WAR AND PEACE AT PEARL HARBOUR -THE HAWAII JOURNEY

After Dole plantation it was now time to visit the largest harbor of Hawaii in the South of Oahu which is the Pearl Harbor

The Hawaiian name for Pearl Harbor is Puʻuloa (long hill). Later it was named Pearl Harbor as pearl oysters used to be harvested from the waters, 

Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base and is infamous for the surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941, which brought the United States into World War II.

Waves of Japanese aircraft had sneakily targeted the U.S. Pacific Fleet, resulting in not only sinking but also severe damage of numerous warships and aircraft.

The attack on Pearl Harbor had resulted in over 2,400 American deaths, including civilians, and numerous injuries. It also led to the declaration of war on Japan by the United States. 

Now Pearl Harbor is a National Memorial, with the USS Arizona Memorial marking the site where a battleship sank during the attack, it is a significant historical site and a place of remembrance of all the sacrifices done by the young men and women

We parked our car and deposited our handbags in the locker, as we are not allowed to take any bags other than a transparent bag with its contents clearly visible and it is risky to leave anything in the car, we just took our wallets & cell phones 

As we entered I noticed the Pearl Harbor visitor center where the volunteers were enthusiastically offering help and information, it is a free attraction at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, a unit of the US National Park Service (NPS) and is the gateway to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, USS Arizona Memorial, USS Oklahoma Memorial, and USS Utah Memorial 

These special monuments commemorate the historic events that changed history during World War II.

The Ford Island consists of the USS Missouri, the USS Oklahoma memorial & the Aviation Museum, one has to take a shuttle bus to see all these and then return to the Submarine area and the USS Arizona area

We had already booked for USS Arizona Memorial prior to coming to Hawaii as sometimes we cannot obtain tickets and didn’t want to return disappointed

We have to book for the USS Arizona separately because it is actually a National Park. This is a timed slot ticket, so we have to leave enough time to get over to the USS Arizona boat ride line 15 minutes before our time slot

We waited in a line for the shuttle boat that took us to the USS Arizona Memorial, as we got onto the shuttle boat there was a sudden change of mood of everyone as we were about to visit a US Military cemetery

We got off the boat and went into the USS Arizona Memorial, which marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day. 

The memorial is visited by more than two million people annually. Accessible only by boat, it straddles the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it.

Historical information about the attack, shuttle boats to and from the memorial, and general visitor services are available at the associated USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, which opened in 1980 and is operated by the National Park Service. 

Robert Ripley of Ripley Believe it or not fame was instrumental in sowing the seeds of thoughts to start a memorial at that site when he visited Pearl Harbor in 1942. 

The Pacific War Memorial Commission was created in 1949 to build a permanent memorial in Hawaii and the Navy placed the first permanent memorial, a 10-foot tall basalt stone and plaque, over the mid-ship deckhouse on December 7, 1955

Arizona is being maintained in honor and commemoration of the members of the Armed Forces of the United States who gave their lives to their country during the attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Arizona Memorial was formally dedicated on May 30, 1962 and the battleship's sunken remains were declared a National Historic Landmark on May 5, 1989

Since then, every U.S. President made a pilgrimage to the memorial, presenting a wreath and scattering flowers over Arizona in honor of the Americans who perished there. On December 27, 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe visited the memorial with President Barack Obama and paid respects to fallen service members there. 

Abe is the first Prime Minister of Japan to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, 75 years after the Japanese attack. It was a reciprocal visit to Obama's visit of Hiroshima Peace Memorial on May 27, 2016 as the first visit by a sitting U.S. President.

Every United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine vessel entering Pearl Harbor participates in the tradition of "manning the rails." Personnel serving on these ships stand at attention at the ship's guard rails and salute the USS Arizona Memorial in solemn fashion as their ship slowly glides into port.

The national memorial was designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis an Austrian by birth. The United States Navy specified that the memorial has to be in the form of a bridge floating above the ship and accommodate 200 people. 

