Living aloha: here's your guide to the real Hawaii—ancient temples, trendy food, taro patches, and crazy ukulele nightlife

Sunset, Feb, 2003 by Kathleen Norris Brenzel

The painting raises another question: how can native Hawaiians preserve ancient traditions within the calabash of ideas and cultures that is contemporary Hawaii?

When I ask Nae'ole about this over dinner, he suggests we visit an old buddy. I almost laugh when we enter a lounge at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel and the buddy turns Out to be Don Ho, the silky-voiced crooner of "Tiny Bubbles" fame.

The lounge is dark and the stage awash in colored lights when Ho saunters out, banters with the audience, then introduces his daughter, Hoku, who perches on a stool and sings "Valentine." The song is Hollywood, but Hoku's voice, her face, and her smile are pure aloha, the music as lilting as Hawaiian slack-key guitar.

Ho comes back onstage, spots Nae'ole in the audience, and asks Nae'ole to join him onstage. The pair sing together in Hawaiian like long-lost brothers, delighting in a moment together. Then Nae'ole--a member of Maui's only all-male hula halau (school)--performs a chant in Hawaiian about the ancient navigator Hawai'i Loa, whose destiny it was to follow the path of the fish to the new land. Both men bring down the house.

In a few heartbeats, Don Ho's lounge act has gone from 1960s nostalgia to contemporary pop to an 800-year-old chant. Nae'ole's answer to my question is clear: For more than 200 years, Hawaiians have adapted to changing economies and have borrowed from other cultures, but somehow they have managed to keep intact the traditions they treasure. More important, the people of these islands seem willing to share their Hawaii with those who take the time to look for it.

Nae'ole drops me at my hotel, but instead of going in, I walk along the beach, shoes in hand. Gazing at a crescent moon that casts a silver path across the water, I'm reminded of what is real to me about this place, from abundant natural beauty to the easy warmth of locals who call out to one another in the darkness. "See ya, brah, malama pono." Take care of your spirit.

I toss aside my shoes and wade deeper into the water as fireworks splash the sky over Waikiki with shimmering light. The water is warm, delicious, a tonic. I have no idea what time it is, but it doesn't matter. I'm living aloha.

AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES

Oahu

Bishop Museum at Kalia Tower. A new branch of the Bishop Museum offers an overview of Waikiki's history and the people who shaped it. 9-5 daily; $9.95, $7.95 ages 4-12. Hilton Hawaiian Village: 2005 Kalia Rd.; www.bishopmuseum.org or (808) 947-2458. The main branch is at 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu; (808) 847-3511.

Hawaii State Art Museum. This new museum's inaugural exhibit, Enriched by Diversity: The Art of Hawai'i, features the works of 284 artists with such themes as Hawaiian heritage and inspiration of land and sea. 10-4 Tue-Sat; free. No. 1 Capitol District Building, 250 S. Hotel St., second floor. Honolulu; www.state.hi.us/sfca or (808) 586-0900.

Hawaiian Fire Surf School. Started by three Honolulu firefighters, classes are day trips to a beach where surf is gentle. From $97 (picnic and hotel pickup included). www.hawaiianfire.com or (808) 384-8855.