Waikiki Yesteryear

Fülszöveg

^AIKIKI
YESTERYEAR
T
Lhi

. he place was as beautiful as the sound of its name: Waikiki, the Hawaiian word for "spouting waters."
In the old days, mountain rains funneled into streams that carried their clear water on winding journeys through the myriad pools and waterways of the Waikiki plain. Farmers gave thanks to the ancient gods for the bounteous harvest from taro lo'i and sweet potato patches, and from the man-made fish ponds along the shore. In the open blue of the bay there was always good fishing; limu (seaweed) and shellfish crowded the reefs. Men and women, young and old, paddled the waves on surfboards and in outrigger canoes, riding the frothy surge of white water. Waikiki was a place of bliss, a royal playground, a haven, a sanctuary, a healing space for the Hawaiian soul. Chiefs lounged in luxurious thatched hale (houses) cooled by the fresh ocean breezes, and the night skies showered starlight on the sea.
When Kamehameha the Great united the islands of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

^AIKIKI
YESTERYEAR
T
Lhi

. he place was as beautiful as the sound of its name: Waikiki, the Hawaiian word for "spouting waters."
In the old days, mountain rains funneled into streams that carried their clear water on winding journeys through the myriad pools and waterways of the Waikiki plain. Farmers gave thanks to the ancient gods for the bounteous harvest from taro lo'i and sweet potato patches, and from the man-made fish ponds along the shore. In the open blue of the bay there was always good fishing; limu (seaweed) and shellfish crowded the reefs. Men and women, young and old, paddled the waves on surfboards and in outrigger canoes, riding the frothy surge of white water. Waikiki was a place of bliss, a royal playground, a haven, a sanctuary, a healing space for the Hawaiian soul. Chiefs lounged in luxurious thatched hale (houses) cooled by the fresh ocean breezes, and the night skies showered starlight on the sea.
When Kamehameha the Great united the islands of Hawai'i, he named Waikiki the capital of his kingdom. Whaling ships and foreigners of eveiy tongue came to prosper in this newfound paradise, but as the center of government and business moved to the harbor near Honolulu, Waikiki languished. Disease-spreading mosquitoes, brought in by one of the foreign ships, flourished in Waikiki's waters and made the area less habitable; the native population declined, cut down by unfamiliar illnesses and a strange new system of cultural behavior.
The royal descendants of Kamehameha lived in Honolulu-town, but retreated in summers to modest wood-
W-
frame kauhale (housing compounds) in Waikiki to relax and get away from the pressures of office. Successful missionaiy children and other businessmen came to build a string of small wooden bath houses and summer homes on the shores of Waikiki.
As Hawai'i's sugar industry prospered, its barons replaced the humble beach houses with mansions, each more architecturally breathtaking than the last. Visitors, excited to see the tropical paradise and indulge in the pursuit of fun and sun, soon arrived by ship, and these beautiful homes gave way to luxury hotels. World War II pushed Hawai'i into the American spotlight and introduced a national population to Waikiki's pleasures.
The strand beneath Diamond Head has always beckoned to those seeking the ultimate locale for relaxation. Waikiki has served generations of fishing villagers, Hawaiian ali'i, small farmers, powerful businessmen, and adventurous travelers. For over 100 years, people have come from all over the world to this place of leisure, to feel the vibrations of the varicolored sunsets, to surf and canoe through aquamarine waters, to succumb to the siren call of lapping waves on soft, white sand, and to walk and sun on the most famous beach on earth.
The alluring song of Hawai'i originates in Waikiki, and it is heard by everyone. Waikiki Yesteryears chronicles the evolution that has changed this tranquil shore from a playground of ancient kings to a bustling haven for the world's weary.
Travel back in time to when coconut groves and amply beaches were the scenes of Waikiki and let Waikiki Yesteryears bring you gently home. Vissza