The 184-foot-long structure has two peaks at each end connected by a sag in the center of the structure. Critics initially called the design a "squashed milk carton". Looking at it from the shuttle boat it was difficult for us to imagine that it was floating on top of the huge sunken ship

The national memorial has three main parts: entry, assembly room, and shrine, we entered the central assembly room which had seven large open windows on both walls and ceiling too, to commemorate the date of the attack, it is known as the Tree of Life design which allows natural light to illuminate the names of the fallen sailors and marines whose names were displayed on the large marble wall in the shrine, protected behind velvet ropes

The marble wall is vulnerable to the presence of salt water vapor which causes stains and erosion damage to gradually appear. The original wall was replaced in 1984 and again in 2014

National Park Services shred the old marble into little pieces and dump them far out in the ocean so no one can use them as souvenirs

The memorial also had an opening in the floor overlooking the sunken decks. It is from this opening that visitors can pay their respects by tossing single flowers in honor of the fallen sailors. In the past, Leis (a Polynesian garland of flowers) were tossed in the water, but because string from leis poses a hazard to sea life, they are now are placed on guardrails in front of the names of the fallen.

To the left of the main wall we saw a small plaque which bears the names of thirty or so crew members who survived the 1941 sinking. 

Any surviving crew members of Arizona (or their families on their behalf) could have their ashes interred within the wreck by U.S. Navy divers. 

We could see an oily sheen on the clear water as each day the USS Arizona’s oil tanks continue to release droplets of oil into the Pearl Harbor. This oil is sometimes referred to as "the tears of the Arizona" or "black tears. 

Before Sept 11 2001, tourist boats from Waikiki and private yachts were allowed to enter Pearl Harbor. After Sept 11, only military ships and officers’ sailboats can cruise Pearl Harbor.

While visiting the USS Arizona I recollected my visit to the Peace Memorial Park Hiroshima in Japan where anguish ,pain and sympathy for the victims engulfed everyone of us

Looking at the puzzled faces of my grandson and other kids who were going around not fully realizing the gravity, I truly wished that we humans created so lovingly by God for a noble cause and good of the Earth stop resorting to wars and violence, the agony of the people who survived and faced the aftermaths of the wars is indescribable, how I fervently wish that utmost peace prevails all over the world

We returned to the shuttle boat solemnly, there was a movie which runs every 30 min, so we watched that with heavy hearts

The USS Oklahoma Memorial tells the incredible story of rescue and survival against all odds and acknowledges the sacrifice of 429 men. On the opposite side of Ford Island, the USS Utah Memorial commemorates the only other remaining ship from the attack. Partially visible above the waterline the USS Utah is the final resting place for 58 men.

Pacific Historic Parks operates the popular museum store on the grounds of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

There are self-guided audio tours narrated by renowned actress Jamie Lee Curtis who will walk us through 29 stops, including 2 museums, the USS Arizona Memorial and walk of remembrance, total cost being 7.99 dollars

I came across the bronze Lone Sailor statue depicting a sailor standing on a bollard, looking out at the harbor. It's a symbol of the U.S. Navy and its personnel, both past and present, it was dedicated on October 13th, 2017 at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument Visitor Center 

A plaque next to the Lone Sailor read: “The Base of This Statue Contains Steel from the USS Arizona.”

We also saw on display at the visitor’s center the USS Arizona’s anchor. The anchor weighs 19,585 lbs. and was one of three anchors carried by the battleship of USS Arizona. Two were used to anchor the ship, depending upon the weather. A third was used as a spare. When the Battleship blew up, one of the Anchors was ejected into the harbor and this is kept as a display at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

On the deck of the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese surrendered  ending World War II. In 1999, Missouri was moved to Pearl Harbor and placed perpendicular to the USS Arizona Memorial. The pairing of the two ships became an evocative symbol of the beginning and end of the United States' participation in the war.

One can explore the "Pearl Harbor Avenger" USS Bowfin submarine, which completed nine war patrols during World War II along with Submarine Museum & Park

We can discover the history of aviation at Pearl Harbor, including the attack on December 7, 1941, and the planes involved at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

PINING FOR PINEAPPLES - THE HAWAII JOURNEY

On the 2nd day of our stay in Hawaii, we had our complimentary breakfast in the hotel and went to Central O‘ahu, the fertile valley between the Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau mountain ranges, to explore the island’s plantation heritage.

