HONOLULU

THEN AND NOW

Honolulu ("hoe-noe-lou-lou" not "hon-oh-lou-lou"), is the capitol of the State of Hawai'i. The City and County of Honolulu comprise the entire island of O'ahu ("oh-ah-who" not "oh-wah-who"). The island has a population of about 1,000,000 people. This is where the Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickham Air Force Base are located and was the site of the start of World War II for America, on December 7th, 1941.

Prior to that war, Honolulu was an exclusive tourist destination for the wealthier members of society. This was before air travel was common and the only way to get to Hawai'i was by ship. Every Friday, the passenger ship would dock at the Aloha Tower. Arriving guests would leave the ship and departing guests would board. Friday was a big day in Honolulu at that time and all this activity spawned the term "Aloha Friday". "Aloha" means "Hello", "Goodbye", and "I love you". People arriving. People departing. Romances terminating. It's a good word.

The Aloha Tower

The Traditional Lei Greeting

Waikiki Beach, Diamondhead in the background

Nightlife was traditional Hawai'ian

And the girls didn't wear coconut shell bras for their shows

There were only two hotels

The surfboards back then were made of Koa wood and were very heavy

Honolulu Today
The city went through a massive building boom in the late '60's
Only in an aerial shot like this can you really see Diamondhead
Now hi-rise condos and hotels block the view from the beach

A view from Diamondhead

What little of Waikiki beach that remains is usually extremely crowded

Waikiki at night

Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"