Waimea Valley

Designated as a top 10 Hawaii destination by a number of my Hawaiian sightseeing resources, Waimea Valley promises to show the wild side of the Oahu Island. Located on the North Shore, Waimea Valley is a 1,800 acre arboretum and botanical garden that stretches 3/4 of a mile, from the ocean at Waimea Bay to its southern reaches within Oahu's interior. Managed by the City and County of Honolulu until 2003, this historical nature park changed hands to the National Audubon Society, only to change hands again in 2006 to its current steward, a non-profit company created by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Native Hawaiians now manage the park on the premise that they are in the best position to preserve not only the flora indigenous to their island, but, also the cultural aspects of the park promoted through guided tours.

I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of touring plant life. Typically, such touring for me results in frequent yawning and information overload, every plant has some kind of placard that screams to be read, over a short period of time everything starts to look the same, a tree is a tree, a flower is a flower, a bush is a bush. I think you get my point. However, I'm torn, Waimea Valley is a top 10 destination! How can I possibly overlook that? Even with the long 1.5 hours bus ride from my home in Waikiki to the North Shore where the park is, I decide to make the trip and take the tour.

I plan to get up early at 6:30am, catch the bus at 7:30, then arrive at Waimea Valley around 9. Because I'm not really pumped up about going, my 6:30 alarm goes off, I immediately reset it to 9, rollover, then quickly fall back sleep, back to dreams of anything other than touring plants. Not a good start to my touring day.


9am arrives, I get ready, catch the 10:30 bus, spend the 1.5 hours travel time reading a book, then finally arrive to the North Shore around noon. The entrance to Waimea Valley is right next to the bus stop, how convenient, things are looking up already! On the way into the nature park I pass by a peacock, of all things. All sorts of coaxing doesn't encourage the peacock to fan-out his tail plumage. What does one have to do? Spray themselves with peahen pheromones, then jump around squawking with arms a-flapping? Ha, if I want a peacock picture I'll just go to Google images, I'm not that desperate.

Finally, I arrive at the ticket booth, pay my $10 admission, I'm handed a map of the grounds, then off I go on my tour. The nature park looks quite large, its extensive gardens contain 35 distinct collections, 5,000 specimens in all from around the world. God, it's going to take me at least 5 days to get through this all! Oh, right, I'm not going to read each plant's placard. Wow, that was a close one. If I was a "plant nerd" I be in trouble, I didn't bring any food and/or camping provisions.


My ultimate destination on this tour, the carrot at the end of the stick, so to speak, is Waimea Falls, a full 3/4 from where I'm standing now. Between here and the falls I'll randomly tour the seemingly infinite plant offerings. Park transit is conducted on a variety of surfaces, from paved walkways, dirt footpaths, to green lawns. The architects have been thoughtful in their creations, off the main path, thorough touring will take you up many stairway options that reveal more plant life and place you closer to the Western valley wall.

In the opposite direction, on the other side of the main path, a few stairway options bring you down to the banks of the Kamananui Stream where you can take a shaded walk to escape the hot Hawaiian sun. Interestingly enough, Waimea is Hawaiian for "Red River". Kamananui Stream feeds Waimea River which periodically swells during times of great rainfall, the river turns a muddy reddish brown during these times, the highlands from which the water drains contains reddish soil, the source of the red coloration.


Here in the valley it's so easy to find yourself in different parts of the world. How so? Here's a laundry list of places around the world from which plants have been taken and planted here in the valley. Hawaii (of course), Bermuda, Canary Islands, Central and South America, Lord Howe Island, Sri Lanka, Fiji, the West Indies, the Mascarene Islands, Guam, Madagascar, the Ogasawara Islands, and the Seychelles. Wow, that's a pretty extensive list. Waimea Valley is a place of preservation, apparently over 50 percent of the Hawaii's native plants are rare or endangered. It is here they experiment on how to cultivate and propagate these Hawaiian treasures.

