The Aloha Shirt (aka. The Hawaiian Shirt)

It should come as no surprise that the first Hawaiian shirt was made in, well, Hawaii.  In the 1930's a Chinese immigrant, Ellery Chun, started making these shirts by sewing brightly coloured pieces of leftover kimono fabric together.  Mr. Chun labelled his creation "aloha shirts" and sold them to visitors.  The popularity of the shirts gradually took off, and they are truly now a symbol of the islands.  Usually covered in patterns like palm trees, the ocean and sunsets, these shirts are available all across Hawaii and worn by visitors and locals alike.

Now, my trip to Hawaii wouldn't be complete without buying an aloha shirt to take home with me, so I need your help.  Which shirt should I buy?  Here are the choices:

Green shirt

Red shirt

Black shirt

Blue shirt



Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

Try saying that ten times quickly.  Well if you can’t, that’s okay, because I can’t either.  What is a humuhumunukunukuapua’a anyhow?  Well it is the state fish of Hawaii...and today I got to see some up close.

If you look carefully at the water in Hanauma Bay you can see darker patches. 
Those patches are alive!  They are coral reefs.

My fish hunt began in Hanauma Bay, a great place to visit in Oahu if you want to go snorkelling.  With more than half a million fish for you to spot in its reefs, Hanauma Bay is a snorkeler’s paradise.  I spent the day floating around, face down, taking in as many of the amazing sights as I could.

Mask, snorkel and flippers all in place, I am ready for some fish spotting.

As soon as I started floating over the reefs I realized something, “Hey, this is just like being at an aquarium!”  Seeing all the colourful fish swim around made me think back to being in Malaysia and visiting the KLCC Aquaria.  There was one main difference. Today, it was like I was in the tank with them too!

A fish snacking on some of the reef.

With over 500,000 fish to see, I had a lot of work to do if I was going to see them all.  I have a challenge for you.  Take a look at the pictures I took, then use the guide below (I was given it at Snorkel Bob’s today when I was renting my snorkelling gear) and see if you can match any fish to their names.  Can you identify any of the fish I saw today?

Use this guide to label some of the fish I saw today.

 

Do you think this is a Threadfin or a Pyramid Butterfly Fish?



Can you label this fish?



The USS Missouri

The last battleship ever built by the US, the USS Missouri is now a museum for visitors to enjoy.

Today I got a chance to explore a real life battleship.  The USS Missouri was the last battleship to be built in the United States and it now sits in Pearl Harbour next to Ford Island in the state of Hawaii.  During World War II, not only was the ship used in battle, but it was also where the signing of the Terms of Surrender by all fighting countries happened.  It stands in the harbour not as a symbol of war, but one of protection and peace.

The USS Missouri was armed with nine powerful 16 inch guns that could fire as far as 20 miles.

During World War II the USS Missouri was attacked several times by Japanese Kamakazi jetfighters (pilots that would fly their planes directly into enemy targets).  As you can imagine some of these attacks left dents in the ship.  You can still see these dents today.

Sleeping quarters of the sailors.  Bunks stacked up 4 beds high.  The USS Missouri was
home to 2700 sailors during World War II.

It was emotional hearing the stories of the young sailors who left home back in 1944 (some as young as 18) to fight for peace aboard the USS Missouri.  For some of these men it was the first time they had ever left their rural communities, and they were always overwhelmed once they found themselves aboard the 209 foot tall battleship.  I can’t even imagine what would have been going through their heads.  I am glad that the ship now acts as a symbol of peace.  Hopefully all the soldiers in the world currently fighting for peace will be able to share their stories one day.

Standing outside the canteen with my empty tray waiting to be fed.

Mr. P Visits Sandy Beach (aka. Break-Neck Beach)

One day Mr. P decided to explore the beaches of Oahu.  "I know," he said to himself, "I will visit Sandy Beach".  Mr. P had read all about Sandy Beach.  He knew it was a favourite beach with locals, and also exciting was the fact that it was a popular beach for bodysurfing. "I can't wait to try that!" he exclaimed.  Bodysurfing, when you glide along a crashing wave, seemed like loads of fun. 


A local teenager bodysurfing at Sandy Beach.

When he arrived at the beach the water was full of young surfers all enjoying the waves.  What Mr. P didn't notice was that there were warnings posted on the beach "Caution: Dangerous Shore Break, When in doubt, stay out"  The signs were warning Mr. P of the dangerous waves that were crashing on the shore, and having never bodysurfed before, he should have stayed out of the water. 

