Day 16

Polynesian Cultural Center Day!

Full day of driving through the Northshore of O’ahu and stopping at a few lookouts and beaches. They were beautiful! I even got to see a turtle swimming from afar! After those sightseeing stops, we stopped at the Laie Hawaii Temple. This was the first temple build in Polynesia. Laie Hawaii Temple is not used for regular Sunday worship. It is considered a sacred house of the Lord, only church members who keep gospel covenants are allowed to enter for the purpose of participating in sacred ceremonies such as endowments, baptism for the dead and eternal marriage, a ritual in which couples and families are sealed for time and all eternity. It was interesting to tour the visitors’ center and enjoy the beautiful architecture.

Next, we headed to the Polynesian Cultural Center where we traveled through time to experience thousands of years’ worth of culture from six different islands, each with their own ways of life. We visited Hawaii, Fiji, Aotearoa, Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti. In Hawaii, there were ancient games, hula dancing, and fishing. A few of us decided to try fishing…it was impossible. You could not set the hook; the fish could easily take the bait without us knowing. In Fiji, we learned about the Fijian warriors and got to experience a temporary tattoo which is a custom there. In the Island of Aotearoa, we learned to play with twirling poi balls, and watched the Maori warrior dance known as “the Haka.” In Samoa, we witnessed a warrior climb a 40-foot coconut tree, with bare feet. In addition, we made fishing pole toys out of coconut tree leaves and we listened to a warrior talk about the cooking culture in Samoa. One thing that really stood out to me was that men run the kitchen; they are the ones that cook for their families not the females. In Tahiti, we tried to spear a coconut. Through the Islands of Polynesia, we got to experience six different island nations, that each had its own flavor and appeal. It was impactful to see what resources they had that were the same, like coconut trees, and resources that were not the same. It additional, it was interesting to see how their culture was different on each Island.

Later that evening we had the buffet and night show. Which were both AMAZING! The buffet had delicious food. The show was called “The Breath of Life,” which is a symbolic story of Mana and his beloved Lani. The show also had Polynesian dances, music, blazing fire knives, special effects, animations, and singing. It is a Pacific Isle saga of birth and death, love and family, tragedy, and triumph. Each island was different, and the show emphasizes this and how the islands come together to create a family called the Polynesian Islands! It was a very moving show!Weiterlesen