Ala Wai Canal

It's a trickle compared to the Mississippi, but to Honolulans it's our Ol' Man River. Without the Ala Wai Canal, Waikiki would still be a swamp and the history of Honolulu, if not the State, would have been entirely different.

The Ala Wai is a two-mile drainage canal--separate from the sewage system, in case you're wondering--but chemical and heavy-metal runoff makes it unsafe for swimmers. It's also not recommended for canoers, but that recommendation is frequently ignored.

My late Uncle Jack, an excellent swimmer, swam across and back before the War. He and his brothers also ate the Samoan crab caught under the McCully bridge. One would be jeopardizing one's health by continuing those practices today:

People don’t swim in the Ala Wai anymore. Contact with its murky water—filled with bacteria, heavy metals, pesticides, and who knows what else—can be hazardous to your health. As the dedicated canoe paddlers who practice on the Ala Wai are well aware, even light splashes can cause rashes, boils and gastro-intestinal troubles.

I like to take a walk around the canal in order to meet the 10,000-step objective. On hot and breezeless days, however, it's best to keep one's distance from the noxious gases. Exercise is beneficial, as long as you're not crazy about it.