Not many people have a better address than us tonight - we are right beside the Aloha Tower, in the centre of downtown Honolulu, for the first of three days here. We've seen so much today - first went up to the Pali Cliffs, in the middle of the island, to see the incredible views (although the wind nearly blew our eyelids off!) - then we headed for Pearl Harbour, where we visited the Arizona Memorial ... a very thought-provoking place, although we ended up walking out of the (almost) obligatory introductory movie as we felt that perhaps, just perhaps, SOME indication should have been made that other people beside the Yanks fought in WWII !!
After that we headed across to the eastern side of the island, through a tunnel under the really impressive mountains, and northwards towards the surf beaches. There was a little wave at the Pipeline and at Sunset Beach, but we've been astounded at the flat seas - we're told that the big waves come in winter. It must be hell to be here then though - even now the waves cross the 2 metres (maximum!) of sand and hit against people's front fences or the very edge of the highway - what must it be like with huge waves??
We saw a huge Green Turtle on a beach, visited a ranch for lunch (tough beef spareribs!) and went to a macadamia outlet (they do admit to macadamias being from Queensland, though most American tourists don't believe them) and the huge Dole pineapple plantation. To our horror, they were selling pineapples for US$7.96 each - smaller than the ones we buy near Coolum at 3 for AU$2.00!! Food in Hawaii is dreadfully expensive - most things seem to cost as much per pound as we'd pay for a kilo! Fortunately, we're not buying much - we're so well fed on the ship that the thought of other food seems indecent!
Almost all of our fellow passengers leave tomorrow - but we have another 12 days, which pleases us. We plan to visit Waikiki tomorrow, and to visit the world-renown Bishop Museum on Monday, courtesy of a botanist who works there, but came out to work in Brisbane some years ago.
We've just heard about the AFL grand final - thanks Belinda! - there's no news that ain't Am-errrr-ican here!!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Merry Maui
Hawaii has us in its thrall ... last night we attended the Hawaiian deck party, drinking Pina Coladas with the best of them (well, virgin Pina Coladas with no alcohol, anyway!) and having our photo taken with the captain - great fun. Today we're in Maui, for the first of 4 days - two this cruise, and another two next week.
This morning we hired a car and set off, first from Kahlui on the mid-north coast to the beautiful Iao valley, where incredibly steep green mountains dripped all around us as we drove to the revered Iao Needle, pointing towards sunny skies. Then we headed across the island, looking for waves ... how disgusted the boys at Coolum would be with the gentle seas we found! The other side of the island is much drier - but that pleases the thousands of holiday-makers who throng to that shore seeking sunshine.
We stopped for lunch at Cove Bay, ready to dine on sourdough bread, meat and pickles, with "apple bananas" (Lady-fingers, we reckon) and a huge pomelo, which we bought from a farm. All was wonderful, except that we couldn't get through the 3cm deep pith of the pomelo with our paltry knife! A nearby Hawaiian fisherman, Maurice and his partner Jenna came to our aid with a large cane-knife, and we shared the pomelo (like a sweet grapefruit, but the size of a cabbage) with them, and a black lass now living in Hawaii, and a couple from Boston, James and Emily, who were due to be married on the beach an hour later!! We had quite a party!
We love life on the ship - but it's nice to see the real world, too - tomorrow we may travel on the local bus - life's fun! Hope it's good for you, too!
This morning we hired a car and set off, first from Kahlui on the mid-north coast to the beautiful Iao valley, where incredibly steep green mountains dripped all around us as we drove to the revered Iao Needle, pointing towards sunny skies. Then we headed across the island, looking for waves ... how disgusted the boys at Coolum would be with the gentle seas we found! The other side of the island is much drier - but that pleases the thousands of holiday-makers who throng to that shore seeking sunshine.
