My Feathered Friends
DAY 9 10/02/03 Nawiliwili, Kauai
Woke up to rain and poor visibility this morning. We docked in Kauai at 8:00AM and learned that Nawiliwili is the principle port and was named for the once abundant Wiliwili trees. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Island and was used as the filming site for "South Pacific". Our plans for the day included a seven hour excursion to the Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific". As we headed out, the weather seemed to clear, but the higher our coach climbed, the worse it got. When we at last reached the lookout at 3,400 feet, visibility was zero. Although we were disappointed, our driver, a surfer named Summer, amused us with her island stories and took us on a shoreline drive on the way back.
DAY 10 10/03/03 Kona, Hawaii
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Arrived at the Big Island of Hawaii at 8:00AM. Since Kona has no port, we anchored off-shore and were taken to land in small boats called tenders. We had made no plans for the day, but as we walked off the dock, we were greeted by an islander asking if we were interested in going to "the BEST snorkeling beach on the island". We said "sure" and he took us to his shuttle bus, fitted us with snorkels and fins, and delivered us to a WONDERFUL beach. While Al and I snorkeled, Barb and Grace sat in the shade and waded in the sea. We saw many beautiful fish and two sea turtles. We also got sunburned backs!! When we had had our fill, we took the shuttle back to Hilo Hatties and did some shopping. Wal*Mart was just across the road, so, of course, we went there as well. We arrived back at the ship tired and hungry and ready for a relaxing rest of the day. At 6:00, while we were dining and the sun was setting, our ship set sail around the north end of the island towards Hilo.
DAY 11 10/04/03 Hilo, Hawaii
Soon after our arrival in Hilo, we joined a coach tour heading for Volcanoes National Park, a 40 minute drive from the ship. We arrived to see acres and acres of lava fields and were able to walk out on them. In several areas there were steam vents and the smell of sulfur gas. The terrain resembled my idea of the surface of the moon, and the Kilauea Caldera was the largest and most impressive of the craters.
We then took a trail through the rain forest and into the Thurston Lava Tube, a long tunnel formed by a long-ago lava flow. Many of these lava flows can be found in Hilo, the longest which is 30 miles and goes down to the sea. Our final stop was the Hawaii Volcano Observatory where we saw the awesome destruction caused over the years by this active volcano.
On the way back to the ship, we stopped at a macadamia nut farm where we were treated to samples of macadamia nut treats and a stroll through the grounds. We took a swim in one of the ship's pools that afternoon and then showered and dressed, as that evening was our second formal night (I had tiger shrimp for dinner). From the Empire Diningroom we headed towards Pharoah's Palace and enjoyed the comedy of JeROME and the vocals of Edna Wright.
DAY 12 10/05/03 Honolulu, Oahu
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Our ship docked in Honolulu on the island of Oahu early on a cloudy Sunday morning. There was another cruiseship in port when we got there, and we were all treated to one more beautiful Hawaiian sunrise. Unlike the other cities we visited, Honolulu is a modern metropolis of highrise buildings and bustling traffic. The ALOHA TOWER welcomed us and we were anxious to leave the ship and see what awaited us on shore.
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This was the only port we visited which had both a mall right on the dock area and a shopping district we could walk to. There were many stores of all description, but they were VERY expensive. We walked to a very pretty park, right in the center of town, and made our plans for the day.
After inquiring, we were told that the city bus could be used to take us just about anywhere we wanted to go for $1.00. What a deal! We decided to head to Pearl Harbor, about 45 minutes away, and tour the Arizona Memorial. The bus ride took us through China Town and other interesting areas of the city, and dropped us off a block from the Memorial.
Song: "Here Comes The Sun"