There are plenty of plantations in this area and form the basis for the agricultural history at Hawai. This fertile land offers a peek into Oʻahu’s history when the agriculture on the island was booming in the late 19th century, attracting immigrants from around the world to work in the various plantations.

We stopped at the Dole Plantation, which originally in 1950s was just a fruit stand, it opened to the public as Hawaii’s “Pineapple Experience” in 1989.

Now Dole Plantation is one of Oahu’s most popular visitor attractions and welcomes more than one million visitors a year. 

As we went in the morning we could find parking space easily which is usually a difficult task in Hawaii.

We first took the tickets, it is said that one can chug, wander, shop, ride, taste, or stroll through the Dole plantation. 

Dole Plantation provides enjoyable activities for the entire family, including the Pineapple Express Train Tour, Plantation Garden Tour, and Pineapple Garden Maze. 

I found plenty of informational displays and presentations, and a colourful plantation country store offering a wide variety of Dole Plantation gifts and Maui Divers jewelry.

Established in 1959, Maui Divers Jewelry is the largest creator of precious coral jewelry in the world and the largest jewelry manufacturer in Hawaii and is renowned for its unique, high-quality island style jewelry, featuring Tahitian pearls, Australian opals, Hawaiian heirloom diamonds, and other beautiful gemstone, as usual I did only window shopping .There were local favorites, foods and refreshments including the world-famous Dole Soft Serve! 

The pineapple which is quite fierce and prickly from outside but absolutely sweet on the inside, got its English name due to its resemblance to a pine cone. 

Columbus took this native fruit of South America to Europe as one of his exotic prizes of the New World. In later centuries, sailors brought the pineapple home to New England, interestingly when a fresh pineapple is displayed on the porch it meant that the sailor was home from foreign ports and ready to welcome visitors. I really liked this unique idea!

No one knows when the first pineapple (“halakahiki,” or foreign fruit, in Hawaiian) arrived in Hawaii. Francisco de Paula Marin, a Spanish adventurer who became a trusted advisor to King Kamehameha the Great, successfully raised pineapples in the early 1800s. 

A sailor, Captain John Kidwell, is credited with founding Hawaii’s pineapple industry, importing and testing a number of varieties in the 1800s for commercial crop potential. But, it wasn’t until James Drummond Dole arrived in the islands that the pineapple was transformed from an American symbol of friendship to a favourite fruit in Hawaii and a signature food which spread all over the world

James Drummond Dole passed away in 1958 at the age of 80. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company he founded is now known the world over as Dole Food Company, one of the most recognized brands in the world today.

We wanted to see the plantation on the Pineapple Express train for a narrated tour through breath taking vistas that were part of James Drummond Dole’s plantation when pineapple was the king of the fruits

The Pine Apple express was originally built in England by Severn Lamb, it is driven with diesel motor and hydraulic pump, very much like a bulldozer .The engine and train are modelled after an 1870 design with tender and has 4 passenger cars 

There was an enclosure where we had to wait for the train, there were mostly children accompanied by their parents

We waited for about half an hour during which our grandson found a large worm and a moth both of which he befriended and wanted to take home as pets much to the horror of my daughter in law, finally the train chugged in hooting the whistle enthusiastically, it was like a toy train and we got in with our reluctant grandson who wanted to sit with the engine driver and drive the train

This fully narrated, twenty-minute train tour was fun, we learnt the story of pineapple in Hawaii and heard how James Drummond Dole founded his world-famous agricultural empire where Dole Plantation stands today, we enjoyed going through the stunning scenery of the island’s famous North Shore, there were fields of many fruit trees like orange, lychee etc, there were few natural and few man made water bodies and of course we could watch the farming going on

There are some more trains like the Lady Liberty train which arrived in the islands in 2003 and was designed as a replica of a Mason Bogey originally manufactured by Mason Machine works in Taunton, Massachusetts in 1883 it was popular in early 1900’s as it is capable of running on 3’ gauge tracks on hills and over sharp curves and was being used all over United States in mining and short line passenger services ,another train is the Aloha express which was  built in China and runs on diesel, it has 3 passenger cars

After the hot train journey we cooled down with a delicious frozen Dole whip treat which was so awesome that we all had another helping 

Both kids and adults were running through the huge three-acre shrub maze and enjoying immensely, it was apparently recognized by Guinness world records in 2008 and was declared the world’s largest maze. The maze includes nearly two and one-half miles of paths crafted from 14,000 colourful Hawaiian plants.

