an octopus and stuff

I don't really have too much too report on, unfortunately.
The vertigo gradually left a few weeks ago, hopefully for good. I was starting to fear it would be something I'd have to deal with the rest of my life.
Riding the bus was the worst part of that experience. I'd be feeling fine, only to have my brain rattled by the one hour trip home on the ragged roads of Honolulu. Not so fun fact: The conditions of Honolulu's roads rank third worst in the nation, behind LA and somewhere else. The roads around Waikiki are fine of course, but everywhere else looks pretty neglected.  I'm constantly dodging potholes on my bike.
 Not as bad as Costa Rica's though.


So with that behind me, I've been able to return to the water a few times.
I went snorkeling a couple of weeks ago. I was swimming across a reef and noticed a piece of algae float up a couple of feet ahead of me. The algae then spread out eight tentacles and propelled itself further ahead of me. I followed it a few yards until it found a rock to hide under, not without squirting out a tiny puff of ink first towards my general direction.
It was an octopus, a young one I assume, about the size of a softball. Still, I was excited, as it was one of the sea creatures I had on my mental list to spot, along with the sea turtles I swam with in Hanauma Bay.
I hadn't know about their camouflage ability until I saw it first hand. It was literally the same color as the algae, with patterns and everything. Once it detached from the rock it turned a deep purple.

It looked like the one in this picture I found on google images, except bigger:




I also moved recently, only about a mile but closer to the beach and a stone's throw away from Diamond Head. Still in Kaimuki, further south though closer to Kahala. The ocean breeze keeps the air cooler, which I appreciate since my last room was very hot, being on top of the hill near a windless valley.
Kahala mall is right down the street. Diamond Head beach is very close too. I take the bus in the morning straight to work nearly from my doorstep, and get dropped off there too. Previously, I had to transfer once in the morning, and ride my bike about a half mile home from the closest bus stop. Not a big deal, but riding a bike uphill after sitting still for an hour on a bus isn't great fun, neither do I miss getting off at the transfer center downtown to be greeted by the stench of homeless people. That sounds bad, but a lot of them congregate in the bus transfer area downtown, and it's almost unbearable to inhale through the nose at times.

The homeless population is very visible in Honolulu. There is much to discuss regarding that topic but I will save it for another entry.

I love this time of year in Texas and it's strange not being there. Hopefully I can visit soon.
Lately I haven't been going to beach or exploring much, but that will change.
A visit to the North Shore is up next on the itinerary, so look for an entry on that within the next couple of weeks.

summer's here

March was a wet rainy cool cloudy month. As wintery as Hawaii gets.

Since April 1st though, nothing but sunshine. Bright sunshine. There's a difference between winter sunshine and summer sunshine. And heat. In January, it was hot, then seemed to cool off a few degrees in February and March. Now we're back to being hot. I work inside of an igloo, so by the time I get home to my non air conditioned apartment, I'm ready to defrost. 

I finally went surfing for the first time since the first week I was here, crazy I know. Being afflicted by vertigo for a month really kept me out of the water and in bed. 

Not what I came here for. 

I've only surfed three times so far and probably only about a dozen decent waves. 

On Sunday, I woke up, felt my natural balance and energy had returned for the first time in awhile, went to church to get my worship on, then headed to Waikiki. 

Wai Waikiki? Because you can rent boards right on the beach. I'd much rather surf Diamond Head, but since it's a protected area there are no little surf board rental shacks. Way bigger south shore swells off Diamond Head. Waikiki is fun though if you can stand the crowds, on the beach and in the ocean. The waves weren't coming often but when they did they were nice and the rest of the ocean was pretty smooth. 

The summer is when the swells get big on the south end of the island. During the winter is when Oahu's famous north shore gets its massive swells. Unfortunately I was unable to go up there when they were really big. I would love to get good enough to surf some of those giants or the world famous banzai Pipeline. 

Catching waves in Hawaii is tougher than Costa Rica for a number of reasons. One is you have to paddle out much further. In Tamarindo I taught myself how to surf by catching the little baby waves that came right up to shore. Great beach for beginners. Once you move past beginner you can paddle out further or go to a nearby beach with bigger swells. 

The ocean floor here isn't sandy either, for the most part. You really want to stay on your board or risk stepping on a sea urchin, getting needles implanted in your foot, or cut yourself on coral, which I've done before. As I've explained before, the cuts take awhile to heal because the coral is living and contains all kinds of bacteria. 

Soon I will be moving very close to Diamond Head beach and hopefully buying a board not long after that to enjoy the world class waves there. 

best burgers in town

Kiawe Grill. Those are the only two words you need to know when looking for a delicious cheeseburger.
Skip the overpriced and underwhelming burger joints on Waikiki like Cheeseburger in Paradise or Teddy's Bigger Burgers, which is a popular local chain but overrated in my opinion.

