Aloha from Hawaii!

“Today I saw a giant of a man.” This was recorded by Captain James Cook in his journal, the night after he first encountered the inhabitants of Hawaii. The man of whom he spoke was Kamehameha, the man who united the Hawaiian Islands under a single confederacy. The monarchs of Hawaii were not the original inhabitants, those having migrated to the islands 1600 years ago, but came from Tahiti about 8 centuries later. The people were extraordinary in stature, reaching 7 feet, in the case of King Kalakaua, and imposed their rule as the elite class on the native Hawaiians. The religion, language, and cultural practices of the Tahitians were transferred to Hawaii.

When travelling, I find that there are certain “no-brainer” activities that will always be entertaining and appreciated. Visiting historical homes tops my list. One of my favorites was the home of Nathaniel Russell in Charleston, South Carolina. In fact, I am writing a screenplay inspired by it-loosely.  More on that later.

So today we explored a historical home in the Big Island of Hawaii. It was a grand governor’s mansion that had been inhabited by various Hawaiian political leaders after the arrival of James Cook. I won’t get too deep into the details, because Hawaiian names are a bear to spell (Kaleleonalani?! Seriously?), and because I can’t tell you anything a few deftly worded Google searches can.

But nonetheless the house was fascinating! It was exceptionally beautiful. The furniture was ornate and in fact modeled with the aim of looking European. In this they succeeded.  Open entering the home, many will feel their eyes drawn upward to the gold picture molding. The home wasn’t stuffy and in fact the plantation style windows created a cross breeze that was pleasantly refreshing.  Two pieces I know were fashioned for the house by a Chinese man who had been taken from the plantations and employed for his skill as an artisan. I think his name was Chung Ho.

Obscure historical stories like this abounded, my favorite one being of a few seven foot tall Hawaiian monarchs hopping on a transcontinental train from California to the East Coast and then on to England to impress the nobility with their shmancy furniture. Does that not beg to be a screen play? I’m pretty sure they died two weeks later of measles.

It was all very interesting to me. The diversity of the origins of the artifacts (ivory from Africa, 24 karat gold from El Dorardo, porcelain from china, textiles from Europe) spoke to the worldliness of the Hawaiian ruling class.

That was my morning anyway, and now we've arrived at our hotel. There is a very big pool. I haven't done very much here yet, except watch some very engaging island photography on our TV, finish an English assignment, and write this post.  But I can't wait for what's to come! Stay tuned for fitness center shenanigans, lethargic volcanoes, and luaus (ugh. Hawaiian spelling again). Happy January, everybody, and Aloha from Hawaii!