We arrived to the island of Kauai very early this morning, with the Zaandam docking at the alternate pier. Why? We had spotted another cruise ship perhaps one hour behind us obviously heading the same direction we were. After breakfast, we went down to deck three and discovered that the ship was the Ruby Princess, and she had docked where we always do. Can't argue with that one, since it is so much bigger than us. It sure is a big ship and their guests will fill up all of the tours as well as the nearby town and restaurants of Nawiliwili and Lihue.
We had specific directions regarding going shore today, our very first stop in Hawaii. As always, we had to remember our room keys, but also a government issued photo ID. These will be checked for sure in each and every Hawaii port.
No food or drink (including water) is allowed to be taken ashore in order to protect the environment and health of the communities. And once again, the lights will be turned off or reduced to protect the native bird species. All balcony lights had to be off after sunset.
The weather today started with sunny skies and scattered clouds. But that could change on a dime as we have seen on past visits. The temperature was already in the 80's at 8am, and the humidity was high. That is something that is difficult to get used to. Our cruise and travel director, Daniel, mentioned there was a 35% chance of rain and possible thundershowers. And for that reason, we packed the umbrellas. In past visits, we have been taken by surprise and got drenched in a sudden downpour.
Some of the tours offered today revolved around a visit to the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific - Waimea Canyon either by coach starting from $136 to $210. Or you can see it from a helicopter for $800 per person. That tour was sold out by the way. Better hope it is not foggy, or else you will see nothing. We have been lucky to have had perfect weather one time, and total fog the next time.
Another fun tour was a boat ride on the only navigable river in all of Hawaii – the Wailua River. Years ago we went to see Fern Grotto where Elvis sang one of his famous songs in a movie. This tour ran $140. for three hours. Another example of why Kauai is called the Garden Isle. We were reminded that parts of Kauai receive as much as 37.5 feet of rain annually. Incredible. No wonder it is so lush and green.
Then there is a 40 minute train ride through 105 acres of Agricultural and Animal Plantations for $96 and 2 ¼ hours.
It wasn't too long ago that buses took folks to the Kukui Mall in nearby Lihue. Now we see there is a free shuttle from Hilo Hattie's, which is located in that mall. However, it is a small shuttle, and the line for folks to go there had to be 50 deep this morning. If we remember correctly, this mall had most all of the major stores such as Macy's etc. Nearby was a Kmart, maybe a Target, and also a Costco.
There was a local shuttle bus to Anchor Cove, about a mile walk from the pier. Here you can find some local jewelry and pearl shops, as well as Kalapaki Beach, a crescent-shaped white sand beach near the Kauai Marriott Resort. The calm waters offer a chance to swim, paddleboard, or simply sunbathing. Cafes and restaurants are scattered all through this area.
We stayed onboard until the crew drill was about ½ over, which was 10:30am. Being further away from the little town of Nawiliwili, we had to walk past the Ruby Princess to access the gate to the road. The Princess folks were lined up to catch any shuttle or bus they could . Naturally their lines were much longer than ours. For us, it was just as easy to walk.
Up to this point in the road, we realized we had only seen one single egret fly by. The only other birds we saw around the port area were the resident chickens and roosters. And a few little doves and sparrows.
Taking or usual route, we ended up walking through the gardens of the Marriott property. It about the only place we got some shade and a nice breeze. In the center of the lush garden is a pond that is full of koi carp. Near the open-air entrance to the hotel, there is an area where these fish are fed by hand daily. In the pond, we did see a pair of Nene geese, the official bird of Hawaii. These days they are highly protected. In the days of the Kings and Queens, they frequently used their feathers as decorative headdresses and necklaces. In fact, most off the prettiest birds were killed for their feathers to be used in special ways….mostly ornamental. Some of these species went extinct.
Then we hiked back down to the beach, and walked to the end. There was little shade to be found and we were working up a powerful thirst for some ice cold beer. Remember, we were not allowed to bring any water with us. So we put our names in at Duke's and were told to come back in a half hour. Crossing the road, we did check out the Harbor Mall and their restaurants, but they also had a long wait time. And besides, we had a special dessert in mind and hated to pass on it.