It didn't take long for Mr. P to learn a very valuable lesson about water safety.  As soon as he entered the water one of the powerful waves swung over his head and knocked him over, picking him up and flipping him upside down.  Just as he was trying to stand up another wave hit, again spinning him round and round.  Lucky for him he wasn't alone and his swimming buddy was on hand to make sure he was safe (because you should never go swimming alone).

Water and sand rushing all around Mr. P as he is tossed around by the waves.  Not so much fun.

"Wow," Mr. P gasped.  "Those are some pretty powerful waves."  He then heard the voice of the lifeguard over a megaphone (probably talking directly to him) "If you aren't familiar with the powerful current and shore break on this beach please stay out of the water.  Sandy Beach is well-known for causing neck and back injuries.  Please come and see me if you need directions to a safer beach."  So from that moment on Mr. P read all signs on the beach, and always made sure a lifeguard was on duty before entering the water.  So the lesson of the story boys and girls is: When in doubt, stay out!

 

Having learned his lesson Mr. P enjoyed the show from the safety
of the shore which still made for a fantastic day.



All Aboard the Pineapple Express

On my way to the North Shore today to watch some professional surfers take to the waves, I decided to visit the Dole Plantation (which is home to the largest maze in the world!  And get this, the maze is shaped like a pineapple).  A company started by Mr. James Drummond Dole in the early 1900's, Dole is responsible for making pineapple popular not only in Hawaii, but across the world. 

The very challenging maze left me scratching my head.  It was impossible!

Mr. Dole showed the world how sweet and delicious pineapple could be.  He would pick the pineapples when they were perfectly ripe, peel and cut them up into pieces and then preserve them in cans.  When these cans arrived in homes across the world the pineapple tasted just as fresh as the day it was picked.

All aboard the Pineapple Express!

I took a tour around the Dole Plantation on the “Pineapple Express” and on my ride I learned a lot of information about the plants that grow in Hawaii.  An interesting fact about pineapples is that they don’t get any riper after they have been picked.  They get all their sweetness from the plant’s stem so once they are picked they stop ripening.  That means when you bring a pineapple home from the supermarket it is best to eat it right away because it won’t get any sweeter on your kitchen counter, it will just start to rot.  If you want to keep it a few days you should put it in your refrigerator.

Pineapples growing on plants very close to the ground.

Another interesting fact is that pineapple isn’t indigenous to Hawaii (it hasn’t always grown in Hawaii).  It is a plant that was brought in by visitors a long time ago.  Most likely brought to Hawaii from South America by Europeans, the tropical climate in Hawaii made it a perfect place to start growing pineapples.  Pineapples grow very low to the ground, so they can keep safe from the harsh winds that blow over Hawaii.  They also benefit from the soil in Hawaii that is rich in iron (that is why it is red), a mineral that helps the pineapples grow and ripen.

Delicious DoleWhip (pineapple flavoured ice cream) covered in fresh pineapple.

You can find just about any pineapple flavoured food or candy in Hawaii, but the best way to enjoy pineapple is simply to eat it fresh.  Do you like eating pineapple?  The next time you are in the supermarket look at where the pineapples come from.  Are they from the Dole plantation in Hawaii?

Oh, no!  I ate so much pineapple, I turned into one.

Breakfast at the Market

The market is a busy place where you can find local goods for sale.  Everything from fruit to flowers.

Every Saturday morning in Honolulu there is a Farmer’s Market that attracts visitors from all across the island of Oahu.  You can buy coffee, chocolate, fruit, vegetables, baked goods and just about any other delicious food you can think of.  It was a great place to start the day. 

I had a truly organic Hawaiian breakfast, an açai bowl.  Açai is a berry native to Brazil, but it grows beautifully in the tropical Hawaiian climate.  An açai bowl is when you take açai pulp and freeze it making a yummy berry sorbet.  You top this with granola, flax seed, and bananas (all organic and all local) and call it a breakfast.

A fresh breakfast I would love to have everyday.

Also exciting were the K­alua pork sliders on hand made by the students from the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.  I just had to support the students and their stall so I bought two sandwiches.  I could have spent all day eating my way through the market, but there was a beach calling my name.

The purple taro bun makes this Kalua pork slider extra special.

A Kid's Guide to Honolulu

I am excited to be in Hawaii.  There is so much to see and do.  Can't wait to explore the island of Oahu and try out some of your suggestions.

I Am Here - Honolulu, Hawaii

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