In Hawaii, as I enjoyed the carefree native Aloha culture and heard the folk stories, it dawned on me that there is always a certain pride in sticking to the roots. We are all Americans in the United States but people from different countries form their own groups. In cosmopolitan cities, there are areas that are like mini China, Italy or India, etc. For example, there is an area in Queens NY called Jackson Height where everyone walks on the streets wearing Pakistani/Indian outfits. The songs blaring out of shops and cars on those streets are all Urdu / Indian songs. Even the signs are in Urdu or Hindi. In LA, in some areas, Spanish is spoken more fluently than English itself!
People have this tendency to form homogenous clusters within societies. It's said that birds of the same feathers flock together. Same way, people with similarities tend to bond together. These groups not only bring similar people closer but also provide opportunities for diverse groups to learn about each others. Variety is the spice of life and we are lucky to have this global variety in the United States.
The ethnic variety was quite prominent in Honolulu where Americans from all States flock to vacation along with tourists from around the world. It is a dream destination for many but I was somewhat disappointed in Honolulu. Yes, it was very scenic with abundant greenery and beautiful beaches but it was way too commercialized for my taste. To me, it looked like any other beautiful, modern and well developed coastal beach city with all the facilities and provisions. The Hawaiian culture was only visible and contained in the theme parks like Polynesian cultural Village. The native Hawaiians worked everywhere as tour guides wearing minimal clothing. The Native Hawaiians were very proud of their bulky bodies and tour guides made snide jokes about skinny girls starving to look like Hollywood models.
The land is extremely expensive and mostly owned or rented by celebrities in Honolulu. Almost everything is imported from outside in Hawaii. Nothing much is exported from there except Pineapples. A trip to Dole plantation is a must for all tourists. For the first time in my life I saw Pineapple gardens and learnt that pineapples don't grow on trees.
Pearl Harbor is a major attraction with historical significance. Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the United States Navy established a base on the island in 1899. Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941 which brought the United States into World War II.
One also has to dine on one of many boats and ships that offer the evening and night time tours. Watching the dolphins play in the Pacific waters while dining and enjoying the native music is indeed an experience to remember and so is Luau.
There are flowers everywhere and everyone loves to wear those Hawaiian garlands but be careful how you wear a flower in your hair. Hawaiian women wear flowers in their hair to indicate whether they are with someone or not. They wear the flower on the left side if they are married or hooked up with some one. Wearing the flower on the right side means that they are single and looking for someone. Makes one wonder if someone wearing flowers on both sides means that she is with someone but still looking?
Tourists love Honolulu but I personally think that there is way too much hype about the island. Hollywood and celebrities have invested highly in the place which has artificially hiked up price of everything over there. One can easily find other beaches which are equally eloquent in beauty and grandeur but easily affordable in other parts of the world. The reason I felt like that about Honolulu was because I saw a lot of human imprint everywhere. Fortunately my disappointment turned to elation when I flew from Honolulu to Big Island and discovered the natural treasures.
In contrast to Honolulu, Big Island is one island in Hawaii that I will highly recommend visiting. It is worth all the expenses and the trip. Unlike Honolulu, Big Island is not commercialized and all efforts have been made to retain it's natural beauty. It is a small island and the whole island can easily be seen within a day by car but it's majesty demands more time and stay. The uniqueness of Big Island lies in its live volcanos that still spew molten lava intermittently. As a matter of fact, we were unable to venture into some parts because some fresh hot lava had flown over the roads in that area which was then closed off to the public.
There is a lush green thick tropical forest with waterfalls on Big Island and within a few miles distance, there are huge giant volcanic craters, both inspiring entirely different sorts of awe. Right under the tropical forest, there are hollow lava tunnels. These lava tunnels are formed when river of lava starts cooling off and walls and ceiling builds around it. Caves are formed where liquid lava completely cools off and stops flowing downhill. These caves have ceilings that might be a few feet or many miles thick. Standing underground, in one of those dark tunnels with polished walls, one has difficulty imagining the thick tropical forest that grows some yards or at other places miles above, on the ground outside, with thick foliage and exotic habitat.
The black sand beaches and giant turtles of Big Island have witnessed many honeymooners swoon over their beauty over the passage of time. Still, not many tourists choose Big Island as their destination when planning a visit to Hawaii. They avoid it for the same reason for which it is my favorite place and that is the Big Island's lack of modernization. What it offers, no other place does and to preserve this uniqueness, one has to sacrifice the facilities. Not that there are none! There is everything available but contained.
Mother Nature rules in her most natural form in Big Island. She shows her fangs when she vents out vicious red lava flames but also shows her gentleness when she dances as serene white clouds on the enchanting clear waters. She roars and hisses in the puffs of volcanoes and smiles and sings in the melodies of the exotic species of birds. She is beautiful in every form and this beauty remains mostly untarnished by the hands of humans in Big Island.
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