The Zaandam arrived in the early morning hours to the port in Hilo, Hawaii. We are back to the island where we started with the first port of Kona. It has been a most busy five days of non-stop activity, with one more day to go in Hilo. The highs of the day were 81 degrees with a nice strong breeze. The skies were mostly blue with passing clouds, with no rain in sight. However, there is always the message saying things can change, which really means, it can rain. So far we have been lucky and the rains have held off.
The town of Hilo is situated on the slopes of three volcanoes and is home to 41,000 residents. The average rainfall is 128 inches, making Hilo one of the wettest towns in the USA. Naturally, with all that rain there are spectacular waterfalls and gardens with exotic flowers. But one of the main attractions here are Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet high, and Mauna Loa at 13,679 feet in elevation. Mauna Kea has the distinction of being the highest "island" mountain on earth. By that we mean that it is measured from the base of the ocean floor to the summit, and it adds up to 32,000 feet. It is also home to the largest astronomical observatory in the world.
And of course, the number one destination is Kilauea, one of the earth's most active volcanoes, which is located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Located on the flanks of Mauna Loa, this active volcano has been spewing molten lava since 1983 leaving destruction in its path. In addition, this volcano has erupted 39 times (or more) since 1832.
We always like to include some of the ship's tours, but we have to apologize since by the time we went to view them, they were gone from the TV. The one thing we were not sure about was how the government shutdown effected these tours. We did find out that not everything was shut down, and some folks got to go to the volcano and the visitor's center today.
After breakfast, we stuck around until 10am before leaving the ship. We thought it was strange that the Captain docked starboard side today, and we soon saw the reason why. A big section of the dock had been dug up and was in the process of being redone. So that meant we had to walk the full length of the ship before entering the terminal building. The first sign we saw at the entrance was no more Walmart shuttle available. This has been like that for the last couple of years and is too bad because the guests and crew all liked this shopping opportunity. Yes, you can take a taxi there, but the free bus was nice especially for the crew members. Hilo's Farmers Market over 2 miles away did have a 12-person shuttle where people could find fresh fruits and veggies, coffee, flowers, and wood carvings as well as Hawaiian souvenirs. If there was a long line for this shuttle, then there might be a long wait to get there. Wednesdays and Saturdays are their big days where 200 local farmers and crafters are present.
At least we did not have to turn left out of the building and follow the curve of the entrance road. There was a marked walkway that led directly to the exit at the gate. At the corner, we turned right and followed the main road passing industrial buildings mostly. It was going to be another warm day, but there was a saving breeze unlike the last islands we have visited. Reeds Bay Beach Park was the first stop to get some scenic photos. It is always a good place to take advantage of park benches and shade from the sun. So many trees have been removed here, that shade is at a premium. Further up the road, we saw Ponds Hilo that is built on the Ice Pond. This is a favorite area for swimming, kayaking, and enjoying a weekend picnic with the family. A natural cold spring feeds this brackish cold-water pond. Right near the restaurant is a spot above the water where kids of all ages like to jump and splash the unsuspecting tourists. We know how wet they can get passers-by people, so we walked out in the road to avoid a surprise. Reeds Bay Park was full of Saturday families having a good time. And we did spot one big green turtle on the way.
Turning on Banyan Drive, we passed by the string of hotels and resorts that were built in the 1950's. The gigantic banyan trees lining the road have been donated by famous people of the day, which included doctors as well as Hollywood actors that stayed here back in the day. It was the "bees knees" to fly here for a vacation. The Reeds Bay Resort was the first property we passed, followed by the Grand Naniloa Hotel with Ka Lihikiai Restaurant and Bar next to it. This hotel is part of the Doubletree by Hilton group. One of the older hotels had been converted into apartments that may have been for the homeless population here. It was not uncommon to see many feral cats that the people fed with Fancy Feast and dry kibble. However, we did not see any of the resident cats or kittens this time.