To give you a sense of what the park has to offer, here's a list of the various exhibits the park offers, from the park entrance to the furthest reaches at Waimea Falls:

Hawaiian Flora Hibiscus Hybrids Araceae Ku`ula Stones Piperaceae Liliaceae Hibiscus Evolutionary Garden Acanthaceae Bamboo Plant Nursery Children's Garden Ancient Hawaiian Living Site Malesian Flora Guam Bromeliceae Medicinal Garden Ethnobotany Food Plants Hawaiian Hibiscus Central & South American Flora Lord Howe Island Fiji Pacific Ferns & Begonia Agricultural Terraces Ogasawara Islands Hawaiian Games Lei Garden Ginger & Heliconia Sri Lanka Masaceae & Strelitziaceae Madagascar

After about 1.5 hours of touring I finally reach Waimea Falls, the falls proves to be a moderately sized one, about 40 feet. The public is allowed to swim if they wish, a life guard is on duty, life preservers and paddle boards are made available. I've brought my swim trunks, but, decide not to go swimming. It's not that hot out and the thought of jumping in isn't all that appealing. Anyway, I'm running on empty right now, when I entered the park I needed to eat lunch, I ordered a chicken sandwich, only to be told I'd have to wait 30 minutes because a large order was place just earlier by a large bus load of tourists. Rather than wait I decided to do the tour. Time to head back and get my chicken sandwich.

I wander back to the park entrance. On the way, rather than focusing on the "macro" view of things, views of trees and forests and flowering plants, I focus instead on the "micro" view of things. I'm interested in textures and colors, I take close up pictures of leaves to mix things up a bit. It's hard to say how many of the visitors check out the "micro" views, probably not too many. As I've toured today, most visitors don't even seem to read the large information signs that are sprinkled about the place. Too bad. Although I have to admit, I quickly browse them myself, then take a picture of them, I can read them in detail later, another day, another time. Yep, modern technology has made me a lazy sightseer.


On my walk back I reflect upon my tour today. Upon setting foot into Waimea Valley, I have to admit, I was hoping for more beauty, more carefully manicured gardens, more color, all good fodder for picture taking. In the end what I received was a bit different. What I got was variety, 5000 specimens of variety, I was whisked away to many places around the world based on the worldly plant content here, I was witness to uncountable rare and endangered species. The world isn't a place of manicured gardens, it's a place where nature is allowed to do its thing. I am amazed at the size of this place and the amount of work that is required for its upkeep. However, during my visit I've only seen a small handful of groundskeepers. How do they do it? Lastly, the architects of the park have done a great job of organizing the exhibits, I can see why this place is a top 10 tourist destination.

Back at the park entrance I find myself once again, I buy a chicken sandwich, then quickly realize I need to sit somewhere other than the seating located near the food concession. There are too many peahens begging for food there, apparently people ignore the prominently placed "do not feed the birds" sign. A notice a small grouping of picnic tables down the way and decide to eat my meal there. No sooner do I sit down does a peacock arrive on scene, almost as if on queue. A large male, I just sit there and watch the bird, he shows no fear, he comes very close, and he is eying my sandwich. I take the opportunity to take a few pictures since he's so close. Fumbling with my camera, the peacock makes a bold move, he tries to take my entire sandwich with one quick lunge. So fast is his move, I'm taken by surprise. Luckily, he only manages to grab a small chunk out of the upper bun. Now, I've never eaten after a peacock, I wonder if peacocks have exotic diseases in their saliva. Should I eat the sandwich?


I decide to take my chances and eat my lunch, I'm hungry. Emboldened by his success at getting a small bite of my meal, the peacock decides to jump on the picnic table, the bird is really in my eating space now, I'm getting pissed. I take my day pack and whack the bird off the table. He squawks with surprise, being a beautiful peacock, I'm sure he's not used to that kind of treatment. Too bad... Surprisingly, the peacock is only mildly deterred. Warding him off with my foot, he sticks around and continues to approach my eating space from the ground. Frustrated, the peacock does the unexpected, he shows me his full tail plumage, he must really be hungry for a handout. I sit and admire his feathers, but, continue on eating and not sharing. After I finish eating, I leave the picnic area and the bird follows me, thinking I still have food. Again, he displays his tail feathers, and again, I give him no food. Poor bird, he must feel somewhat used, having shown me his feathers not once, but twice, and got nothing for it.

The moral of the story? If you want to see a peacock's tail feathers, no need to spray on peahen pheromones, no need to squawk and flap your arms, all you have to do is eat food in front of the bird, don't give it any, then show it whose the boss. Who would have thought?

