Polynesian Cultural Centre: One ohana in the vast Pacific Ocean

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Polynesian Cultural Centre, I have returned!

Echoing General Douglas MacArthur's famous speech in Leyte, I returned nine years after my last visit to Hawaii. During my first trip, I wished I had more time for exploration, as I only had a brief stop at the Hukilau Marketplace and ate lunch at the barbecue before boarding my tour bus for the next stop. 

For this trip (my third time in Hawaii, actually), I went with Mommy, Daddy, and Donan. I got tickets that allowed us to visit on three consecutive business days. No wonder I couldn't explore the Centre in two hours: it takes three days to experience all that the centre has to offer! We only had time for two afternoon trips to Lā'ie, so we had to make the most of these visits. I had to consider that I was with seniors and a preschooler, so our fastest pace at the centre would be a slow walk.

Day 1

We had just arrived from the Dole Pineapple Plantation, which was an hour's drive from Wahiawa. That visit took a lot longer than I had initially planned, so we arrived at the Polynesian Cultural Centre two hours behind schedule. To catch up, we started off on a canoe tour of the centre. This allowed us to see all the different villages and plan which attraction to explore. This tour was enjoyable because our tour guide (boatman) was a comedian. He was prepared with jokes, a bit of history, and some Polynesian words for us to learn. Moreover, he provided us with highlights about each village in the Centre.

The staff members were all friendly with the guests, displaying the aloha spirit that Hawaii is famous for. Once they realized we were of Filipino background (because we were conversing in Tagalog), someone from the Philippines began speaking with us in Tagalog. We learned that many of the staff members were students at the nearby Brigham Young University. They were working at the Centre to help pay for their educational expenses.

After the canoe tour, we walked back to the Hukilau Marketplace in search of a place to eat. We ended up in Pounders, a restaurant that serves Hawaiian-grown grass-fed beef and locally caught seafood. The food was delicious. However, the highlight for us was the robot that brought the food to our table. It drove itself, managing tight corners and narrow spaces between tables.

Robot food server

Tummies happy, we decided to take another tour. This time, it's a historical tour of Lā'ie, the Brigham Young University campus, and the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) temple.

LDS visitor centre

I learned that the LDS has been in Oahu since 1865, when the church bought a sugarcane plantation. The temple in Lā'ie is the oldest one in Hawaii and was seen as a gathering place for Polynesian converts to LDS. However, before the LDS arrived, Lā'ie was already known as a "pu'uhonua", a haven for fugitives seeking refuge. Pursuing fugitives in a pu'uhonua was not allowed. 

Day 2

Mommy was surprised to learn that our tickets to the Centre included re-entry for two more days. This was great, considering that there was just so much to see and we couldn't appreciate it all in just one day.

On our second visit, we decided to skip the canoe and walk to the different villages to see the activities there. 

We first went to the Samoan village, where a cooking class was being held. But the chicken would take hours to cook, so we headed out to a shop that sold coconuts. What an instant memory-jogger! I remember sipping buko juice during hot summer afternoons in Padre Garcia!

We then went to the Aotearoa (also known as New Zealand) village. Donan and I wanted to try the Maori poi (the ball, not the food), but the cultural show was about to start, so we skipped it, thinking we would have time to try it afterwards. The cultural show was beautiful! The performers performed a haka, demonstrated a poi dance, and played a stick-throwing game onstage. This was my first time seeing a haka live; it is as powerful and intimidating as I've ever seen it on TV!

Our third stop was the Hawaiian village, where we learned about the hula. There are two types: hula kahiko and hula auana. Hula kahiko is performed with chants and traditional percussion instruments, such as gourd drums. It is a slow dance with precise movements, designed to Hula auana. On the other hand, Hula auana incorporates string instruments, like the ukulele. 

Our last stop was the Tahitian village, where we listened and danced to the moving beats of the drums. The loud percussion reminded me of Shakira's song "Hips Don't Lie" because the dances involved rapid hip swaying. On the other hand, we learned that Tahiti is just an island (albeit the biggest) within five archipelagos that make up the French Polynesia. 

It was such a great experience to visit the Polynesian Cultural Centre. I have enjoyed it immensely during this second visit. I am looking forward to another visit!

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