We have to walk through the flora of the islands and seek out eight secret stations that each leads one closer to the mystery at the heart of this larger-than-life labyrinth, one of only a handful of permanent botanical mazes in America. For an enhanced maze experience, one can download free Dole Plantation app on phone to automatically track time and maze stations found.

At the Hawaii Plantation Village we can explore a living history museum of restored and replica sugar-cane plantation homes to get a sense of how people lived and worked more than 100 years ago and I am sure it was a tough life but enjoyable 

We were walking towards our car and I was busy clicking snaps unmindful of the traffic, suddenly a car came my way and was about to hit me when our valiant 4 year old grandson ordered the driver to stop with a stern look on his face, the driver a lady  smiled at him and said “I like you young man!” that was very sportive of her I thought avoiding my husband’s admonishing looks at my carelessness.

DIAMONDS AND SHAVED ICE -THE HAWAII JOURNEY

 We came out with our luggage from the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Honolulu, before checking into our hotel we thought we would visit some places as we were all still quite fresh after a nap in the flight

We hired a car in the airport for our stay and started on our way, we had taken our grandson’s car seat along as per the rules prevailing

Oʻahu translated as the Gathering place is the third-largest and most populated Hawaiian island, it is 44 miles long and 30 miles across and its special attraction is its 227 miles long shoreline

Honolulu is its capital city and this cosmopolitan city offers everything from historic landmarks to fine dining and world-class shopping.

Honolulu is home to the majority of Oʻahu’s population and stretches across the south eastern shores of the island, from Pearl Harbour to Makapuu Point, embracing the world-famous Waikiki Beach on its way.

I remarked to my family that all these names sounded very musical, my hubby who knows my passion for travelling and tendency to fall in love with the places I visit gently smiled at me

Like all other Hawaiian Islands, Oʻahu was formed from the volcanism associated with the Hawaii hot spot and it started to grow from the sea floor 4 million years ago. Today, the island is composed of the remnants of two extinct and extensively eroded shield volcanos the Waianae and Koolau Ranges, with a broad valley or saddle between them. The highest point is Kaala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet above sea level

Early archaeological studies suggest that Polynesian explorers may have arrived as early as the 3rd century and other settlers around 900–1200 A.D. 

On January 19, 1778, Oʻahu was the first of the Hawaiian Islands to be sighted by Captain James Cook

Though by 18th century, Waikiki was a major settlement on Oʻahu, nearby town of Honolulu came to eclipse it in size and importance due to its more accessible harbour.

After World War II, Oʻahu became a tourism and shopping destination with more than five million visitors per year

Right from the airport, everywhere we went in Hawaii, we saw and heard the word Aloha which is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. It means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth and caring with no obligation in return. 

‘Aloha’ is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ‘Aloha’ means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable. 

We then went to the beautiful Puu Ualakaa State Park at about 1000 feet elevation, the road was quite narrow and very tortuous and lined with eucalyptus trees on either side of the road.

Luckily we could get parking easily, and we were advised to carefully lock up our car as it is very common for cars to be broken into in that area

After walking a few steps we saw the scenic lookout and observation desk 

From there we could see awesome views of Honolulu including Diamond Head and the Punchbowl, the blue Pacific Ocean and the skyline competed with each other with their vivid blue colours . There are several nice hiking trails through the rainforests to enjoy as long as one is prepared with water and insect repellents. 

