Monday, August 8, 2011
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| One of several tunnels through the Koolau Mountain range |
This morning we drove to the Byodo-In Temple. The drive on Rt 63 from Waikiki to Kaneohe was one of the highlights of this trip. As we drove into the Koolau mountain range, the sky became cloudy and rain began drizzling down on our car. We were now surrounded by thick rainforest. We continued driving into a tunnel, right through the base of the mountain. On the other side awaited one of the most spectacular views we had ever seen. With the steep, green-covered cliffs behind us, the valley opened up and we could see the Pacific ocean and the city of Kaneohe a few hundred feet below.
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| View of Kaneohe from Rt 63 |
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| The Koolau Mountain range |
The cliffs on this side of the island are nearly vertical, dropping hundreds of feet down to the coast below. They have deep ridges, which are covered in a lush green. Jerry quickly grabbed his camera and started snapping pictures, at the same time struggling to maintain control of the car in the sharp turns, while Michelle screamed for her life.
When we reached the sign for the "Valley of the Temples", we took a left and proceeded up the hill. We passed what looked like a modernist interpretation of a Christian monastery, complete with cloisters and an awe-inspiring view out toward the ocean. After passing a Jewish cemetery, we came up on some really cool-looking black granite gravestones, marked with what appeared to be Japanese characters. We assumed this was a Taoist cemetery. Just past the cemetery was the Buddhist 'Byodo-In Temple'.
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| The Byodo-In Temple |
We arrived early in the morning and beat the tour busses. It felt peaceful. The quiet was broken with an occasional deep 'gong' of the bell by a visitor. We crossed a small stream filled with dozens of distinctively-colored carp, who all seemed to crowd at the bottom of a tiny waterfall.
When we reached the temple, we were asked to take our shoes off before entering, which Michelle did. Jerry stood outside, taking pictures of the open interior. While inside, Michelle wanted to make an offering to the giant, bronze statue of Buddha, but ran out of change, so she threw a ten dollar bill into the coffer. She hoped that this would bring extra, extra good luck.
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| The 'gong' bell in front of the temple |
We then walked the grounds, enjoying the peaceful quiet and fresh mountain air. We visited the gift shop near the temple, where Michelle bought her brother a samurai headband with the phrase 'kamikaze' written on the front in Japanese.
Our moment of Zen was interrupted by a bus load of Japanese tourists (an uncommon phenomenon on the islands), so we headed back to the parking lot, and were off.
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| Carp-filled stream |
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| Base of the Buddha statue at Byodo-In Temple |
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| The giant bronze Buddha statue |
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| Michelle barefoot inside the Temple |
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| Jerry waited outside |
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| The back of the temple |
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| Michelle and Jerry in front of the Temple |
Our next stop was the Straub hospital, where Jerry had an appointment with the ENT. Doctor Newbill turned out to be an 80-something year old physician. With unsteady hands, he proceeded to shove a scope through Jerry's nostril, confirming that there no longer was a bone lodged in his now badly inflamed throat. He prescribed some antibiotics for the infection, and we were off to the Ala Moana Mall to pick up the meds Dr. Newbill prescribed.
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| 'Chicago Eatz' Truck on the corner of Kapiolani Blvd and Ward Ave |
On our way there, on the corner of Kapiolani Blvd and Ward Ave, we spotted a 'Chicago Eatz' truck in the abutting parking lot. The truck was covered in Chicago sports team logos and selling Italian beef sandwiches. Michelle made a note to return at some point and buy a sandwich, but that dream sadly remains unfulfilled to this day.
To our surprise, the Ala Moana Mall turned out to be extremely nice. It looked new, or newly remodeled, and was filled with expensive stores like Armani, Gucci, and Prada. Like many buildings in Hawaii, the mall had no roof! The central walkway was open to the warm, dry Waikiki air.
After we picked up Jerry's medication, we decided to stop off at the food court for a quick pick-me-up. We were mesmerized by the number of restaurants here, and the multitude of choices we had. Not wanting to fill up on too much food before dinner, we were both drawn to the Rammen Noodle stand. This turned out to be a mistake, as we gorged ourselves on giant bowls of delicious noodles.
After we finished our Rammen feast, we knew we were running extremely late for our reservations at the Polynesian Cultural Center on the other side of the island. In a mad panic, we rushed back to our hotel to get our tickets (which we ended up not needing), and were on our way to the PCC.
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| Fiberglass replica of a moai from the Easter Islands |
We arrived just in time for our luau dinner. We were awkwardly seated across from a couple who not only refused to talk to us, but turned out to be terrible photo takers. Even though we were full from our Rammen 'snack', we couldn't resist the buffet. The highlight was the Kailua pork. The meat was pulled from a pig that was roasting in an underground pit earlier in the day - at least that's what the brochure said. Regardless of where the meat came from, this was the best pulled pork either of us has ever had. The meat was tender, juicy and salty. Paired with sweet potato and white rice, the meal was perfect. We topped it off with an overpriced hollowed out pineapple, filled with a non-alcoholic, yet delicious frozen drink.
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| Fiji hut at the Polynesian Cultural Center |
After the cheesy hula show, we walked around the huge center, admiring Disneyworld-esque reconstructions of Polynesian huts. It seemed like every Pacific Island culture was represented here, from Togo to Fiji. We couldn't help but ponder the irony that the Center was sponsored by the Mormon Church, the descendants of Christian missionaries, and built as an homage to Polynesian civilization. A sort of, "sorry for destroying your culture, but here's a touristy plastic reconstruction to make up for it." Despite the inherent downer, the center was very cool. We had a lot of fun exploring the different huts and activities.
After we were done with the Polynesian Epcot, we walked over to the main event - the show 'Ha: Breath of Life.' Since Jerry booked our tickets six months ahead of time, we had first row seats. This turned out to be quiet a scary experience, as dozens of flaming torches were twirled and twisted in front of our faces. The male dancers then performed squats over a fire, putting it out with grass skirts which they were wearing. The awesome Polynesian dance, coupled with the fear of having our faces burned off, made for an unforgettable night.
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| Michelle with an outrigger sailing canoe |
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| Jerry pondering the many worlds of the Polynesian Cultural Ctr |
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| Michelle with some tuff moai |
