A trip to Hawaii would not be complete without attending a luau. Pat's family made arrangements for everyone to experience one called Chief's Luau. It was very well organized. They had all sorts of informal pre-dinner activities that allowed the attendees to experience different aspects of Polynesian culture. A few of the activities included headband weaving, spear throwing, and hula lessons. A welcome ceremony was performed and then it was on to dinner. Although we weren't wowed by the food, it was still a decent representation of some traditional Hawaiian dishes. Some of the dishes were poi, lomi lomi salmon, grilled mahi mahi, purple sweet potatoes, and taro buns. Musicians and drummers entertained us as we ate with live music.
When dinner was winding down, the show began in earnest. Male and female dancers demonstrated traditional dancing from the different Polynesian nations. The highlight of the performance was the fire knife dancing. As it turns out, the Chief is actually a world champion fire knife dancer. This was a fantastic experience and I would definitely recommend it.