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ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"This guy went to public school, guaranteed.","type":"text"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Why you do not wanna get into a fight with a local guy</title>

da_local_haole offers words to keep living by in today's social media find.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Why you do not wanna get into a fight with a local guy

This guy went to public school, guaranteed. 

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Interisland and international travelers flying on Hawaiian Airlines, take note: changes are coming.

Daily supplemental service between Honolulu and Kahului take flight Oct. 3 on Alaska Airlines-branded 737-800 aircraft, Hawaiian 

dditional Neighbor Island passenger and cargo capacity connecting the company’s two largest Hawaiʻi hubs while helping maintain the schedule, reliability and frequency that residents, visitors and businesses depend on every day," the post reads.

Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

 and efforts to combine the two airlines are still underway.

"Right now, just given where we are with integration, that airplane has to stay in the Alaska brand, but it really is to make sure that we're giving as much capacity and flight frequency as we need to for our guests," Hawaiian Airlines CEO 

Although you'll see the 737 on three Honolulu-Kahului roundtrips, Hawaiian's fleet of 717 aircraft will continue to serve all Neighbor Islands with some 140 daily flights, the airline says, but adds that Hawaiian is set to retire its 717 fleet in 2028 and transition to a "more modern, Hawaiian Airlines-branded 737 Neighbor Island service" that will feature premium interiors and free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Also beginning Oct. 3, Neighbor Island guests must check in online or via the Alaska Hawaiian app and drop off checked bags at least 50 minutes before departure — up from 30 minutes.

Nearly all Hawaiian Airlines Neighbor Island travelers already check in 50 minutes before departure, and the earlier check-in will help improve baggage handling and support on-time departures," Hawaiian said in the online announcement.

According to the airline, guests traveling to Kahului on 737 aircraft will continue to check bags at Terminal 1, Lobby 3, using self-service bag-tag stations, while guests traveling from Kahului to Honolulu on the aircraft should visit Alaska's counters for check-in services and bag drop.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian is set to combine check-in and bag drop for all international departures at Terminal 2, Lobby 4, beginning on Oct. 3.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"More changes on the horizon"}]

 to invest in the premium travel experience for both the Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines brands.

For Hawaiian, that means new interiors for its A330 widebody aircraft, a fleet of 24 that serves destinations in Asia, Oceania and select North America routes, a recent announcement from the airline noted. That work begins in 2028 and includes 22 Leihōkū Suites for travelers on international business class and domestic first-class flights, that announcement noted. The updates are part of Hawaiian’s $600 million Kahu’ewai Hawai’i Investment Plan, which was 

As part of broader investments in core guest experiences, Alaska Air Group also will introduce premium reserve, a new premium economy cabin that debuts in 2028 on Alaska's 787-9, 787-10 and select 737-10 MAX aircraft, and on Hawaiian’s A330 fleet, “providing guests with more room, comfort and choice on longer flights,” the announcement said.

FUSE B717 over clouds

<title>More changes ahead for Hawaiian Airlines' interisland, international travelers</title>

Daily supplemental service between Honolulu and Kahului take flight Oct. 3 on Alaska Airlines-branded 737-800 aircraft, among other changes.

More changes ahead for Hawaiian Airlines' interisland, international travelers

Letters to the Editor

We respect the history of Kakaʻako and the cultural significance of the ʻāina, and we recognize the importance of treating this place, its history, and the people connected to it with care and respect.

That said, we were disappointed to see Waterfront Plaza in "

" portrayed in a manner that, in our view, does not fairly reflect the property, the people who work here, or the experience of the many tenants, visitors, and staff who have been part of this community over the years.

The article blends historical information with personal recollections, folklore, and a number of second- and third-hand accounts. We understand that stories about unusual experiences across Kaka'ako have circulated over the years, and we respect that individuals may have their own experiences and beliefs. However, there is an important distinction between documented history and personal accounts, hearsay, or folklore that has been passed from one person to another. Presenting those accounts together can leave readers with the impression that stories and personal recollections are established facts.