Nickel Tour of Chinatown

Even though today is a workday, I don't wish to spend my entire day sitting in front of a computer screen, I need to break things up a bit. As luck would have it, not far from home is Chinatown, a mini-bite of Asian culture practically sitting on my front doorstep. I prefer to go on a guided tour of the community, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce offers a 3 hour tour for $10 according to my Hawaii guide book. I call to make a reservation, only to be rebuffed by bad news. The gentleman who conducts the tour is now retired, they are scrambling to find a new guide, but have had no luck in finding a replacement.

Awww, that's a pity, I guess I'll just have to go it alone... Not all is lost, my guide book has a little map and suggested points of interest for those who want to tour Chinatown without expert assistance. So, the trip is a go!

After a quick 20 minute bus ride I'm delivered into the heart of Chinatown. Chinatown has a rather interesting and checkered past. Chinese laborers from Guangdong Province are the architects of this community, getting their start way back in the 1850s. They had arrived under contract to work on the Island's pineapple plantations, but quickly realized their riches were elsewhere by starting up their own shops and restaurants.

Hard working and resourceful, the Chinese were undeterred from their dreams of prosperity, even devastating fires that hit their growing community in 1886 and 1900 didn't stop them. The second fire completely leveled 40 acres of Chinatown, the entire community. Gaining momentum after complete reconstruction, Chinatown's heyday peaked in the 1930s. Prior to air travel, island hopping vacationers would arrive by boat, docking near Chinatown. Due to the proximity, the Chinese community was in an excellent position to reap the tourism benefits, and it didn't hurt that the area was seen as an interesting and exotic tourist destination.



Getting my bearings with alternate looks between tour map and the world around me, I set off on foot to my first destination, Hotel Street. A good start for my tour, Hotel Street does a nice job of cutting through the center of Chinatown. Catering to the American military during World War II, back then you'd find the street littered with pool halls, beer parlors, brothels and prostitutes. Things have cleaned up a bit since then, lining the street today I see mostly small shops selling food, art, watches, herbs, and whatever else you can imagine.

Throngs of people are milling about, quickly I catch the feeling that I'm really in China. How so? Well, I seem to be the only Caucasian in sight, and I can see quite a distance because I'm 6'4", which further adds to my sticking out, since most folks around me are under 5' 5". So here I am, the tall, white guy, walking around with a map in one hand and a camera in another. I'm feeling a bit awkward and uncomfortable. Not being paranoid, I sense people are looking at me. It takes a few minutes to get used to it. I wonder just what are they thinking? Are they thinking, "Does that guy play basketball?", or maybe, "Ha, there's a tourist if I've ever seen one, I wonder what stupid, offensive thing this guy is going to do because he doesn't understand our customs!". Well, soon enough I shake it all off. Hey, we're all one big melting pot, right?



Since today I'm not feeling terribly creative, I think I'm going to be lazy and stick to my tour map for points of interest rather than random wandering. I'm sort of on tour auto-pilot which is kinda nice. Okay, next point of interest, the Bank of Hawaii on N. King Street. Not your ordinary "run-of-the-mill" type of bank, this one has dragons, 8 of them by my count. Each one is wrapped around its own support column. I wonder, if you open a checking account at the bank, is there an option to have dragons on your checks? Now, that would be cool!

Just across the street is my next point of interest, the Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory. They offer no tours and all I can do is peer in the window. They make noodles here, lots of quality Chinese noodles I understand. Hmmm, I wonder, are they are offended by Ramen Noodles? You know, those cheap instant noodles you buy by the 6-pack. Well, I'm sure it's a nice place and all, but, why it's on my tour map I'm not sure. Okay, moving on...

Next stop, Viet Hoa Chinese Herb Shop. Also on N. King Street, this small shop is where you go if something ails ya. Tell the herbalist your symptoms then BANG, they hand over an herbal concoction that'll make you better in no time flat. Who needs an HMO when you have a Chinese herbalist on your team. I decide not to go in for a looksee. Why? Well, I'll feel stupid walking in with no intention to buy anything. Then I'll want to take pictures and that'll probably offend the owner. And I won't want to be a stupid tourist. Yeah, I know, I have to get over that, I'm trying...



