Hula evening at Tropical Paradise

We start the Friday with breakfast outside the hotel. We drive to Kapaá to the Olympic Cafe, where we can enjoy a great fruit platter and pancakes. At the same time, we enjoy the view of the town and the bustling activity from the first floor. Afterwards, we stroll through the picturesque town a bit and I find a great souvenir in a small shop that offers jewelry and small items made of local wood. Everything is handmade, the jewelry is crafted by the owner herself and really delicate and tasteful!

After this successful souvenir hunt, we relax by the pool in the sun. In the evening, we go to the Hula show at Tropical Paradise, which is only a 10-minute walk away. Actually not far, but unfortunately there is no proper footpath, so we have to cross the busy main road and walk a bit along it. Not so nice, but we made it. Tropical Paradise is owned by the Smith family. The grandparents, an American and a Hawaiian, initially made their money with river tours on the Wailua River, and then at some point they created this wonderful theme garden with an open-air stage, restaurant, and several ponds. It is still all in the family and has now become a big business. The evening show starts with a tour through the garden, and then you can walk around everything on foot at your own pace.

An hour later, we meet at the Imu, the earth oven, where the pig has been cooking for 9 hours. It is stored in a pit in the ground, where a fire is first made. The fire heats the surrounding lava stones. Then the stones are covered with banana leaves, the pig and whatever else is going to be cooked (Pui, taro pudding) are placed on top, rubbed with sea salt, and then covered again with banana leaves. Then comes the soil and then it's time to wait... The porous lava stones and the banana leaves keep the pig nice and juicy. With a ceremony announced by shell horns, the roast is unveiled and then carved.

In the meantime, we enjoy Mai Tai and take a seat in the pavilion restaurant with live music. Then there is a buffet, typical Hawaiian dishes like raw fish, the Imu pig, beef and chicken teriyaki, rice and salads. And Pui, a gray taro pudding that tastes like nothing and water, which tastes 10 times better when fried or grilled. Here it's actually part of the pig, but it doesn't taste like anything. Anyway, there are plenty of other delicious things!

For dessert, there is fresh fruit and coconut cake and Kona coffee (the beans grow on the Big Island).

Then we move to the lake stage, where the Hula show takes place. The repertoire is broad, from modern Hawaiian singing (similar to pop songs) to the penetrating drumming of the New Zealand Maori. A Samoan fire dancer really heats things up, classic Hula, a mime dance that was of great importance in a world without writing. There are also Portuguese pole dancers who perform, and it's almost dizzying how skillfully the couples move between the moving floor poles! A very diverse and short-lived evening comes to an end and we walk back to the hotel on our adventure path.