(Part 5) Hawaii Without the Beaches: Magic Island, Chinatown, and the Mission Houses!!

- May 23-25, 2018, Wednesday to Friday.

- After two back-to-back day trips to Pearl Harbor (click here) and the Polynesian Cultural Center (click here), it was nice to have time in my own hands again. Knowing me, however, this does not mean sleeping in. On my last day in Hawaii, I had an early start by going to the nearby "Magic Island;" my family wanted to go to other places so I was left to wander alone. Despite the name, it doesn't have anything to do with the supernatural. Magic Island is a man-made peninsular park right across Ala Moana Hotel and Ala Moana Center. This park, which was supposed to be a resort, is currently a good open space for jogging, having picnics, doing sports or just hanging around. Occasionally, there are some events held in the park, from concerts, performances, to fireworks displays. The most interesting part about this park is the lagoon. The lagoon is separated from the big ocean by a man-made barrier, and I think this is a good idea because the sea beyond the lagoon sometimes has big dangerous waves. Although I did not really want to swim (and I am actually not fond of going to beaches), I thought that having a photoshoot with Hawaii's shores and seas was a must-do; it was just a matter of choosing which particular sea or view. Speaking of views, the lagoon has a stunning view of the far-away Diamond Head.

Wearing a traditional Hawaiian outfit - or at least, the most authentic I can make it look. The only thing from Hawaii would be my kukui necklace.

See the lagoon's barricade at the back?

Diamond Head at the far back.

I love how the waves cooperated in this photo. I used my loin cloth above as a sash called a "kihe" in this photo. I am also wearing the fresh lei given to us at the PCC the day before.

- Although Hawaii is famous for its beaches, and naturally so since Hawaii is made up of many islands. However, Hawaiians will tell you that some beaches are actually man made or "engineered" - case in point, Waikiki. The Hawaiian islands are volcanic, and most of their land are formed from volcanic activities, so some shores are quite rocky. Another group of islands with a similar story is the Kiklades/Cyclades group of islands in Greece, to where Santorini and Mykonos belong (click here). In the 1900s - even as late as the 1960s or 70s, sand was occasionally sourced from different places like other natural beaches of Hawaii and to a certain extent, some sources claim, as far as Australia and California, and put onto these engineered beaches. Another reason for the government adding sand is because of the quick erosion of these beaches.

These rocks, however, are also man made.

Lei etiquette: when someone gives you a lei never remove the lei in the presence of the person. Also, since lei garlands are mostly made from fresh flowers and leaves, the only way to dispose them (not in the company of the giver,) is by giving it back to nature, such as hanging it on a tree, burying it, or letting it drift in the wide open ocean. These garlands were given to my family at the PCC the day before, and since we wouldn't be using the garlands anymore - and the flowers will eventually wither anyway - I hung them on a tree at the park.

- After my early morning photoshoot at Magic Island, I marched back to my hotel to change and leave my props behind so I'd have a lighter bag while exploring the city. When I was all set, I had an Uber drive me to Honolulu's Chinatown near the downtown area. Most of the time I don't like visiting Chinatowns abroad since my main goal to experience something different. Since I am Chinese and I do live in a Chinese community, I usually leave out Chinatown wherever I go. However, one interesting thing about Honolulu's Chinatown is that it's one of the oldest in the United States (but no Chinatown will be as old as Manila's Chinatown!!)

Chinatown's charm: plenty of preserved/repurposed old buildings.

Tsung Tsin Association (The United Chinese Society) - the association of associations of Hawaii's Chinese community. 

- Honolulu's Chinatown has been inhabited by the Chinese since the mid-1800s. This district has gained infamy because it was plagued by the Bubonic Plague in the late 1800s, which resulted in a big fire that almost ate the whole town; they were planning on eradicating the disease through fire and the fire spread uncontrollably due to the wind. Another significant fact about Honolulu's Chinatown is that China's "Father of the Nation," Dr. Sun Yat Sen, spent his early years in Hawaii. He was not educated in the classic Chinese way, unlike most of his peers at that time, and so he had a different perspective on things. Because of this, there are some parks, establishments across the Hawaiian Islands that are named after Dr. Sun Yat Sen. Today, Honolulu's Chinatown boasts different aspects of Chinese culture like food. Chinatown is also known for its lei stores, as well as its fresh fruits and vegetable markets. Living alongside the Chinese (and probably the Taiwanese,) are the Vietnamese, whose culture is related to the Chinese due to historical reasons.

The clock tower inside Maunakea Market.

It has Chinese numbers.

Guan Yin.

Maunakea Market has some souvenir stores, lei stores, museums, and a wet market. 