I fancy myself a burger aficionado so trust me on this. Kiawe Grill has the best burgers in all of Honolulu, maybe even Hawaii.
Choose from regular ground beef, angus, kobe beef, buffalo, ostrich, venison, salmon, pork or chicken. And yes they're all called burgers, it's a salmon burger not sandwich. So far I've only tried the double cheeseburger(make it a combo for 8.99) and it's amazing, better than Five Guys and probably In-N-Out as well. The fries won't blow your mind but they're pretty good too once they cool down. Big, thick wedges.
There are of course other menu options besides burgers, like BBQ chicken and shrimp as well as some local Asian dishes. There are four locations to chose from, the one I frequent is on King St.
Located in a nondescript plaza, seating is limited, only like 5 tables in the small dining area. The kitchen isn't much bigger. I only found out about this place through the Yelp app on my iPhone when I was looking for somewhere good to eat near Wal-Mart when I was done shopping. Now I go there every time I after grab something from Wally World. If you know me, you know I despise Wal-Mart and their evil empire, but there are limited places to buy certain things here so I have no choice.

Much like North Shore Grinds, Kiawe Grill is very mom and pop. The first time I went was around 3:30 pm on a weekday, and the lady taking the order woke up the grill cook who was napping at one of the booths to cook my burger. I love supporting local places like this. About three to five times a week I ate a place next to my home in Fort Worth called Pak-A-Pocket that serves the best gyros in Texas. I sent them a postcard last month telling them how much I missed their food. You can see it posted on their bulletin board.

What makes their burgers so tasty? The patties are cooked on a wood burning grill. The wood is Kiawe(pronounced kee-ah-vey), the name used in Hawaii for what is known as Mesquite wood on the mainland. It adds a nice smokey flavor. The meat itself is tender yet not too chewy. The toasted homemade bun strikes a nice balance between soft and crispy. The melted slices of American and Swiss cheese are heavenly gooey.

Local places are great. I didn't go to North Shore grinds for a good two weeks when I started my new job, because I usually ate their for lunch and they close at seven. I've since been back a few times for dinner, and the couple asked where I had been. They were happy to see me back and congratulated me on getting a job. Little things like that mean a lot when you're alone so far away from home. The first time I went to NSG I thought the wife was extremely unfriendly but it's just her demeanor, she's actually really nice to me now and I've even gotten her to smile. Many of the Yelp reviews mention her. She's quite a character.

Hopefully dear reader you enjoy good local eateries as much as I. Now you have two to try on your next visit to Hawaii.

A professional review of Kiawe Grill http://archives.midweek.com/content/columns/foodfinds_article/the_best_burgers_in_town/

Their website
http://www.kiawegrill.com/

march 22

I started my new job almost three weeks ago, and I'm really enjoying it.

I couldn't have asked for a better work family, everyone here is extremely nice. Last weekend I joined the company in a diabetes benefit walk around Kapiolani Park next to Waikiki.  Sand volleyball recently became an official NCAA sport, and the UH and HPU women's teams were nearby having at tournament at Queen's Beach Sandbox.

Shortly after I started my job, I woke up feeling a little dizzy one day. Eventually the dizziness progressed into an almost debilitating condition. I've had three doctors appointments since, and haven't been able to enjoy surfing, snorkeling, working out or even just going to the beach. The dizzy spells are awful and I don't wish them upon anyone. I'll spare you the medical details, but it makes it very hard to function sometimes and it can be scary traveling through a big city by yourself when you're disoriented, especially when you don't really know anyone. 

Last week I was so out of it I left my backpack at a bus stop. The backpack contained my passport, checks, bike chain, a poncho, my best sweater, and medicine. 

Luckily, a person with a good heart found it, and found a receipt with my phone number on it that I just happened to have in the bottom of one of the pockets. When I bought my new iPhone here, the service rep had written my account # and phone # on a blank slip of receipt paper. I met the girl that found my backpack the next day at her work a few blocks over from mine. That night she called me around 11 to ask me if I was single. 

There are many things I plan on doing soon that will make great blog entries with great pictures. 

First I plan on heading up to check out the north shore of Oahu for a weekend, hopefully next.

Then I would like to hop over to Maui and spend a weekend there on their north shore. Maui has a little bit of everything, and probably the nicest beaches in Hawaii. It has been rated "The Best Island in the World" by numerous publications.

People keep telling me if I'm not a fan of the big city life style, then I would love Maui. I'm looking forward to that experience. 

Kauia, known for its tropical rainforests, rivers, cliffs, canyons, and waterfalls, is next on the agenda. 

Then maybe I come home to visit Texas. Lots of things I miss about that great state, too many to list now, maybe for another entry. 

Fun Fact: Alaska and Hawaii both have the same record high temperature, 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

thunderstorms and rain in hawaii

Today is the first time in many days the sun has shown itself.
Last Saturday or Sunday, a big thunderstorm hit the area, and the rain lasted all week.
I feel really bad for anyone that booked their vacation for last week.
I can't imagine spending thousands to vacation at a tropical paradise only for it to be cloudy and rainy every single day

Storms like this are very rare here, I'm told. And since I've been here, the only rain I had experienced were light afternoon showers, and days were almost always sunny and hot.
I live in Kaimuki near Diamond Head, which is especially dry and hot.
It rained so much several areas flooded, being on top of a hill I didn't have to worry about it.
It even hailed in parts of the windward side near Kailua and supposedly on this side in Hawaii Kai too.
I also heard that there was supposed to be some snow on the biggest mountain on Big Island.
Apparently people try to ride sleds and stuff when it does this.

There was so much runoff from the rain that Hanuama Bay has been closed, where I went snorkeling a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad I went when I did because I imagine the visibility is not what it was now and won't be for awhile til all the rain, mud, and debris washes out.

