Polynesian Cultural Center

Tuesday, June 30th

Off to the Ilikai Hotel once again.   This time to catch the bus to the Polynesian Cultural Center.  This place is like a Williamsburg for the history and cultures of the islands in the Pacific-Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, and Hawaii.  It was established by the Church of the Latter Day Saints in the 1960’s  as a way to  explain the cultures of the islands and to provide a college education their students. 75% of the proceeds of this attraction go to their college expenses.  Most of the tour guides, dancers and workers are students.

Our escort on the bus wound up being our tour guide.   Ash took us around to the different cultural shows and saved us a lot of wasted time trying to figure out what we were going to do next.   Our biggest problem was the heat and humidity.   I had thought Hawaii was always sunny and 70.   This trip has proved that to be a fallacy.   It must have been in the high 80’s and very humid.  We both remarked how Frank and Jim would have been miserable.  There was an Imax movie which was in an air-conditioned theater.  The scenes of Hawaii were breathtaking, but the cool air was even better!

I tried to put the pictures at the end, but they wound up all over the place.   But I think you get the idea.   Gotta go.  Off to climb Diamond Head and then later catch our flight home.   Guess we’ll sleep well on the plane.