After circumnavigating the island of Kauai yesterday, we completed the circle by entering the bay of Nawiliwili this morning at 7am. Watching from our veranda, it was a tricky maneuver for the pilot to bring the ship into the dock. He did it with ease, although we have always been told that the Captain is always at the helm, and the pilot gives the directions. The ship was cleared by the local authorities a bit after 8am. As for us, we stuck around watching the tour buses fill. It's amusing to see the people trying to out-walk each other to get to the "best" seats in the bus. Been there, done that. We are glad we took as many tours that we did back in the early days. These days….not so much.
Speaking of tours, there were a few to Waimea Canyon – one was a small group for 5 hours at $170, or a large group for $130. It is a must see in our opinion, and it is the luck of the draw to see it without the fog descending. It is visible one minute, then gone the next. An excursion that takes in the Hollywood movie scenes was 6 ½ hours for $270, while the Tropical Gardens and Waterfalls was 5 ½ hours for $210. One that we did years ago was a Wailua River cruise and the Fern Grotto, where Elvis sang one of his famous songs for 3 hours at $150. The 8 hour version was $230. Lastly, Discover Kauai was 6 ¼ hours for $210 and a Plantation Railway Train ride was $90 for 2 ½ hours.
Last year when we were on this same cruise, we learned there was no longer a free shuttle to the shopping mall in Lihue, a 10 minute ride from the pier. However there were free rides to Anchor Cove or a mini mall near the cove. Truthfully, it is a 10 minute walk from the terminal to get to both the shops and also Kalapaki Beach. We left the ship around 10am and headed towards the beach and the Sonesta Hotel by Marriott. Last time we were here, it was warm and sunny, which shortly changed to cool and rainy. Taking the umbrellas insured us that it would not rain today. Turned out to be correct even though it felt like rain, it stayed away.
This hotel has a lovely garden full of native species of flowers and trees like hibiscus, frangipani, flame trees, mangrove palms, banana plants and tall coconut trees. Woven in and around the garden is a pond with waterfalls and fountains. The pond is full of mature colorful koi carp. During the day, these fish are fed pelleted food and they swim right up to the very edge of the shallow steps leading to the pond. Little kids love watching it…..we do too.
Continuing along the paved walkway, we passed by the hotel's huge swimming pool (guests only) then onto the stretch of sandy beach. This is where most of the crew will go if they are allowed off of the ship. They must take turns getting some free time in the ports. Situated along this beach is Duke's Canoe Club, a perfect spot for lunch. It was afternoon by now, so we did have a 10 minute wait for a table. For a change we decided to try the Tuesday special of carne asada cheese nachos with teriyaki marinated grilled steak strips. Surprise…it was really tasty. The beers were Duke's Blonde Ale, brewed in Kona for this restaurant. Ice cold, they were refreshing with a slice of lemon on the glass. But the best had to be Duke's Hula pie, a real treat made with an Oreo cookie crust, macadamia nut vanilla ice cream, covered with whipped cream and surrounded with hot fudge sprinkled with more nuts. Now that was a perfect ending to a fun meal.
We made our way back ducking in and out of the shops. There was an ABC store, the equivalent of a CVS or Walgreens, but when it got too crowded, we exited quickly. We can wait until tomorrow for shopping in Honolulu. Actually, we learned that our 2 day stay there has been extended for a departure time of 11pm, giving the crew some extra time off after the dinner service is ended.
Getting back to the ship by 2pm, we kept busy until sail away at 6pm. The Captain had reminded everyone to be back onboard by 5:30pm sharp, as he wanted to leave immediately after that. On one of our visits here, we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets we have seen. We figured we would miss it, since the skies were mostly cloudy. Well we were wrong as the sky developed some pretty neat rays as the sun went behind the cloudy mountains. Had we gone inside earlier, we would have missed it.
The dining room dinner menu reflected the area we are visiting…..everything with a Hawaiian theme. We stuck to the regular Caesar salads, one tomato soup, and for a change…..the Club Orange alternate of roasted pork belly slices served over warm pineapple with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. Guess you can call it the "blue" plate special referring to the blue plate it is served on. Desserts were sliced bananas and one hot fudge sundae.
Tomorrow we will be in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, just a mere 100 miles away from Kauai.
Bill & Mary Ann
