Many, many, many years ago I visited the International Market Place on Oahu with my friend. We held parrots.
I remember it being a very Hawaiian version of our Pike Place Market in Seattle. There were Hawaiian natives everywhere painting nails, offering photo ops, and selling beautiful jewelry for reasonable prices. I couldn’t wait to go back again someday.
Fast forward about thirty years later. I searched and searched for the old International Market.
It was no longer. It was replaced several years ago with a mall. I will be okay. I will be okay. I will be okay.
As I took in this new information, my soul found comfort in relaxing in these huge rocking chairs in the International Market Place. I wrote to my friend to let her know the parrots had been replaced by a LUSH store.
We discovered Flour & Barley upstairs. I was not mad. It was delicious thin crust pizza and we may or may not have ordered buffalo wings as well.
It’s not the same as getting a sunset painted on your pinky fingernail by a 350-pound Hawaiian woman like I did the last time I was there; but, we give it two saucy thumbs up.
I learned there is a more authentic Hawaiian market by Waikiki Beach. I didn’t get a chance to go see it while we were there, but it sounds like it’s worth going to see if you’re looking for the real deal.
International Market History
All whining aside, besides the rocking chairs, my favorite part of the new mall is the small museum in the middle which shows the history of the International Market complete with photographs of how I remember it. I hope to visit the other one day to check it out. I will be okay.