Days 5 and 6

Day five had us waking up in Kona, back on the Big Island, but on the other end. It was a wonderfully relaxing day. We took it easy. The kids had been really pushing to go to a beach, and Kona had one that was easy to get to. It was in the harbor.

This was the one port where we couldn't get right off the ship and be on land. We had to get on the boats. They really were impressive. they reminded me more of something you would see at Disneyland, only bigger and faster. Each holds over a hundred people in nice neat rows, so getting on land was much less of a headache than I had thought, even though they only used two that they kept going all day.

We went to the beach and Chris rented snorkel equipment and spent the majority of the day in a dead man's float (something that he hitherto had not really been able to master) looking at the fish below him. Maggie met various little girls her age and played while I just watched. At lunch, I walked down the street and and found this little Indonesian restaurant hidden in the corner of a shopping center with much more pronounced (and expensive) restaurants. I got a couple orders of satay and brought them back to the beach.

Later, we walked down the street that ran along the coast, past the hotels and saw the oldest Christian Church in Hawaii, which was quite pretty in a simple way. It reminded me of the Catholic mission churches in California, and like those churches, they still were an active congregation. We also walked by Lileokelani's palace, where she had been held captive until she abdicated the throne. It was not open that day, due to repairs.

I believe that it is also the one where there now is a "protest government" residing on the grounds, peacefully calling for a return of the monarchy and for Hawaiians to rule themselves. That rebellion in and of itself is an amazing thing. The group that is there is actually there with a permit. They keep applying to have it renewed, and as long as they are not actually causing problems, the government, which they don't recognize as having any authority (though they apply for permits) has no problem with renewing it and allowing them to continue. The group has no inclination toward violence and the government is laid back enough to recognize their right to protest, but to not see it as a threat to its existence. Though be warned. From what I am told (by my brother who lives on Oahu), there are places where it isn't necessarily safe to be alone and be white. There are groups that hold to the more traditional way of life and resent that their government and their country was taken from them and that they are a state to a country that they want no part in.

One of the interesting things about Hawaii that you don't find other places is that you can't own the coastline. The beach belongs to everyone. Even the hotels don't own the beach, so if they have a nice beach, you can go there, locals can go there (Ko Olina, where we stayed later, tries to limit that by only providing limited parking and turning people away at the gate when parking is full, but the locals know how to get around this. Even the all powerful Marriot resorts does not own the beach in Hawaii) Cousin Daryl told us this on our tour. He considers it his duty (as do many others) to remind hotels of this by walking through the hotel lobby with his friends and their surfboards if any new hotels have neglected to add an accessway to the beach. Often they say that the architecture doesn't allow for it. But having a plethora of locals going through your lobby all day every day usually means that they find a way to make an access within a week.

Day 6 found us on the island of Kauai, the greenest place I have ever seen. It is nicknamed the Garden Island. In fact, the peak of the Mount Waiʻaleʻale is the wettest place on earth, receiving over 460 inches of rain per year. Here, you can see the Captain Cook Pines (the straightest pines I have ever seen...the British planted them so that they could come to Hawaii and replace their masts) and the wild chickens all over the place by the side of the road. The Filipinos that settled there had kept chickens for food and cockfighting, but the hurricane that hit in 1992 destroyed many a chicken coop, and so now they roam wild. They are protected, to a certain extent. If you want one for food, that is okay, but you are not allowed to kill them just for sport. Most of Kauai's souvenirs involve chickens. This hurricane proved that Hawaii could be hit by them. It was believed there was some sort of weather protection before that.

My sister and my niece went kayaking. I had wanted to go until they came back coated with mosquito bites, and then I was glad that we had just taken the public bus around for a while to look around. Hawaii, being created as it was by volcanic activity and being so isolated,(and still being created by volcanic activity. They have a new island that is already named...though it won't surface for 100,000 years by estimate) was supposedly mosquito free until Captain Cook found the islands and left mosquito larvae in the water when they refilled their water casks in the streams. My sister and niece were in an area where the tropical forest was particularly dense, and so the mosquitoes were more prevalent, in Waimea Canyon.

Kauai's beaches are not as safe for swimming as the other islands. Chris pronounced right then that he would not want to live there because of that, though surfing is of course recognized. When King Kamehameha the Great united the islands under one kingdom, Kauai was the last to come under his control. Twice Kamehameha tried to send an armada, but weather and sickness intervened. The King of Kauai eventually handed Kauai over to him and became a vassal in order to preserve the peace.