We stopped for lunch at Cove Bay, ready to dine on sourdough bread, meat and pickles, with "apple bananas" (Lady-fingers, we reckon) and a huge pomelo, which we bought from a farm. All was wonderful, except that we couldn't get through the 3cm deep pith of the pomelo with our paltry knife! A nearby Hawaiian fisherman, Maurice and his partner Jenna came to our aid with a large cane-knife, and we shared the pomelo (like a sweet grapefruit, but the size of a cabbage) with them, and a black lass now living in Hawaii, and a couple from Boston, James and Emily, who were due to be married on the beach an hour later!! We had quite a party!
We love life on the ship - but it's nice to see the real world, too - tomorrow we may travel on the local bus - life's fun! Hope it's good for you, too!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Everybody's family here!
We've heard Hawaii called "the friendly isles" - and they're not wrong! We've visited two islands now - first of all the dry west coast of the Big Island (pronounced Ha-Vy-ee as the island, as part of Ha-Wy-ee, the American State!!!) and then beautiful Kauai, the most westerly island, before returning to the east and south of Big Island ... don't ask us WHY we're all over the place - we're just going along for the ride! On both islands we've been treated like family - today's bus driver called us 'cousins' - and made to feel incredibly welcome.
Yesterday we landed at Nawiliwili and travelled through former sugar cane country (now planted with coffee trees) beside beautiful sandy beaches, then on to the Waimea canyon, which is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, but nowhere near so grand! We visited the place where Captain Cook first landed, and some wonderful blow holes. Today we landed at Hilo and travelled to the Kilawea volcano - a large caldera with lots of steam and sulphurous gases blowing out, which we viewed from an observatory on the rim of the caldera, while the earth moved gently under our feet! From there we went to a botanical garden, full of the same plants as we try to grow at home, but really luxuriant, due to the rainfall of 3000 millimetres (120 inches) a year. It was so beautiful that it inspired John to buy a beautiful arrangement of pale pink anthuriums and deep pink ginger for our cabin!
Thanks to all of you who've registered comments to our blogs - you can also write to us at windolf@ozemail.com.au as we check our mail every couple of days. Hope this gets through - we're having some trouble with satellite connections!
Pane (Frances) and Keonii (John)
Yesterday we landed at Nawiliwili and travelled through former sugar cane country (now planted with coffee trees) beside beautiful sandy beaches, then on to the Waimea canyon, which is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, but nowhere near so grand! We visited the place where Captain Cook first landed, and some wonderful blow holes. Today we landed at Hilo and travelled to the Kilawea volcano - a large caldera with lots of steam and sulphurous gases blowing out, which we viewed from an observatory on the rim of the caldera, while the earth moved gently under our feet! From there we went to a botanical garden, full of the same plants as we try to grow at home, but really luxuriant, due to the rainfall of 3000 millimetres (120 inches) a year. It was so beautiful that it inspired John to buy a beautiful arrangement of pale pink anthuriums and deep pink ginger for our cabin!
Thanks to all of you who've registered comments to our blogs - you can also write to us at windolf@ozemail.com.au as we check our mail every couple of days. Hope this gets through - we're having some trouble with satellite connections!
Pane (Frances) and Keonii (John)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Aloha!
Our Hawaiian experience began yesterday, when we lunched with a Hawaiian couple, part of a group returning home from Vancouver, who decided that this cruise was a great way to see their own country! Last night was the Talent Quest, which we would normally have avoided, but we knew that Chester and Shubby's group was performing, so we went (it was kept as a surprise from all other guests). They were a triumph!
We were really in the mood for Kahlui-Kona, on the Big Island - the island of Hawaii - today, and were up by 6am to prepare for our tour - very different to our lazy sea days! This port has no jetty, so we had to be tendered in in some of the lifeboats - now that's an experience! Once on shore, we set off for a tour around half the island - the dry half ... and wasn't it dry! Almost all our journey was on the slopes of the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes - lumps of lava all the way. We're told that a few years ago that's all we would have seen , but now African Fountain Grass has covered a lot of the lava, the seeds having escaped from hotel landscaping.