Lightning is also a pretty rare sight in Hawaii, but when it strikes, you know.
A few strikes woke me wide awake during the first couple of nights of the storm.
My window was open and my apartments faces the mountains. The clap seems to boom twice, not sure if it is the echo off the mountains or what, but it is especially loud. Another strike I saw as I was waiting for the bus to go home after work was followed 5 seconds later by a loud clap that sounded like someone shooting a gun off near my ear.



A place near work called "Kava" has good sandwiches made with pink "Guava Bread".



The buses ran extremely slow and were extra packed during rush hour this week.
It can get so packed you can barely move, very unpleasant.







Note the rescue surfboard.

a little update

I officially start my job tomorrow, finally. 

Last Friday was the original start date, but they were too busy to train, so the start date was postponed til Monday.

No problem, since they insisted on paying me for a day's work anyway. 

I put the extra time to good use by spending the day at the beach. 

Hardest money I've ever earned. 

There's a little church in the neighborhood of Kahala down the hill south of me called Wesley United Methodist that I've gone to two weeks in a row. 

Only in Hawaii will you see people at church in board shorts. 

Diamond Head Beach

Diamond Head is a protected area just a few miles away from Waikiki.
The top of the mountain is a volcano crater.
The base is a a beautiful beach.



The beach is a state park as well as the crater.
This means no giant hotels, condos, boats, docks.
I prefer beaches like this.


While there is no denying Waikiki's beauty, it is just too damn crowded.
You are literally elbow to elbow with people laying out.
There's a busy street nearby emitting sounds of mopeds, honking horns, blaring sirens.
Good luck catching a wave without 6 other people fighting you for it.
Honestly, I'd rather spend a day at South Padre Island than Waikiki.
The beaches of the gulf on the mainland are so wide that you have all the space you could ever want. Take advantage.

The land around Diamond Head reminds me a lot of the Texas Hill Country during the summer. Dry and rocky. Specifically it reminds me a lot of Lake Travis in Austin.
It doesn't rain much in this area. Very hot and dry. I love how it reminds me of Texas in the summer.







There are nice swells on some days if you don't mind paddling really far out. Also the wind is usually pretty strong from the east here, so windsurfing is also an option.
There is some good snorkeling around the reef but you won't see anyone doing it besides me, unless they're spearfishing. The current is quite strong and the reef is very shallow in most spots.
Some mean looking spiky sea urchins call this area home.
There are also many beautiful fish to swim with if you know where to go. Not like Hanauma bay but still amazing for a public beach. The fish aren't quite as used to humans as those in H bay, one little guy saw me approach yesterday and darted behind a rock, only to peek his little fish face out from the side a few seconds later to see if I was still there. He quickly put his tiny fins in reverse to move back behind the rock.

DH is great if you're seeking solitude and peace and quiet. A lot of people come here by themselves to read, meditate and whatnot. The hillside backs up to the beach and features nothing but a couple of showers and a trail. Big million dollar homes are on either side of the beach.
This is where I would go to get away after a day of job hunting in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu.
No noise, no traffic, just the waves. You can hear yourself think or listen to music without loud boats or tour guides yelling out to recruit people. It doesn't seem like many people know about it or care to go.
I've only been by myself. My friends seem to prefer the busier beaches.
Most tourists that come here quarantine themselves in Waikiki beach, which is fine by me. It's nice being able to lay out without them walking by and kicking sand in your face.

If you want to see the rare and endangered Hawaiian monk seal, DH is your best bet. They beach themselves here to sleep. There are only 1300 Hawaiian monk seals remaining.
I had seen the signs warning about the sleeping seals but never saw one the first dozen or so times going there. Then one day right at the end of the path from the street to the beach I saw this guy:

Dead? Nah, just sleeping. 

The government takes their presence on the beach very seriously. It is a state and federal crime to disturb them while they sleep.
If one is spotted, some agency comes up and puts on do not disturb signs as well as a little barrier.
Try crossing this barrier if you dare and the whole beach will yell at you. I saw some guy dumb enough to try to approach the seal and just about everyone yelled at him.

The second seal I've ever seen at Diamond Head. This one was much larger.

The seals hardly move when they're sleeping, you can barely tell they're alive by watching them breathe.
Every now and then they'll roll over and stretch out their flipper.
The one guy in the picture up above was enormous. He had green markings all over his face from munching on algae though judging by his size it appears fish are the main staple of his diet.
If I were a seal, I'd much prefer this life than that of a SeaWorld seal. Swim, eat, sleep on the beach whenever I want, or perform stupid tricks for humans all day according to their schedule?

Local memorial 

Monument dedicated to Amelia Earhart, first person to fly solo from Hawaii to North America in 1933.

There's a jogging trail that runs around the base of the crater at the top of the hill over the beach.
Lots of people make good use of it. Sometimes I skip the bus and ride my bike to enjoy views like this:

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

Hanuama Bay is a volcano crater that flooded some 30,000 years ago and now opens to the ocean.

