Hawaii Cruise trip

After 42 years, we still had the passion toward fun, laugh and youth. There we met old and new classmates/friends, on or off the boat. Even the four days bus tours gave us uppermost challenges at our ages.

There is a saying: “While you meet something beautiful, the first thing you should do is to share it with your friends anywhere. So that these beautiful things will be able to spread out literally around the world.”

17 October, 2013

LAX, American Airlines, Honolulu Airport, Waikiki, Outrigger Luana Hotel, Atlantis Submarine Adventure, Ramen Ezogiku

Every meal/snack was chargeable on this six hours flight. The Outrigger hotel is situated just outside of the really busy area of Waikiki and since we were on the 2nd floor facing the parking lot and had a lot of traffic noise.  Hotel is clean and the staff is friendly.  It is an easy walk to the restaurants and the beach. I heard that all the coconuts on the coconut palm trees on Waikiki Beach are removed for the safety of tourists.

In Atlantis submarine, we went down all the way to 104 feet. We paid the extra for the deluxe sub ride with better viewing but couldn't see much because the water was so murky. We saw artificial reefs made from large airplanes and fishing boats. We saw some sorts of fish including a small shark and a turtle.

We wanted some serious comfort food after a long day of flying and deep-sea adventure. The place is a super cheap solution to dining in Waikiki, and it’s truly Japanese owned.

18 October, 2013

Grand Circle Island Tour – Oahu (Diamond Head, Exclusive Kahala Estates, Hanuama Bay, Halona “Blow Hole” Lookout, Byodo-In Temple, Chinaman’s Hat, Mormon Temple, Kualoa Ranch and “Lengends and Legacy tram tour”, North Shore surfing beaches, Waimea Bay, Pineapple Fields, Dole Plantation), Ramen Nakamura 

Robert’s Hawaii used 64-passenger bus so it made the tour more complex and uncomfortable. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable of the history and scenery of the island, however, not customer oriented. 

The Halona Blow Hole is a natural occurrence formed by molten lava tubes from volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. The lava tubes run to the ocean and, when the surf is right, the blowhole shoots water up to 30 feet in the air. The larger the waves, the larger the spray.

The Halona Beach Cove, also known as the “Peering Place” is known for the famous love scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the movie entitled "From Here to Eternity" (1953). 

The beautiful Hanauma Bay is great for snorkeling. The Nuuanu Pali (“Pali” in Hawaiian means ‘cliff’) Lookout and Valley offered breathtaking views, pineapple plantations being harvested, and a crowded buffet lunch at Kualoa Ranch. The Byodo-In Temple sets in a beautiful tranquil landscaped setting, plus many beautiful beaches, warm rain forests and majestic mountains. Don’t ever miss out the delicious and smooth pineapple ice cream at Dole. Yummy!

In Hawaii, we often see many wild chickens. They seem to have very good and happy life because they are born free and roam free to eat natural food in the wild. The mongoose was introduced into Hawaii in 1883, from India through Jamaica, in a failed effort to control rat population that was feeding on sugar cane. 

On the Windward Coast (North Shore) of Oahu, there are gorgeous jagged mountain ridges visible from beautiful beach parks, valleys, bays and highways. Sunset Beach is on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii and known for big wave surfing during the winter season, with waves often between fifteen and twenty feet high. All the surfing contests take place in the winter around December and January, that being the time of the biggest and best waves for surfing. This is one of the longest sand beaches in Oahu running two miles in length and 200-300 feet wide.

19 October, 2013

Protea Café, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters (Oahu Waikiki Beach, hidden rain forests, lush valleys, turquoise coral reefs of Waikiki, volcano of Diamond Head, Koko Head Crater, Hanauma Bay, White-sand Waimanalo beach, Chinaman’s Hat, coral formations in Kaneohe Bay, Nuuanu Valley rainforest, Sacred Falls, Dole Pineapple Plantation, Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri), NCL Pride of America

Protea Cafe is a very small place with only 4 two-seater tables and a large "community table" that is also good for groups. We tried it out since it’s right at our hotel. The Illy brand coffee was not as good as Kona coffee. All in all, it is very reasonably priced, and good service too.

Then we headed out for the helicopter. What a great way to see Hawaii, well worth the money. We were in the air for about 50 minutes and it was the best $205 we each have spent. We’d seen views impossible to see from the ground and truly had an unforgettable time! My hubby worried about the height at the beginning and he enjoyed it very much at the end. Oh, I forgot to mention that we were so lucky to sit in the front seats, right next to the pilot! We got amazing view of Hawaii multi-color ocean! Green-blue for shallow water and the coral reef near the shore and deep blue for off-shore deep water. We got exquisite, 360 degree views of breathtaking sky, valley, sea, and mountains. You truly get to appreciate the beauty of the island from this vantage point, the contrast of the turquoise blue of the ocean with the emerald green of the farms in the valley and the rich, forest-green mountains rising up to the clouds.