Waterfront Plaza is a place where people work, conduct business, visit, gather, and build community every day. Our tenants and their employees work hard to serve the public, and our staff work diligently to maintain a safe, welcoming, and professionally managed property. That part of the story deserves to be recognized as well.

We also believe that discussions about Kakaʻako should be approached with cultural awareness and respect for Hawaiian history and values. The history of the ʻāina, including the presence of iwi kūpuna and the traditional places associated with this area, deserves thoughtful and respectful treatment. That history carries a significance that goes far beyond the stories of the unexplained.

We are not interested in dismissing anyone’s personal experience, nor are we seeking to tell people what they should or should not believe. We simply believe readers deserve clarity about what is documented history, what is personal recollection, and what is folklore passed from one person to another.

Most importantly, we remain focused on our kuleana to the people who use and care for Waterfront Plaza every day — our tenants, their employees, our visitors, and our staff. We are proud of the work they do and of the community they have built here. 

I have personally had the privilege of working at Waterfront Plaza for 18 years. In that time, I witnessed firsthand the care, pride, aloha, and genuine commitment our staff bring to this place every day. I have seen the countless ways our team works to make sure our tenants, visitors, and guests feel welcomed, supported, and taken care of. There is another story here — one of people who care deeply about this property and the community that calls it home.

We hope that future coverage of Waterfront Plaza will reflect that same level of care, accuracy, balance, and respect.

It is unfortunate that, despite the meaningful work this property and our team do in the community, we find ourselves responding every few years to reporting that does not reflect the full story of who we are and what we contribute.

For example, our team has proudly participated in the Special Olympics for 17 years. More importantly than simply raising funds, we have helped build awareness, provide support, and champion an incredible organization and the athletes it serves. We have also hosted the Foodbank’s Fight for Hunger for more than 11 years, raising funds and awareness to help address hunger in our community.

Countless members of our management team have also served on various nonprofit boards and supported organizations throughout our community. We have worked with Voyager Public Schools in a number of ways, including fundraising and other initiatives that support its students and educational mission.

We also host an annual community cleanup and now partner with SALT to continue that effort each year, along with many other events and initiatives that bring people together and give back to our community.

These are the stories we believe are also part of Waterfront Plaza — stories of service, partnership, generosity, and people who genuinely care about making a positive difference in our community. 

Steven Sullivan, Asset Manager at The Shidler Group for Waterfront Plaza

Waterfront Plaza Rainbow Large

<title>Waterfront Plaza responds to "What Haunts Waterfront Plaza"</title>

Waterfront Plaza responds to "What Haunts Waterfront Plaza"

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Columnists

Government & Politics

Aloha State Daily received a press release today from a Mainland-based national interest group, U.S. Term Limits (USTL), letting us know that “2026 Hawai‘i state senate candidate, Wallyn Christian (District 13) has committed support for term limits on Congress by signing the term limits convention pledge.”

Why does this matter to that organization? “(USTL, the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation,” the statement says. “Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term limits on Congress.”

Term-limiting Congress is a popular idea, and USTL cites a 

 that, “An overwhelming majority of adults (87%) favor limiting the number of terms that members of Congress are allowed to serve. This includes a majority 56% who strongly favor this proposal, just 12% are opposed.”

The idea emerges often for local politicians, as well. Civil Beat has found public support for term limits to be as high as 70% in a 2018 poll of likely voters, a stat Honolulu Civil Beat resurfaced 

 of the lawmakers themselves to see where they stand on the idea of limiting their own time in office. “Nearly half of House members and more than a third of senators say they support term limits. There are enough undecideds in both chambers to give it a good shot if they held their position for two years,” CB found.

Respectfully, all of these people are wrong. Well intentioned, but they're aiming term limits at the wrong people.

I mean, I totally understand where the frustration is coming from. We elect people, nationally and locally, then are disappointed in their results. We could end their terms ourselves by simply not reelecting these people and yet obviously a lot of the people who say they want term limits do something very odd: They seem to reelect the lousy politicians they say they want to term limit.

You want to limit someone’s term? You’re just a month away from your next opportunity to vote for someone else!