This beach is the epitome of visual paradise.
There is a large living coral reef in the bay and is home to many different kinds of marine life.
Obviously this made for some awesome fishing and because of that led to the area becoming a nature preserve and a marine life conservation district. The reef is very shallow except in the parts that were blown up with dynamite to install a transoceanic telephone line back in the 50's.
One must be careful in shallow reef to avoid spots where the tide rises and falls quickly. At one point you can be 5 feet above the reef, then a second later only an inch above as the tide rolls out.
If you ever get cut by coral, the wounds take awhile to heal since the coral is a living creature and has bacteria on it, the wounds almost always get infected.
The entrance fee is 7.50 to get in, free for locals or military.
You are forced to watch a 10 minute movie on the history of the bay and the do's and do not's of snorkeling the reef.

Remember the Elvis movie "Blue Hawaii"? The scene where Elvis, having just returned from a military assignment in Paris, brings his girlfriend a French bikini was filmed here.
She gets in the water and loses her top in the waves, a little dog finds it and retrieves it to the beach, leaving the girl afraid to come out of the water without her top on. Hundreds of movies and television shows have been filmed in Hawaii. I'll include the list of each one at the bottom of the page. You'll probably recognize most of them.

Elvis Presley relaxing in between scenes at Hanauma Bay

The land surrounding the bay is said to resemble the body of a lizard. Can you spot its head?

And the tail?

You can pay to rent snorkeling equipment or bring your own. 

I brought my own. Snorkels have come a long way. Remember when they were just large plastic straws with a rubber mouthpiece? They now make them fully submersible with silicone mouthpieces. No more breathing in ocean water. Mine has a little plastic piece on top that pivots closed and seals onto a round rubber piece when submerged. The flippers I bought are a dual composite of rubber and plastic, full foot coverage with vented blades for extra efficiency. 

I swam out and instantly saw some of the most beautiful neon colored tropical fish grazing on the algae. 

The fish didn't seem to mind the presence of humans very much, I guess they get used to them being around 6 days a week. The bay closes every Tuesday to allow the fish a human free feeding day. 

I really wish I had an underwater camera to share with you all the different species of fish I had the pleasure of swimming with. 

Remember "Gil" from "Finding Nemo"? He was there. I hadn't yet seen many tropical fish in Hawaii since most of the beaches I've been too our so tourist heavy and have mostly dead coral. The last time I saw this many fish was off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in Manzanillo. I did snorkel Waikiki when I first got here. I saw 2 whole fish swimming together there. I think they were lost. 

I paddled further out over a reef with a steep drop off. Once at the the edge, I peered into a little cove only to spot what I've been looking for since I arrived: A Hawiian sea turtle! There it was just grazing on the algae. It didn't seem to mind my presence so I swam around it pretty closely and observed it for a good 10 minutes. What an experience. I love the way they glide through the water, and maintain their position despite the currents with slight adjustments of their flippers. 

During one surfacing I overheard an Australian couple a fellow snorkeler if they knew where to spot a turtle. 

The guy said he didn't know, but that they were in the area the tour guide told him was best for spotting sea turtles. I hollered to them to come over thisaway if they wanted to see a turtle. 

After surfacing again I noticed a large beak breaching the water about two feet away. I swam over to investigate and there about 5 feet away in a cove was a massive sea turtle. This one was at least twice as big as the first. From flipper to beak he was as long as my torso. His shell was a dull grey and not as green as the first so I'm not sure if he was of the same species. What a beast this guy was. I'm sure he could have fit my whole hand into his mouth if he wanted. His back flipper looked almost as long as my size 13 foot. I noticed a silver metal tag attached to his back flipper, probably a way for marine biologists to identify him. 

After I was done observing him I pointed to the Australian couple to come take a look. 

As I swam back I saw two other green Hawaiian sea turtles, smaller than the first and giant second one. 

I'll get an underwater camera soon and go back so I can share with you all the different species. So many different varieties and colors in one bay. 

These pictures were taken on a day the whole island was overcast. 

Here's what Hanauma Bay looks like on a sunny day: 

Elvis and Priscilla Presley vacationing at Hanauma Bay 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – 2011

Battleship – 2010

A Perfect Getaway – 2009

Princess Kaiulani – 2009

Avatar – 2009

Forgetting Sarah Marshall – 2008

Tropic Thunder – 2008

Pipeline – 2006

The Big Bounce – 2004

2003

50 FIRST DATES; Columbia Pictures; Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore; Oahu.

50 First Dates

THE HULK; Universal Pictures; Eric Bana; Maui.

EMBRACING MANA; Toho Films (Japan); Iayoko Kawahara; Big Island.

THE UNTITLED HAMBURG PROJECT; Universal Pictures; Ben Stiller, Debra
Messing; Oahu.

2002

THE BIG BOUNCE; Shangra-La Entertainment; Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman;
Oahu.

CHARLIE’S ANGELS II – FULL THROTTLE; Columbia Pictures; Cameron Diaz,
Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu; 2nd unit, Oahu.

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW; 20th Century Fox; Dennis Quaid; Big Island

HELLDORADO; Universal Pictures; Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Christopher
Walken; Oahu.

TEARS OF THE SUN (formerly the “Untitled Willis/Fuqua Project”); Revolution
Studios/Cheyenne Enterprises; Bruce Willis, Monica Belucci; Oahu, plate
shots on Kauai.

BLUE CRUSH; Universal Studios/Imagine Entertainment; Kate Bosworth, Faizon
Love; Oahu.

FINAL EXAM; Hawaii Filmwerks; Brent Huff, KariWuhrer; Big Island.

