Shangri La

It's not all cocktails and more cocktails and some food and more cocktails around here, you know.  We do try to do some culture as well.

After I managed to get some sleep (and wow, was I loopy when I woke up!), and then after the drinks and light bite at the Royal Hawaiian, we headed to the Honolulu Museum of Art.  Sadly, we did not tour the museum.  Instead, we caught the shuttle to go to Shangri La, the old Doris Duke estate just the other side of Diamond Head from Waikiki.

Shangri La is a glorious estate, truly.  I can only imagine evenings in that living room (which is about the only room still furnished as it was)

or dining on the patio with that view. 

A swim in that pool in the morning, perhaps?  Surely!

Duke's travels introduced her to a range of Islamic art from central through south Asia.  The estate now operates as the Museum of Islamic Art, Culture, and Design.  It's the only such standalone museum in the United States.  And there are delights all throughout (and yes, that is a bit of Christian iconography in the hearth).

Objectively, the items were fantastic, and I loved many more than I took photos of.  I admit, though, that I was badly fatigued.  Conrad and Van wandered through,

and I sought out places to sit and relax.  Not entirely, though - I did see all the available gallery spaces.

 Moreover, it all made me think about issues of collection.  Would all of these items have been sold to Duke these days?  Would her collection meet criticism for taking items out of their context - sometimes religious in nature - and turned them into ornament, into decoration?  As lovely as everything was, it didn't entirely sit right with me, and I regret that I was so tired that I didn't talk with the docents about the issue a little more.

I will recommend a visit to anyone going to Honolulu.  The city has a rich history and culture that not only takes in its Hawaiian heritage (and please, please, take time to learn more about that!), but also includes so much else.  Shangri La.  Look it up!