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“K” is for Kawaiaha’o Church-Our Hawaiian Adventures

Posted on by Debbie

While on our Pacific Island Tour, our first stop was the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  The cruise ship docked at 9am.  We would be in port from 9am-11pm.  Our “official” tour wasn’t scheduled until noon.  We had a 10 1/2 hour exploration at the Polynesian Cultural Center planned to fill our afternoon and evening hours.   Never ones to waste time, this meant we had a couple hours which we could still explore.  A scout around at the internet gave me a historical/architectural walking tour, which I figured we could complete in a couple of hours. Hand in hand we set off from the dock, our goal was to see the Capitol Building, the Eternal Flame, the church, the King Kameamea Statue and the beautiful Iolani Palace.  We stepped up our pace.

We set out on our Historical tour of Honolulu.

Our first stop took us to the Kawaiaha’o Church.  The name means the sacred water of Ha’o who was a high ranking female cheiftess who frequented the springs in the area.  Today, the church is referred to as Hawaii’s Westminster Abby.  It has been the location of royal weddings, christenings, innaugurations and funerals.  The church was built in 1820 and was the first church to be erected on the island of Oahu.  Perhaps the only one of its kind, it has been created from giant slabs of coral, harvested by local labor.  The coral was hand chiseled from the nearby reefs from depths of 10-20 feet, before being carried to shore.  Nearly 1000 people assembled to dig the foundation which needed to be set in bedrock to support the weight.  At a cost of about $30,000, it would take nearly 6 years to construct. Today the church is registered on both the national and state rolls as a historic landmark.

“E” is for Eternal Flame-Our Hawaiian Adventures

Posted on by Debbie

While on our Pacific Island Tour, our first stop after departing Los Angeles was the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  The cruise ship docked at Pier 2.  We would be in port until 11pm.  Our first tour wasn’t scheduled until noon, where we had a 10 1/2 hour exploration at the Polynesian Cultural Center planned to fill our afternoon and evening hours.   Never ones to waste time, this meant we still had a couple of hours available to explore the capital city of Waikiki, before the tour began.

A scout around the internet had given me a historical/architectural walking tour, which I figured we could complete in a couple of hours. After being at sea for four days, we were more than ready to explore.  Waving over our shoulders to the ships camera, with the hope of our family seeing us, Alan and I were off the ship by 9am.  With the time changes, we had already been up for several hours as we had watched the ship pull in.

Hand in hand we began walking, our goal was to see any of the 8  historical landmarks in Hawaii.  Many of these are Heritage Sites. These locations provide cultural explanations and the history behind them.  Today we had a goal of seeing the Kawaiahao church, the Capitol Building, the beautiful Iolani Palace, the Parliament building and the King Kamehameha Statue and finally the Eternal Flame monument. This is how the Eternal Flame Memorial became our letter “E”.  It was a 30 minute walk and we had a lot to see before getting there, so we stepped up our pace.  The flame is located directly across from the Capitol Building at 420 So. Beretania St.

The original Eternal flame has burned since 1944, in memory of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but this sculpture was re-dedicated in 1972 to all the men and women of Hawaii who have bravely served.  A palm lined path gently guides the visitor past the homeless population which often hangs out in the area.  It makes sense that they find the area inviting as this area overlooks the beautiful land which is Hawaii.  With the capitol of Waikiki behind us, the Eternal Flame lends a quiet, contemplative air in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the busy city.

The flame is protected from the elements by an interesting metal sculpture which shields it from the wind, ensuring that it burns non-stop.  Perhaps this is the same embrace we should offer to all our vets.

Many of the homeless here are former vets.   As they huddle beneath the statue, I can’t help but be honored to be in the presence of those who have protected us.  After all, isn’t awareness the real reason that this flame burns endlessly?