KAPU; Hawaii Filmwerks; Big Island

DIE ANOTHER DAY; 20TH James Bond film; MGM; Pierce Brosnan; opening
sequence; Maui.

2001

LILO & STITCH; Walt Disney Pictures; animated; voices of Daveigh Chase, Jason
Scott Lee; Tia Carrere; Kauai and Oahu.

THE TIME MACHINE; Dreamworks/WB; Guy Pearce; Kauai.

DRAGONFLY; NDE Productions; Kevin Costner; Kauai.

PLANET OF THE APES; 20th Century Fox; Mark Wahlberg; Big Island.

FINAL FANTASY; Columbia Pictures; computer animated; produced by Square USA;
Oahu.

PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE; Revolution Studios; Adam Sandler; Oahu.

THE RIDE; Third Reef Pictures; Scot Davis, Sean Kaawa; Oahu.

2000

THE NIGHT MARCHERS; Cousins Brothers Productions; Blake and Brent Cousins;
Big Island.

THE TESTAMENTS (formerly titled Legacy II); Deseret Media; IMAX docudrama
for LDS; Kauai.

WAIKIKI: IN THE WAKE OF DREAMS; FilmWorks; documentary; Edgy Lee,
writer-producer.

JURASSIC PARK III; Universal/DreamWorks; Sam Niell, Tea Leoni; Kauai, Oahu,
Molokai.

WINDTALKERS; MGM; Nicolas Cage, Christian Slater, Adam Beach; Oahu.

TO END ALL WARS; Argyll Film Partners; Keifer Sutherland; Kauai.

PEARL HARBOR; Jerry Bruckheimer/MichaelBay/Disney; Ben Affleck; Oahu.

1999

THE BIG SHOW; Cinequannon Prods.; Japanese musical by Shigeru Muroi; Oahu.

OFF THE LIP; Abandoned Pictures; Robert Michelson, pdcr/dir; Maui.

1998

MOLOKAI: The True Story of Father Damien; ERA Films (Belgium); David
Wenham and Peter O’Toole; Molokai & Oahu.

MOONGLOW; Latitude 20 Pictures; Joe Moore and Milo O’Shea; Oahu.

1997

PANIOLO O HAWAII, COWBOYS OF THE FAR WEST; FilmWorks; documentary;
Edgy Lee, writer-producer.

6 DAYS/7 NIGHTS; Touchstone Pictures; Harrison Ford and Anne Heche; Kauai.

DINOSAURS, Walt Disney Pictures; animated feature; Big Island, Maui and Kauai.

CITY OF ANGELS; Atlas Entertainment; Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan; Oahu.

RETURN TO SAVAGE BEACH, Skyhawk Films; Maui.

GODZILLA; TriStar Pictures; Matthew Broderick and Hank Azaria; Oahu.

LANI LOA--THE HEAVENLY PASSAGE; Chrome Dragon Films; Angus MacFadyen
and Ray Bumatai; Big Island.

SPHERE; Warner Bros., Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone; Oahu.

KRIPPENDORF'S TRIBE; Touchstone Pictures; Richard Dreyfuss and Lily Tomlin;
Oahu and Big Island.

RACE TO THE VOLCANO; Angel Grove Productions; Mighty Morphin Power
Rangers; Maui.

MIGHTY JOE YOUNG; Walt Disney Pictures; Bill Paxton; Kauai and Oahu.

MEET...THE DEEDLES; Walt Disney Pictures; Dennis Hopper, Oahu.

1996

A VERY BRADY SEQUEL; Parmount Pictures; Shelley Long, Gary Cole, and Tim
Matheson; Oahu.

BEYOND PARADISE (originally titled KAMA'AINA); Brickwood Galuteria; Oahu
and Big Island.

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE; Walt Disney Pictures; Brendan Fraser and Leslie
Mann; Oahu and Kauai.

THE LOST WORLD; Universal Studios; Jeff Goldblum; Kauai.

IN GOD'S HANDS; Big Wave Productions, directed by Zalman King; Oahu & Maui.
GANG RELATED; Orion Pictures; Lela Rochon; Oahu.

1995

RACE THE SUN; Tri-Star/Sony; Jim Belushi, Halle Berry, Joseph Cho, Anthony
Ruivivar, Adriane Uganiza; Oahu.

THEN THERE WERE NONE; Hawaiian history documentary; Elizabeth Lindsey,
writer/producer.

1994

WATERWORLD; MCA/Universal City Studios; Kevin Costner and Jeanne
Tripplehorn; Big Island.

UNDER THE HULA MOON; Jersey Born Pictures; Stephen Baldwin, Emily Lloyd,
Chris Penn; Oahu.

OUTBREAK; Warner Brothers; Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman and Rene Russo;
Kauai.

BORN TO BE WILD; Fine Animal Productions/Warner Brothers; Helen Shaver, Peter
Boyle and Wil Horneff; Oahu.

DON JUAN DeMARCO; Juno Pictures; Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando and Faye
Dunaway; Oahu.

1993

NORTH; Rob Reiner - Castle Rock Pictures; Bruce Willis, Elijah Wood, Jason
Alexander, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Kauai.

AIRBORNE; Icon Productions; Marty Thomas, Shane McDermott and Seth Green;
Oahu.

