Last day in Oahu involved a great deal of walking I’m happy to say – my Fitbit was terribly pleased with me and awarded me badges, notably after 25,000 steps.
First off was the climb up Diamond Head, the volcano crater that is Honolulu’s landmark. On the way passed a memorial to Amelia Earhart, which for the single engine flyers amongst us, makes the Moray Firth somewhat less daunting!
Inevitably everyone goes to DH for the view so it was a long line of tourists with appropriate overtaking when the path allowed. All stereotypes were present – Japanese tourists with selfie sticks filming themselves as they climbed, teenagers talking on phones the whole way, and scowling white, apparently middle aged, men in “Huzzah” T shirts. The views makes it all worthwhile.
The view shows how the city expands out and up the hills. I wouldn’t recommend buying property – very ordinary little two bedroom bungalows go for $3million dollars in the right area – and it is a long way.
Interestingly, the crater is where the Governor goes in times of national emergency as his bunker and support buildings are there. The big risk is tsunami and there have been a couple in the last few years – one from Canada and the other from Chile. Neither were that exciting in terms of film scale disaster but even a four foot wave caused much damage given the force it carried. Apparently all the myriad of leisure vessels on the island – and there are thousands – pile offshore to deep water when the alarm goes as they would be pulverised in the marinas.
And then it was time for some royalty. This is the Iolani Palace, built in the C19th, when monarchy was still the rage in Hawaii – it’s distinctiveness in terms of the rest of America is still is a source of pride, perhaps also reflected in the state flag which shows our civilising influence!
Nearby is the current state house which is modern but contained low key but striking memorials to Korea and Vietnam. The diversity of names sums up the society.
The royal theme then continued in the beautiful Anglican cathedral which King Kamechamcha IV had built, again in the C19th. He was, it seems, taken with the royal connection and the good works done. In the sunlight the wall of glass was stunning.
Unfortunately the only things open on a Sunday in downtown Honolulu are churches so I couldn’t get into either the palace or the nearby State Art Museum. My genius solution was to walk to the Punchbowl, another volcanic crater, which contains the National Memorial cemetery of the Pacific. American don’t walk it appears and I sort of understood why as I trudged, on and on, round the rim to the one entry, which naturally was on the opposite side to my starting point! Again , it was worth the effort for like CWGC sites, it was moving and beautiful, though the sight of tour buses driving slowly round and never decanting the tourists struck me as the ultimate in crass. I didn’t shout.
Banyan trees for those who might wonder, and unlike our war cemeteries, no order in burials, but higgledy piggledy, and including not just war casualties, but veterans who died naturally, plus family members, as well as a sad more recent burial you could hardly miss.
Finally, I sought further spiritual solace in the RC Cathedral which was splendidly friendly and upbeat, as well as being beautifully but impliedly critical of the current President.
Mind you I was taken by this sign which surely might even interest Fairley …
