Monday, November 23, 2009

Time in Oahu

We walked down an empty lot that is waiting to be bought for the low, low price of $3,000,000.! This is a sheer cliff upon which the water pounded relentless waves that sprayed the ocean air around us.

We checked out a Pro Surfing Competition in Haleiwa, HI - the surfing capital of the world. The swells were pretty mellow, they told me, compared to other times of the year.

This is (from L to R) me, Brett, and Flynn. We just got done eating at Duke's, drinking an Hawaiian Iced Tea, and are at Waikiki Beach to soak up a little sun. Flynn and I went out scuba diving on this morning. We went to 105 feet and 40 feet. We got to see a sunken airplane from 1946 at the first sight, and we dove to a volcanic crater with some very large sea turtles at the other site. My last Hawaiian sunset...

These are a few shots from my trip to Hawaii. It was interesting to experience a land that -at first appearance- seems to be all-American, but as time passes, it shows itself to be something more than that: a cultural enigma. The 600 square mile island left me feeling like I understood less about it after my week's trip, than I did before I came. My interactions with the indigenous islanders were very open and welcoming. Aloha seems to be alive and well in its cultural circles, but beyond that reach, I am not so sure how well it is thriving.

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