A few final photos

We've had a great trip with great friends . A hui hou, Hawaii.

Quiet Day

It's been a quiet, uneventful day so a bit of Hawaiian culture in today's post.

Everywhere you go in Hawaii, you'll see hats, bumper stickers and T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Eddie Would Go". Eddie, as any Hawaiian can tell you, is Eddie Aikau. Aikau was not only a champion surfer but also the first professional lifeguard at Waimea Bay on Oahu and is credit with saving over 500 people (probably mostly dumb tourists) from drowning. There were few, if any conditions that Eddie would deem too dangerous to swim or surf in.  Sadly, Eddie was lost at sea while part of a team that was attempting to recreate the incredible journeys of the early Polynesians.

"Eddie Would Go" has become a Hawaiian cultural catchphrase - as in "take a chance", "don't be discouraged" or "have no fear".  It sums up an important part of the philosophy of the surf culture so apparent here.

The Big Event

After much planning and secrecy, my good friends (and relatives) Roger and Lynn were married at a stunning spot on Waielae Beach (at the extreme east end of Waikiki). The day was fabulous and a fitting start to their lives together.

The day started with Roger and I hanging out while the girls did the hair and make-up thing.  The two of us really hadn't had much of a chance to just sit around and chat since we've been here. After getting dressed it was off in the limo to the wedding site.  It is a beautiful spot - the island of Molokai was visible in the background. With waves lapping gently at the shore they read their vows and made their commitment to each other in an emotional ceremony.

We finished the night off with dinner at the swanky Kahala Resort. An incredible day!

Pearl Harbor

What can you say about such an iconic place?  December 7th, 1941 truly has lived on in infamy as President Roosevelt said.

We toured the USS Bowfin, a WWII era submarine. It's amazing to think how 50 or 60 guys lived on board in such a crampt space. We then took the ferry to the Arizona Memorial and took some time to reflect on the immense sacrifice made here.

We returned back to the condo and had dinner outside on a patio listening to a very good Hawaiian band. I had a personal favorite - loco moco. Loco moco starts off with white rice topped with a hamburger patty and then 2 over easy eggs.  The entire thing is then smothered with brown gravy. Delicious!

Photos Part 2

A few more photos.

Photos: Around Oahu

Some photos from Oahu (more to come,  hopefully).

More Island Touring

feels a bit like home.  Yesterday (Sunday) was spend with Adam White, a tour guide that we also traveled with on our previous trip. Adam is a surfer, photographer,  free diver and boat captain. On top of all that Adam is a great story teller.

We toured around probably three quarters of the island and I am always amazed at the variety. From the tourist chaos that is Waikiki to the solemnity of the Byodo-In temple, Oahu has it all.

Surfing is king here and with surfing comes a certain lifestyle.  That laid-back, living-in-the-moment way of life is something I admire. Being a surfer,  Adam's tour definitely had a water focus.  The shoreline here is comparable to any in the state and we took it all in through many stops including Diamondhead lookout, Hanauma Bay, Sandy Beach (known as Breakneck Beach due to the many injuries that have occurred there) and of course the famous North Shore where the monster waves crash. On this day, though,  things were fairly calm.

We stopped in Haleiwa Town for a break and headed back to our home away from home.

Next stop: Pearl Harbor.

(This blogging app is currently giving me grief with respect to posting photos.  I will get them posted as soon as I  can)

Dry Land

The Hawaiian Islands cruise is over and it is bittersweet.  It truly was an eye opener - Maui, Kaua'i and the big Island are all very different and very beautiful.  I'm truly glad we went.  I'm also glad the vacation isn't over.  We have checked into the timeshare units at Hilton Hawaiian Village and they are perfect one bedroom units. So much room after a week onboard the ship! 

We met up at The Cheesecake Factory with Oscar and Michelle, friends of ours from Australia and had a great visit over lunch.  Turns out our timing was a bit off as they are going on the same cruise this week.  We gave them lots of good info to make their cruise go smoothly.

Today is Sunday and we are leaving for a tour of Oahu.

Kauai Day 2

Our final full cruise day was spent on Kauai. With an early afternoon sailing we did a quick shore excursion to see  Waimea Canyon from the ground.  What an incredible, timeless place.  Multiple coloured rock faces,  sweeping vistas and tropical waterfalls - this island has them all.  There's less emphasis on the island's volcanic past here as it is the oldest of the Hawaiian chain.

The day was topped off with a sail-past of the Na Pali Coast. Incredible views!

We have had an excellent cruise and we are sailing back to Honolulu now

Kauai Day 1

Kauai is a wild place.  Only 10% of the island is accessible by road,  and with difficult terrain that means there are many places virtually untouched by man.  The best way to view the landscape is by air,  so we headed up via helicopter.

This was my first time in a chopper and I will admit I was a bit nervous.  Not scared, just nervous that my history of motion sickness would crop up but it was fine.

