39. Hawaii – Part 2

Month: December 2017

Location: O’ahu & Big Island

I was told to be ready for pickup at 5:50 am on the hotel’s side street. I arrived with 10 minutes to spare and saw a small coach waiting there.  The driver, Dennis - who would be our guide for the day - told me that I was the first of the pickups and the only one from this hotel, meaning we did not need to wait and could be on our way.  I learned that Dennis was originally from Detroit and had come to Hawaii years ago and stayed.  I asked why on earth were we starting at this hour and he said that we would need all of the allocated time.  First, we had to visit 7 other hotels to pick up my fellow tourists.  We went around the Waikiki area to multiple hotels and each time we picked someone up, Dennis would do a roll call naming the places where people were from.  So I was “Chicago” and we had “New Hampshire”, 2 sets of “Florida’s”, 2 sets of “Australia’s” and several other places.  At one place we had to leave without a family since they weren’t there, but eventually went back to pick them up since there had been some misunderstanding.  However, by 6:30 am all were on board and we were off to Pearl Harbor.

Early morning start

On the way there Dennis kept regaling us with information, such as the origin of the word “Waikiki”, which meant “Sprouting Water” – since there was plenty of that here – as well as information on Pearl Harbor, especially what happened that fateful day on December 7, 1941.  We would of course learn a lot about that today.  There were 4 main monuments that we would be visiting, and the first 2 were located at our first stop.  After spending a few hours there, we would be travelling to the other 2, which were on an active military base.  No bags were allowed at either site, unless it was transparent.  Also, no bags could be left on the bus since Dennis was going to pick up another lot of tourists while we were visiting the first site.  That was because no tour guide could be present with their group while visiting the monuments.  I guess this made sense since it would be mayhem with multiple stories being told to each group in close proximity near the monuments.  While I did not have any bag, one person in our group did, and he was told that he would have to check it in for the day and would only get it back at the very end.

Pearl Harbor

Dennis had told us to expect a long line and I thought he was exaggerating since it wasn’t even 7 am, but boy was I wrong.  The line seemed to extend for a mile.  Dennis said that this was because the gates were closed and once they opened, the line would move fast since there wasn’t a ticket window at the gate to slow anyone.  Fortunately, this turned to be true and by 7:10 am, all of us were inside.  Dennis gave us tickets for our tour of the ‘U.S.S. Arizona Memorial’, which was at 9:30 am.  We would be taking a ferry to see it and Dennis even told us where to sit on the Ferry so as to get good pictures.  There was some time before that and so Dennis suggested that we visit the ‘U.S.S. Bowfin Submarine’ first and then take a tour of the various exhibit halls.  He said that while there weren’t tickets, we could whisper the magic words “Dennis The Menace” at the gate and we would be handed audio guides.  Looks like Dennis was a popular character here.  Before he departed, Dennis said that we would pick us up at “Eleven One Five”, saying that “11:15” sounded very much like “11:50”.

On board 'U.S.S. Bowfin'

I went over to the submarine and walked through the interior, listening to my audio guide at marked spots.  One submarine is same as another and this one was like any other that I had seen.  I walked through the halls with exhibits and even then there was a still a lot of time before our tour of ‘U.S.S. Arizona Memorial’.  I got some coffee at the gift shop and sat on the benches watching tourists walk around with their gift bags – which curiously weren’t transparent.  The visit to the memorial would be preceded by a short film and Dennis had told us to be at the front the queue trying to get into the theater, so as to be closer to the exit when going to the ferry.  I went and stood in the staging area as soon as the earlier group went inside and over the next 15 minutes a big crowd had assembled.  As the doors opened, one lady grabbed hold of her kids and with poor husband behind her, rushed in like it was a “Black Friday Sales”.  Inside, people were frantically blocking seats and it was clear that Dennis wasn’t the only person with information.

'U.S.S. Arizona Memorial'

The film was the story of what happened on the day of the attack, including archival footage.  Several battleships were sunk that morning, with ‘Arizona’ being the biggest disaster. 1,177 sailors lost their lives that day on this ship alone.  The memorial was built on the exact spot above the sunken battleship, the remnants of which could still be seen through the water.  This is also the final resting place of the sailors who went down with the ship.  As soon as the film ended, there was a mad scramble to get out, led by the lady who was determined to be first on the ferry.  I managed to get a seat on the side which Dennis had recommended and as we approached the memorial, I could see why.  The structure is white and shaped like a boat, with large windows on either side to let in natural light.  It also lies perpendicular to the actual ship, so that you walk over the main deck and can see some parts sticking out of the water.  But the main attraction was the memorial wall which had the names of all who were sacrificed in the attack.