EXIT TO EDEN; Savoy Pictures; Dana Delany, Paul Mercurio, Dan Aykroyd and
Rosie O'Donnell; Lanai.

PICTURE BRIDE; A Thousand Cranes Filmworks; Toshiro Mifune, Yuki Kudoh,
Akira Takayama, Tamlyn Tomita, and Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa; Oahu.

1992

NEMESIS; Greenleaf Productions; Oliver Gruner, Tim Thomerson and Cary
Hiroyuki-Tagawa; Big Island.

JURASSIC PARK; Steven Spielberg - Amblin Entertainment; Laura Dern, Jeff
Goldblum, Sam Neill and Sir Richard Attenborough; Kauai.

SLIVER; Paramount; Sharon Stone and William Baldwin; Big Island. (Hawaii
footage deleted in final edit.)

SURF NINJAS OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA; Katja Motion Picture Corp.; Oahu and
Maui.

1991

WIND; Filmlink International Zoetrope Studios; Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey and
Cliff Robertson; Oahu.

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS; CastleRock; James Caan, Sarah Jessica Parker and
Nicholas Cage; Kauai.

GOODBYE PARADISE; Latitude 20 Pictures; Joe Moore and Pat Morita; Oahu.

UNDER SIEGE; Steven Segal; Oahu.

HOOK; ILM; Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts; Kauai.

HARD HUNTED; November Down Company.

DO OR DIE; November Down Company/Malibu Bay Films; Drew Sidaris; Molokai.

1990

POINT BREAK; Largo Entertainment; Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves; Oahu.

HAWAII: BORN INTO PARADISE; Hawaii Research Productions; IMAX Film.

WISHMAN; Wishman Productions.

1989

SAVAGE BEACH; Sidaris Productions; Molokai.

FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER; Paramount; Willem Dafoe, Danny Glover and
Rosanna Arquette; Kauai.

LORD OF THE FLIES; Castle Rock Pictures; Kauai.

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO; Warner Brothers; Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan; Oahu.

1988

FISTS OF STEEL; Sanford Entertainment; Carlos Palomino and Marianne Marks.

POLYNESIAN ODYSSEY; IMAX Films.

TRAVELS WITH SAZAE-SAN; Producer Kiyoshi Suzuki; Keiko Takeshita, Haruko
Kato and Midori Kuichi; Kauai.

1987

NORTH SHORE; Pipeline Productions; Gregory Harrison; Turtle Bay Hilton, Oahu.

THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN; Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal; Kauai.

FAREWELL TO THE KING; Orion pictures; Nick Nolte.

HAWAIIAN DREAM; New Century Producers (Japan).

PICASSO TRIGGER; Picasso Trigger (A. Sedaris); Molokai.

1986

ISLANDS OF THE ALIVE; Larco; Mike Moriarty; Kauai.

HARD TICKET TO HAWAII; Hard Ticket Company (A. Sedaris); Molokai.

1985

KARATE KID II; Columbia Pictures; Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio; Oahu.

BLACK WIDOW; 20th Century Fox; Debra Winger; Big Island.

1984

RADIOACTIVE DREAMS; Radioactive Dreams Productions, Inc.; Hawaii.

HANAUMA BAY; Hanauma Bay Productions; Oahu.

1983

UNCOMMON VALOR; Paramount Productions; Gene Hackman; Kauai.

BEHOLD HAWAII; MacGillivray-Freeman Productions; IMAX; Blaine Kia and
Kimo Kahoano; Kauai.

1981

BODY HEAT; Warner/Ladd; William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Richard Crenna;
Kauai.

BUDDY BUDDY; MGM; Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon; Oahu.

1980

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK; Lucas-Spielberg Productions; Harrison Ford; Kauai.

1979

THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED; Irwin Allen, Paul Newman and William Holden;
Big Island.

FINAL COUNTDOWN; UA; Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen and Katherine Ross.
LAST FLIGHT OF NOAH'S ARK; Walt Disney; Elliot Gould and Ricky Schroeder;
Kauai.

"10"; Warner Brothers; Dudley Moore and Bo Derek; Oahu.

ROUGH CUT; Paramount/David Merrick; Burt Reynolds and David Niven.

1978

GOING COCONUTS; Donnie and Marie Osmond.

MAUI; feature film.

SEVEN; A. Sedaris Films; feature film.

INVITATION FROM BEACH; Japanese feature film.

1977

DAMIEN; PHA; Don Murray, Writer-director; Padre, Humberto Almazan; Oahu.

THE DEEP; Columbia/EMI; Jacqueline Bisset, Nick Nolte, and Robert Shaw.

ACAPULCO GOLD; Mar Vista; Marjoe Gortner; Robert Lansing and Ed Nelson;
Kauai.

ISLANDS IN THE STREAM; Connaught-Paramount; George C. Scott; Kauai.

1976

HOT LIPS AND INNER TUBES; Yuri Farrant; surfing movie.

MIDWAY; Universal; Charleton Heston, Henry Fonda and Toshiro Mifune.

KING KONG; Paramount-Dino DeLaurentis; Jessica Lange, Jeff Bridges and Charles
Grodin; Napali, Kauai.

SUNDANCE; Carl Mastalka; surfing movie.

1975

ALOHA MEANS GOODBYE; James Franciscus and Sally Struthers; Oahu.

