Polynesian Cultural Center
Gee, it's rains every single #@%*ing day.

We walked down to the International Bazaar or whatever it's called to buy overpriced trinkets. Fluffy bought a slipper necklace (and one for Lauren, too). Scooter finally got a necklace, but not kukui nuts or puka shells. The vendor was kind of B.S.ing us until I said I was from Maui. Then she said the puka shells are really clam shells. And she dropped the price for us. By then Scooter decided he didn't want puka shells and got this other shell necklace that looks kind of like broken pieces of shells. Maybe it reminds him of shark teeth. He's always intrigued by shark tooth necklaces.

We headed out to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, and took the scenic route, around Hawaii Kai. Around the Crouching Lion it started to rain really hard. Since we had already paid a fortune for tickets, there was no way we were going to turn back. The scenic route took longer than Guido thought (even though I told him it would take a long time), and we got to PCC kinda late.

There's a bunch of villages, and each village has activities and shows at set times. It's impossible to see all the shows, do the activities and see the IMAX movies if you're also planning to do the luau. You can use your pass to come back within three days, but realistically, how many tourists are going to drive all the way out there again.

Anyway, one of the guides was nice enough to tell us to make sure we visited the Marquesas since that island group wouldn't be featured in the night show. We also visited Samoa, where Scooter and Fluffy learned how to make fire by rubbing two sticks together. (It really does work, but the trick is to use two pieces from the SAME TREE and peel the bark off the sticks.) And we visited Tonga.

We threw spears at a coconut tree, and Fluffy and Scooter went fishing. Scooter caught a big fish.

The luau was pretty good. I always wondered how they cook a whole pig without it falling apart under all those rocks. Duhhh... They wrap it in chicken wire and put it on TOP of the hot rocks and cover the whole thing with banana leaves. Neat.

The night show was really good. Fluffy was literally sitting on the edge of her seat. Of course, everyone went wild when the Tahitian dancers came out. Scooter loved the fire dancer (of course). I'm always partial to the Hawaiian dancers.

We drove home through town instead. I am so lame. Is it Likelike Highway or Pali Highway where you go through the Wilson Tunnel? Well, anyway, that's how we came home.