So we’ve always had the power to fire politicians with every election, but don’t, then remain convinced that what we need is more turnover in government to make it more efficient, effective and responsive. Somebodies’ terms need limiting, but who?

Easy: The workforce. The bureaucrats. See, I want term limits, too, but I want them on the people staffing all the departments and agencies that we’re perpetually frustrated with. 

Consider, to cite just one example, how many different mayors you’ve seen over the past 20 or 30 years promise to reform the departments of planning and permitting in each county. The mayors have term limits. They come and go. Have any of them succeeded at this reform?

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has done more than any predecessor but there’s a long way still to go.

How many Hawai‘i governors — term-limited governors — have promised Hawai‘i a public education second to none? Which of them succeeded? Who is still in place, immune to reform?

What happens in real life is, candidates make bold promises of reform, we elect them, then they announce bold plans for reform and those plans run headfirst into a culture of unfirable civil servants shielded by union protections. These folks don’t even have to noisily and aggressively oppose the reform, all they have to do is … not do it. And wait. Four years later, or eight years later, their antagonist is gone, the staff remains, with its culture of job security over excellence safely intact.

[{"type":"text","text":"We, the taxpayers and voters, then sit around wondering what happened."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Two Hawai‘i’s"}]

What’s happened is simple: Since statehood, Hawai‘i’s people have steadily split into two camps, those who work for government and everybody else. The appeal of Government Hawai‘i is the security and benefits — lifelong employment, if you want it, totally protected from market forces and competition, with solid benefits like healthcare and retirement, paid for by the rest of us in Real Hawai‘i.

If you think the security and the bennies of government jobs are a trade-off to compensate for low pay, guess again. Government Hawai‘i earns more than Real Hawai‘i.

The annual average wage of a non-government job in Hawai‘i is 

 from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The average annual wage in state government? 

What does Real Hawai‘i get in return? One of the highest tax burdens in America for one thing, and then very little to brag about in high-quality government service. (

I would say that that two Hawai‘i’s have hardened into opposing camps, except that’s not exactly true. Government Hawai‘i drives an Us vs Them dynamic, that was never clearer to me than it was during Covid, when Government Hawai‘i showed us that it will shut the rest of down for years at a time given the slightest opportunity. It will also protect itself first, at the expense of the public is supposedly serves, as we see in the lingering effects of the schools closing for so long. That policy made no one safer, but it did mess up the kids. (And have you noticed ever since then, Government Hawai‘i takes the day off for even bad weather like it never did before, while the rest of us soldier on with our work?)

Out here in Real Hawai‘i, we grumble but otherwise settle for apathy (i.e., low voter turnout) or outright flight to states where it feels like a good life is more possible. I don’t know who Government Hawai‘i is going to tax when the last of us moves to Vegas.

With all that in mind, term limits on government service seem like the one revolution we haven’t tried, haven’t even discussed, but should. Say 10, 15 years max, total lifetime employment in government at any level. We want people to stay long enough to learn the ropes and finish things they’ve started, not so long that they just settle in and kill time until retirement.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The upsides:"}]

Breaks up all the pockets of resistance to change. Turnover would occur systemwide, one person at a time, as they age out. Reformers at the top have a chance building support in the workforce among newer staff.

[{"type":"text","text":"Brings in new people and new ideas in government at every level."}]

Opens up more opportunities for Government Hawai‘i and Real Hawai‘i to trade places and live in each other’s worlds. This may be the biggest upside — more of us would get a chance to feel like we had a chance to change the system from the inside and deliver the service we’ve always wanted, while more of them would be forced to realize that Real Hawai‘i is something more than subjects to be ruled and tax cows to be milked.

Forces a revolution in how government hires. Using Mayor Blangiardi again as an example, he’s talked about how it took people six months on average to get hired by the City & County of Honolulu when he assumed office. 

, he had cut that down to three months. Compared to the speed at which the private sector can hire, that’s still an eternity, and that would have to change immediately to deal with the kind of turnover we need.

