Great smells from every direction were at the King Kamehameha Luau. Elaborate, floral center pieces adorned every table. Teee told us that the arrangement consisted of Protea and Antheriums from the Big Island of Hawaii, Plumeria and Puakini from Oahu, Maile from the Island of Kauai, Pineapples from Lanai, and Ginger from Maui. A band of three large men wearing aloha shirts and maile leis, and four large women wearing muumuus and flower leis played beautiful music as we dined. One man played a huge bass, one a ukulele and one drums. The women danced, played ukuleles and sang. One of the men sang in a higher pitch than any of the women. Auntie Teee told us that was called falsetto.

SummerLee brought Darla and I each a small bowl of what we thought was chocolate pudding. It was a little paler in color, in fact it had a slight purple tinge to it. Leesha told us to try it with a little sugar first. She sprinkled some in each bowl. When we took our first taste, we stopped and looked at each other. I know I was thinking, “Help me, how do I get rid of this from my mouth and keep my manners?”

C laughed and said, “Don’t worry. It takes some getting used to. You don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to. But you do have to try everything.”

At that the poi in my mouth actually began to taste okay. I was expecting chocolate pudding. This was a little tart and a little sour tasting. “Once I realized it was not pudding, It tastes okay,” I said with embarrassment. This caused a round of laughter from anyone in ear-shod.

Baybee seemed to like every item on the tray. I even saw him eat the little orchid garnish. “This good, Ma. What this?” Baybee asked of a green, chunky, soupy substance in a tapa print paper bowl.

“That is squid luau.” Teee told Baybee as she passed a couple of bowls our way.

I dipped the tip of my spoon into the squid luau. I did not want to offend anyone. I held my breath as I brought the spoon up to my mouth. I figured if you can’t smell it, it wouldn’t be so bad. Here goes, I thought as I quickly opened my mouth and ate it even quicker. “Hey, this is good!” I shouted again causing laughter from the members of our table.

Darla was already up for seconds on the kalua pig and lomi salmon. She gave me her Maui onions and Hawaiian salt.

A very handsome Hawaiian man on the stage announced the entertainment highlight. A Hawaiian Dance school called a Halau was presenting a performance of some of it’s best dancers. The first was a pair of beautiful young girls in grass skirts and bikini tops. They used tassels and gourds as they danced. Next a group of senior women in muumuus danced so gracefully. The third group was all male, handsome young men, indeed. The entire halau participated in the finale. Some of the women had muumuus, some grass skirts, some men and women wore ti leaf skirts.

You will never guess what happened next…

Baybee borrowed a grass skirt and a bikini top from one of the young girls. He climbed up on stage and was dancing with the halau. The amazing part about this was, he looked good. He kept up with the other dancers. He actually looked like he was part of the group.

We talked and laughed as C, Teee and the girls walked with us under a star filled sky, back to our hotel. Bayee said he had a wonderful time. We all agreed. Darla and I liked the Haupia desert best of all. It is kind of a coconut pudding. C said they would be by at sun-up to take us sight seeing in the morning.