Our third stop in Hawaii was Nawiliwili, Kauai. Kauai is known as the garden isle, and for good reason. The fourth largest island, it is located the furthest north of the rest of the islands. The lush conditions have always been outstanding for agriculture, so you will find sugar, coffee, papaya, taro, and pineapples as the major crops. Beef is high on the list as well, but tourism still rates as number one. The population is about 65,000 happy people, who are employed in all of these industries.
Despite their beauty, most all of the Kauai's beaches are unsafe, due to powerful undertow and tricky currents. There are many protected coves where snorkeling is excellent. Other things to do and see are numerous, as there are 19 various tours offered by the shore excursions here. Among the choices are helicopter rides, Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and waterfalls, rivers, and garden settings like the Fern Grotto. Many Hollywood movies were filmed here too.
Located in the center of this island is Mt. Waialeale at 5148 feet in elevation. But the most interesting fact is that this area gets up to 460 inches of rain in a year, making it the wettest spot on earth.
Our port of call was Nawiliwili, the island's chief port, and the starting point for all of the tours. Just as the Amsterdam was approaching the harbor, the NCL Jewel was exiting for their next port. This was a bit unusual, since most cruise ships do not overnight here. Maybe in Honolulu, but seldom in the other islands.
The weather was really "iffy" as there were many clouds, but also some blue skies. The daily newsletter predicted scattered showers, but lucky for everyone, it did not happen in town. We do remember that Waimea Canyon could have fog and rain at any given moment. You see the deep gorges one minute, then the next, it will be shrouded in fog.
Anyway, last night we had a note telling us that all of the verandas would be cleaned tomorrow between 9 to noon. A good time for us to leave, and not be in the way. As we were gathering our stuff to go, we saw the outside workers opening all of the partitions between the cabins. No need to access the verandas through the rooms, they had the full run from stern to aft.
We decided to stay in this area, taking one of the complimentary shuttles to do some shopping. There were three choices. Kukui Grove Mall with Costco nearby, Hilo Hattie's, and finally Walmart. The line of guests waiting for the mall was three times longer than the rest. So we chose the Hilo Hattie's shuttle, which said "no Walmart" on it. Then secretly, the nice bus driver pointed out the shortcut to Walmart from Hilo Hattie's, a short walk away. She teased us all that we better not be wearing our free shell necklaces on the way back on the Walmart shuttle, or the driver would not let us on his bus. Of course, she was just kidding.
The big store had everything we needed, but the wait for the shuttle back was longer than we expected. The driver told us that Walmart only hired one shuttle for the size of our ship, which they consider small. He admitted that they missed the boat here, because they did not know we were on such a long cruise. We all knew that these two ports of nearby Lihue and Hilo tomorrow would be the last chance for everyone, including crew members, to pick up things we need. What would you guess was one of the most sought-after item for many people? It was soda, either cans or bottles. That may be on our list tomorrow.
Next on the agenda, after stashing our purchases, was a walk to the Marriott Hotel area at Kalapaki Beach. Located a short distance away from the pier, the walk was easy. A shuttle or a cable car also was available for those who did not wish to walk. As well as a beautiful beach, there are some restaurants and shops to explore. Lunch for us was at Dukes, as they have great burgers and cold beer. But the best feature there was their famous Hula Pie, a gigantic slice of vanilla ice cream with a chocolate crust, warm fudge syrup, and a "hula skirt" of whipped cream. If that's not enough, it is topped with bits of macadamia nuts. So, so good…..On weekends, it could be an hour's wait to get a table, but today, we got in without the wait.
We walked the beach, and found many folks we knew from the ship enjoying the white sands and the warm water. Did a little shopping on the way back, finding another sea glass necklace and earring set. These same ladies were selling their handmade crafts in the same area last year. We purchased a set then, and it is one of my favorites.
It was good to be back onboard in the air-conditioning by 4pm. All aboard was 4:30, and sail away on the aft deck eight took place around 5pm. This was the first real sail away we have had so far. And boy, was it crowded. Nice to see so many folks coming for the appetizers and drinks-of-the-day, while listening to the music as we left the port. We spent two hours chatting with friends Denise and Howie while waiting for the sun to go down. With so many clouds in the sky and on the horizon, we did not expect the spectacular sunset we witnessed. What a treat, and the best one we have seen in a long time. And we all spotted some fish jumping out of the water, although hard to identify. Wishing to see dolphins or whales would have been pushing our luck a bit much. But who knows?
Dinner came quickly by 7:30pm, and once again, we were not disappointed. The wahoo entrée was reportedly the best, while one of us ordered the sliced tenderloin with Yorkshire pudding. Both delicious.
Our next stop will be Hilo, on the big island of Hawaii. The 10am arrival should give us a little more time to sleep in.
Bill & Mary Ann
