Hawaii:
Today we will speak approximately the Hawaii Islands. We will know quite a few data approximately the Hawaii Islands.
In October 2018 we spent 15 days touring 3
islands of the Hawaiian archipelago: O'ahu, Maui, and the Big Island. The truth
is that I expected to find traditional villages with a multitude of natives
dancing to the sound of a ukelele, but currently, tourism and North American
colonization have been imposed on the population, although a multicultural
society with a strong
Asian and Polynesian influence predominates...
Much of the islands still have a large expanse of virgin forest between dormant
volcanoes, but the coastal areas are overcrowded and with an almost exclusive
use aimed at attracting tourists. Nowadays, touring Hawaii is entering two
different worlds: you can spend hours driving practically alone on endless
roads admiring dreamlike landscapes and then arriving at a beach full of hotel
complexes.
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HISTORY OF HAWAII
The group of islands belonging to the
Hawaiian archipelago was first colonized in the 5th century by its Polynesian
neighbors in the South Pacific. These tribes settled on the 8 main islands and
under a social system of castes and clans they evolved independently although
they maintained commercial deals with each other. For 1000 years they were cut off from the world
living on the products
obtained from the land and the sea with a social leadership where it was
believed that royalty descended from the gods themselves, was treated as such,
and paid tribute and homage. It was not until the eighteenth century when King
Kamehameha I managed to unify the entire territory after several wars in which
he was favored by his trade with Western weapons, thus in 1810 he founded the
Kingdom of Hawaii.
Although the first Europeans to reach the
islands are in the 15th century, without a doubt the most relevant figure was
the English explorer James Cook in 1778. He named them the Sandwich Islands in
honor of the patron who had sponsored the expedition and was not until the 19th
century when they began to be called Hawaii, the name of the largest of the 8
islands. From that moment on,
western colonization began little by little. with European and North American businessmen
who moved to the islands to increase their fortunes. After several years of
reign with different dynasties in 1893, there was a power vacuum, which was
taken advantage of by the American landowners who settled in their lands to
carry out a coup and proclaim the republic, 5 years later Hawaii was officially
annexed to the United States.
During the 20th century, an important sugar
industry developed in the islands that drove the massive immigration of Asian
workers, mainly Chinese and Japanese. Later, Latin Americans and Indonesians
joined, who together with the local natives have generated a multicultural
society that still survives today. The most latest and well-known history of Hawaii is located on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese aviation attacked the naval base of Pearl Harbor, which led to the access of the United States into World War II. From that moment the islands were taken by the North American
army until in 1959 it was
declared the 50th and last state of the union. being the only one located outside the
continent. Today Hawaii has left its traditions behind and most of its
population lives thanks to the military bases installed in its territory and to
tourism where temporary residents outnumber locals.
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SOCIETY IN HAWAII
The Hawaiian archipelago was formed by the
activity of the Pacific tectonic plate and is made up of 18 islands, islets,
and atolls although life develops mainly in the 8 largest located in the
southern area: Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Maui and the
Island of Hawaii. The capital is Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, and the
population is 1.5 million inhabitants of which only 10% are native. In 1959 it became the last state annexed to
the United States with which the political regime is the Federal Constitutional
Republic led by the governor. Today the native Hawaiians continue to fight for
their territorial rights to form their government parallel to that of the
state. The official languages ​​are English and Hawaiian, although the
latter has no legal value and it is not necessary to speak it in
administrations.
Although the most widely professed religion
is Catholic, there is a wide diversity of beliefs due to immigration and the
strong Asian and Polynesian influence. Native Hawaiians still believe in Aloha, it is not a religion in itself but a way of living
and understanding life. Aloha or Huna represents a spiritual feeling of
purification that is achieved by showing hospitality towards others, it is the
way to achieve happiness and is deeply rooted in all Hawaiian people.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR HAWAII
To visit Hawaii, it is necessary to have a
valid passport valid for six months and, since 2009, a special authorization called ESTA (Electronic
System for Travel Authorization). This authorization is valid for 2 years and
is obtained by email after filling in the request form and paying a fee of $
14, here is the link to the official page: ESTA.
The most common way to get to Hawaii is by plane, although
some cruises leave from the mainland and reach the islands after 5 days of
sailing. There are direct flights from several Asian and North American cities
located in the west of the country, so we will have to make a stopover before
arriving. In turn, the main Hawaiian islands have airports, which are the most
used means of traveling between them.
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HEALTH IN HAWAII
The United States health system is run by
private companies and to be treated it is mandatory to have health insurance.