Had dimsum for lunch. My goodness it has hard to finish everything because dimsum in America are served in bigger portions.

Wo Fat Building, one of Chiantown's oldest and most iconic buildings which used to house a restaurant. The name of this building inspired the name of a villain in Hawaii Five-0.

- After having lunch at Chinatown, I walked several blocks back to the downtown, where I paid the Supreme Court (Ali'iolani Hale) another visit (went here the first time in Part 1 here). This time, its visitors' galleries were open. Before anything else, I'd just like to say that it was difficult to find a restroom in Chinatown - even the restaurant I ate in and some fastfood chains and cafes did not have a restroom!! - so much so that the nearest restroom I could find was inside the Supreme Court. It took me around a good uncomfortable 20-30 minutes to walk from Chinatown to the Supreme Court.

- As mentioned in Part 1 (click here), the Ali'iolani Hale or the Supreme Court was an 1800s-era building that was supposed to be made into another palace. However, due to Hawaii's lack of government office buildings, this building was turned into one instead of making it into another palace. This court was used from the 1800s until today, and visitors may peep into some of the court rooms in the building. (Best thing about visiting the Supreme Court - it's free!)

I am back!!

Gold-covered Kamehameha statue.

Old court room.

Bigger court room at the second floor.

- Beside the Supreme Court is the Kawaiaha'o Church, built in the mid-1800s, and one of the oldest churches in Hawaii. At one point it was the national church of Hawaii. In front of the church is the mausoleum of King William Charles Lunalilo, who wanted to be buried in a church cemetery rather than the Royal Mausoleum (click here to see the Royal Mausoleum.) The church is notable also for its use of coral rock, back when getting coral from the sea was not a problem.

Kawaiaha'o Church.

Main hall.

View of the back from the front.

King Lunalilo's mausoleum.

- If you go across the street from behind the Kawaiaha'o Church, you'll find the Mission Houses Museum. The Mission Houses Museum are some of the oldest houses in Hawaii. These wooden houses were built in the early 1800s when the Christian Missionaries came to Hawaii from New England (today, New England is an area that comprises 6 states northeast of New York.) They came to Hawaii and not only did they help some Hawaiians convert to Christianity (which is both good and bad, depending on your perspective,) but the missionaries also taught the Hawaiians western knowledge and they also standardized the written form of a before-only-oral Hawaiian language using the Latin alphabet. Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside the houses, and are required to join a tour. Photography, however, is allowed outside the Mission Houses.

The Chamberlain House.

The only photo I got to take inside the museum: it's a diorama or what it could have looked like before - the Kawaiaha'o Church and the Mission Houses who had the church built.

- The Chamberlain House is where supplies were stored. It is the main exhibition building, and is where the tour starts.

In front of the Chamberlain House.

Pretending to get some water.

Finding shade at the Chamberlain's House.

- The other two houses in the area are the Oldest Frame House and the Print House. The Oldest Frame House was used mainly by the Chamberlain family as well as other missionaries. Sometimes, there would be daily visits by the royalty as the royal family have become good friends with the missionaries. It is also the oldest house in Hawaii that is located on its original location. The Print House, located beside the Oldest Frame House is the place where the missionaries would gather and discuss things that they could print to help educated the Hawaiian natives. Some of the things they printed were the first Hawaiian-language Christian Bible, dictionaries, and newspapers in the Hawaiian language.

In front of the Oldest Frame House (left) and the Print House (right).

The Mission Memorial auditorium right across the Mission Houses.

See how dark I am.

- After my visit to the Mission Houses, I had a long walk all the way to Ala Moana Hotel to meet my family. We had dinner at a Korean restaurant before packing our things for our flight back to Manila the day after. Although my stay in Hawaii was not that long, and unfortunately I wasn't able to explore the other islands of Hawaii especially due to the volcanic eruptions in the Big Island/Island of Hawai'i, I thought that I was able to maximize the little time that I had in Hawaii by learning as much as I can about the islands' history and culture. To be honest, it turned out better than I expected, since I am usually not drawn to coastal or island destinations. I appreciate the sea and all that, but I just don't like going to the sea, that's all. However, one of the things that I really love about Hawaii is how they were able to well integrate nature to their life, their art, and most especially, how they modernized these things without sacrificing authenticity. On top of everything I learned, I also think I was successful in my mission for this particular trip, that is, to prove to everyone that there are lots to see and experience in Hawaii that do not necessarily have to involve the sea (or the mountains), and that there are grand palaces to visit, rich museums to appreciate, and local people to interact with!

- Don't forget to read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here!!