Information
Hawaii is volcanoes, sandy beaches, green valleys, closing the horizon screens and dangerous, but the picturesque cliffs. One of the most beautiful scenery in the world, large areas still sparsely populated and untouched by civilization.
Although located in the Pacific islands are far from the coast of 2,000 km, are an integral part of the United States. Therefore, one should not expect that it is an enclave of exoticism. Come to Hawaii for a honeymoon Americans and their visions of paradise have much in common with the full comfort of bourgeois existence. Of the six million tourists a year – including a million Japanese, each of which seems apparently $ 600 a day – the island turns into a giant amusement park. The famous beach of Waikiki.
Hawaiian archipelago comprises more than 20 volcanic islands and coral. The largest of them, Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai. The interior of the mountainous islands with numerous active volcanoes. Hawaii is located in the zone of occurrence of earthquakes.
Tropical maritime climate, the monthly average temperature recorded in the capital city (Honolulu) varies depending on the season and ranges from 23 ° C in January to 27 ° C in July. The annual rainfall is 590 mm, dry season between June and September.
With over one million current residents of Hawaii, approximately 60% were born here. One third of them are whites (including many American soldiers), third – the Japanese, one-sixth – Filipinos. It should be added to this number two hundred thousand people still claim to be Native Hawaiians. Although still growing sugar cane and pineapples, the economy is no longer based solely on agriculture. On the island of Maui need to bring farm workers from Mexico, because the locals deal with the more lucrative work in hotels and other institutions aimed at tourists.
Need to import almost all the goods necessary for life from the outside meant that the cost of living on the islands are huge (tax paradise, “as they call). Especially high are the rents for apartments, so many Hawaiians must work on two foundations, or … sleep on the beach.
Tourists looking for traces of ancient Hawaii, you’ll find them very little, but mostly in hotel design. What is referred to as “historic” usually comes from the period after the arrival of white missionaries. “Old City” is a nineteenth – century amerykańszczyzna clean, with wooden porches of shops and houses. Here and there – especially on the Big Island – preserved ruins of temples (heiaus) the old gods. A few enthusiasts are trying to revive the old religion, but as long as religion remains a force cult of Elvis. Two major festivals this week Hawaiian Feast of the Good King Kalakuaka on the Big Island (11 – 17 Apr) and the celebration in honor of King Kamehameha on Oahu (around the 11th – 12 Jun). Authentic hula dancing is an artistic performance, but you can usually see it in the release of some kitschy “Polynesian revue” or “traditional Christmas” luau. Luau is primarily a way to draw money from the pockets of tourists. During these events, but you can taste the taste of Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua, a pig roast at the ground and the local fish like it, ahi, mahi – mahi and Lomi – Lomi (raw salmon). Essential component of food is poi, taro paste with crushed that one of Captain Cook’s people aptly described as “repulsive goo.
Native Hawaiian lives only in geographic names, and music. These words often appear not to pronounce, especially that consist only of twelve letters of our alphabet (five vowels and consonants h, k, l, m, n, beers). Each letter is pronounced usually as a separate syllable – the apostrophe wzkazuje place to breath. Long words often consist of repetition – for example meha – meha at Kamehameha. Same name for the islands, Hawaii, you should write and pronounce as Hawai’i.