Hawaii: Prettier Than Picture

Hawaii pretier than picture
Yuba Nath Lamsal
Hawaii: A piece of paradise. The Aloha land where spring never ends. These are a few beautiful descriptions I had ever read and heard about Hawaii.
This made me really tempted to see and visit Hawaii. The dream finally came true last December.
Seeing is beiliving. And seeing Hawaii with own eyes, I felt that appearances are sometimes deceptive. It can be so if you plan to visit Hawaii based on travel brochure. The pictures in the travel brochures usually look more bautiful than reality. However, the case of Hawaii is different. Hawaii, in fact, is prettier than picture.
Situated in the North Pacific 2396 miles south west of San Fransisco, Hawaii is a chain of islands, which makes up 50th state of the United States of America. Honolulu is the state capital and heart of Hawaii.
“Aloha”, says any Hawaian you come across. Aloha is the word to greet in native Hawaian language. Hawaii is, thus, called the “Aloha Land”.
It was late December morning I landed on Honolulu International Airport. I had expected chilly and foggy morning as America is colder in winter. To my astonishment, blue sky and balmy weather welcome the visitors in Honolulu. The warm and sparkling sunshine and gentle breezees helped free me from jet lag that I had suffered from more than 40 hours journey from Kathmandu.
At the airport was my Nepali friend Khem Sharma, who was waiting to give me a ride to the hotel. Sharma works for the state government of Hawaii as a computer consultant. We then headed towards Sheraton Princes Kaiulani.
The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is located at the heart of world’s famous Waikiki beach, that captures the beauty, depth and warmth of Hawaii. The 24 hour pleasant breeze, native bloossoms and swaying palm trees and smiling Hawaian girls with their native Polenesian attire present the true definition of Aloha.
The nights are lively and colourful. Restaurants and bars are always crowded with customers enjoying best Pacific Rim and Japanese cuisine as well as flavours of Hawaii.Young visitors throng discotheques and night clubs to enjoy the fresh and best bounty of the Honolulu.
The jewel-bright Waikiki Beach is too tempting and dazzling with the sunlight bouncing off the sand and blue waters. From young, teenagers to honeymoon makers relax in romance and enjoy the sunbath on the sun-splashed Pacific sand. The daring surfers glide across the high tides and learn the language of waves.
As sun slowly hides into the horizon, darkness dawns. The ambience of Waikiki turns into more lively and colourful. In the afternoon native Hawaian troupe present the Polenesian culture, where singers sing Aloha songs and young ladies with banana leaves wrapped on the waist dance on the beach. Lying on their bathing towels and mats, the spell-bound tourists listen and watch the musical programme. With darkness deepening, police and hookers play hide and seek game on the beach.
Close by is the Diamond Head that promises breathtaking view juxtaposing the horizon. The next was the Polenesian Cultural Centre. Off the mainland of Honolulu, situated the Centre, where you can wine, dine and entertain in a true Polenesian culture. Kabi Neupane, a Nepali working in the University of Hawaii, said, “ you must write it when you go back home as it is the nerve-centre of Hawaian culture”.
Hawaians are proud of their indigenous culture and have kept it alive. “ Our culture has been robbed but we are struggling to keep it intact”, said Pauihi Kenamihaha, a tour guide.
Polenesian created an independent Kingdom as early as 300 AD. The prosporous Kingdom and its balmy climate attracted many immigrants especially from Europe, East Asia and mainland America. Hawaii was declared a republic in 1984. It was annexed to the United States of America in 1898..
Others major attractions are the Hawai Volcanoes, Haleakala National Parks and Honolulu Academy of Arts and Pearl Harbour.
The journey was great and wonderful. Though small in size, Hawaii offeres much to the tourists, whose appetite to sail one island to another chasing dreams of paradise never dies down.