GOIN' SURFING; MacGillivray and Freeman; Oahu.

1974

CASTAWAY COWBOY; Buena Vista; James Garner and Vera Miles; Kauai.

HE IS MY BROTHER; Cinema Financial of America; Kathy Paulo and Bobby
Sherman.

1973

PAPILLON; Allied Artists; Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen; Maui.

1970

THE HAWAIIANS; United Artists; Charleton Heston; Maui and Kauai.

TORA! TORA! TORA!; 20th Century Fox; Jason Robards, Martin Balsam and Joseph
Cotton; Oahu.

1968

LOST FLIGHT; Universal Studios; Billy Dee Williams; Lloyd Bridges and Anne
Francis; Kauai.

KONA COAST; Warner Brothers; Richard Boone and Vera Miles.

YOAKE NO FUTARI (Rainbow over the Pacific, in Japanese); Shochiku Yukio;
Kauai.

LOVERS AT DAWN; Mirisch Productions; (in Japanese); Kauai.

1967

BIKINIS IN PARADISE; Cinema 3; local cast.

HAWAII NO IKIRU (Life in Hawaii, in Japanese).

1966

LT. ROBIN CRUSOE, USN.; Buena Vista; Dick Van Dyke, Nancy Kwan; Kauai.
HAWAII ESCAPADE; Tiare Wood.

TIKO AND THE SHARK; MGM; Marlene Among and Al Kaue.

PARADISE, HAWAIIAN STYLE; Paramount; Elvis Presley; Oahu.

THE ENDLESS SUMMER; Bruce Brown; documentary; Oahu.

HAWAII; United Artists; Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow; Oahu and Kauai.

1965

NONE BUT THE BRAVE; Warner Brothers; Frank Sinatra and Clint Walker; Kauai.

IN HARM'S WAY; Paramount; John Wayne and Kirk Douglas; Oahu.

OPERATION ATTACK; Selmur Production; Kauai.

ALOHA; Lea Productions; Amalia Fuentes and Romeo Vasques; (in Tagalog).

1964

RIDE THE WILD SURF; Columbia; Fabian, Tab Hunter, Shelly Fabares; Oahu.

1963

DIAMOND HEAD; Columbia; Charlton Heston; Big Island and Kauai.

HONOLULU-TOKYO-HONG KONG

GILLIGAN'S TRAVEL; United Artists; Bob Denver; Jim Backus; Kauai.

YOUNG GUY IN HAWAII (HAWAII NO WAKADAISHO); (in Japanese).

DONOVAN'S REEF; Paramount; John Wayne; Kauai.

THREE GENTS IN HAWAII

UNLUCKY LUCK

ALOHA, THREE GENTS

RAMPAGE; Warner Brothers; Robert Mitchum; Big Island.

1962

SANGA ARI; Shochiku; Hideko Takamine; (in Japanese).

GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!; Paramount; Elvis Presley; Oahu.

1961

SLIPPERY WHEN WET

GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN; Columbia; James Darren.

SEVEN WOMEN FROM HELL; 20th Century Fox; Denise Darcel; Kauai.

BLUE HAWAII; Paramount; Elvis Presley; Kauai and Oahu.

DEVIL AT FOUR O'CLOCK; Columbia; Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra; Maui.

1960

WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY; Columbia; Jack Lemmon; Ricky Nelson; Kauai.

1958

SOUTH PACIFIC; 20th Century Fox; Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor; Kauai.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA; Warner Bros; Spencer Tracy; Big Island; Oahu.

TWILIGHT FOR THE GODS; Universal; Rock Hudson and Cyd Charisse; Maui and
Oahu.

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE; Stanley Warner Cinema; travelogue; Waikiki, Oahu.

SURF SAFARI

SHE GODS OF SHARK REEF; American International; Don Durant and Lisa
Montell; Kauai.

GHOST OF THE CHINA SEA; Columbia; David Brian.

1957

THE ENEMY BELOW; 20th Century Fox; Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens.

FORBIDDEN ISLAND; Columbia; John Hall; Kauai.

NAKED PARADISE; American International Pictures and Sunset Producitons;
Richard Denning, Beverly Garland and Lisa Montell; Kauai.

VOODOO ISLAND; United Artists; Boris Karloff and Beverly Tyler; Kauai.

JUNGLE HEAT; Bel-Air/United Artists; Lex Barker and Mari Blanchard; Kauai.

1956

THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER; 20th Century Fox; Jane Russell and Richard
Egan; Oahu.

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL; 20th Century Fox; Robert Wagner, Terry Moore,
Broderick Crawford and Buddy Ebsen; Kauai.

THE LIEUTENANT WORE SKIRTS; 20th Century Fox; Tom Ewell, Sheree North
and Rita Moreno; Oahu.

FLIGHT TO HONG KONG; United Artists; Rory Calhoun and Dolores Donlon;
Oahu.

BEACH HEAD; Audrey Schenck Production; Tony Curtis; Kauai.

1955

MR. ROBERTS; Warner Brothers; Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon and James Cagney;
Oahu.

THE SEA CHASE; Warner Brothers; John Wayne and Laura Turner; Big Island.

UNDERWATER; RKO-Radio; Jane Russell and Gilbert Roland; Big Island and Oahu.

THE ETERNAL SEA; Republic; Sterling Hayden, Dean Jagger and Alexis Smith;
Pearl Harbor, Oahu.

