LA'IE TEMPLE
In the morning, we drove up to the town of La'ie, which is on the northeastern shore of Oahu. It takes about an hour to drive there from Waikiki. We went straight to the La'ie Temple which can't be missed since it's directly off of the Kamehameha Hwy just off the Pacific Coast. We immediately noticed that the temple was under construction. It had scaffolding around it and was stripped of it's white paint. We went into the visitor center to inquire. They told us that the temple was closed for extensive remodeling and refurbishing, inside and out. It is a very old temple, dedicated in 1919, and was undergoing some major structural and mechanical upgrades that the temple really needed to improve and strengthen it once again. There is one other temple in Hawaii, the Kona Hawaii Temple on the Big Island that the Hawaiians will use while this one is under renovation. The La'ie Temple will be rededicated when it reopens in 2010.
We spent some time walking around the beautiful temple grounds. The temple is surrounded by gorgeous Hawaiian flora, with cascading pools and a large fountain. A sister missionary took a picture of Joshua and I in front of the temple.
A few interesting temple facts: The La'ie Temple was originally named the Hawaiian Temple. It was the 5th operating temple and the first temple built outside of the continental United States. The concrete exterior is made of native crushed lava rock and coral, reinforced with steel. The temple design is suggestive of the ancient temples found in South America—shaped like a Grecian cross with no tower (one of three temples with no towers or spires). Construction of the La'ie Hawaii Temple came to a standstill when the supply of lumber ran out. Prayers were uttered, and two days later, a freighter was discovered stranded on a nearby coral reef. The captain offered his entire cargo to the saints if they would unload it for him. What was his cargo? Lumber—enough to complete the temple.
THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER
After the temple, we headed towards the Polynesian Cultural Center. We wanted to be there at noon when it opened so we could see as much as possible. We were told that there is almost too much to do and see at the Cultural Center, so it's always a good idea to be there right when it opens.
The PCC is a collection of re-creations from seven different island villages from around Polynesia -- Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, the Marquesas Islands, New Zealand, and Tonga . Each village showcases their different lifestyles and traditions. Joshua and I started by taking a canoe trip to the other side of PCC. We were awed by the beautiful atmosphere. With the coconut and palm trees, drums, huts, lagoons and waterfalls, it certainly looked more like an island atmosphere than anything in Waikiki. After the canoe ride, we wandered around at our own leisure through the villages. We saw various styles of huts, demonstrations, dancing, and pretty much got an education in all things Polynesian! We spent the majority of our time going from one performance to another throughout the villages, which was actually the most interesting part of PCC.
Josh was chosen out of the audience during a performance in Tonga to assist in a drum demonstration. He had to repeat whatever the "drum-master" did. Of course the "drum-master" started out really slow, which was easy for Josh, but then got fast and complicated, and Josh had to keep up. It was fun to watch and I laughed a lot! For being a volunteer, the "drum-master" gave Josh a braided palm frond headband. We saw other people wearing the same headband during the day, and we knew they were chosen during a different drum demonstration in Tonga. Also through-out the day, various people would call out to Josh, "Hey, Michigan guy!".
During the afternoon, we watched their "Rainbow of Paradise" canoe show on the lagoon. Each village has their own canoe filled with performers and/or dancers during the pageant. It was a lovely pageant, but it was so sunny and hot. Joshua's legs were burning in the sun, so at the beginning of the show, we decided to move towards some trees for shade. The view wasn't as good, but at least it was out of the sun. We noticed that one of the dancers was our hotel breakfast hula dancer, the one who told us that she was LDS and also worked at the PCC. Funny!
In the evening, we went to the dinner luau. We were greeted with a beautiful flower lei, then found a seat in their huge outdoor pavilion. There was lots of entertainment and an all-you-can-eat buffet of authentic Hawaiian foods including Kahlua pork, poi, taro rolls, Hawaiian sweet potatoes, pineapple & other fruits, and lots of different kinds of fish. The dessert table had coconut and pineapple flavored treats. At one point in the evening, they asked the couples who were celebrating an anniversary to stand up. Josh and I stood up with about a dozen other couples. The emcee invited all of us to come on-stage and slow dance while he sang a Hawaiian love song.
After the luau was over, we walked over to the outdoor amphitheater for their 90-minute evening show called "Horizons." There was lots of dancing, singing, spear-throwing, fire-dancing and much more. It was amazing, and a great end to our day at the Cultural Center. We didn't get back to our hotel in Waikiki until pretty late that evening.
We took a ukulele lesson in the Marquesas Village
Joshua performing on the drums in Tonga
... and his palm frond headband for being a volunteer
The Rainbows of Paradise Canoe Pageant
Another boat in the Rainbows of Paradise Canoe Pageant
Our lei greeting before the luau
Julie at the luau
Presenting the Kahlua pig at the luau before the feast
On the island of Rapa Nui
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