There are no specific health risks but it is advisable to take out some insurance from Spain to avoid problems in the event of
any unforeseen event. It is not important to be vaccinated or take any special preventive measures, even though it is really helpful to continuously observe sunscreen.
Most of the Hawaiian beaches are destined for surfing due to their great waves,
you must respect the flags and do not fly by plane after having made underwater
dives. On the other hand, the volcanic areas are safe except for certain areas
of the Kilauea volcano that are conveniently signposted.
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SAFETY IN HAWAII
All the islands are quite safe, although
the usual preventive
measures must always be
taken: do not leave valuables in sight in the cars, watch your wallet and
belongings in crowded places, do not walk at night through little-traveled
areas ... The risk of robberies and robberies is quite low as well as scams and
deceit to tourists, however, it is advisable to pay attention. In Honolulu,
there are large numbers of homeless people who sleep in parks or on beaches but
are not usually violent or dangerous.
Regarding climate security, it must be
taken into account that it is a network of volcanic islands in continuous movement, thousands of earthquakes occur each year but they are practically imperceptible. Most
of the volcanoes are inactive, although on May 4, 2018, the Kilauea, on the Big
Island, erupted causing rivers of lava that forced the eviction of 10,000
people in the residential area of ​​Pahoa, destroying hundreds of houses.
The Government of Hawaii is on continuous alert and maintains updated
information, so before traveling to the islands it is advisable to find out
about the status of the volcanoes.
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HAWAII CLIMATE
Hawaii is the paradise of eternal spring,
the maximum temperatures throughout the year vary between 25º and 30º and the
only difference between summer and winter is the minimum, which can drop to 10º
between November and April. Due to its volcanic formation with sudden changes
in altitude, pressure, rain, and wind, up to 11 different climatic zones can be observed in a very short distance,
which makes it a unique place in the world: desert, humid jungle, arid zones. ,
tundra, temperate zones, alpine mountains, tropical climate ... Whatever the
season you go, you should always carry a swimsuit and a jacket in your suitcase.
Due to this climatic variety, the diversity of flora and fauna is also unique. In Hawaii, there are no
mammals or reptiles, or even endemic insects, and the majority of native
species are fish and birds, up to 67 different, in the prairies we can see
horses, pigs, sheep, and goats that were introduced to the islands after
colonization. The official bird of the state is the "Nene", a species
of goose in danger of extinction, and on the coasts, we can see seals, sea
lions, and humpback whales in addition to around 40 different species of sharks.
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HAWAII CURRENCY
The official currency is the United States
Dollar ($) which is divided into 100 cents.
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o
Exchange rate: €
1 = $ 1.10
o
Banknotes :
1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars
o Mondeos:
1 dollar, 50c (half), 25c (quarter), 10c (dime), 5c (nickel) y 1c (penny)
It is advisable to carry money changed from
Spain or withdraw from an ATM since the commissions are quite high, normally
payments are made in cash although almost all establishments accept credit
cards, the most used are Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. It must be
taken into account that the
prices marked in the stores do not carry taxes, so when we go to pay there will be an increase
of around 4% and 11% depending on the product.
In the United States, it is usual to leave a tip in restaurants, taxis, and services where they
attend you personally, it is usually 15% of the total and sometimes it is
already included in the bill. For the American culture, it is a deeply rooted
value although lately, it has gone from being a will to an obligation, it was established
as an added value thanking the treatment received in the establishments but
today it is practically an obligation. Many restaurants add it directly to the
bill, but most simply suggest it and remain voluntary.
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SHOPPING IN HAWAII
Hawaii is a paradise for international
tourism and if we add it to the need to import almost all basic products since
the islands do not produce the necessary resources, it is quite an expensive destination. The main tourist attractions also carry an
additional cost as well as vehicle and accommodation rentals that exceed the
average for the country. A clear example is that flights from San Francisco to
Hawaii are more expensive than from Europe to the United States, if you travel
to Hawaii you have to bear in mind that you have to pay for almost everything
and even basic food products are very expensive.
The most typical products of the islands
are those related to surfing and traditional dances: dolls dancing
"hula", playing the ukulele, or the typical necklaces of flowers and
macadamia nuts. The main towns have some tourist streets with souvenir shops
but outside these urban centers it is almost impossible to find them, my
recommendation is that if
you see something and you like to buy it, do not wait or you will not see it again.
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FOOD IN HAWAII
Food in Hawaii is a fusion of cultures
where American and Asian
influences stand out,
having few natural resources the diet is based mainly on dishes with fish,
fruits, and grilled meat.
