The local natural landscapes are not at all like those in tourist brochures and our dreams

Back in the 80s, the islands were truly paradise: few people, wonderful beaches, a warm breeze of freedom. But when a flood of tourists and seekers of a better life poured into Hawaii, everything went downhill.

Like mushrooms after rain, new houses and hotels, shopping centers, and entertainment venues appeared here. Modern buildings seem gray and gloomy to many, and due to eternal traffic jams, getting to the right place quickly is almost impossible.

Once empty beaches are now filled with crowds of vacationers, and many coastlines have never looked like they do in movies. The Hawaiian Islands are a volcanic archipelago, so the shores are covered with lava, black sand, and vegetation through which it`s impossible to reach the water.

No one will greet you at the airport with flowers

Giving every tourist a flower lei (that`s what it`s called, by the way) is too expensive. Only a few companies can greet passengers with flowers, and the airport management might prohibit it.

If you want to receive a lei upon arrival, you need to arrange it in advance. They say this pleasure is not cheap. However, in a restaurant, you might get such a necklace for free: staff can gift it to a birthday person.

Tourists see flowers as an entertainment element, but for Hawaiians, leis have a very important and symbolic meaning. Locals receive leis in honor of important events and never wear them just for fun.

Locals quickly spot newcomers by their clothing

The humid hot climate makes Hawaiians dress lightly and casually. You won`t see a local woman in heels or a man in shoes; only tourists walk like that. Islanders wear rubber flip-flops or light sandals. Even in a fancy restaurant, you can show up in shorts and flip-flops, and no one will pay attention.

Hawaiian shirts are highly respected here. A colorful shirt and rubber flip-flops are a full-fledged business attire.
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”Proper” tourist shirts are sold even in hotels.

Also, locals don`t walk around the house in flip-flops, might not put on shoes when going out on the street, and, for example, go to Starbucks for coffee barefoot. Why not?

Pineapple is used as medicine

Pineapple fruits contain the enzyme bromelain, which reduces inflammation, improves blood clotting, and relaxes muscles. It`s said that pineapple even reduces menstrual pain. No wonder it`s often used for medicinal purposes in tropical islands.

According to one version, pineapples came to the Hawaiian Islands from Europe, where Columbus brought them. The fruits were very useful (they saved sailors from scurvy for a long time), but very expensive. Hawaiian women placed a pineapple on the table before expected guests arrived, and thus the fruit became a symbol of hospitality.

For a long time, Hawaiians have been growing pineapples themselves, so authorities have banned importing hummingbirds. It turns out that birds actively pollinate plants, which worsens the taste qualities of these fruits.

Hawaiian pizza was not invented in Hawaii

Thanks to German TV host Clemens Wilmenrod in the 50s, the world learned about toast with ham, cheese, pineapple, and cherries. The unusual snack got the name ”Hawaiian toast” because pineapple is associated with the Hawaiian Islands for everyone, even though, as we know, the plants were imported to the islands.

There are rumors that Wilmenrod`s toast inspired Sam Panopoulos in a restaurant in Canada to make such a pizza. The culinary novelty was criticized by famous chef Gordon Ramsay, and in general, many considered pineapple on pizza blasphemy. Do you like this combination?

Living here is very expensive

Experts have calculated: for a comfortable life in the Hawaiian Islands, you need to earn $122 thousand a year. The average market value of housing is almost $700 thousand, and $2.7 thousand per month for apartment rent won`t surprise anyone here. Meanwhile, the queue for affordable housing is huge, and it`s not a fact that you`ll get the apartment you want. Hawaiians say that negotiating a lease is as complicated as interviews at a solid company.

Most products are expensive because they are delivered from the mainland. A gallon (3.8 l) of milk costs $8.9, 1 kg of chicken fillet - almost $12.8. Buying pet food is not profitable - it`s cheaper to feed with tuna. The worst part is that due to the climate, food spoils quickly.

For wealthy gastro-tourists, this is a real paradise

Local cuisine mixes gastronomic tastes from various parts of the world. When workers from other regions started coming to the island, each brought something of their own: Chinese rice buns, Portuguese donuts, Puerto Rican banana sweets. To satisfy hunger, workers put more food on plates. This tradition has survived to modern times as large snack sets for any taste.

Many people from Asia live in the Hawaiian Islands, so there is also Asian cuisine here. Want to try exquisite Japanese, Korean, or Filipino dishes? If you have a lot of money, it`s no problem.

Both locals and many tourists love poi. It`s a thick dish made from starch, traditionally prepared from mashed taro roots. Due to its wide distribution, poi is called Polynesian potatoes. By the way, taro root often replaces sweet potatoes.

There are no snakes on the islands, but tons of insects

A few years ago, 4 snakes were specially imported here to teach dogs to hunt reptiles, as reptiles can arrive in the Hawaiian Islands with foreign ships. However, wild snakes don`t live here.

But with insects, it`s a disaster. Ants and termites attack houses in turn, and a cane spider can jump out of the bushes at any moment. Local cockroaches fly excellently, which is why they are jokingly called B-52, and every Hawaiian has seen giant centipedes.

Besides snakes, there are no large predators on the islands. Therefore, wild chickens feel free and calmly walk the streets.

You must not turn your back to the ocean

Calm beaches look that way only in pictures on the internet. In reality, the ocean is often stormy. Giant waves that are so good for surfing can carry away vacationers. Therefore, the local superstition - never turn your back to the water - has a practical meaning.

What else you can`t do on beaches is bother animals. Some local inhabitants, like monk seals, are on the verge of extinction and protected by law. Their resting places are fenced with yellow tapes, which it`s strictly forbidden to cross.

We must not touch or chase sea turtles; such actions can result in a fine. Island residents urge not to disturb animals, of which so few remain.

Locals highly honor family, but finding a partner in the Hawaiian Islands is a task of the highest complexity

Spouses Paul and Brenda, owners of an antique store.

Family ties are very important to Hawaiians, but creating a family on the islands is not so simple. The number of permanent residents is relatively small, while tourists constantly change. Starting new acquaintances and even more so beginning to date someone in such conditions is hard.

The situation is worsened by the huge number of relatives, many of whom people have never seen before meeting. You meet a nice girl, and she turns out to be your cousin. Mixed marriages save the day, which are not rare on the islands.

Here they joke that everyone is just waiting for someone to divorce to quickly start a relationship with the freed candidate. But quarreling is easier than easy due to the round-the-clock ”coconut radio”: tell something to at least one living soul, and everyone in the Hawaiian Islands will know about it.

You can`t call life on the islands divine, but the concentration of wonders here is enormous

In most people`s minds, Hawaii is only sandy beaches and coconut palms. But there are also mountains, waterfalls, wild plants, and mushrooms. See for yourself.

This tree wasn`t painted by anyone. It`s natural.

Unfortunately, due to the intensive expansion of cities and the multiplication of waste left by vacationers, the island`s nature suffers greatly. Therefore, we would like to quote one of the locals: ”Tourists treat the Hawaiian Islands like Disneyland. But it`s our home, not an amusement park.”

Bonus: a smile from a Hawaiian volcano

In 2016, the Kilauea volcano erupted in the Hawaiian Islands. And look how the crater looked when filmed from a helicopter.
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And could you have predicted that life in the Hawaiian Islands is far from carefree? After reading this article, would you agree to fly to live on the islands forever?