The Luau

Removing the pig from the pit oven.

A procession of royalty during the luau.

As afternoon activities drew to a close at the Polynesian Cultural Center, those who paid the extra fee lined up to participate in the evening luau. After a brief wait, the doors opened, and the line moved fairly quickly. Staff members gave each luau ticket holder a genuine orchid lei and posed us for a "family portrait" with a pair of beautifully tanned, and partially clothed, young people. Of course, the photographs are displayed on a giant board after the luau and available for purchase for a "small" fee of $18.

The luau presents a variety of cultural opportunities. For example, participants can watch staff members remove the pig from a central pit oven dug into the ground. Later, as the people consumed a somewhat authentic Hawaiian meal, actors enter a stage to perform hula dances and to re-enact a royal procession from the days of the Hawaiian monarchy.

As for the meal, I enjoyed the pit roasted pig, the lomi lomi salmon, and even the poi. It was all delicious.