My first real trip to Hawaii was to visit two of my girlfriends that were living there. I was lucky that one living on Oahu worked for United, and lived on the windward side of the island with her daughter. Francie and I had become friends while we both had a stay in the hospital in Concord. We were roommates and needless to say the hospital staff was very happy to see us go when we were released. Ah the good old days.......
But back to Hawaii. So, I planned to go spend a week on Oahu with Francine and her daughter Christy and then over to the big island of Hawaii to see my friend Mimi who was living with her brother Mike.
I loved seeing all the tourist sights of Oahu. We went to Waikiki and Hanama Bay, up to Punchbowl Cemetary and of course out to Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona. We drove all the way around the island and saw the North Shore that is famous for surfing and saw the Ioloni Palace where the last of the Hawaiian Royalty lived. She really did take me everywhere. We also went to Christy's Girl Scout island rally and I was in a three legged race with her and other sundry things that her mother couldn't do. (She has a bum knee) I had so much fun that I had a hard time leaving the island but flew over to Hawaii to Kona where Mimi and I began our adventure there.
Mimi is very tall and exotic looking and attracts everyone whereever she goes. Men offer her things every time we go out and she just smiles and politely says no thanks as she meanders through her life. She is a stunning woman with a classy way about her and one of the nicest women I have ever been friends with. She and I started by hitting the local hangout called Huggos and the party began. Oh we did plenty of sightseeing. She had found a local boy that she had fallen for and he came with a huge Hawaiian family and when you come to visit you are Ohana (family). So, Aunti Tio would take me shopping, and Uncle Keke would take me to the Beach. I had a luau in my honor on the Sunday after I got there. The pig and all. It was about 30 people asking if I wanted to go with them to see this or that? Did I have a car to drive me here or there? Take theirs, they wouldn't need it on Thursday. It was a wonderful feeling of love and community that they gave me. For a Howlie I was ok because I was Mimi's friend. They made it so easy to fall in love with them all. I got to see the volcano erupt while hearing one of the Uncles tell tales of Pele, the goddess of the Fire. He even brought a bottle of Gin to throw in the Volcano to appease her. You bet I did too!!!! Everywhere we went there was someones cousin or realtive that lived close by and we needed to stop and say aloha to. I learned so many phrases while I was there that it was amazing I could talk english when I got back.
I saw the island through their eyes. And it was the only way to see it.
I know a lot of people who say they don't want to go to Hawaii.That it isn't that big of a deal. But I am here to tell you that the Aloha spirit once you see it up close, never leaves you. I can honestly say that I don't go back to Oahu anymore. I don't like the island as it is too overpopulated, but I do love Maui, Kauaii, and Hawaii as they have that same spirit and people there are willing to be friendly and helpful if you are respectful of their culture and island. After all they were there first.
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