Leahi (Diamond Head) is a 760 feet crater and is a famous landmark of Hawaii it was so named by 19th century British soldiers who joyously thought they discovered diamonds on the crater’s slopes, but alas to their dismay the diamonds were actually shiny calcite crystals that have no value whatsoever

Formed more than 1000,000 years ago, the crater was used as a strategic military lookout in early 1900s and was named a national natural landmark and now is a popular hiking destination with panoramic views of Waikiki and Oahu’s south shore

Sunset is supposed to be good from this spot but we couldn’t wait till then as we had to check in

On popular demand of our grandson Vihaan who was literally screaming for an ice-cream, we went to the Island shave ice and creamery shop to taste the famous Hawaiian shave ice which is an ice-based dessert made by shaving a block of ice and flavouring it with syrup and other sweet ingredients

The thin ice shavings of shave ice allow the flavoured syrups to be absorbed completely instead of sinking to the bottom. 

As soon as we entered we saw a pretty Hawaiian girl at the counter who smiled at us and enquired which flavour we would like to taste, we had a very serious round table discussion and finally chose mango and coconut

We were handed over the ice in a plastic cup with syrups poured over the top and a straw and spoon

Additional elements like ice cream, azuki beans or condensed milk also can be chosen.

Syrups used in shave ice in Hawaii use local ingredients such as guava, pine apple, coconut cream, passion fruit, lychee, kiwifruit and mango. 

These syrups are often quite vibrant with certain colours traditionally representing specific flavours, such as blue for coconut and yellow for mango. When many different colours of syrups are combined, it is referred to as “Kalakoa” which means calico in Hawaiian slang

The history of Hawaiian shave ice can be traced back to an ice-based dessert that originates from Japan. This dessert is known as kakigōri and was once reserved for the wealthy because of the complex production process of ice, which was only accessible in the winter and refrigeration purely relied on natural sources like ice houses

During the early 1900s, development of new technologies allowed ice to be cheaply made and stored, allowing for greater consumption among various types of people. Around the same time, sugar plantations prolifically developed across Hawaii, and many people from Asian countries relocated to the Hawaii islands with hopes of earning a steady income. The Japanese were among this immigrant population and brought with them their traditional kakigōri. 

Hawaiian shave ice sales began to rise in the 1950s and 1960s with the arrival of Californian surfers. Shave ice which has originated in Japan and gained popularity in Hawaii has spread to other parts of the world too.

As soon as we saw the shop and its contents, we recollected that we had shaved ice in India too, it is known as Gola or Chuski, a popular summer treat, sold especially on the streets. It consists of finely shaved or crushed ice, often hand-packed onto a stick and flavoured with colourful, fruity syrups. Popular flavors include Kala Khatta (a dark, blackberry-like flavour), lime and salt, and raw mango. 

Gola is widely available on the streets, I remember seeing it in Chowpatty beach in Mumbai.

After having tasted the shaved ice and getting our grand son's shirt heavily flavoured with all the syrups we tried, we checked into our hotel in Kaplei, I found everyone in Hawaii very cheerful and welcoming, wherever we went Aloha rang in our ears 

After lunch in a nearby Mexican restaurant we relaxed a while and started for the Maili beach , Maili means pebbly the rounded stones at the shore  

The drive took us along the Western Leeward coast of Oahu ,we had mountains on our right side with an occasional house perched on their top and the Pacific ocean stretched on the left endlessly ,as we reached the Maili beach we saw a long green stretch of land with palm trees lining the coast line which was the beach park which extended for 40 acres and had multiple entrances with ample parking

Maili has among the highest percentage of Native Hawaiians and is a popular destination for surfing, snorkelling, swimming and boogie boarding

The water conditions are supposed to be treacherous during winter-time but usually calm during summer. The beach park had a lifeguard station, a playground, beach facilities, restrooms, picnic tables, and showers

We settled down on the beach, the waves were stroking the shore so gently that our grandson also could fearlessly play in the water, the sand was very clean and there were hardly anybody to disturb us

As we watched, the sun started to gracefully sink but dark clouds gathered and we were apprehensive of a sudden shower but fortunately it didn’t rain and we returned to our hotel after watching a beautiful sunset