The second day we left earlier than we normally do (before sunset) so that the ship could take us by the Na' Pali coastline, which was spectacular (and this was taken with my cell phone!). There were whales all around us, including babies. We saw the mist rise from their blowholes and saw a flash of a fluke or two, but no one breached. It seemed like it was just too relaxing a day for anything like that. We went up across it, turned around and saw it from the other side of the ship, and wokeup docked in Honolulu where we were encouraged to get off the ship quickly so they could prepare for the next round of tourists that afternoon.

I would heartily recommend seeing the islands by cruise if you have a chance. It had all the luxury of cruising, and there isn't really a much more convenient way to get to all the islands. By air and the new ferry are the only other ways. It was a nice pace, the food was good, and the rooms were comfortable. Our room attendant had a particular talent, too (I'm told that it was fairly unique...people were jealous). Every night when we came into our room, we were greated with a new "towel-gami" creature. Turtles, crabs, swans, komodo dragons etc. Here are a couple of pictures. (I saw a book at the library...I just think this is cool!)

Hawaii Days 3 and 4

I won't be going through all the days, but the cruise went around to the different islands, and there was a little bit of information for all of them.

On days 3 and 4, we were in Maui. Maui was the most "developed" of all the islands and our experience was the most commercial. We kind of reserved Maui for taking it easy. The kids and Jeff played on the boat, and I went ashore with my mom.

There is this particular business in Hawaii that you hear about all over. It is called "Hilo Hattie's." And it is okay as far as things go, definitely worth checking out. My mom and I took the chartered bus to Hilo Hatties mostly because it was in a shopping center of other things. But I tried on a dress there and there were some cool souvenirs.

There also is a pearl jewelry stand there. And here, you have to beware. When you go in the door, you get a coupon. Amazingly, this coupon tells you that you won a free chance to open up an oyster. So they lead you over to the jewelry stand, and show you the oysters and explain that the best pearls are in the ugliest oysters. So you pick one and open it up. Lo and behold, there is a beautiful pearl inside...and it is yours. But a beautiful pearl of course needs a beautiful setting. And they do have some beautiful settings. Expensive settings. (the plumeria ones are the prettiest). And if you get one setting, you are entitled to .....(drum roll please) ANOTHER FREE OYSTER.... The coupon that originally brought you to the door also had a percentage discount on purchases...And so they ring a bell and proclaim loudly "A LOOOO HA" as you pick another one, and they start to drool. The fine print on those coupons is that it doesn't apply to the settings (though I have no idea what it would apply to, since that is ALL they have). And they will tell you that once the pearl is set in the jewelry that is NOT discounted, you have to pay. You don't.

So after our foray at Hilo Hatties, we went to Starbucks and Jamba Juice (oh, Jamba Juice how I miss you), and to the grocery, where my mom picked up a twelve-pack of Diet Pepsi, since the cruise ship charged $50 for a card for unlimited soft drinks...and that was the only way to get soft drinks from them (well, you could buy them from the bar). My mom chose to find alternate means. I used it as a means to FINALLY break my addiction to soft drinks (7 months without now...and don't miss it at all). After we got that and ate, we went out to wait for the bus when the monsoon hit. In a matter of a minute or two, that soda box was soaked. It really is amazing that it made it all the way home.

The public bus showed up and the driver wanted to pick us up on the return trip but we assured him we had no problem with riding the bus around the loop. It dropped us off at the mall, and then we took a cab the 1/2 mile from the mall to the dock.

We also celebrated New Years Eve in Maui on the boat. The kids loved the Kids Club that was there and partied there with face painting, music, and games. We got to watch all the fireworks that were being launched from the shore. Apparently it is a big tradition for everybody to launch fireworks for New Years there. You could see them sparkling and exploding all along the mountain sides from people's houses.

On Day 4, we rented cars and as a family, we all went to Lahaina, which was beautiful. You could see Molokai off the coast (which really just looks like this little atoll. ) The whale watching boats all said that there were whales in the harbor, but we couldn't seem to glance them. Lahaina really is beautiful. A bit commercialized. Lots of typical restaurants like Bubba Gumps, art galleries, souvenir shops, and whale watching ventures.

There was a commemoration to the missionaries who came to Hawaii there. It was nice to see such a positive portrayal of the missionaries. I can't remember the name, but there was a Hawaiian prince who went to Harvard University. There, he told people about his homeland and earnestly desired to return home to continue Christianizing his people and educating them. Only 14 days before he was to depart, though, he caught a disease and died. His Congregationalist colleagues and friends though organized a missionary effort to Hawaii both to spread the Gospel and to teach literacy. Hawaii became one of the most literate cultures in the world. The missionaries were determined to educate the Hawaiians because they knew that the rest of the world would no longer leave them alone and they needed to know how to become a part of it.