(To be fair, government is not alone on this front. In my decade at Pacific Business News, I heard executives at Hawai‘i’s larger companies talk endlessly about a labor shortage. At the same time, I knew plenty of talented people who could not land great jobs. Something is seriously broken in the hiring process, and I suspect HR, especially using automated keyword-based filters on resumes, is to blame. Make Direct Hiring by Managers Great Again!)

Loss of expertise, I suppose, but we’ve seen what the accumulated expertise gets us: A chief elections officer who thought a lauhala basket suited the dignity of a Hawai‘i electoral tie-breaker and ended getting his office sued — successfully — and 

. Scott Nago has worked at the Office of Election for nearly 26 years, almost 17 of those years as its chief election officer. As Civil Beat 

, it’s just about the only place he has ever worked in his life. Well, in the private sector, you can lose your job for bungling things so badly you get sued. Under my plan, the private sector is where he would’ve been sent years ago. Had someone else, perhaps with a wider range of life experience, been at the helm, maybe that person would've made better decisions.

[{"type":"text","text":"So, OK, there are no downsides."}]

Term limits on government service. If you like this idea, spread the word. We’d be moving a mountain to make it happen. But that’s got to be better than carrying the mountain of Government Hawai‘i on our shoulders forever.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

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People take time out of their lives to participate in the democratic process by testifying before committee hearings. Too often, the committee isn't there.

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Pipikaula Corner: Invisible Legislators

It's not getting much media attention, but the private diaries of Dr. Anthony Fauci have been published online by Sen. Rand Paul in advance of his hearings this week into Fauci and Covid-19. What they reveal across thousands of pages is man in love with the adulation he received, who privately knew that many of things he said publicly about the pandemic were wild exaggerations.

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Pipikaula Corner: Fauci revealed as fear-mongering, fame-loving fraud

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Limiting the wrong terms</title>

It's an election year, and some people are running on the popular idea that legislators and Congress should have term limits to prevent lifers from working the system. ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier argues this is a great idea, with the wrong target. What if it's actually the government workforce itself that needs a term limit?

Pipikaula Corner: Limiting the wrong terms

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

The old Restaurant Row was built in 1988, and popular eateries like Studebaker’s and Black Orchid brought crowds to the plaza. As soon as you parked your car and got out, the mouth-watering smell of burgers and steaks overwhelmed your senses. Many of us remember shooting toothpicks through straws into the ceiling at Rose City Diner. We appreciated the assortment of restaurants open late after a night out. If you worked nearby, dinner at the Row was an easy choice.

But the success of Restaurant Row was short-lived as those restaurants, once popular, began closing their doors due to decreased traffic. Some attribute the slowdown to Aloha Tower Marketplace and Chinatown’s First Fridays. But no matter what the reason, we still have our memories.

[{"type":"text","text":"And our ghost stories."}]

Stories of Waterfront Plaza, as it’s now known, begin with the history of the land and what was there long ago. Before the highrises of modern Kaka‘ako were built, this area was part of a coastal landscape of wetlands, fishponds, and salt pans. As Honolulu grew and changed, the place names remind us of what was once there.

Ka‘ākaukukui is an ‘ili, or traditional land division, that was located makai (inland) of Kewalo and west of Kukuluāe‘o. Trails that crossed the region connected Kou (now Honolulu) and Waikīkī. By the time the 20th century rolled about, that landscape had virtually disappeared.

In 1900, the Honolulu Iron Works moved to a block of land at Ka‘ākaukukui. The company had become an important part of Hawaiʻi's sugar industry, manufacturing machinery for sugar mills in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere. At its height, the Iron Works employed approximately 1,500 workers, many of whom lived in Kakaʻako.

As the sugar industry eventually declined, so did the need for the mill parts that the Honolulu Iron Works manufactured. After closing its doors in 1973, its buildings were gradually converted to other uses before being demolished. The final warehouse was torn down in 1982.

In 1985, construction at the former Honolulu Iron Works site uncovered human skeletal remains. The burial pits were found less than three feet below the existing ground surface, within an older sand deposit. Archaeologists associated the burials with Kaʻākaukukui Cemetery, which was said to have been used from the 1700s into the early 1800s.

