The Leeward Coast

The southern and western sides of Oahu are dramatically different geographically than the northern and eastern sides.  The former are dry and the latter are wet, thanks to the Northeast Trade Winds that blow in from the northeast, rise to go over the mountain ranges, and drop their moisture on the windward side of the island.  Today, I drove along the western side of Oahu, part of the leeward coast.  It was desert-like in the sparsity of vegetation, exactly as the Honolulu area used to be until urban irrigation (trees, lawns, parks, gardens) turned the south coast green. It is the south coast, though, that has the natural harbors (e.g., Honolulu Harbor and Pearl Harbor), so early haole settlement favored the dry side of Oahu. 

The west coast, or Waianae Coast, is tightly hemmed in by mountains, but suburbanization has taken over.  Subdivisions, a few resort complexes, and an isolated shanty town are strung along the coast-hugging Farrington Highway, but most of the shore is still open to recreation and some areas are protected from development.  There are numerous public beaches, and the road ends in a state park.  None seemed to crowded, however, even on this Saturday afternoon.

My last stop of the day was the Royal Mausoleum.  On the grounds are the crypts of Hawaii’s two ruling dynasties:  the Kamehameha rulers and the Kalakaua rulers.  Only, Kemehameha I is not buried here.  His final resting place is unknown to this day.  The golden orb is the symbol of royalty; two stand outside the entrance to each tomb. 

At the center of the grounds is a chapel finished in the 1860s but soon deemed too small for all the rulers.  I was the only visitor, and I took the opportunity to stroll through the neighboring cemetery, one of the biggest in Honolulu.

Geographically yours,

D.J.Z.