by a beautiful blue sky, glide past Diamond Head. As waves washed up on the pearly white beach, we saw the skilled surfboard riders skim the waves while outrigger canoes and catamarans (wooden rafts with sails) sailed nearby. Without being here, no one can imagine the sheer pleasure of spending hours on the beach or wandering through interesting nooks and crannies of Waikiki. We found fascinating curio shops and exclusive stores which sell all types of handmade and manufactured merchandise - just a shopper's paradise. Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii, is as modern as any of our port cities. However, the Waikiki Beach area is certainly different from any teach resort I've seen on our Atlantic or Pacific Coast. Just one glance at the people frolicking serenading with ukuleles, riding the surf and pursuing other native entertainments on this famous beach is enough to convince anyone to throw his trouble "to the wind" and join the fun. We have had several people who live here treat us with the upmost kindness by extending us hospitality beyond the "line of duty" 0 such as stopping whatever they were doing to politely give us, information or directions. Twice while walking and closely pouring over a city map, natives who could easily see we were tourists stopped to give us help. On our next trip to Hawaii (and we do hone to come back), we want to go to the other four good-sized islands and spend two or three days on each. We've heard that they are very different from Oahu. The four we'd like to see are: the garden island of Kauai; the valley island of Maui; the big island of Hawaii on the Kona Coast where you sometimes see volcano flows and the very large craters; and the friendly isle of Molokai where you'd see Mauala Falls. To see a "hukilan" - an ancient Hawaiian fishing festival - you should go to the island of Kauai at Hanalei Bay. Kauai is the only island which occasionally has a "hukilan". This feast includes watching the fish-filled nets being hauled in, preparing the fish for feasting and watching the native entertainment. It is a very colorful spectacle and one which most tourists try to see. Today [June 27] we visited Punahou School. This is the oldest college preparatory school west of the Rocky Mountains and was founded for children of missionaries in 1841. The stone walls of the buildings on this campus are covered with exotic night-blooming cereus plants. From this school, we went to the University of Hawaii. This college campus is set in informal botanical gardens where you can see hundreds of rare plants. The University of Hawaii is the world's |
|
-2-
first college to offer a college credit for their course in surfboard riding (Credit HPE 119). This course was first offered at the present Summer Session and over 200 students enrolled. However, after careful screening, only 30 will be admitted to this experimental course. The Nuuanu Valley offers outstanding interests to all sightseeing visitors. The long sea-to-mountain drive leads to the famous Nuuanu Pall precipice where the terrific winds seem to rock a car as if it were a cradle. Oftentimes, after a heavy night rainfall, you can see waterfalls framing down the steep sides of the mountain. These waterfalls are caught by an updraft of wind which flings the water upward and causes it to resemble an upside-down-falls. This freak happens only in Nuuanu Valley and is a natural phenomena. The canning and preserving of pineapples is Hawaii's second largest export industry. We took the Dole Pineapple Cannery Tour this morning and I certainly would love for all my former pupils to see this wonderful sight. Everything in the plant is spotless and, from the time the pineapples leave the freight cars to the final canning process, everything is meticulously sterilized. We saw thousands of pineapples washed. sorted, cored, trimmed, graded, canned and sealed. It takes only 15 minutes to process a pineapple after is has entered the cannery. However, growing a pineapple is a much slower process. Eighteen to 24 months are required for a new pineapple plant to produce a mature fruit. Dole employs 7800 people during the peak season in Hawaii and 3900 people are permanently employed. The company produces 720 million cans of pineapple each year. Another fact I learned today was that Columbus discovered pineapples in 1493 in the West Indies. During the afternoon I took in a flower arrangement demonstration by Frances Thompson. This was held at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel and was most interesting. Of course, my better half was busy photographing -- as usual! On Sunday [June 28] we enjoyed church services at the Central Union Congregational Church at 10:30. We heard an outstanding sermon by Reverend Thomas L. Crosby, D.D. and participated in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. After the service, and "Aloha Hour" is held on the church lawn where cookies and punch are served. This enables visitors and members of the church to mingle in friendly conversation. To me, this is a lovely idea and certainly affords tourists the opportunity to learn a little more "first-hand" knowledge about the life in Hawaii. Several over churches were nearby and we went inside to see their lovely sanctuaries. Met a fellow "Yorker" on the main street of the Waikiki Beach area the other day. It was Miss Stum who runs the Central Ticket Agency. This experience certainly proved to us that it is a small world. Hawaii possesses the United States' only royal palace. This is the Iolani Palace which was built when Hawaii was a monarchy and which we visited. This place is now an executive building of the territory of Hawaii. The only room open to the public is the Throne Room which is now used by the House of Representatives |
|
- 3 -