We had plenty of time to visit the Liliuokalani Park, which is 100 years old and built with a Japanese garden. It has also been the place where we can see the remaining mongooses that had been imported here decades ago to control the rat population. There was a problem, however, because it was discovered that the rats were active at night, while the mongooses that will kill them, were active during the day and slept at night. Using cats would have been a better idea. This park was filled with locals and tourists alike. We made our way to the benches near the crops of volcanic mounds where the mongoose like to hide. If you sit long enough, there is chance they will come out of the rocks. And it happened, as we did spot a couple of the little creatures pop out briefly. It was also a good excuse to relax for a few moments.
That's when four bus tours stopped to let their guests out for a 20 minute stroll through the park which also had restrooms. Our friend Ron happened to be on one of those tours, which had gone to the crater of Kilauea and their pricey visitor center. We chatted for several minutes, then he went off to re-join the shuttle. Well it was nowhere in sight and we feared he had missed it. With only a small number of guests in those minibuses, you think someone would have said he was not there. And we were sitting with a few yards of the buses. Or the driver should have counted the people and known he was short one. Ron decided to walk the one-way road with hopes they came back. Worse come to worse, he could taxi back and present shore excursions with the tab.
We continued our walk through the peaceful park, then made our way across the footbridge to Coconut Island or as the locals call it – Moku Ola. A church group had a tent there with folding chairs and tables for a picnic we assume. Some of the younger kids were bored and were climbing the trees instead. Nice to be young….. It was a Saturday, so many locals were here. We understand that school has a break and that is why we have seen so many families out and about in all of the islands. We always go to the end of the island and watch the daredevil boys and some girls jumping off the old bridge pilings. There are monuments on this island reminding everyone of the devastating tsunamis in 1946 and 1960. Old photos show the destruction and loss of life. More details can be seen at the Tsunami Museum in downtown Hilo, but it would involve a much longer walk and we have been there, done that years ago.
Time to head back, we followed Banyan Drive and Reeds Bay, where we searched for more green turtles. We did see one large one on the way to the park, which blended in so well with the rocks, it was almost invisible. More people had arrived with their kayaks and inflatable canoes ready to dive in and enjoy those cool waters. We made it to Pond's Hilo where we were seated at a table with two opened windows. We could see all of the activity of the Ice Pond as well as some sea turtles and ducks right beneath us. This restaurant has a koi pond cage directly under it, so we could watch some big ones swimming under there. Starting with one diet Coke and a draft beer or two of Big Wave Golden Ale, we added a mushroom -Swiss cheeseburger with a pile of fries to share. Our waiter/owner suggested trying their bread pudding dessert, so twisting our arms, we said yes. Glad we did as it was so good with tons of cinnamon and caramel sauce. Of course, we shared it.
As much as we hated to leave, we started back to the pier and were in our room after 3pm. Even with a pleasant breeze, we still downed more sodas to cool off. Working on photos and reports, the Captain came on with his talk after 5:30pm. Since we were already facing the right direction, he could pull away from the dock and proceed out of the spacious bay easily. It was just starting to get dark, but we still had the best side for viewing the Hilo Bay area we had walked earlier. The Grand Naniola Hotel grounds were full of folks getting ready for an event of some kind. The grounds were dotted with tiki torches that lit up the gardens. There were still people on Coconut Island watching us leave. After sailing past the downtown area, the lighthouse and the singing bridge, it was almost too dark for pictures. Once the ship left the bulkhead, the pilot was picked up on the port side. The only thing we saw now was a flock or two of white egrets. We were well on our way to Fanning Island now, 1009 nautical miles south of here. Captain Willems stated that we may have some deeper swells of 6 – 7 feet, 17 to 25mph winds, with temperatures of 79 degrees and some rain. That about covers it all. And our speed will be 17 knots to get us there on time.
Dinner had a few different items again which were starters of pot stickers and a shrimp appetizer wrapped in a filo dough. Two salads were served followed by short ribs and BBQ ribs…… all good and tasty. Dessert was simple – one scoop vanilla ice cream and a sliced banana with a chocolate drizzle and chopped walnuts. The dining room emptied out by 8:30pm, but we saw no reason for the early exit. We think after 6 days of ports, everyone is feeling it. The show was a performance of Curtain Up with the singers and dancers.
Looking forward to 2 sea days to recover.
Bill & Mary Ann