We visited a wonderful national park, with King K******'s fort (sorry, any word with 17 vowels and 3 consonants defeats me!!), then continued on to the Parker Ranch, a huge cattle ranch in the north of the island, owned by 6 generations of Europeans intermarried with Hawaiian royalty - and they lived like kings! This was interesting in itself, as was the nearby town, but above all we appreciated seeing the countryside, which looked a bit like the (Australian) New England plateau in a drought - brown grass and dying gum trees. Further on we came upon a forest of Queensland Silky Oaks - growing better here than they do at home. So many plants were familiar - we felt quite at home!
A little shopping later, to prepare for Hawaiian Elegant Night tomorrow - a clip-on frangipani for my hair, and what I described as a "cheap lei" for John to wear around his neck ... OOPS!!! Let's just say, it will be unusual to see John with a necklace of flowers ... and from here on, I'll be careful with my descriptions!!
Aloha!
We were really in the mood for Kahlui-Kona, on the Big Island - the island of Hawaii - today, and were up by 6am to prepare for our tour - very different to our lazy sea days! This port has no jetty, so we had to be tendered in in some of the lifeboats - now that's an experience! Once on shore, we set off for a tour around half the island - the dry half ... and wasn't it dry! Almost all our journey was on the slopes of the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes - lumps of lava all the way. We're told that a few years ago that's all we would have seen , but now African Fountain Grass has covered a lot of the lava, the seeds having escaped from hotel landscaping.
We visited a wonderful national park, with King K******'s fort (sorry, any word with 17 vowels and 3 consonants defeats me!!), then continued on to the Parker Ranch, a huge cattle ranch in the north of the island, owned by 6 generations of Europeans intermarried with Hawaiian royalty - and they lived like kings! This was interesting in itself, as was the nearby town, but above all we appreciated seeing the countryside, which looked a bit like the (Australian) New England plateau in a drought - brown grass and dying gum trees. Further on we came upon a forest of Queensland Silky Oaks - growing better here than they do at home. So many plants were familiar - we felt quite at home!
A little shopping later, to prepare for Hawaiian Elegant Night tomorrow - a clip-on frangipani for my hair, and what I described as a "cheap lei" for John to wear around his neck ... OOPS!!! Let's just say, it will be unusual to see John with a necklace of flowers ... and from here on, I'll be careful with my descriptions!!
Aloha!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Caring Carnival
Well, we're on our second of five sea days, and with grey skies and grey seas our thoughts have very much turned inwards. we celebrated the first Elegant Night of this cruise last night, and followed the wonderful dinner with a visit to the large Egyptian- themed theatre for a performance called Jazz Hot - we saw it on the last voyage, but the four singers, twelve dancers, large band, superb costumes etc etc were so wonderful that we returned. This time we couldn't help but see that just below our balcony seats were two interpreters for the deaf, who translated every song into American Sign Language - it was a performance almost as fascinating as that on stage.
It is amazing to see the care for people with disabilities on the ship. On the Alaska cruise we became friendly with a fellow who was wheel-chair-bound after breaking his back some years ago. When we went on the Saxman Village tour, Carnival had ordered a coach with a lift which came out of the side of the bus, and allowed him to sit in an area half-way along - they had also provided someone to push his chair, to allow his wife (a nurse!) to have some time to herself. June said that their stateroom was the best adaptation she had ever seen for the disabled.
Every sign on the ship is marked in braille - although we still haven't worked out how blind people know the sign is there! The young woman with Down Syndrome who sits near us at dinner is treated as an honoured guest, but with no condecension at all.
Not disabled, but special, is a large group of German travellers on the ship - they have a translator, so all important announcements are made in German as well as English. Everybody, including us, is made to feel special! The little Indonesian lass who cleans our bathroom noticed that we love reading so she brings us all the magazines she finds, before taking them to her room to improve her English - this is such a wonderfully caring environment!
It is amazing to see the care for people with disabilities on the ship. On the Alaska cruise we became friendly with a fellow who was wheel-chair-bound after breaking his back some years ago. When we went on the Saxman Village tour, Carnival had ordered a coach with a lift which came out of the side of the bus, and allowed him to sit in an area half-way along - they had also provided someone to push his chair, to allow his wife (a nurse!) to have some time to herself. June said that their stateroom was the best adaptation she had ever seen for the disabled.
