On the Town: Islander spends two lush weeks in exotic Oahu

Naples Daily News: Features

On the Town: Islander spends two lush weeks in exotic Oahu
By GINNY STEWART, Special to the Eagle
June 9, 2004

How lucky can you be to have a daughter living in Hawaii, giving you have a good excuse to take an extended vacation to this beautiful and exotic land?

Marcoite Vini Just recently returned from the picturesque island of Oahu, where she visited her daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Bill Saunders, and her darling grandchildren, 18-month-old Jackson and 4-year-old Jasmine (a beautiful redhead who lets everyone know she's really 41/2, says Grandma).

The Saunders have a lovely home overlooking Waikiki Beach, where Vini enjoyed staying for two weeks. Adding to the luxury of her quarters, which consists of a full suite of rooms, is an unusual natural pool that rises and falls with the tide.

The home is currently under construction, as the Saunders are having an addition put on to the original structure. The family is now staying in a condo on the beach.

Every day Grandma joined the family for meals and lots of fun with the children as they swam and played in the sand. Of course, there was plenty of time for sightseeing.

Vini loves staying in Hawaii. She says the scenery is beautiful and it is so tranquil — for no matter where you are on the island, you never lose sight of the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

While there, one of the most exciting trips for Vini was taking a guided tour of the sprawling and overwhelming beauty of the old Doris Duke estate in Honolulu. Our Marcoite was awed by the magnificence of the oriental decor, elegantly designed from the ceiling to the base-boards. Among the beauties of the massive estate are the elegantly furnished rooms, such as a Persian room filled with all Persian furniture and collectibles; an Iranian room decorated with her collectibles from Iran; and a Turkish room boasting her exquisite collection from trips to that country.

One of the most fabulous features is a beautiful gold door taken from the Taj Mahal. The ostentatious portal was acquired by this lady of wealth at an auction; she outbid the Metropolitan Museum in New York to acquire it.

While there, Vini had occasion to talk to one of the last Asian caretakers of the estate, and she learned that the lady of the manor had her own quarters that no one was invited to enter. The guests stayed in their own guest quarters and were entertained in the garden by the pool.

Miss Duke had no children, but referred to her five dogs as her children. Story has it that a worker on the estate was bitten by one of the dogs, and when he reported it, he was immediately dismissed as he referred to the animal as a dog, not a child.

(Guess if you have that much moolah, you can afford your idiosyncrasies.)

Incidentally, the last of the five dogs — oops, children — just recently met his demise. The whole experience of this tour was a real plus for Vini's visit to Honolulu.

Having family so far away, it was difficult to say goodbye — especially when darling Jasmine at the airport wanted to "go with." Back on Marco, Vini is again enjoying her busy routine, but she has wonderful memories of a grand two weeks spent with her loved ones, and is already planning on her next flight over the Pacific.