Inside the memorial

A lady told us to assemble by the wall and over there we heard a remarkable story.  Not everyone on board died in the attack.  There were survivors and a few years ago when one passed on owing to old age, he wrote in his will that his final wish was to be reunited with his shipmates.  The U.S. Navy and the National Park Services granted his wish by having a ceremony at twilight in front of his family, where divers took the urn with his ashes and placed it inside the battleship.  Since then this honor has been extended to every surviving member and all of them have accepted.  Very soon the last of them would be gone and everyone who was on board that fateful morning will be together again.  This story and many such moments over the last 3 years is why I am proud to be doing these travels.

The guns on 'U.S.S. Missouri'

We got back on the ferry and returned to the main park. There was enough time for me to redeem my “free hot dog” coupon that Dennis had given us.  At “Eleven One Five” we all gathered at the spot where he met us and we were back on the bus.  Next stop was ‘U.S.S. Missouri Battleship’, which was a short ride away and on an actual Naval Base. At the entrance we had to stop for our bus to be searched. Once inside, Dennis dropped us off and told us to meet him at a certain time and then he was off.  The ship itself was quite big and would be the second battleship that I would have visited this year, after seeing ‘U.S.S. Yorktown’ in Charleston.  A guided tour of the deck was about to start and I joined the group.  The lady started by telling us about the firepower of the battleship, which was evident by looking at the massive guns.  In fact, no one was supposed to be on the deck when they were fired owing to the sound and the shock waves.  However, the most important part of the deck was the place where the official “Japanese surrender” took place.  There were several signatures that were inked on paper that day and the pen that General MacArthur used that day.  In that regard this ship played a vital role in the conclusion of WWII.

The 'U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial'

There was a self-guided tour through the interior of the ship and the winding path took one to all the places such as the sleeping quarters, recreation rooms, dining rooms, galley etc.  It was a similar to the tour I had taken on ‘Yorktown’ and I followed the path till the exit, which deposited me back on the deck.  There was still some time before we were to meet Dennis, but I was done here and so walked back to the pick-up spot, stopping at the ‘U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial'.  This was another battleship that was sunk in the attack and the memorial was done as rows of pillars, one for each fallen sailor.  Dennis arrived soon and we all got aboard for our next destination, ‘The Pacific Aviation Museum’.  We were to have a 90 minute guided tour of the main hall and a separate hanger, which carried aircraft's from the war.

Inside the 'Pacific Aviation Musuem'

The lobby of the museum was fascinating, because the entire floor was a satellite image of Pearl Harbor and its neighboring area.  The interesting one was the ‘Aloha Stadium’ which is primarily used for Football, but the stands can actually move and reorganize, to transform into a Baseball stadium.  There are of course many other stadiums where the two sports are played, but none which have movable stands.  There was still some time before our tour and so everyone in our group made a beeline towards the café for some refreshments.  I got myself a local beer and chips and saw that almost everyone was loading up on the beer.  We all gathered for the tour and the gentleman, who was our guide, took us through the main hall pointing out on the map how the actual attack unfolded and where everyone was at the time.  It was interesting to hear about it from that tactical standpoint and even more so when he showed us some of the aircraft that were involved, including the bombs and the bullet holes.  One can only imagine the horror of that day and how it changed the course of the war.

The hangar

We went outside and walked to a hangar – this is an actual airfield for private planes – and saw some more aircraft's.  At the end of the 90 minutes I was quite tired as this had been a long day.  As we arrived back, Dennis was waiting for us, having picked up his other group and dropped them back at their hotel.  This was efficiency at its finest, as the tour company had managed to pull off a full day and a half day tour using the same bus and driver.  The final part of the tour was a drive through downtown Honolulu and a brief stop at the palace for some exterior pictures.  By this time I had a headache and decided to stay inside, even closing my eyes for a bit.  Dennis continued to tell us about the history of downtown and pointed out a park where some decorations for the holidays had been put up and encouraged us to come back and visit in the evening.  With that, we headed back to Waikiki Beach and the tour was over.

