Hawaiian influence…
Since returning to the mainland, I’ve been slightly obsessed with TIKI. I’ve been listening to my Exotica and ingesting all I can thru my ears. Yah… It helps that my current storyline (the one I’m working on) involves tiki culture. So I’ve been scouring tiki websites and eating up the Tiki Pop.
Whilst in Kona, I found Hawaiian Hands, a woodcarving and Hawaiian Arts shop not far from where I was staying. There I met Pat Marsh who hooked me up with some carved tikis…. which was a mission I was on…. to find the tikis (and drink in cheesy tiki bars). 
While I now know that the Tiki Pop has it’s roots in Waikiki (a future trip for certain!), there were no shortage of tiki-type things available on the Big Island for touristy consumption.
One place where you could see real tikis in action was Pu’uhonua o Honaunau (a real difficult name to say) which is actually the Place of Refuge…. where the ki’i live (tikis). There I met Charles Hua (Charles is not his Hawaiian name, Kalehua is) a park ranger, banana leaf coat maker (you have to see it to believe it)… and all-around fine fellow. Harold loved listening to his presentation on the Place of Refuge and enjoyed the day in general.
BRIDGETT..whoo hooo mahalo for the way cool plug for da shop You rule!
Hau’oli makahiki hou
your pal at Hawaiian Hands Pat
brig…
Across the street from your beloved Bulldog British Pub is…
Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room
http://www.hulastiki.com/mry_video.htm
The place has awesome food and seems to always be hopping (especially nights)…although I do recall it having some varied opening times for lunches…different times on different days.
stick… yes, I know! I actually have plans to eat there this very evening… (that’s odd you should mention it…) I have eaten there before… but now I have better reason to like it even more. Tiki mug for me.
oh… and It isn’t the ‘dog I am fond of… it’s the Crown & Anchor… or The London Bridge Pub.
Ha, that is funny that you’ve planned to go there tonight. Your post with the Tiki’s made it come to mind. I do recall them having themselves some tiki mugs, but not letting them go cheap.
I also remember you patterning your strip’s “Joe’s Cuppa Joe” off the Bulldog’s next door, after-hour Bulldog Coffee and Hotdog Shop, so I thought you thought more highly of the pub itself.