when the Legislature is in session. Only the Throne Room has been preserved and this is flanked on all sides by portraits and original chairs of Hawaii's past rulers. The chairs are made of Koa wood and covered with rich oriental brocade. Across the street from Iolani Palace is the gilt and bronze statue of King Kamehameha - the great conqueror of all the Islands. King Kamahameha is known as the "Napoleon of the Pacific" and on June 11, his birthday, his statue is draped with giant, fresh flower leis. This Is a tribute to one of Hawaii's greatest warriors. Four to six in the afternoon has been my "siesta" time. And a very nice "siesta" time it is !!! - basking in Hawaii's hot sun while the pleasant trade winds blow soft breezes. Even with the trade winds gently blowing, it is still very inviting for me to jump and swim in the waves of the blue Pacific - as do many of the natives and visitors. Someone suggested that we drive to the Waioli Tea Room, which is managed by the Salvation Army. This tea room was established in 1922 to provides a place for teaching wayward girls the fundamentals of future homemaking. Today, boys as well as girls, live in very beautiful cottages and are taught and trained to be useful citizens, Most of the children come from broken homes or are there because of parents who have neglected them. I talked to some of the children and they are very friendly, polite, and seemed to be quite happy and content with their surroundings. There is a quaint little chapel near the tea room where the children hold regular worship services. This chapel is quite unique in that it is made of native lava rock. The luncheon at the tearoom was delicious and was served by girls of the home. Waioli is known for its outstanding cuisine and for its atmosphere of informality and relaxation. This we found to be quite true and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the tea room to anyone. The grounds of this lovely tea room are situated deep in the lush verdure of Manoa Valley and here the abundance of rain offers rich, natural vegetation. The famous little grass house, where Robert Louis Stevenson was supposed to have done much of his writing while in Hawaii, is also situated near the tea room. The largest source of income in Hawaii is derived from the growing and refining of sugar cane. In some sections of the inland, much of the landscape is covered by the soft, green carpet of sugar cane plumes or tassels which bloom above the leaves of the cane. Irrigation is necessary in most of the fields, and it takes about two years for most cane to mature. On the eve of harvesting, the fields are set afire. From what I was told, the flaming sugar vane is visible for many miles. After the cane-is set afire, huge cranes pick up and dump the burned stalks into rail cars which transport them to the mills. These scientific mills are capable of grinding 850 tons of cane in a 24—hour period. Taro is also grown for commercial use and its product, poi, is prepared, packed in plastic bags and sold in the local markets. Taro is grown in water in much the same manner as rice. This crop is grown on Oahu in only the Waiahole District, but is grown very extensively on the other islands as it is one of the Hawaiian's basic foods. I wouldn't care for it, but I've seen the natives eat it like candy. |
|
- 4 -
While driving through the sugar cane fields, almost in the middle of them, you see a beautiful, dazzling temple poised above a series of shimmering blue pools and framed by a formal tropical garden. This is the only Mormon Temple located outside continental North America, and was built in 1919. Despite the effects of the tropical climate on buildings and the age of this temple, it is so well kept that is looked to me as if it were just completed. A settlement of Samoans live within the area of this temple and it is they who conduct the only "hukilous" on this island for visitors. During this same trip [July 1 or 2], we stopped at Hanauma Bay which is formed by a sunken volcanic crater. Around this lay is located one of Oahu's finest beach stots. Pools here are formed by coral reefs and it is very safe for swimming. If you swim with an underwater skin diver's mask, you might see lovely colored, tropical fish among the coral reefs. We visited the new aquarium building which contains tropical marine life exhibits in the salt water tanks and in the 90-foot outdoor pond. A girl from York, whose husband is in the Navy, Pat Galle Mentzer, took us for a drive the other afternoon and we certainly enjoyed being with her. She will be teaching first grade on the Navy Base In the fall and is very fond of the island. I had a thrill this afternoon when I way two celebrities in less than one-half hour. First, I saw petite, sweet Debby Reynolds and later my own favorite, Loretta Young. They are both lovely girls and I could have talked to either one as people did not crowd about them as you would expect. Yesterday Meredith took pictures of David, Ricky and Ozzie Nelson. He talked to David, who seemed very friendly. The boys are working on a TV film scene in the ocean surf just in front of the Outrigger and Moana Hotel Beach. The cameras are on outriggers and the scenes being filmed show the Nelsons surf riding. One of Waikiki's delightful places I've neglected to tell you about is the famous international Market Place. It is open day and night you can find exotic souvenirs, gifts, clothing, jewelry and curios of all sorts being sold in thatched, roofed huts or Japanese shops. Don the Beachcombers Nightclub is here and also Woody's International Restaurant. Woody's International Restaurant is very unusual and has outstanding cuisine. We've eaten there several times and enjoyed the open-air shows which feature Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, Japanese and Maori dancing. Each evening there are different shows and we have seen every one and enjoyed them immensely. After seeing the shows, we watch craftsmen carving wood, ivory, jand and precious metals. Of, we'll watch the craftsmen fashioning outrigger canoes and idols of monkey pod wood. |
|
- 5 -
You can photograph hula girls, vivid tropical flowers, the giant Banyan tree with a quaint tree house of the bubbling waterfall in a Japanese garden setting. There's no end to photographic possibilities and there are convenient camera shops with everything and "shutter tug" needs - whether amateur or professional. We went to the Queen's Surf Hotel to watch the preparation of two pigs in a deep pit covered with hot lava rocks. Ti leaves, palm leaves and Heaven's knows what else. The pigs are them steamed for a luau or native Hawaiian feast. These feasts are held only once or twice a week - depending upon the season. This is called "doing a pig in an emu". I'm sure I've forgotten to tell you about many wonderful things we've done and seen, but pack up and come to Hawaii yourself. Prices are about the same as at Atlantic City or any of our resorts. Naturally the only large expense is your transportation. I'm sure these letters must sound like a lot of history, tat I'm keeping no other notes and I hope to refer to these letters as my source of information when I get home. Believe me, when I say that I have learned many new and fascinating things in only two weeks and I know the best things are yet to come. We leave by Pan American tomorrow [July 5] at 8 P.M. for Tokyo. We stop only once at Wake Island. I'm anxious to get to Japan to check to see if we've received any mail - I'm starved for local news. Meredith and I have just been thrilled with this Island, and are hoping for a return visit in the near future. Until Japan,
Out love, Meredith and Charlotte. |