Today, after more than a century of urban development, there is no visible cemetery marking the site, but that doesn’t mean there are no lingering remnants. Iwi kūpuna, ancestral Native Hawaiian remains, associated with Kaʻākaukukui continue to be found during modern construction and utility work in Kakaʻako.

Perhaps it is no surprise that places with such histories can also become the setting for stories of the unexplained. Over the years, people who have worked in and around this area have reported encounters they could not easily explain.

, in 2005. Soon after, I did book signings where I also shared ghost stories. At one such occasion, a very tall Hawaiian woman in a business suit approached me and said she was a manager at Restaurant Row. She went on to say she was having trouble keeping security guards employed because they would quit after seeing ghosts and spirits in and around Restaurant Row, which happened at all hours, even in broad daylight.

“These are big, tough Sāmoan and Hawaiian security guards,” she emphasized.

According to this woman, the guards said they saw half-torso apparitions floating through the parking lot, or heard voices calling their names. Worse, they would see spirits of children, covered in bleeding sores.

I was shocked to hear this, as I remembered that my late boss, Glen Grant, talked about the same thing on his ghost tours and in his books.

The manager said there was also a woman they would find crying in the theater bathroom. She went on to say that customers and employees would hear the woman crying miserably in the stall. Security comes and knocks on the door, the door swings open, and a woman is squatting on the floor, covering her face with her two hands, just sobbing. The security guard asks what’s wrong, and the woman removes her hands, and she has no face.

“If this is happening during the day,” I asked. “Then what’s going on at night?”

“If a guard isn’t getting physically assaulted, then something follows them in their car,” she said.

The woman seemed more frustrated than scared because she needed guards day and night to patrol and protect the row. She left before I could get her contact information to follow up. The restaurants all changed, closed, or made way for other businesses, but I often wondered how they finally dealt with the hauntings.

A few years ago, I was doing a personal ghost tour for some staff and students from Hawaii Pacific University. They had just recently moved to their new location at the Waterfront Plaza. I met them near The Row bar, and when I heard about their move, I asked how they liked it so far.

[{"type":"text","text":"“We need it blessed,” they said. “It’s haunted.”"}]

Apparently, chairs move, computers turn on and off by themselves. The security company calls late at night because they can hear people in the offices talking, but no one is ever found. Someone even said that no one would be sitting at a computer station, but you can see the keys on the keyboard typing away.

I think they were surprised that I wasn’t phased at all by their descriptions. I just nodded and said that the place has been haunted since the beginning.

Waterfront Plaza

<title>What Haunts Waterfront Plaza</title>

Back in the day, when this complex was known as Restaurant Row, many of us enjoyed being pleasantly haunted by ’50s tunes at Rose City Diner or catching sight of celebrities at Black Orchid. But even then, some people were haunted by far more disturbing sights, perhaps owing to a cemetery that had been at the same location long ago.

What Haunts Waterfront Plaza

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

. One of Asia’s largest convenience store chains, CU’s first location in Hawai

i commemorates its debut in the United States.

 is located in downtown Honolulu at 1088 Bishop Street. The brand has more than 18,500 stores across South Korea and 730 locations globally.

The Honolulu store is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Here’s what you’ll find:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A gourmet line of grab-and-go dishes"}]

i partnered with local celebrity chef Sheldon Simeon to create a gourmet line of hot entrees. Its Ho‘ina line features popular grab-and-go items, ranging from kalbi and smoked ‘ahi onigiri to Simeon’s famous garlic noodles.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Onigiri, gimbap and more"}]

Speaking of onigiri, you’ll find flavors ranging from Spam mayo and baked salmon to kimchi rice Spam musubi and egg and karaage chicken. 

Gimbap options range from tuna mayo and egg to vegetable and beef bulgogi.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Popular Korean street food"}]

i offers popular Korean street foods and some viral snacks. The tornado potato — located in the hot foods section by the cash register — is a hot commodity.