Every sign on the ship is marked in braille - although we still haven't worked out how blind people know the sign is there! The young woman with Down Syndrome who sits near us at dinner is treated as an honoured guest, but with no condecension at all.
Not disabled, but special, is a large group of German travellers on the ship - they have a translator, so all important announcements are made in German as well as English. Everybody, including us, is made to feel special! The little Indonesian lass who cleans our bathroom noticed that we love reading so she brings us all the magazines she finds, before taking them to her room to improve her English - this is such a wonderfully caring environment!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sailing westwards
We've been north - loved Alaska, its friendly people, verdant mountains, snow and glaciers - even saw a bear (it looked as big as an ant from such a distance!) we've been south again - to Vancouver for 12 sunny hours - which we spent on the VERY quiet ship - only a dozen or so people going onwards - we took the opportunity for an 'at home day' - John read and snoozed, Frances did some of her university work, which has been rather neglected due to the good times we've had. We have 3 days in Vancouver at the end of our 3 months, and will explore then.
Now we're heading west - 5 days sailing and we'll be in Hawaii! Different people, different music, different menu in the dining room - but the same wonderful staff, same stateroom - we're happy! A new adventure beckons!
Now we're heading west - 5 days sailing and we'll be in Hawaii! Different people, different music, different menu in the dining room - but the same wonderful staff, same stateroom - we're happy! A new adventure beckons!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Different days, different nations
Yesterday we were truly international travellers - we boarded a mini-bus in tiny Skagway (summer population 900 people) and followed one of the trails towards the Klondike goldfields ... well, the first few miles of it ... into Canada, at the top of White Pass. We passed the 3ft gauge train that took tourists up and down, but decided we preferred the road route, where we not only saw the views (yet another clear, sunny day), but could stop beside waterfalls, or to look down into the gorge where so many miners horses died, trying to climb tremendously steep rocky mountains with huge loads - each miner had to carry 1 ton of food into Canada, a feat which took many journeys up and down the 3,700 ft to the pass. Our trip to Canada was brief, but really different - rocky slopes in all directions, a couple of glaciers, white mountain goats, creamy lichens and scarlet fireweed - beautiful.
Today it was First Nation people that we thought of - or, perhaps, Native Americans, as Alaska is American. We travelled from Ketchikan to Saxman Native Village - and what a welcome the Tlingit and Heide people gave us! We were a little embarrassed to be tourists, gawking at their way of life, but they explained to us that tourists, and their money, have enabled their community to provide jobs for their people, and encouraged a whole generation of young people to reamain local and develop a pride in their heritage and their language. We were shown their native plants and a film on their history, welcomed into the Beaver clan meeting house for a dance exhibition, and shown the way that they carve their superb totem poles. It was a wonderful day, and we felt SO welcome. We can't spell it, but we were pleased to say something like "Granache-cheeses Ho Ho", which meant "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts".
Another wonderful theatre presentation tonight - last night's New Orleans Show was worth at least $100 each in Brisbane, or any other city, but was of course a free part of our cruise - such a great contrast to life outside, but so enjoyable - this is the life!
Today it was First Nation people that we thought of - or, perhaps, Native Americans, as Alaska is American. We travelled from Ketchikan to Saxman Native Village - and what a welcome the Tlingit and Heide people gave us! We were a little embarrassed to be tourists, gawking at their way of life, but they explained to us that tourists, and their money, have enabled their community to provide jobs for their people, and encouraged a whole generation of young people to reamain local and develop a pride in their heritage and their language. We were shown their native plants and a film on their history, welcomed into the Beaver clan meeting house for a dance exhibition, and shown the way that they carve their superb totem poles. It was a wonderful day, and we felt SO welcome. We can't spell it, but we were pleased to say something like "Granache-cheeses Ho Ho", which meant "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts".
Another wonderful theatre presentation tonight - last night's New Orleans Show was worth at least $100 each in Brisbane, or any other city, but was of course a free part of our cruise - such a great contrast to life outside, but so enjoyable - this is the life!
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