Finally, we got on board NCL Pride of America and had our first buffet meal. Not too attractive.

20 October, 2013

Hana, Maui Bus Tour (Hookipa, Heavenly Hana Town, Kaumanhina State Park, Wai Kane Falls, Hana Bay, Pools of Oheo “Seven sacred pools”, Wailua Falls, Wainapanapa State Park, Keanae Lookout)

TFGH arranged 3 buses to tour Hana. The tour guide we had was excellent and extremely knowledgeable about the culture, the history of the entire area and about every plant and animal conceivable that made up this entire 9 hour excursion.  Once into the trip, the driving became treacherous, especially with some of the turns, narrowed road and the seriously extremely bumpy part of the road that lasted about 4 miles. On the forever winding Road to Hana, visitors can enjoy the luscious landscape lined with tumbling waterfalls, green valleys and some of the most spectacular oceanic views you'll ever see on this beautiful coastal winding road. This famous 68-mile Road to Hana features over 600 curves and 50 single-lane bridges. Why do they call it the Road to Hana? Because it's not just the destination, but the spectacular sights along the road that will take your breath away. The picture opportunities along the road are near endless.

The Black Sand Beach is so peculiar and The 7 pools are crowded with people. And unexpectedly, our camera quit working due to “disc error”. Now we depended on other peoples’ shootings.

21 October, 2013

Maui Bus Tour (Nene geese’s – the state bird, Haleakala National Park “House of the Sun”, Haleakala Visitor Center, Haleakala Volcano Summit “10,023 ft”, Iao State Park and Needle, Wailuku Town, Maui Tropical Plantation)

It is a dormant volcano in Haleakala National Park and the tallest peak on Maui, Hawaii reaching 10,023 feet above sea level.  Haleakala means "house of the sun" in Hawaiian. The scenery dramatically changed from lush to harsh. You actually feel like you can reach out to the clouds. The two-mile-high summit of Maui's Haleakala Crater is a vast volcanic caldera valley. The caldera/crater includes its own mini-mountain range of nine cinder cones - the largest of which is over 1000 feet high. The multi-colours sight (many variations of green, orange and brown) inside the crater
from the summit was fabulous. Many believe that Haleakalā Crater resembles the surface of the moon or, more likely, Mars with its red hue. Our tour spent maybe 45 minutes or so at the summit and also hike to the very top (which was a very uneven rocky 10-min each way hike).  Beautiful scenery. The famous and special silversword plant grows in the desert-like landscape at Kalahaku Overlook, at 9,000 feet. This endangered beauty grows only here and at the Big Island's two peaks in Hawaii's volcanic craters at high elevation. When silversword plant reaches maturity, it sends forth a 3- to 8-foot-tall stalk with several hundred tiny sunflowers. The silversword plant blooms once, then dies.

Nene, the Hawaiian native geese, is the state bird of Hawaii.

The Iao needle was interesting to see also. The Iao needle  is a 2,250-foot cinder cone pinnacle that pierces through the clouds and dominates its lush surroundings in Iao Valley State Park. Iao means “Cloud Supreme”, the banks of clouds that often sit over the valley. Iao Needle is the Hawaiian War God. During periods of warfare, the peak was used as a lookout by warriors to lookout for invaders. Hawaiian warriors used to seek refuge underneath him. The mountains are beautiful, the little garden area with taro ponds/patches are nice.

22 October, 2013

Hilo, Hawaii Bus Tour (City of Hilo, Liliuokalani Park, Rainbow Falls, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park “visitor center, steaming bluff, Kilauea overlook, Jaggar Museum and Observatory, Halemaumau crater, Thurston lave tube, Kilauea Iki overlook, Devastation Trail”)

Kilauea is an active volcano which is the youngest among the five volcanoes that form the Big Island of Hawaii. Mount Kilauea frequently pours out lava and hence is named so. In the Hawaiian language, the word, 'Kilauea' means "spewing" or 'much spreading'. Kīlauea ranks among the world's most active volcanoes and may even top the list. Kīlauea has a large summit caldera, measuring 2 by 2 mi with walls (caldera rim) up to 400 ft. high. This caldera is at about 4,000 feet of elevation. A major feature within the caldera is Halemaumau Crater, a large circular pit crater and one of Kīlauea's most historically active eruption centers. The crater is approximately 3,018 ft. in diameter and 279 ft. deep. There are also several steam vents near Kilauea Caldera. 