The Yonsei cream buns (in the refrigerated section) are also a customer favorite, as are the Knotted vanilla cream donuts.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Exclusive snacks and customizable drinks"}]

Keep an eye out for CU’s exclusive PBick snacks like the churro cookies with chocolate sauce for dipping, crispy shrimp chips, chili butter corn chips and more.

The Delaffe station is also popular — customers can grab empty cups filled with ice, and proceed to make their own drinks using flavored pouches. Mixing and matching flavors is popular, and the iced coffee with banana-flavored milk came highly recommended.

Ramyun wall and a huge selection of instant ramen

i offers a huge selection of ramen, featured in a colorful “ramyun wall” display. Customers can purchase instant ramen and use the store’s cooking stations to prepare their meals on-site.

Simply scan the bowl’s barcode at the machine, and follow the labeled instructions to add hot water and seasoning packets.

The store also offers tteokbokki (a popular Korean dish consisting of rice cakes in a spicy red sauce) that customers can prepare.

There are a few standing tables — designed to look like large instant ramen cups — within the store, and a designated seating area outside.

CU Hawaii partnered with renowned local designer Sig Zane, who created exclusive design elements in the store. The CU Hawai

i x Sig Zane collab also features specialty products like stainless steel water bottles, totes and mugs.

Customers can also find lei from Lin’s Lei Shop and coffee from Island Vintage Coffee at the downtown Honolulu location.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Korean beauty products"}]

Of course, no Korean convenience store would be complete without K-beauty products. CU Hawai

i features everything from toners to moisturizing face masks.

CU Hawaii sign 111725

<title>Here’s what you’ll find at the new CU convenience store</title>

CU, one of Asia’s largest convenience store chains, recently celebrated the grand opening of its downtown Honolulu store. Here’s everything you’ll find, from a ramyun wall and Korean street food to exclusive snacks and Sig Zane x CU Hawaiʻi merchandise.

Here’s what you’ll find at the new CU convenience store

High above Waimea Bay, on the slope of Pūpūkea, stands Pu‘u o Mahuka, O‘ahu’s largest heiau. Overlooking Waimea Bay, it is generally dated to the 1600s, with phases of construction and alteration over time.

Oral tradition holds that this sacred landscape was used for long-distance spiritual communication. One account relates that Ali‘i Kahahana asked his kahuna, the great seer,  Ka‘opulupulu, to learn whether Kaua‘i would surrender to his invasion. Ka‘opulupulu first established Kūpopolo heiau near the shore of Waimea Bay. Presenting offerings and prayers, he sent his question to Kaua‘i, but received no answer. He then asked that a second heiau be built upon the ridge. When Pu‘u o Mahuka was completed, Ka‘opulupulu sent his message again from within the heiau. This time, he received an immediate reply. Kaua‘i wished for peace.

Given its position less than a hundred miles from the mouth of the Wailua River on Kaua‘i, many believe Pu‘u o Mahuka and Hikinaakalā, the heiau located there, were used for regular telepathic communication between kāhuna.

Pu‘u o Mahuka is also classified as a luakini heiau, where offerings, including animal and human sacrifice, were dedicated to Kū. However, one of the most famous sacrifices at this heiau was not a Hawaiian.

In 1792, Richard Hergest was in command of the 

, a merchant ship hired by the British government, on his way to meet up with Captain Vancouver’s expedition at Nootka Sound in the Pacific Northwest. A young astronomer by the name of William Gooch caught a ride on the 

arrived in Waimea, O‘ahu, an English deserter had taken refuge on the 

, an English West Indian ship, and convinced the captain to fire upon an O‘ahu ali‘i. The outcome caused Hawaiians in the area to be distrustful of British sailors.

Despite the advice of some Hawaiians on board the 

when they arrived at Waimea, Hergest, Gooch, and a Portuguese seaman named Manuel went ashore. The men were quickly taken by Pāhūpū, warriors whose bodies were tattooed black on one side, from head to toe. Local accounts say the three were brought to Pu‘u o Mahuka heiau and sacrificed.