Next we have the Oahu Market Place. Now, this is going to be an interesting place. An indoor market, as I walk around I realize the Chinese really like their meat. From fish to pork to beef to chicken, meat is all over the place here. People are busy behind the counters cutting and slicing up things, preparing their food for display. I pass by two things that catch my eye. The first is a package of hooves with a portion of the leg attached, maybe beef or pork. The second is a pig head that's sitting atop a meat display case. Is the pig head really for sale and if so, what do you do with it, other than include it in a book because I immediately think of the "Lord of the Flies", the book by William Golding, when I see the head, minus the flies, of course. See, if you look at the picture of the pig head, the guy behind the counter is annoyed by me taking a picture. See, I'm just a stupid tourist. I tried to not be obvious about taking the picture, but, this guy has seen it all, I'm sure.


Okay, enough about meat and flies, my next stop is the River Street Pedestrian Mall that borders Nuuanu Stream. At the entrance I'm greeted by a rather nice statue of Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen. The bi-lingual panels (English and Chinese) embellish a variety of information, including a testament from the leader himself. Wandering down the Mall I notice multiple groups of Chinese men playing card games. Had I arrived early in the morning I would have seen seniors practicing tai chi, which brings me to this observation. Since arriving in Chinatown, I've lost count of the number of the tiny, elderly Chinese ladies I've seen who seem to have the energy of a 20 year old. I think there must be something to this tai chi. Maybe the Chinese herbalist and the Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory has something to do with it as well, hard to say.


The Chinatown Cultural Plaza is my next stop on today's nickel tour. Are you having any fun? Unfortunately, this next stop isn't going to inject you with excitement. Disappointingly, the plaza is basically a mall, and a rather utilitarian one at that. Filled with shops selling sundry items, most of which are available for quite a bit less from the quaint street-side vendors. The biggest thing going for the plaza is its centerpiece of sorts, the Moongate Stage, the site of various cultural performances.


Wow, I'm in need of some motivation for continuing my tour. And as luck would have it, motivation quickly rears its head, I make my way to the Izumo Taisha Mission Cultural Hall. A wooden Shinto shrine constructed in 1923, this interesting structure houses a male deity as designated by the x-shaped cross that adorns the rooftop peak. The second part of the shrine's name indicates its status. Taisha literally means "great shrine", as designated by an ancient system of shrine ranking, called shakaku. Shinto is a Japanese religion, a polytheistic and animistic faith involving the worship of spirits, or kami. There are approximately 100,000 Shinto shrines in Japan.


As I near the shrine's entrance I hear the slow beating of a large bass drum. Peering inside, I discover the source of the drumbeat, a Shinto priest is performing a ritual. Participation by the public is encouraged at this particular Shinto shrine. Posted just outside the entrance is a sign instructing the public what to do. Here is how one prays, 1) wash hands at the basin to prepare yourself for inner purification, 2) ring the bell, 3) make an offering in the wooden box, 4) bow twice in front of offering box, 5) clap your hands, two or four times, 6) bow once more, 7) recite this short prayer while palms are joined: "Saki-Mitama, Kushi-Mitama, Mamori-Tamae, Sakihae-Tamae", translated, "To God, the spirit of happiness, and to God, the spirit of well-being, we pray for thy protection, and we ask for deliverance of happiness and well-being". Lastly, there's a little footnote, "Please take off your shoes before entering the shrine".

I'm rather fascinated by the shrine, this is all rather alien to me. I don't participate, however, I suppose I should. I have mixed feelings though. Doing so would feel awkward, maybe if I was with someone I would, we'd do it together. Also, I'm Christian, and performing this ritual would just be that, a performance. Somehow I think it is a bad thing to pretend. For both me and for the followers of Shinto, it seems disrespectful. Call me crazy.

Not far from the Shinto shrine I find Kaun Yin Temple, a very active Buddhist temple whose worshipers are primarily of Chinese descent. The smell of incense signals this place is not a tourist exhibit, rather, it's a living, breathing house of worship. Worshipers and visitors alike burn money for good luck or leave flowers or fruit at the inside altar as gifts to the goddess. Dedicated to Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, the goddess of mercy, the temple is rather colorful, both inside and out. An interesting offering is a pomelo, a grapefruit like fruit that's a symbol for fertility. Individuals who leave them request the blessing of children.


