Post #53065 by christiki295 on Sun, Sep 28, 2003 11:59 PM

The primary choice appears to be Oahu because has Gecko tiki keeping the mana alive, the Tiki Bar & Grill as well as La Mariana, the Polynesian Cultural Center explaining the South Seas to the malihinis, Don the Beachcomber's (apparently open for receptions) and the Bishop Museum.

However, I wonder if the urban density, the US military presence and the large number of large hotels on Waikiki would have diluted the tiki mana.

Would it be the Big Island with the historical Place of Refuge at Pu'uhonua o Honanunau nat'l state park with its origianl tikis?

The Kona Village Resort featuring hales with thatched roofs, has a tiki appearance, and no phones to interfere with one's spiritual awakekning, assuming anyone could afford to stay there.

Also, the petroglyphs on the Kona coast & near the Mauna Lani resort provide a tangible identification of the power of the tiki and the interrelationship of the land with its native inhabitants by their practice of placing umbilical cords in the piko holes.

Pele remains a firery potent guardian of the soil of Hawaii.

Maui has the larger than life tiki at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel, but the Hawaiian I met selling tikis at the hotel dispaired that the tikis were unable to defend against the islands from being taken over. One visit to Lahanai, almost an entire city devoted to being a tourist trap, might confirm his despair.

However, the orange and red sunsets over the water, the sunset torch lighting ceremony and cliff dive at the Sheraton and the road to Hana do maintain the Hawaiian magic. Also, one can taste the sun-kissed pineapples in the Tedeschi wine.

Would the gardens of Kaui provide a reminder of the the tiki splendor of the fauna?