Friday-June 10th

Totally unknown to me was the fact that Doris Duke, at one time the richest woman in the world, built a home, called Shangri La on the other side of Diamondhead.  Her father made a fortune but died early in life leaving his fortune to Doris.  Duke University is named after him.  Of all the places we visited, this stands out as the most interesting to me.  The tour began at the Honolulu Academy of Art’s Islamic World Galley where a few of us viewed a short video about Doris Duke and Shangri La then boarded a small bus to travel to Diamondhead.  Doris was particularly interested in Islamic art and her home was outright fabulous even if you don’t particularly like the symmetry of Islamic art.

Photos inside were not allowed as with most museums, but the grounds could be.





This is a special place and she was a special woman with a RICH history.  This is a must if you visit Oahu.  http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/.   Doris’s life can be read about here --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Duke

That night was the gala aloha reception at the exclusive Outrigger Canoe Club on part of Waikiki Beach where there was plenty of food and a view of the surfers surfing until it was almost dark.

To be continued.