On Day 5 of our Hawaii trip, we spent the whole day in the North Shore area and for once didn’t have to do very much driving. After sleeping in a little, we headed over to Haleiwa to Waialua Bakery to get some brunch!

Waialua Bakery for brunch!
Dan at Waialua Bakery in Haleiwa

Dan got the banana bread pudding.
Dan got the banana bread pudding.

...and he loved it!
...and he loved it!

The cookie was delicious!
Their oatmeal raisin cookies were delicious!

Dan got the acai bowl
Dan also got the acai bowl.

I ordered a delicious turkey pesto sandwich.
I ordered a delicious turkey pesto sandwich (in addition to the cookie).

After the scrumptious brunch, we stopped at Waimea Bay to spend the late morning lounging around the beach there.

Arriving at Waimea Bay.
Arriving at Waimea Bay.

By the water...
Me by the water.

Dan meditating on the beach.
Dan meditating on the beach.

Watching the waves.
There were a lot less people than some of the other beaches we'd gone to. Very peaceful and serene; perfect for a relaxing morning!

After the beach, we were hungry for a cold dessert and what better place to go to than Matsumoto’s Shave Ice in Haleiwa? The place is famous for supposedly being the first shaved ice place in Hawaii.

The first shaved ice in Hawaii!
Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa.

Some celebrities: Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider...
Celebrities that have stopped by include Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider.

Daniel Dae Kim
Daniel Dae Kim (of LOST fame) is the poster boy!

Dan with his ginormous shaved ice.
Dan with his ginormous shaved ice.

By the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa
It was a little overwhelming, even for a dessert lover like me.

Dan is ready to dig in!
Nevertheless, Dan is ready to dig in!

I got strawberry and watermelon...
I got strawberry and watermelon flavored shaved ice.

I personally thought that Waiola Shave Ice in Honolulu (which we went to on Day 1 and Day 4) was better than Matsumoto’s Shave Ice (the ice was finer at Waiola and the syrup was a little too sugary for my taste at Matsumoto’s), but it was still very good and refreshing.

We then went back to the hotel and freshened up to get ready to spend the latter half of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It is a living museum which serves as a showcase of Polynesian peoples,  featuring cultural displays from Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Tahiti, Samoa, the Marquesas, Easter Island, and Hawaii through simulated villages. It was uber-touristy, but we figured we should go check it out since it was our first time in Hawaii. 🙂

Arriving at the Polynesian Cultural Center
Arriving at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.

Not sure what to expect...
At the entrance, uncertain of what to expect....

One of the first things we saw on the guided tour in the Polynesian Cultural Center was the “Rainbows of Paradise” show. The lagoon inside the center hosts a “parade” of canoes that showcases the signature dances of each of Polynesian culture.

Canoe representing Hawaii
Canoe representing Hawaii

Tonga
Tonga

Representing Tahiti
Tahiti

Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Exuberant and energetic!
Samoa (Didn't get a photo of the last one, which was Fiji.)

My favorite show that I saw while walking around the different “villages” was the coconut husking show. The guy who was demonstrating the husking was hilarious!

This was one of my favorite shows.
Coconut husking show.

At the very top.
Man climbing a tree to get a coconut.

Drumming show with Japanese volunteer
Another show we watched featured drumming and had volunteers come up.

Maori show
A Maori show

Maori performance
Maori performance

After enjoying a few shows, it was time for dinner! We went to our very first luau, right there at the Polynesian Cultural Center. (Not the most authentic experience, we know….)

"The Queen" and her attendants
The "Royal court" kicking off the luau dinner.

MC showing us the kalua pig that we'd be eating.
Kalua pig... yum yum in my tum tum.

Look at all that Hawaiian food!
Look at all that Hawaiian food!

Dan's full plate!
Dan's full plate!

Misono's full plate!
My plate... I ate it all, and went back for dessert!

Lovely hula dancers during the dinner.
Lovely hula dancers during the dinner.

After thoroughly stuffing ourselves at the luau, we wandered around the center, browsing gift shops and taking silly photos:

Dan imitating the carved statue.
My, what a striking resemblance?

Me imitating the female statue.
How is my impersonation?

Dan and I with our leis.
Dan and I with our leis.

The evening spectacular, “HA: Breath of Life” is a $3 million show that uses new technology, animation, music, dance and great storytelling to bring to life the diverse cultures of Polynesia to visitors. Apparently the local community of indigenous peoples on the North Shore contributed a great deal to the development of this show, which showcases the values of many Polynesian societies. To make it as authentic as possible, each universal theme is portrayed by the respective culture, illustrated with dance and music that harken back to the 1960’s before much of the island culture was diluted by tourism.

HA: Breath of Life
HA: Breath of Life evening show

HA: Breath of Life
These men danced over fires with grass skirts... Crazy!

HA: Breath of Life
A traditional Hawaiian-style wedding.

fire performance
Rings of fire.

Here’s a video clip I took during the night show, in which performers dazzled the audience with amazing feats of fire.

An impressive show!
The end of the show... Bravo!

The “HA: Breath of Life” show was really impressive and was a great way to end the evening and our time in Oahu. We returned happy and full to our hotel, so we could get some restful sleep before heading to the airport the next morning to fly over to the neighboring island of Kaua’i.