So back at Duke's, we waited another 15 minutes and finally got a table for two. We ordered two Long board draft beers – the 20 ounce size, and a "pupu" of chicken nachos. Of course, pupu in Hawaii means appetizers. Our order arrived in less than 10 minutes. And they tasted just fine with the ice cold beers. But the best was yet to come…..the Hula pie. We watched as a nearby table of four elderly folks devoured a slice of the special dessert. Took them about 5 minutes and it was gone. We would savor every bite, making it last longer. It really is a simple dessert of mostly ice cream and an Oreo cookie crust covered with layers of whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce and macadamia nuts. Can you tell we really like it? The line for tables never let up, and ours was taken the second we left. This sure is a popular restaurant and bar along the beachfront. There is a second level upstairs, but today it was dedicated to a Sunday brunch.
We took or time walking back, passing most of the spots that were over-flowing with cruise passengers from two ships. We were going to check out the ABC store, but it was so crowded, you couldn't get inside. We did see a lot of people packing ABC bags, so we figured they were stocking up on the macadamia nut chocolates.
On the way back to the ship, it began to lightly drizzle. Good, we thought, since we had packed the umbrellas all day and never used them. Anyway, the rain cloud passed over and the sun came out hotter than before. It never did rain again. Getting back around 3pm, we had the facial recognition check, then boarded the ship with the usual xray. It was set more sensitive since it set off the buzzer with my knee replacement. Up to now, I have only been wanded once.
We kept busy in the coolness of our room until the ship left the dock around 5pm. Some people arrived at the last minute, and were lucky the gangway had not been pulled. Also, Nyron was waiting, and we knew a bus tour might still be out. We were correct as the bus came within minutes of the all aboard time.
Captain Smit came on the speakers with his daily talk. He said we were 236 nautical miles to Kona, the port of call for tomorrow. The Zaandam will be there around 7am, and docked by 8am. The temperature should be the same as today with partly cloudy skies, some sun, and a chance of rain. Leaving the dock at Nawiliwili was not an easy one, the Captain admitted. It's a zigzag-type of maneuver and with the help of a couple of tugboats, we made it out just fine. The Ruby Princess would follow sometime after we left. We did have a chance conversation with a couple of ladies from the Ruby while in Duke's. They said their next stop would be Honolulu, while ours will be Kona on the Big Island.
Sailing away from the island, we had hoped to see a special sunset. However, just as we expected, we were an hour early, and the sun did not set until after 6pm. Not wanting to miss it, we set off to the aft section on the veranda deck (6), and watched as the sun went down behind the clouds again. It was nice, but not the spectacular sunsets we have seen here. There were some birds out here like the low-flying shearwaters. First you see them, then you don't, due to their dark uppersides and white bellies. We may have seen a few boobies as well.
Dinner time came quickly, and we had salad as appetizers, and one shrimp taco. One of us ordered the chicken meatballs with rigatoni. Not a fancy dish, but very good. The other choice was jambalaya, a shrimp and rice combo with Creole spices. We asked if there was any chance the cooks add oyster or clam juice, so Pulung, our Maitre-d, went to ask. He came back and said, yes, they add clam juice to the seasoning. Glad we asked, because if one of us decided to taste it, there would have been an allergic reaction. Best to ask and be sure, because the answer actually surprised Pulung, who thought it had none of the shellfish sauces. Who knew? The chef knew…..
Dessert was one flan and one tiny scoop of fudge mocha ice cream. And we mean tiny. Remember when a scoop or two of ice cream filled a bowl? Well no more. One scoop is the size of a golf ball at most. Knowing the size, most folks would order more. But one scoop was sufficient, considering we had that mile-high hula pie for lunch.
Looking forward to Kona tomorrow, or very first tender port.
Bill & Mary Ann