I didn't exactly have the best seat in the house so the attached photos are mostly obscured shots that really don't do the landscape justice.  You'll have to take my word for it that the scenery is truly beyond compare.

After returning to the ship we did the most touristy thing you can do - attend a luau. The food was actually pretty good and the show was the best I've seem during my 3 trips to  Hawaii.

We overnight in Kauai - more tomorrow from the Garden Isle.

Easy Day in Kona/Kialua

We have been so busy on this cruise that we decided to take it easy in Kona and just wander around town on foot. What a great place!  Part hippie commune and part frontier town, Kona was great to explore.  Lots of shops and some magnificent water views made for a fun,  relaxing visit. 

Back on board the ship we enjoyed some of the bands that play in various locations followed by a great steak dinner in one of the ship's premium restaurants. 

We've just docked on Kauai in a town called Lihue. It is Helicopter Day...Looking forward to it.  I think!

Hilo and the Volcanoes

Our day in Hilo on the Big Island started off with a disappointing view of Hilo Bay and not much else except for the commercial docks. The sound of transport trucks and fork lifts filed the heavy, misty air. However, about an hour after sunrise something magical happened.  For less than an hour the great Mauna Kea showed her snow capped peak - very cool to see.

In the afternoon we were off to visit Volcanoes National Park where we encountered active steam vents, craters from previous eruptions and an amazing lava tube.  We crossed the lava field from a major eruption of Kilauea in 1974 with much of the damage still visible. It was a great tour with a very knowledgeable local guide.

Everywhere we go we hear about how sugar production was a driving force here and with its demise came a major blow to the economy.  Hilo is no different and it essentially relies on tourism now.

As we sailed for Kona last night we were fortunate again as we spotted a whale just outside the harbour. A great day!

Snow-capped Mauna Kea

The Kilauea Crater 

Maui - Day 2

You know that old saying about getting up half an hour before you go to bed?  It felt like that today.  We were up and ready to meet the bus at 3:30 a.m. The destination - the rim of the volcano Haleakala to catch the sunrise which,  according to reports is incredible.  The bus rolled through the darkness, climbing ever higher through a series of tight switchback turns until we finally entered Haleakala National Park just before dawn. At just over 10 thousand feet above sea level,  the temperature was a cool 6C and the air was noticing thinner.

At first light,  the sky became pink,  then orange and red and finally the sun leaked through the clouds below us to reveal an incredible site.  The pictures don't do it justice but the memories made the early rise well worth it.

Maui - Day 1

Having never been anywhere but the island of Oahu, we were pretty excited to see Maui. We weren't disappointed.

The first thing I noticed here was the lack of people. There's nobody here!  The second thing I noticed was the brilliance of the colours. The various blues of the sea against the black of the lava with the most amazing greens of the flora - it made for an amazing visual. 

We had a private tour guide who drove the perilous Road To Hana. The road has around 50 one lane bridges and just as many drop-offs. It was a fun ride.  Jasmine, our guide was not only knowledgeable but very passionate about her home. I was really impressed with what she knew about the history and how things have been unfortunately mismanaged.  The Last Resort by The Eagles summed this up very well.

Shipping Out

We embarked on the Pride of America for our cruise through some of the most picturesque islands anywhere. The stateroom is well appointed if a bit small.  Leaving soon for Maui and or first trip off of Oahu.

Exploring

Yesterday (Friday) was our first full day on the island and we spent it just wondering around refamiliarizing ourselves with the joys of Waikiki. That really means  what seems like hours shopping in ABC Stores. These stores are everywhere here and they sell everything from tacky souvenirs to spam sandwiches.  ABC stores have become part of the culture here.

Swimming and a Mai Tai at the hotel pool bar concluded the afternoon.

We topped off the day celebrating Lynn's birthday at Duke's, a Waikiki classic.

At Duke's we were serenaded by some amazing musicians who, we found out, are quite famous locally. The Bee Sisters were the original recording artists of 'The Hukilau'. 'The Hukilau' was recorded in the late '40's and became a hit in a world where travel to Hawaii remained a dream for the vast majority.

Later today we embark on our 7-day cruise. We are thoroughly looking forward to it!

And so it Begins

Today will be a long one. We are up at 5:00 a.m. to get to the airport for the first leg of the trip - Toronto to LAX. After a short layover we will be in the air again, winging our way across the Pacific, landing in Honolulu around 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time (4:00 p.m. Hawaii Time).

We will be staying at the Hilton Waikiki Beach for 2 nights before boarding the Pride of America for our cruise through some of the most picturesque islands anywhere.

Hawaii? Again?!?

Yep.  Again.  We so thoroughly loved Hawaii last time that when we came back we (OK mostly I) started to plan and scheme to return.  This trip is different, though. Scott and Shannon are both busy with their university lives and will not be joining us. Instead our good friends Roger and Lynn are tagging along.  Also, we are spending a week cruising which will be both fun and relaxing. I'll do my best to post daily.

Thanks for following along!