Yet another repeat of what happened at the Shinto shrine, I dare not go into the Temple, this time, there's no instructions, I fear I'll do something wrong. So, I just lean in and take some photos. I hope that is okay. Jesus, I've got to loosen up. I guess self-touring has its limitations, only relying on summary information printed in a guide book has its downside. And I can only do what I'm comfortable in doing based on intuition.

On the downward slide of my tour now, only 3 main points of interest to go. Hey, where did you go? If you are still reading I thank you.

At the next interest point I pull a bit of a boner. Oops. Maunakea Street is where one goes to buy the best leis (a lei is a flower necklace if you're not familiar). I pick one of the many lei shops that line the street and go in to have a look around. As soon as I step in the shop the lei lady pounces on me, asking me if I need help. I just tell her I'm browsing, she opens up her refrigerated display case and shows me her offerings. Very impressive I tell her. She goes back to her workstation, back to making leis.

Left to my own devices, I open the display case for another looksee. I take two pictures of her handiwork and she's on her feet again, she comes over and asks me if I want to buy a lei. I'm thinking about it I tell her. I see a really nice one, I reach in and touch it, showing here which one I'm interested in. Big mistake! Being a stupid tourist, I touched it. That's a no no in lei-land... She tells me that one costs $15 and to please not open the display case anymore. Jesus.... Well maybe if she was nicer to her customers she'd have more business. Well, fine then, I decide to keep my $15 and go about my way. Never will I touch a lei again that is for sale, lesson learned.


My second to last stop is on another street, Nuuanu Avenue. Its claim to fame is the Lai Fong Department store, a classic Chinese store owned for more than 3 generations, and sidewalks made from the ballast blocks used by the ships that brought tea in from China in the 1800s. My last point of interest today is the Hawaii Theater, a restored Art Deco originally build in 1920.

Well, that concludes my little tour of Chinatown. Overall it was an interesting way to spend 90 minutes of my day. I plan on coming back to do a bit of food shopping, some of the vegetables are rather odd and I'm wondering what they taste like. Should be a culinary adventure!

War and Remembrance - USS Arizona Memorial

Since arriving at Oahu some 3 weeks ago, I've been itching to tour the USS Arizona Memorial located at Pearl Harbor. Still recovering from my food shopping adventure from the night before, I elect today to be the day I make the tour since getting there requires a simple sit down bus ride and touring just a bit of shuffling around, nothing physically challenging.

Getting a late start, I arrive at Pearl Harbor around 11:30am, the morning is both warm and sunny. I read in my Hawaiian tour book that attendance typically peaks around 1:30pm, getting there before then is a priority. Due to the increased security measures since 9/11, no bags are allowed, not even fanny backs. Knowing this fact prior to coming, I've packed my multi-pocketed shorts with all sort of sundry tour essentials. Passing through security at the front gate, I make my way to the entrance, on the way I pass by an anchor salvaged from the USS Arizona. Raised from the hulk of the destroyed battleship, it weighs a hefty 19,585 lbs, that's almost 10 tons of "grab-a hold-of-the-bottom-and-hold-on" for ya, impressive.

Admission is free to the Memorial, however, donations are gladly accepted. I drop in a few bucks on my way to picking up my admission ticket. After a short wait in line, I'm handed a ticket, along with a map of the facility. Organized to go hand-in-hand with an audio tour, I pay $5 for my headset and electronic tour guide keypad. Wishing to follow the suggested order of exhibits, I step into line for a 20 minute special movie feature, the first exhibit in what turns out to be just one many interesting things that happen to me today.

Movie time arrives, a large crowd slowly files into the theater and settles down for the anticipated feature. Before the movie starts, an official tells us what to expect upon movie completion. After the movie, we will leave the theater, board a ferryboat, then set sail for the USS Arizona Memorial that's located across the harbor. At the tail end of his instructions, the official says something that catches my full attention. He suggests that well all strive to love and appreciate our family and friends. Given the horrific events that will shortly unfold before all our eyes as we watch the movie, we will certainly come away from the experience with a renewed appreciation of the preciousness, fragility, and sometimes fleeting nature of life. An appropriate comment/reminder I think.

