Part of a freeway overpass that was never built? Very narrow racquetball courts? Proof that the ancient Hawaiians knew how to use concrete? Hitching posts for the chariots of the gods?

Stand by them, and you look up, wondering what's missing. Right next door is Love's Bakery, and the people there don't have any idea what the blocks are.

However, John Marlowe of Hawaii Chemical & Scientific, right down the street and a fellow who's naturally curious about the world, figured out long ago what they were. It turns out you have to look down, not up.

"There's a tunnel underneath, part of the on-ramp from the airport viaduct to H-1," explained Marlowe.

"The concrete things are the vents for the tunnel. I guess the transportation department made them big and concrete so they couldn't be easily vandalized."

So, they're highway-tunnel snorkels. Sigh. Darn. Here we were hoping they were placed by mysterious space aliens. Those pesky space aliens never seem to leave any concrete evidence, do they?

Click for online
calendars and events.