Rainbow Falls flows over a natural lava cave, the mythological home to Hina, an ancient Hawaiian goddess. Rainbow Falls derives its name from the fact that, on sunny mornings, one can see rainbows in the mist thrown up by the waterfall. It is 80 ft. tall.

We had a special experience to see lots of Honu (The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles) swimming about right near our boat. What a thrill to see them up close and in their natural habitat!

23 October, 2013

Kona, Hawaii Rafting & Snorkeling Adventure (Kealakekua Bay, sea cave and lava tube exploration)

Kailua-Kona Pier is a shallow water marina such that the cruise ship had to anchor in the middle of the bay and used several tender boats to ferry passengers to reach Kailua-Kona marina.

Kealakekua Bay is the first exposure of Hawaii to western people when Captain James Cook and his ships, the Resolution and Discovery, entered the sheltered waters of Kealakekua Bay on the morning of Jan 17, 1779. "Kealakekua" in Hawaiian means Pathway of the God because this area was the focus of extensive Makahiki celebrations in honor of the god Lono. Captain James Cook and his ships arrived during the height of a religious festival of native Hawaiian people. Thinking Cook was a returning
God, the Hawaiians welcomed and honored him. There are dramatic cliffs surround crystal clear, turquoise water chock-full of stunning coral and tropical fish. 

It is the largest sheltered natural bay on the island of Hawaii. The spectacular marine sanctuary at Kealakekua Bay offers an abundance of colorful tropical fish, a variety of beautiful coral reefs and water visibility often to 100 feet. The calm, protected waters and sunny skies of Kealakekua Bay provide superior snorkeling and diving year round, with the water temperature averaging 76 degrees. This Captain Cooks' cove was where we snorkeled in and saw all kinds of colorful and beautiful tropical fish, eels, sea urchins, octopus, turtle, Moray eels etc., gathering around us among shallow coral reef. We were able to see and swim with dolphins too. Some snacks, drinks and fruits were provided on the Zodiac. The Zodiac held 10 people which made for a more personal experience. Wu Liang had never snorkeled before and he felt comfortable in the water. The two guides also exhibited their knowledge of the island and marine life so well, it was impossible to have anything less than a wonderful time!

24 October, 2013

Kauai Bus Tour (Wailua River Cruise, Holo Holo Ku Heiau, Opaekaa Falls, Spouting Horn lookout, Koloa – Hawaii’s first sugar plantation, Hanapepe Valley Lookout, Waimea Town – site of Captain Cook’s first landing, Waimea Canyon lookout)

This 151–foot spectacular Opaekaa Falls was used in the movie "Blue Hawaii". The name "ʻŌpaekaʻa" means rolling shrimp, "ʻopae" being Hawaiian for "shrimp," and "kaʻa" for "rolling". The name dates back to days when the native freshwater shrimp Atyoida bisulcata were plentiful in the stream and were seen rolling and tumbling down the falls and into the churning waters at the fall's base.

We noticed that the population of wild chicken on Kauai seems to be much greater than those on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii probably due to the lack of Indian mongoose on the Island of Kauai.

Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of Pacific, is gorgeous and our cruise up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto was so enjoyable.  We saw beautiful rain forest and river ride. The bad thing was that I got bitten seriously in the rain forest. I should try sesame oil as insect control next time.

25 October, 2013

Kauai Harbor Mall, Marriott's Kauai Lagoons - Kalanipu'u, Na Pali Coast

This hotel property is stunning! There is nothing more to say than fabulous. It is located right on the beach in Kauai. There are fantastic grounds for walking. The pool was wonderful and they have the largest koi pond plus a botanic garden. 

Stunning sea cliffs of Na Pali Coast on northwest coast of Kauai was breathtaking. We did sight-seeing it from the boat and enjoyed cliffs, rugged green peaks, splendid valleys, beaches and caves.  It was surreal and an unbelievably beautiful experience not to be missed.

26 October, 2013

Honolulu, HNL Airport, American Airlines, LAX, Home

We arrived at the airport at 8:30 am and AA doesn't open till 9 am. Awesome. Then TSA confiscated my yogurt and apples. I was very disappointed at the not-free Wi-fi at the HNL airport.

As far as NCL Pride of America, it’s not what we expected. The evening shows were boring and not worth the time to see them. The first night, I suffered from bed bugs and the noise of squeaky drape board. Although I enjoyed the "freestyle cruising", I cannot say too much of their ordinary food. The ship has so many specialty restaurants to lure you out. Pool on-board is not nearly adequate for the number of people it must service. You cannot hear shipboard announcements in your cabin. The TV stations are so limited and not one station with local weather or time. The only thing this cruise was good for was getting a sampling of the islands. However, I got to enjoy the long lasting friendship from everyone. That was the main purpose of this trip!