The movie proves to be both educational and interesting, mix in a large measure of tragedy and horror as well. Covering a bit of history leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as a bit of detail on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941, the movie is both thorough, thoughtful and filled with an assortment of authentic film clips. The movie adds a lot of detail into my already general understanding of the history of the attack. The 20 minutes of film play goes by quickly.

The theater lights come up, the movie has ended, it's time to tour the Memorial. Out of the theater now, my group lines up to board the ferryboat. Operated by Navy personnel, we are all instructed to remain seated during the entire boat ride. A short 3 minute ride takes us to the Memorial's front doorstep, along the way we pass through open water, there isn't much to see other than a large docked freighter.

The Memorial is located at a place called Battleship Row bordering Ford Island, it was here during the attack 8 US battleships were anchored, all bearing the brunt of the Japanese military action. 5 battleships were sunk (USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS West Virginia, USS Nevada, USS California), the remaining 3 battleships were moderately damaged (USS Pennsylvania, USS Maryland, USS Tennessee). Of the 8 battleships, 6 were returned back to full service after the attack, only the USS Oklahoma and USS Arizona were damaged beyond repair.

A Japanese bomber delivered the fatal blow to the Arizona at 8:06am. Experts generally agree the bomb was not sufficient to pierce the ships thick outer armor, rather, it may have ignited a black powder magazine which resulted on a cataclysmic explosion that ripped through the forward sections of the ship, fueled by its on board ammunition resources. It took only 9 minutes to sink her. 1,177 of the ship's 1,400 on board crew members died in the explosion and ensuing inferno. Dead Arizona crew accounted for more than half of the day's fatalities of 2,402. A total of 1,282 Americans were wounded across the entire island. The dead and injured include a small portion of the civilian population who were adversely affected by errant bombs and artillery.

The explosion and resulting fires that burned on board for 3 days was too much for the Arizona, the ship had given in to a "broken back". Beyond salvage, the decision to turn the ship into a memorial and leave it where she sank in the harbor under 40 feet of water and in 20 feet of mud was struck. Recovery of the dead sailors was not practical given the fact that the explosion had scattered a large portion of the human remains. The Memorial structure was eventually constructed in 1961. Memorial itself does not touch the USS Arizona, rather, it has been built around the submerged landmark, supported by numerous pylons. The Memorial marks the final resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 dead crew members. A number of the crew who survived the attack but have since passed away have had their ashes buried here along with their fellow crew mates.

The carnage was not isolated to just Pearl Harbor and moored watercraft, throughout the island American aircraft were affected in the attack as well, 164 were destroyed, 159 were damaged. The Japanese did not go unscathed, 64 sailors were killed, 5 submarines were sunk, 29 aircraft destroyed, 74 were damaged.

After the ferryboat reaches the dock a wave of curious sightseers disembark. We quickly move from dock to the inner reaches of the Memorial. The memorial itself is a rather interesting structure. Straddling the beam of the USS Arizona, it is hollow in nature, resembling a large, white bus that sags a bit in the middle. The ceiling is open and airy, the two broad sides provide large open windows for viewing the battleship below and beyond. The symbolism behind the saggy middle represents United States' defeat at the hands of the Japanese on December, 7th. The higher ends represent the country's eventual victory over its attacker, with the eventual surrender of the Japanese in 1945. Looking back at the Japanese defeat, not only where they forced to relinquish all territory they took by force during the war, they were made to feel completely helpless by the atomic bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing 220,000 civilians. Interestingly enough, of the 67 Japanese ships involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor, all but 2 were destroyed as a result of American action following the events at Pearl Harbor.



As I walk around the Memorial, I notice everyone is somber and respectful, we all realize we are walking atop a tomb containing over 1,000 dead sailors. The USS Arizona is now beneath my feet, mostly underwater, only a small portion pokes above the waterline. Looking out the Memorial's large windows, the ship spans a good distance, the submerged outer reaches of both bow and stern are marked with large white buoys to give one a sense of just how immense the ship is. At 608 feet in length, that's a little more than 3 football fields stretched from end to end. At the far end of the Memorial, opposite the entrance where the dock is located, I find a room, I'll call it a shrine. On the far wall, from floor to ceiling, left wall to right wall, I find an immense marble panel, on the panel are inscribed all the names of all the sailors who died on the USS Arizona. The list of names is incredibly long. Visitors are allowed to bring leis and leave them here in the shrine in tribute to the fallen sailors. There is also an option of casting them upon the surface of the water.