Some of the most typical dishes are:
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Poke:
tuna salad marinated with sesame and seaweed.
o Loma:
marinated salmon salad with onion and tomato
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Kalbi Ribs:
Pork ribs cooked with sesame and soy sauce.
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Kalua Pig:
Pig wrapped in banana leaves slowly roasted underground between volcanic rocks,
this traditional oven is known as "imp".
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Lau Lau:
a mixture of roast beef and fish in an imp.
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Loco Mosco:
a mixture of boiled rice, pasta with cheese, and hamburger meat topped with 2
fried eggs.
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Spicy Prawns:
They are served with garlic and live up to their name.
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Fish Tacos:
cooked with grilled local fish accompanied by mayonnaise, guacamole, coriander,
and red onion.
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Malasadas:
dessert similar to a donut filled with cream, jam, or chocolate.
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Shave Ice:
it is a kind of slush that is prepared with crushed ice and flavored syrups,
very colorful and refreshing.
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Mai Tai:
a cocktail made up of various types of rum and liqueurs mixed with tropical
juices.
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TRANSPORTATION IN HAWAII
- if you want to know
the corners of the islands, the only viable means of transport, is by car, in
Hawaii, there are no trains and the only island with a regular bus service
is Oahu, but even so, the influx is low and does not reach all
destinations. The company " The Bus "
has several lines that connect the main points of the island although the
largest number of stops are between Honolulu and Waikiki since they are
the most tourist areas. The price of a single ticket is $ 2.75 and the
24-hour pass is $ 5.50, they are purchased directly on the bus but you
have to bring the exact money since due to security measures they do not
give change.
We reserve a rental car on each island with Auto Europe since it compares prices between the main
rental companies and we always find the best prices. The service, when making
the reservation, in the delivery of the vehicle, and for any incident
management, is quite good: the conditions are specified and they accept free
cancellations up to 48 hours before the pick-up even if the payment is made on
the spot. confirmation. The choice of the type of vehicle that we are going to
rent is also quite important on each island depending on the route we take,
there is a good system of well-paved roads but in some sections, a 4x4 is
recommended:
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Oahu:
compact car, there is no dangerous stretch.
o
Maui:
4x4 or SUV on the South Hana Highway between Hana and Kula.
o
Big Island (Hawaii):
4x4 on the road up Mount Mauna Kea, no SUVs allowed.
To travel between islands the only means of transport is the
plane, formerly there was a
system of ferries but over time it was disappearing. Prices range between € 70
and € 100 per person and journey, several companies link the main cities of the
islands, although, for adrenaline lovers I recommend traveling with Mikelle
Airlines, it is a small company whose fleet is made up of light aircraft. With
a maximum capacity of 11 people, it may not be as comfortable as traveling in a
commercial plane, but the flight height is lower and every detail of the
islands can be appreciated from the air. Recommended to fly at sunset to enjoy
the sunset. Other companies that make these direct flights are United Airlines
and Hawaiian Airlines.
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LEISURE IN HAWAII
The most important tourist attraction in
Hawaii is surfing and therefore all its subsequent derivatives:
bodysurfing, kayak surfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding, kite surfing, paddle
surfing ... It is not known for sure where it originated, although the reality
is that many parts of Polynesia similar sports were practiced and after the
colonization of Hawaii it spread to the American and Australian beaches, and
from there to the rest of the world. To deny the idealized image of Hawaii as a
paradise of calm beaches with crystal clear waters, which there are also, the
truth is that most of the beaches have strong waves which make them perfect for
practicing this sport.
Other leisure options are snorkeling, with
large expanses of coral due to volcanic activity, and hiking. Most of the
Hawaiian territory is tropical jungle or volcanic landscapes that are full of
roads with different distances and degrees of difficulty; the diversity of
landscapes, flora, and fauna mean that every day we can lose ourselves among
endless waterfalls and after a while be climbing ancient lava rivers. If what
we are looking for is hustle and bustle and nightlife, without a doubt, the
best place in Waikiki, its streets full of shops, restaurants, open-air
shows, and cocktail bars are the main attraction of Oahu, always after surfing,
of course.
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TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO HAWAII
- Take out health insurance
- Bring light clothing and
a jacket to climb the volcanoes
- Plan the routes well
each day to make the best use of time
- Rent a car
Hawaii
- Smoking is not allowed on beaches or in many public places
- No food is allowed in or out
- Do not leave valuables in sight in the car
- Carry changed money or withdraw at ATMs
- Soak up the Aloha feeling, be respectful and polite
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