"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report #14 Honolulu, Hawaii October 7, 2016 Friday Partly cloudy & 84 degrees 62 Pictures Part #1 of 2

Our second day in Honolulu turned out to be as nice as the first. Despite a few sprinkles we had last night, the weather today was partly cloudy, but mostly sunny with temps around 84 degrees. A strong breeze kept us comfortable.

Leaving the ship around 10:30am, we were surprised to find our exit out of the terminal had its challenges. The sidewalk outside the doors was flooded. We never did figure out what happened to cause the flood, but it was not from a damaged fire hydrant. The water was a murky gray, so we didn't really want to know. We were led to the door on the extreme left, past the xray check. The entire street had to be cordoned off.

Our destination was the Ala Moana Shopping Center. We read somewhere that this complex is the largest open air mall in this part of the world. It is possible that there is a free shuttle from the Aloha Tower to Hilo Hattie's at Ala Moana, but we have always walked. We followed the same path we took yesterday, just not as far as Waikiki Beach.

By the way, when we passed that historical building, a worker was in the process of doing some landscape work. We asked him what this building was in the past. His reply was that it was an old power plant, which is being converted into a senior citizen center. Great idea and nice to see that this building will not be destroyed for yet another highrise.

When we reached the canal, we stopped to watch the thousands of fish swimming upstream from a bridge. That when a local jogger appeared with a plastic bag of stale bread. He began to feed the fish, all of which swarmed the food like ravenous piranhas. That behavior attracted three large night herons, who fought over the chance of catching a fish. They are seriously territorial, so much so, that they all missed the mark when it came to catching lunch. Anyway, we did get some great photos up close and personal with these unusual birds. Too bad the jogger ran out of bread.

Entering the parking garage at Ala Moana, we located the escalator that would take us up to the top level. That is where the major restaurants are located. We went to Bubba Gump's for a shared Caesar salad and hamburger. The waitress was really cute and attentive, telling us she was from Canada. Having considered Florida as a place to relocate, she was glad she had chosen Hawaii instead. Of course, hurricanes can hit these beautiful islands too.

Strolling through Macy's, we found Christmas decorations already up. Even the ornaments were discounted 30% already. Gosh, what happened to Halloween and Thanksgiving? Suppose they are not the big money-makers.

Another thing we thought was funny, were the window displays of fall and winter gear, such as heavy jackets and wool clothing. Do the locals ever need the warm-weather coats and sweaters? A high-end shop by the name of Moncler, had the image of a polar bear over a winter-clad mannequin. Polar bears in Hawaii? Maybe in the zoo…….. It did get our attention, so that was probably the idea.

We needed a few supplies at Long's, so we went inside, and right up to the coupon kiosk. Since we have the new CVS stores in our area at home, we were not sure our card would work here. Nice surprise, it did, and the machine spit out 10 coupons, one which was for $3.00. Like winning a jackpot. Finding everything we needed, we found our way back outside. The next destination was the Ward Center.

We understand that this complex was here well before the modern mall at Ala Moana. The oldest part of the stores is towards the end. There is a small clothing shop that always carries unique items. So we always make a stop at this store just to take a look. Yeah, sure, taking a look usually results in a sale. Today was no exception. Having only brought two outfits for formal evenings, two silk tops were added for the other formal nights. When we promised to come back in January, the owner said the shop will be opened then. However, all of this complex will be destroyed, and replaced with new buildings. Nothing stays the same forever, does it?

The flood outside the terminal seemed to be stopped, however, the street and sidewalk remained closed. We entered at the far end, then proceeded to the xray check. Getting back on the ship, the new room card worked. Have to remember to keep the card out of the purses that have magnetic snaps.

There was a deck BBQ, specifically a luau BBQ with Kahlua pig, mahi-mahi fish, chicken, and steaks. Watching from deck nine, we figured the dining room will be about empty for the second seating at 8pm. The lines for the buffet were 20 deep. With two full days in Honolulu, most folks were probably tired tonight, and decided to eat early. Have to admit, it did smell really good. The Hawaiian music and drink specials were designed to keep the aloha spirit alive all night long. Of course, with four more ports in Hawaii, that spirit will live on for days.

We had a romantic dinner for two tonight, as our tablemates had all eaten earlier, more than likely, at the BBQ. The crispy fish spring roll sure looked good, but only one of us could chance eating it. Allergies. We both had the pea soup…..really thick, hot, and tasty. Our entrée was crispy coated turkey breast with mashed potatoes, a new meal for both of us. We were done by 9:20pm, then followed up with a walk on the lower promenade deck. The ship was scheduled to leave by 11pm.

There was no live show this evening, but there was a movie, Amelia, in the Queens Lounge. With Maui on the itinerary for tomorrow, we turned in early.

Bill & Mary Ann

Mystery solved - former power plant/future senior citizen center