The word, Kona, means leeward side of an island with the wind blowing southwest. And that was our port of call today….Kona, Hawaii. The skies were quite blue early this morning, and the temperature on our veranda was already 90 degrees by 9am. The Zuiderdam had arrived around 7am, but would not dock. The ship did not drop anchor to our knowledge, but appeared to be held in place with the side thrusters. This would also be our first- time tendering to shore, but certainly, not our last on this cruise.
There must be a lot of tours going off early, because the Pinnacle Grill was almost full this morning. Once again, checking the tours in Kona slipped our minds, and they were already gone from the TV grid. We do know that Volcanoes National Park is accessible from here, as well as a drive to Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, both just under 14,000 feet high. Water sports are big in Kona, such as parasailing, snorkeling, boating and fishing. The Kona coast is home to dolphins, green turtles, manta rays, and whales, which are seasonal. The migration of the humpbacks from Alaska and Russia can begin in October and last until April.
Anyway, the port times today were from 7am to 3:30pm. That meant we needed to leave earlier than we usually do. Tender tickets were needed for most folks. The exceptions were the President's Club, Neptune suites, and Club Orange guests who only needed to show their cards at the gangway without waiting. Those who were one to three star Mariners had to collect tickets in the Billboard Onboard Lounge, while the four and five star guests needed to go to the Rolling Stone Lounge. All of the details were also described by Ian on the room TV, as well as partially printed in the Daily Program.
The entire process was well organized, and there were plenty of tender boats in service leaving from two gangways. The crew members were well-trained in assisting the guests onboard the small bouncing boats. They offered helping hands when needed. Being the first to board one of the tenders, we headed to the very back seats. Most people want the first seats by the entry door so they can be first off. As for us, we wait until the last guests are off, then leave.
The ride was smooth and quick, then we were dropped off at the Kailua Pier in Kailua Bay. Swimmers were already in the water by the seawall, and the tide was as high as we have ever seen it. We began the walk behind the seawall, noticing that the sidewalks and street were soaking wet with puddles. Then we could see why. The waves were getting very high, then suddenly, the spray was over the wall with a driving force. OK….with that we sped up our walk and escaped getting drenched. Not everyone was so lucky.
We passed by Hulihe'e Palace, where we used to see the green turtles from the garden wall. Now it is off limits to anyone unless you are on a pre-arranged tour. We used to go there for free. No more. Continuing up the seawall, we arrived at the Kona Inn Shopping Village, a series of small shops and eateries with a wooden boardwalk. There is a nice seaside open-air restaurant here, and we figured it might be a good place for lunch. Heaven knows……we were in search of the "perfect cheeseburger" right?
Walking further up Ali'i Drive, we discovered that Bubba Gump's is no longer here. Another chain has taken it over, which is no surprise. Remember we found the one in Honolulu was gone as well. We made it up to the Royal Kona Resort, which is a very nice place to stay from what we saw. It is built right on the water, and although there is no sandy beach here, the breeze makes up for it. Walking out by the swimming pool, we noticed that it was full of guests, which is great. Hawaii is on the way back with tourism. Not always…..
Heading back, we crossed the street and made our way to the Coconut Grove Marketplace where the Outback is located. We usually go for Mexican cuisine at Pancho and Lefty's, but it appeared they were gone too. Actually, they had moved to another building and still had a restaurant on the upper level. It would not open until 3pm for happy hour and dinner. So that was out for us. So where to go? The search for the perfect burger changed to a "pu-pu" of a chicken quesadilla appetizer and two Big Wave draft beers at the Kona Canoe Club, and outdoor eatery in the Kona Inn Shopping Village. We took seats at the railing with a wonderful view of the tender port while enjoying a cooling breeze. The quesadilla was delicious, as was our shared dessert of mud pie. It was our last chance to order it, so we just had to do it. The clock was ticking away, and we had to resume our hike.
Near the old church, Makuaikaua, is an open air produce and souvenir marketplace. Strolling past the many booths of island fruit and veggies, we checked out the stalls of souvenirs. If one is looking for carved wooden bowls and tikis, this is the place to find them. Their prices are very reasonable, and they will bargain. On past trips, we have purchased more than a few of the treasures sold here. Today we have to be careful with buying anything, or we will be over-loaded for flying home. Smart people we know keep their luggage on the lighter side for just that reason.
We came across our good buddies enjoying their shaved ice cones at the Scandinavian Shave Ice Co. Sure looked good, but we had no room left for the treat. From here, we headed uphill to find the Longs Drug Store we knew was there. We still had some things to get, and were happy to find them here. But….checking out was ridiculous as one lady was using every coupon and script to buy her stuff. One mistake after another was made by both customer and checker, creating a long line down the aisle. Finally, another checker came and opened up a register. Switching lines, the transaction went through quickly and we were done. The other lady with the coupons? Still there after we left.
Back at the pier, the tender ride was weird in that we were the first ones to board, and there were plenty of seats behind us. Well, two people came on, stopped, and squeezed right across from us, stepping on our toes as they sat down. When the Kleenex came out, we both got up and moved to the back. We had masks on…they did not, but should have. Despite that, the ride was quick and we were back by 2:30pm.
After several cold sodas, we relaxed until sail away around 4pm. By now, the sky had totally clouded up, and it felt like rain. Looking at the surrounding hillsides, we could see showers falling already. It should have cooled things down, but the temp still remained 90 degrees. Hoping for a sunset, we found it was brief due to the cloud cover.
Dinnertime arrived, and the choices were nice for us this evening. Marlin and meatballs and spaghetti were both on the menu, as well as prime rib. Sometimes the prime rib can be the size of a small roast, so it was the Italian dish for one of us. The marlin was excellent and from what we read today, the official world record of a blue marlin weighing in at 1,376 pounds was caught here in Kona. That is a whole lot of marlin steaks!
We have four days at sea now, which will be most appreciated by all, we are sure.
Bill & Mary Ann