Yes, Christian missionaries did not always act with cultural sensitivity toward Hawaiians, and there were many injustices that were perpretrated against Hawaii by Americans in the name of Manifest Destiny, including the forced abdication of Queen Lileokelani. Even our President condemned the action. But at the same time, it was good to see a positive portrayal of how Christianity helped to improve society. So often now, that is overlooked.

Lahaina has a beautiful park with this amazing tree. The root system for this tree took up the whole park, and occasionally, trunk and branches would shoot up out of the ground here and there, maybe 50 feet away from each other, but it was still the same tree.

After Lahaina, we drove around the north shore of Maui into some more sheltered areas. We saw some beautiful coastline with some amazing swells coming in. But we didn't go all the way, because the rent-a-car company kind of recommends that you stay off certain roads, and if something happens, they can't come and get you on dirt roads.

I'd really wanted to see Kona, but all in all, this was a beautiful time, and it was the main time we all went out together all of us as a family. That was the best part.

Hawaii, Day 2

After cruising all night (and my one brush with seasickness, but I didn't lose anything) we woke up and had breakfast. The main buffet style restaurant also had kid-sized tables and a low buffet table for them as well. We could see out the big window as we docked in Hilo (Hilo and the nene goose were web-acquired).

Hilo is probably my favorite, mostly because it was the least touristy. Every town seemed to know the cruise ship itinerary by heart, and this was even when we were away from the shore area. But Hilo seemed
the most real and the least upscale (though far from inexpensive).

In the picture of Hilo, you can see Mauna Kea rising in the background. It is actually the world's tallest mountain from base to summit...but several thousand feet of it are under the water. There is almost always snow on the top.

Hilo is where we took the one tour that we went on. We went to Rainbow Falls, Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory, and an orchid nursery. We were picked up by "Cousin Daryl." (all the tour guides tell you to call them cousin.) Daryl was truly interesting. As we drove through Hilo, he pointed out where the Coca Cola factory used to be before the big tsunami in the 1970's. Hilo lost a lot of jobs after the tsunami, and Daryl indicated that the economy never really recovered after that. His own parents left he and his brother to live with his grandparents on their farm because they could only get jobs on Oahu, so they commuted weekly. He also pointed out the structure of the houses that were on Hilo. They all had corrugated tin roofing and were about three feet off the ground to protect from the termites that could chew through concrete. Strangely enough, I found them really charming.

Our first stop was Rainbow Falls, which was pretty enough, but very touristy. It had safety rails all around the canyon, scenic points, and a gift shop. We stayed there a little less than a half hour.

Then it was off to Volcanoes National Park where we saw Mt. Kilauea and hiked through a volcano flume that the volcano was no longer using. It was huge though, 15 feet high in some places. We went to a couple of the craters, including this one, which I believe is the one that has been erupting now for the last few months. When we were there, it was just issuing steam, and reeking of sulfur. It was also the volcano where Queen In April Kaʻahumanu, wife of Kamehameha The Great, and Queen Regent, challenged the goddess Pele to show her power, and when nothing happened, she converted to Christianity.

Not much grows around the volcanoes because of the sulfur, except for small berries, and they are the primary food of the Nene Goose. The Nene is Hawaii's state bird, and is a flightless goose. It is said that when Captain Cook came, there were at least 25,000 of them, but with the introduction of predators such as the mongoose, the population has dwindled significantly. It is an endangered species.

When we were done looking at the volcanoes, we talked with Daryl. Daryl told us about how he grew up on his grandparents' farm and how he would go to tribal gatherings and such with them. His grandparents' farm had been destroyed when the lava floes changed their path, and the insurance had an interesting trick. Basically, if the lava actually destroyed the propane tanks or the house, then they would pay. But if they actually caught on fire before the lava actually reached it, which is what usually happened due to the intense temperatures, they would claim it was fire and not lava, and refuse to pay. This in some ways was to protect themselves, because some people were known to be somewhat outside of the path and would ignite their own propane tanks. The government was giving land to those who had to be relocated, but it was not equal value, so his family chose to keep the farm, and now since the floe has changed, they have returned.

Since we asked, Daryl also commented about the tension between modern "white" culture and native culture. He didn't seem to sit in judgement on either, because he had lived both, but he did say "a lot of people want to hate the whites and want to cling to their roots, but they still want their condos and their Hondas. They can't have it both ways." Daryl almost got defensive when he said "I've been off the rock. I've gone away to school, and I've even traveled the world because I was an engineer with a big oil company, but my mom asked me to come back so the family could stay close, and how could I refuse her that." He really was a fascinating guy.