One of the last to finish up in the shrine, I head back to my group, we all wait patiently for our ferryboat to arrive. As I wait, I look into the water and notice periodic bursts of color on its shimmering surface. The battleship below is slowly leaking oil, they estimate about 2 quarts a day. Each released oil droplet floats to the surface and slowly mixes with the water. It is this mixing action that causes the rainbow effect, interacting with the sunlight. Some people say these droplets are the tears shed by the fallen sailors. Environmentalists and others are concerned about all the oil that's contained in the battleship. Slowly, the ship is corroding, eventually the day will come when a critical bulkhead will fail and a large release of oil will gush into the harbor. I noticed earlier a contingency of divers milling about the water near the Memorial, they are probably monitoring the condition of the ship, I understand the Park Service has a program in place to keep tabs on it.

The finally ferryboat arrives and takes my group back to the facility. Periodically I've been listening to the audio tour since boarding the ferryboat on the way to the Memorial. Narrated by actor and WWII veteran Ernest Borgnine, the audio tour proves to be very useful and insightful, well worth the $5 fee. Once back at the facility, I immediately head straight for the on site museum. While a small museum, it is filled with volumes of interesting photos, ship models, artifacts, stories, all doing well to further advance my knowledge and enhance my experience. The audio tour works hand-in-hand with the museum, there are 11 separate exhibits that cover everything from a Japanese torpedo, a scale model of the USS Arizona, even salvage mementos. A very good museum.

The remainder of my tour takes me outside. Located at the back of the facility, my first stop is called the Remembrance Circle. Here I find multiple panels listing the names of both servicemen and civilians killed both in the initial attack and those later in the day in the performance of their duties. The listings do not include the servicemen killed on the USS Arizona, a list of those individuals are display at the USS Arizona Memorial. In the center of the Memorial is a topographic map of Oahu, it illustrates the scale of the attack, it wasn't just Pearl Harbor that was attacked, other areas across the island were affected as well.

The remaining outdoor exhibits are also interesting, one shows a map of the harbor and all anchored vessels at the time of the attack, more than 120. The map color codes the extent of the damage inflicted. While most are unaffected, many of the major vessels are, quite a few are indicated with at lease some damage, a total of 21 have some kind of damage by my count. A panoramic exhibit shows the viewer where things happened with respect to the harbor that stretches across the horizon. Another talks about the Japanese bombers over Battleship Row, it shows a detailed aerial photo of the battleships in distress, may of them burning and broken. The fall and rise of the fleet is the subject of the next exhibit. No time was wasted in salvage efforts to get the fleet back into service. Never has there been as large an effort in raising and re-commissioning a group of ships than those affected by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Most of the ships were returned back to full service within a year. The last exhibit talks about Pearl Harbor today, including an aerial map of the harbor.

Having exhausted all exhibits, I've finally completed my tour of the USS Arizona Memorial. It's hard to believe I've spend almost 3 hours touring the facility, the time flew by quickly. In the process of touring I've gained a wealth of information about events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the attack itself, and the aftermath of the destruction, including the creation of the USS Arizona Memorial. Pondering what I've learned over the course of my tour today, I can't help but feel a wide range of mixed emotions. I feel great sadness for those who lost their lives that day, to all the parents who lost their children, an immense, black pit of emptiness and despair was introduced to their lives, never to be filled or forgotten. I feel anger at the toll war collects in human suffering, how irreconcilable differences between peoples and greed for resources and power fuels seemingly constant human conflict and carnage. Mankind seems Hell bent on destroying itself.

Swinging in the other emotional direction I feel gratitude and pride towards all our brave servicemen and women who have in the past and continue today to put their lives in harms way to protect America, thankfulness to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to country, those who have died, I hope they find their due reward in the next life. Lastly, I feel both hope and happiness. Less that 70 years ago Japan was my country's mortal enemy, today Japan is a good friend. As I toured the USS Arizona Memorial I noticed many Japanese tourists. What a fine day it is when a once reviled enemy can feel welcome to visit the place that was once the breeding ground of hatred between two countries. What a wonderful capacity humans have for forgiveness, cooperation and friendship. In the end, love triumphs hatred, maybe mankind has a chance, if only we can learn from history.