Hawaii – Day 2

This was a varied day as we explored the area from Pearl Harbor via Honolulu and Waikiki to Diamond Head. We had a reservation on the first boat for the USS Arizona memorial at 8am so it was an early start, leaving the house before 6:45 which meant we enjoyed quiet roads. Pearl Harbor is similar to other National Parks, but you know it’s different. On the way to the boat, we passed the Tree of Life Sculpture which is a symbol of renewal to inspire contemplation.

I was already feeling the gravity of the place. An introductory talk explained how the USS Nevada’s band was playing the national anthem on the morning when the attack started at 7:55am, the time we were there. I won’t forget the playing of it during our visit that morning.

It is a short boat ride across a calm harbor to a structure that has been built over the remains of the USS Arizona. Eleven minutes after the attack started, a large bomb landed on her starboard side, penetrating the upper decks before hitting the ship’s magazine, which then exploded. The ship was literally blown to pieces. She caught fire, and with fire suppression and other systems damaged, the parts of the ship that stayed above water burned for three days. Over 1100 of the Arizona’s crew died, about half of the total from the attack. However, her rapid sinking and the resultant fire prevented rescue efforts and trapped over 900 bodies inside. The location became a national cemetery. Surviving sailors, of which one remains aged 102, could choose to have their ashes interred back into the ship. Many lived in torment, unable to find the answer to “why them and not me.” There were 38 sets of brothers in the crew. Divers place each urn being interred in a hole under where gun turret 4 was, and the currents cause the urn to be sucked into the hull; the ship taking back her own.

Other displays on land describe the events. Of the 102 ships in the harbor that morning, 69 were undamaged. All of the ships were repaired to join the war except for three, including the Arizona.

There is also a submariners memorial dedicated to those who were lost at sea. Often the last that anyone knows about their crew is their final radio check in. The final resting place of some is unknown.

Pearl Harbor was an emotional visit. War is horrific. On the day after Pearl Harbor, Churchill, who had barely being holding on against the Nazis, wrote that the Allies would now win the war as America was completely involved. I would like to visit Hiroshima where 140,000 people died. The visit inspired many thoughts which I would love to share over coffee, but a blog is not the place. There is no good solution.

Next up was a self-guided walking tour around downtown Honolulu. We visited sites for about 2 hours, with the only disappointment being unable to get into St Andrew’s Cathedral to see a stained glass window of Jesus surfing!

We all thoroughly enjoyed exploring downtown Honolulu, but it was clear that very few tourist do this. There were no other visitors to the State Capitol when we were there – none! It provided additional insight into Hawaii’s unsettled past.

Next up was Waikiki. About three miles from Honolulu, it couldn’t be more different. We found a multistory parking lot at $3 for each 1/2 hour, and that it was the cleanest parking lot we had ever seen was a hint. As we walked the two blocks to the beach, we passed every high-end store you can think of. Most did not have customers in the middle of the day. Many high-rise hotels rose above the shops, forming multiple rows along the beach, including Waikiki’s first, the Moana Hotel, built in 1901. Everything felt so dense and crowded.

While the high-end hotels dominate the land alongside the beach, there is a alley that provides access to everyone else as the beach is public. Known as Surf Alley, it included both surfboard storage and an ice cream stall doing continuous business (including us!)

Bailey and Jett found excellent poke at The Poke Bar while the rest of us visited Duke’s in one of the beachfront hotels and enjoyed a buffet with a fine variety of local foods

Beyond the hotels lies Kuhio Beach with a more relaxed surfing vibe, and the “Duke” statue, commemorating the famous swimmer who popularized surfing and spread Hawaii’s culture worldwide in the early 1900s.

Next up was our hike up Diamond Head, a volcanic crater that overlooks the bay. We drove about halfway up and then hiked about a mile to the top, up steep steps and through tunnels. It was hot and dry, especially having spent most of the day in the sun. The views from the top were as promised.

We had enough time to check out Mermaid Cave on the west coast. It was something everyone wanted to do. Some caves are exposed at low tide and you can climb down through some holes. Low tide was at 6:42pm so we thought it would be perfect.

We followed Google Maps to parking by a small neighborhood and a beach used by locals. We immediately sensed a different vibe with quite a bit of trash and a guy passed out on the concrete. As we walked along the rocky shore to the caves, there were 10-15 memorials, that we later learned are for people who have died in the caves! The danger is primarily at high tide. We arrived to find a small group of guys jumping through a hole into the water below, timing it “just right” with the wave. Watching them did not make us feel comfortable. There was one hole with a small drop down to a dry pebbly beach. It was not an easy climb down, with questions about how you’d get out, and the crazy adult (i.e. me) led the way. Samuel, Jett, and Bailey followed. Kylie was the wise one, inspired by an earlier request from Tracy Townsend for a “proof of life” photo after her experience of a “day 2” on an Ireland-led “vacation.”

The sunset and scenery were perfect for end-of-day portraits.

It was 7pm, we were all exhausted, with a one-hour drive back to our house. For dinner, we needed fuel rather than fun so ordered pick up from a Pizza Hut on the way, but at least we ordered Hawaiian pizzas! Also, we found a Target and we’re pleasantly surprised that the prices were comparable to back home.

We had survived day 2 which gave us lots to think about. The crew was tired so we all agreed on a lie in, knowing that a rooster would still wake us up at 5am, but we would be able to chill.

This page is linked to from my Hawaii-Oahu home page.

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