After Volcanoes N.P., we went to Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut farm. There were some grown there, but the majority were not grown there anymore. Guava is becoming more popular, however, it is risky. If they get an infestation of Happy Face Spiders, the trees cannot be harvested until they have been clear for two years. Mauna Loa was geared for tourists, and they had a sandwich shop and a factory store. We got the most amazing chocolate clusters which were "factory seconds" They were not perfect enough to put into packages and send to stores, but they were more than delicious enough for us. In fact, they were better than anything we have ever tasted that had endured shipping. I give a thumbs up to the Wasabi Macadamias as well.

I'm not a big orchid fan, though some of them were amazing, so it was worth seeing, but I was ready to get back to the ship.

Hawaii, Day 1

Right after Christmas, my parents took us all to Hawaii for their 50th Wedding Anniversary (all three kids and their spouses, and the minor children -- Courtney, Chris, and Maggie). The first week, we took a cruise around to the major islands. The second week, we stayed at my parents' timeshare at Ko Olina, which is right outside of Honolulu on Oahu. Two things kept me from posting for this long. The first is that I really just needed time to process it. It was a wonderful trip. The second was that my card reader broke, and it is getting harder and harder to find a reader that takes sD cards. I guess that is a clue that it might be time to get a new camera sometime in the future....

This started with an early morning rush to get to the airport. The instant we got off the plane in Honolulu and walked through the doors, heat and humidity hit us. In three days we'd undergone major climate change. We left Indiana which was in the 20's when we left and then landed in Las Vegas (where I grew up) where it was in the high 50's. Despite what my mother thinks, it felt WONDERFUL, and we walked around the neighborhood in short sleeves. I can't begin to tell you how much I missed mountains -- and these were MY mountains. Mount Charleston, the Spring Mountains, Red Rock Canyon, Sunrise Mountain. Jeff commented how much Honolulu, especially at the airport, felt like the Philippines.

We flew Hawaiian Air, which was very nice, and we quickly learned the words we'd be hearing continually all over the islands Ma Halo -- "thank you" was the one we heard the most, even more than Aloha. Once we landed, we made our way to the Wiki Wiki bus (which brings back memories of the ferret on the Budweiser commercials "wiki wiki") which took us to our luggage, then my dad herded us out to catch a Roberts Bus that would take us to the docks.

If you every DO take a trip to Hawaii and want to do tours, Roberts Hawaii is the way to go. The cruise ship had this huge list of tours, and the prices were OUTRAGEOUS. When we got on the Roberts Bus that would take us to the dock, they handed us a sheet of comparable tours that they offered for often 1/3 the price. And the tour guides were wonderful.

So then we got to the ship and went through all of that rigamarole to get on the boat. We met a really nice non-denominational pastor's family while we were waiting. They were from the Big Island of Hawaii, and locals often get special deals on the Hawaiian cruises for rooms that aren't taken. They'd found out they could come THAT day. He actually had to leave the ship twice and take an airplane back to his congregation to lead services twice during their trip.

Here is where you are going to find out how truly lame I am. I had to get a picture of the cruise ship from off the internet. I am usually all about taking pictures of scenery. In fact, I usually don't have many pictures of my family and friends because I don't want them to get in the way of the scenery. This trip was different. Most of the pictures you really can't tell where we are...isn't that sad? But I do have lots of pictures of the family.

But anyway, here is the ship, the Pride of America. NCL's Hawaiian ships are the only cruise ships registered to the United States. From what the staff told us, most cruise ship companies said that it could not be done and still make money because you could not work out paying the staff the same way most cruise ships do in other countries. To register the ships in the U.S. means that they had to follow U.S. guidelines on how they paid their staff. I'm willing to bet that this is a picture of her docked in Kona on the Big Island, because that was the only port where we couldn't come up to shore and instead had to take the little boats in (little is relative, each could hold about 100 people, easy).

The evening was wonderful. They had incredible food on the ship, and it wasn't at all like "Love Boat" portrayed. The ship had several restaurants, most of them were included in the cost of the ticket (some were extra special, and there were extra charges to eat there). You could eat what wanted and wear what we wanted.

After dinner, we found a quiet deck and my husband read the renewal of vows for my parents. They've truly had a challenging 50 years. Not all of those years were good in any of our memories, but I am really thankful that they stuck it out. I know they have been a blessing to me, and now in their retirement, I know they are a blessing to each other. They've taught me a lot. I was also glad that my children were there to see it.