After the wind kicked up, it seemed apropos to head to the North Shore- exceeds expectations with turquoise waves as high as houses. No surfing lessons for this old gnome, but the coastal drive was marvelous. The shriveled waterfall and botanical garden was a moderately pleasant walk, especially the kauhale, a small grouping of excavated hale or traditional houses. It made much more sense since we had enjoyed the wonderful Polynesian Cultural Center in La'ie. (Hawaiian is a fun language in which nearly every vowel is pronounced as it's own syllable, so you get 5 syllable place names with 6 letters) Run by Latter Day Saints university there, you can't get a nice cup of tea, but you can converse with students from all major groupings Polynesian cultures around the Pacific in houses and buildings of traditional styles recently or still lived in. The people, music, dances, structures, waterways, and even the typical tourist luau with an amazing, fire-blazing show were enjoyable and thought-provoking. Tip: purple poi rolls and chunks in salad are excellent, but cold liquid poi takes more than three separate attempts and olive oil to enjoy.