1954

THE CAINE MUTINY; Columbia Pictures; Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson, Fred
MacMurray and Jose Ferrer; (aboard ship).

MISS SADIE THOMPSON; Columbia Pictures; Rita Hayworth and Jose Ferrer;
Kauai.

HELL'S HALF ACRE; Republic; Wendall Corey; Evelyn Keyes and Elsa Lanchester;
Oahu.

THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY; Warner Brothers; John Wayne, Robert Stack and
Claire Trevor.

HAWAII CHINDOCHU (UNUSUAL TRIP TO HAWAII); Sadao Sugihara/Shintoku
Studio; Chiemi Eri, Yoshio Tabata, Shunji Sakai; Oahu and Kauai.

1953

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY; Columbia Pictures; Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra,
Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed; Oahu.

HAWAII NO YORU (HAWAIIAN NIGHT); Shintoho; Koji Tsuruta, Keiko Kishi;
Oahu; Neighbor Islands.

1952

BIG JIM McLAIN; Warner Brothers; John Wayne and James Arness; Oahu.

1951

BIRD OF PARADISE; 20th Century Fox; Jeff Chandler, Debra Paget and Louis
Jordan; Big Island, Oahu and Kauai.

OPERATION PACIFIC; Warner Brothers; John Wayne and Patricia Neal; Oahu.

1950

PAGAN LOVE SONG; MGM; Esther Williams and Howard Keel; Kauai.

DAMIEN; Hawaiian Productions, Ltd.; Russell Collins; Molokai and Oahu.

1948

MILLION DOLLAR WEEKEND; Eagle-Lion; Gene Raymond and Francis Lederer.

1945

HAWAIIAN MEMORIES; Bud Browne, producer.

1943

THE BIG SURF; Bud Browne, producer.

1942

SONG OF THE ISLANDS; 20th Century Fox; Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Jack
Oakie; Big Island.

1940

SOUTH OF PAGO PAGO; United Artists; Victor McLagen and Frances Farmer; Big
Island.

KARAYO; (in Ilocano); Katy Evangelio and Faustino Gambra; Oahu.

LINGLINGAY; Madolora Cabalora Amusements; Max Velasco, FelisaCatalona, Rose
Labrador. (Musical)

1938

HAWAII CALLS; RKO; Bobby Breen; Maui and Oahu.

HAWAIIAN BUCKAROO; 20th Century Fox; Smith Ballew and Evalyn Knapp;
Parker Ranch, Big Island.

1937

WAIKIKI WEDDING; Paramount; Bing Crosby, Martha Raye and Anthony Quinn,
Oahu.

LOVERS IN HAWAII'S PARADISE; Hoshi Reiko, Sugi Kyoji, Shima Koji

1935

NAVY WIFE; 20th Century Fox; Claire Trevor and Ralph Bellamy; Oahu.

CURLY TOP; Shirley Temple.

1934

FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE; Paramount; Claudette Colbert and Herbert
Marshall; Big Island.

1933

HELL BELOW; MGM; Robert Montgomery, Walt Huston and Jimmy Durante; Pearl
Harbor, Oahu.

WHITE HEAT; Seven Seas (J.D. Trop); Virginia Cherrill, Mona Maris, Hardie
Albright, David Newell; Kauai.

1932

BIRD OF PARADISE; RKO; Dolores Del Rio and Joel McCrea; Oahu.

1931

THE BLACK CAMEL; 20th Century Fox; Warner Oland, Bela Lugosi and Robert
Young; Oahu.

1930

FEET FIRST; Paramount; Harold Lloyd and Barbara Kent; Oahu.

ALOHA HAWAII; Lawrence Barber, Libby Keanini, Winona Love; Big Island and
Oahu.

1929

HIS CAPTIVE WOMAN; First National Pictures; Milton Sills and Dorothy Mackaill;
Big Island.

THE KAMAAINA; Junior League of Honolulu; Kinau Wilder McVay, Jack Walker
and Harold Dillingham; Oahu.

1925

DANGEROUS INNOCENCE; Universal; Laura La Plante and Jean Heersholt.

1923

VENGEANCE OF THE DEEP; American Releasing Corp.; Richard Arlen; Oahu.

THE WHITE FLOWER; Famous Players-Lasky; Betty Compsen and Edmund Lowe;
Big Island and Oahu.

1922

THE BONDED WOMAN; Paramount; Betty Compson, John Boles, Richard Dix.

1921

PASSION FRUIT; Metro Studio; Doraldina, Edward Earle, Stuart Holmes; Oahu.

THE BLACK LILY; Hawaiian Motion Picture Co.; Peggy Aldrich and J.J. Banks;
Oahu.

1919

A FALLEN IDOL; Fox; Evelyn Nesbit, Thelma Parker.

1918

THE HIDDEN PEARLS; Paramount; Sessue Hayakawa; Big Island and Oahu.

1916

KAOLULOLANI; Aloha Film Co.; Ned Steel and Helen Holmes.

1914

THE NATION'S PERIL; William Crawford and Marie Walcamp; Oahu.

1913

HAWAIIAN LOVE and THE SHARK GOD; Universal; Virginia Brissac and James
Dillon; two 1-reelers; first Hollywood production in Hawaii; Oahu.