This was our last full day at sea as we near the state of Hawaii. When Captain James Cook landed in Kauai in 1778, he encountered natives who may have settled this area from the Marquesas, part of French Polynesia. At that time, he named the islands the Sandwich Island. At least he and his crew were treated kindly here, compared to what he encountered while in the Kona area of the big island of Hawaii, where he lost his life.
King Kamehameha I ruled the islands from 1810 to 1819. Eventually Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown in 1893, and the provisional government was backed by the United States. A most infamous day in history was December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, triggering the US participation in the Pacific during WWII.
By 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state, and a beautiful one at that. Since that occurred when we were young, it is something we remember well.
By 1983, the Kilauea volcano erupted, and has continued ever since. As recent as this year, the activity has been most destructive. Hurricane Iniki in 1992 also caused much destruction.
Today’s population is about 1,211,537 people, living in an area of a total of 10,932 square miles. The capital of the state is Honolulu, where the semi-tropical temperatures range from the 60’s to the low 90’s with varying humidity.
The highest point is Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. It records a height of 13,796 feet. And the excise tax runs from 4 to 4.7%.......low compared to what we pay in California.
Typical souvenirs are a rich brown monkey pod or koa wood products. Bowls, trays, cups, and even some jewelry are made from this wood. Perfumes, seeds, pink and black coral (rare) are among the best sellers, as well as the macadamia nut products, leis, and ukuleles. Island clothing for the men are the flowered aloha shirts, while mu-mus or sarongs are popular for the ladies.
Here is one interesting fact: a compression-related sickness is a condition brought on from flying, then scuba diving too soon. Or visa-versa. It is recommended to wait from 12 to 24 hours between each activity to avoid the dangerous condition, as it can be fatal.
The morning began with a killer of a sunrise, usually indicating that there might be rain sometime today. That was true, even though we seemed to have avoided big downpours, we could see the horizon had rain clouds surrounding us. At one point during our morning walk, we think we both saw a flying fish. Now we sort of doubt what we saw, since there were no more to follow it. Later in the afternoon, we did see one lone booby as it flew past our veranda. Funny thing, we only saw one, and saw it only once. Hopefully when we get closer to Kauai, we may see some dolphins.
Lunch was good in the dining room with very, very hot pea soup, upon request. We have discovered the secret – ask and you will receive. Perhaps the soup temps are deliberately kept on the tepid side, so unsuspecting folks don’t burn their mouths. We were also told that beginning tomorrow, the dining room for lunch will be closed for the five days the ship is in port. So many people will be on tours or enjoying the island, and there is no need to keep it opened. Of course, the Lido will be available for meals all day long. At least this will give some of the crew a chance to get off of the ship, and also enjoy the islands.
We made another sweep through the shops this morning to check out their Majorica pearls that were for sale. They have a limited number of necklaces, so we figured we would have our choice of several. The one strand of large irregular-shaped multi-colored pearls were an easy pick, although the clasps came in gold or sterling silver. Matching earrings in the darker shade would have been nice, but there were none that could come close to the white ones with small diamonds already owned. Actually, upon closer examination, the off-white ones blend quite well with the new strand.
Australian opals, and Tahitian pearls have been unveiled as well. And there were many interested ladies who were drawn to the shops with a promise of a raffle for free stuff. Last year, we had been given tickets according to how much we had spent there. We had a fistful, but not the winning numbers.
Later in the day, a desk in the Atrium deck one was set up by the port shopping guide. He was giving away the upcoming port maps, as well as free Hawaiian charms. You should have seen the line of guests form for the freebies. Our job for the day was to turn in the Vancouver debarkation plan. We needed to purchase a transfer from the ship to the airport. Much easier to take HAL’s buses, and even better, it is on their dime using credit on our shipboard account.
It was around 4pm that we noticed the bars and lounges were full of people taking advantage of the buy one, get a second one for $2 beverages. This only happens for the early diners, and those who go to the Crow’s Nest at 9pm. By popular demand, this drink offer was also back for the late seating diners on the Amsterdam’s world cruise.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, but with the Rudi’s Sel de Mer venue. Once again, we shared the most delicious loaf of crispy French bread with a tray of toppings and spreads. We always have the ahi tuna salad, except for one of us that has a virgin salad…..no tuna. Steaks cooked to perfection with skinny French fries and a bowl of shared green beans were the entrees. Both of us had the apple tarte tartin with a small scoop of salted caramel ice cream in the center. A most unique dessert. The pricey meal did not deter the folks, since there were plenty of diners tonight. Service was excellent.
The show was a combo of Dan Chopin and Kirbi Jo Long. You got two artists for the price of one. In addition, the clocks went back for one more hour, the final one on this cruise.
Tomorrow we will be in Kauai, and the port of Nawiliwili.
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, October 8, 2018
Report #16 Day at Sea October 6, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 72 degrees