The bookcase concealing the 'Study Bar'

Luckily, I was the first to be dropped off and I thanked Dennis for his enthusiasm and the stories.  I grabbed some coffee and went up to my room to nap for an hour, because I really needed that rest.  At 5:30 pm, I took a ride to ‘The Modern Hotel’, which had a “hidden” bar called ‘The Study Bar’.  As I entered the lobby and asked for directions, the gentleman pointed to the wall behind me and mentioned that it would open at 6.  And when he said open, he meant “open”.  The entire wall was a book shelf and while I have been to several bars where the book case opens to reveal the entrance, in this case the entire wall slid open diagonally to let people inside.  This would be happening at 6 pm and while I waited, a small crowd started to gather.  Sure enough, the wall opened a little after 6 and the room inside was setup like a lounge, where one walked up to the bar to order a drink and then carry it to wherever they wanted to sit.  I did just that and for the next 45 minutes, watched as people came in and by the time I left, the place was getting full.

'Lewar's Lounge'

I called a ride to return back to ‘Halekulani Hotel’, which I had visited for dinner on my first night.  This time I was going to a place called ‘Lewar’s Lounge’, which was a classic cocktail bar with dark interiors, comfortable chairs and a white-jacketed bartender.  It was a relaxing spot that made some good martinis and I enjoyed my time there.  There was still some time before my dinner appointment and so I went upstairs and back to ‘L ’Aperitif’, with their fancy drinks, that come paired with small bites.  I got a ‘Hemmingway Old Fashioned’ that came with a bite of “Prosciutto Pineapple” and struck up a conversation with a gentleman next to me, a commercial pilot from New Zealand who was vacationing with his family.  We talked on a variety of topics ranging from sports, to travels to food and cocktails and I mentioned that I may be back here and see him again next week after my return from The Big Island.

Dinner by the beach

I was going for dinner at a place called ‘Azure’ and it was located in ‘The Royal Hawaiian Hotel’.  The map said that it was close by, though finding it turned out to be a nightmare.  The Waikiki Beach area had come alive and the place was crowded.  I was lost and entered what looked like a shopping arcade and asked a shop owner for directions.  The person was kind enough to walk with me through the length of the place till I emerged outside on the other side.  Even then it wasn’t straight forward and after several wrong turns, I reached my destination.  I was seated outside, a few steps away from the beach, making this a fantastic location for dinner.  I was still seething though and told the manager that they needed better directions.  But the ambiance cooled me off soon, as did the special “Christmas Eve Dinner”.  It was a nice end to this very long day and I came back to my room, ready for bed.

A beautiful Christmas morning

I woke up on Christmas morning with the challenge of re-packing my 2 bags.  After stuffing everything in, I left it with the “Bell Desk” and started walking towards the only restaurant that I had found to be open for lunch.  It was a place called ‘Cream Pot’ and it was a mile away, so I decided to walk.  It was a gorgeous day and the walk took me across a couple of bridges over the river and I arrived at what looked like a beautiful garden entrance to the restaurant.  I guess they took their privacy a bit too seriously, since there were signs warning us against photography inside the restaurant.  It was a bright looking interior with both, private tables as well as a community table in the center.  They were known for their “Soufflé Pancakes”, though I stuck to savory eggs  The interesting thing about this place was that they shared the restroom with other businesses in the building and the way to get inside was using a key.  That is quite common and many coffee shops have similar system with keys attached to plastic spoons.  Over here they had attached it to a skillet…cast iron skillet, meaning that going to the bathroom was a workout in itself!  Also, I noticed a lot of people gathered in the corridors signing forms and it looked like they had gathered for an audition on this Christmas morning.

The entrance to 'Cream Pot'

After brunch I walked back to the hotel and since there was some time left, went to ‘Ala Moana Shopping Center’, which was deserted.  Every single shop was closed and there were just a few people hanging around, doing whatever people do in empty malls!  I came back, collected my bags and called a ride to the airport.  On the way there I discussed inter-island travel with my driver and he mentioned that ‘Hawaiian Airlines’ pretty much had a monopoly on that, since there were no ferries and no other competitors.  The terminal where I was dropped off was different than the one where I had landed, and once again I was struck by how much this place reminded me of India, especially the airport.  As I waited for my flight, just looking at the aircraft outside made me realize that I would have to check-in my bigger bag.  Sure enough, they tagged it and that was good since the plane interior was quite small.  As we took off, watching O’hau from this vantage point was fantastic, especially now that I could see some of the mountains and the craters.  But noting could beat the blue of the Pacific as I left O’hau behind, heading towards my next adventure.

To Be Continued…