While the views nowadays are spectacular, the mana here is palpable. However, this is not a place for casual rituals like charging your crystals (yes, it has been done before). It is a sacred site where strict kapu once governed life and death, and where the memory of those sacrificed endures.

A luakini heiau like Pu‘u o Mahuka is dedicated to Kū, the god of war. This dedication involved strict protocol to the extreme. The entire heiau, all of its occupants, and anyone in the vicinity were under kapu. From marching in procession for gathering materials to sitting in rows for hours at a time, every aspect of the dedication had to be in perfect order as ‘oli (chants) were recited and prayers were offered. Any deviation or mistake in protocol would mean instant death for the rule breaker, who was then added to the ritual offering. People of the surrounding area had to hide or make themselves scarce. There could be no noise. Even children and dogs must be kept silent until the kapu was lifted. The seriousness of such an undertaking and the effect it had on every person naturally leaves lasting emotional and spiritual residue that can still be felt today.

A man named Ryan messaged me a few years ago to share his story about a strange incident that had happened to him, his wife, and their friend. They were circling the island one day, doing touristy things, and turned up Pūpūkea Road. He then turned onto the first side street he saw. The lane ended in a small parking area. They thought it was a park at first, but before the engine was even off, Ryan’s wife went still.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Something’s not right,” she said."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Only then did they notice the sign, Pu‘u o Mahuka Heiau."}]

In the quiet daylight, the car radio clicked on by itself, and a voice sang, “Say what you need to say.”

Ryan said he started to panic, and he asked his wife what to do. His wife told them to pray, and they did so in silence. When he finished his prayer, Ryan eased the car into reverse and drove back to Pūpūkea Road. Since then, they have not returned. His wife said it felt like they did not belong, and they were grateful to leave as respectfully as they could.

In another, more recent account, Bill and his friend Tom drove up to Pūpūkea to photograph the winter surf at Waimea Bay. They spent a few hours at the overlook behind Pu‘u o Mahuka, taking pictures, talking story, relaxing. After sunset, with enough twilight left to make the short walk back, they packed up their things. The path was concrete, direct, and not very long. Yet as they walked toward the parking area, time seemed to stretch unnaturally. The darkness thickened, and they had to use the lights on their iPhones to see where they were going. With no cell service and their gear growing heavy, they stopped to rest.

Bill told Tom to wait while he scouted ahead. In less than two minutes, he reached the heiau, glanced to the right, and saw their car in the small parking lot. Relief swept over him. He turned and called for Tom, jogging back to the spot where they’d rested. But Tom was gone, and so were their things.

A terrible smell, like rotten eggs, rose sharply in the still air. Bill broke into a run, calling Tom’s name, now unsure which direction led to the parking area. Somewhere in the trees, he thought he heard drums, or maybe it was only his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. His foot caught and he tumbled to the ground. Something grabbed his ankle, he was sure of it, and then he felt like a person was sitting on his back. The sound of footsteps gathered around him, many feet moving in step, and the world narrowed until everything went black.

He woke to Tom shaking him. Tired of waiting, Tom had gone to find Bill and discovered him facedown on the path. He had managed to carry the camera equipment, but left the cooler and chairs back where they’d stopped. Together they hurried to the car, drove straight down the hill, and didn’t stop until they’d reached the Foodland parking lot. They noticed it was after 9 p.m., although sunset had been just before 7 p.m. They had been wandering for nearly two hours along a route that should have taken only minutes. They won’t say it was supernatural, only that it was wrong, and that they have no desire to repeat it.

“We don’t do drugs. We weren’t drinking. We just brought water and chips,” Bill said.

If someone found a cooler and a couple of chairs, Bill and Tom apologize. They didn’t mean to dump their things, but they were too scared to go back and try to retrieve them.

Puu o mahuka heiau Large

<title>The mana remains at Pu‘u o Mahuka</title>

Above Waimea Bay on O‘ahu stands the island's largest heiau, Pu‘u o Mahuka. Dedicated to the war god, Kū, the place still holds special power. Is it any wonder people have had some intensely strange experiences there?

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Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Enter for a chance to win tickets to see Disney’s live action adaptation of the animated film ‘Moana’

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