Cruise to Hawaii - 2012
I took the 2012 New Year's Eve cruise to Hawaii. It took 4 days to get to Hawaii from Los Angeles. In Hawaii, we spent 1 day each on 4 different islands. Then it was 4 days of sailing to Ensenada, and finally back to Los Angeles. The seas were rough, to and from Hawaii, with about 10-12 foot waves. My cabin was on Deck 5, and at times waves would crash against the window! The New Year's Eve party was a blast. I made some new friends on the cruise and hung out with them during the day, had dinner together and watched the shows in the evenings. We exchanged e-mails and promised to stay in touch.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, we docked at Hilo. I shared a rental car with a couple I met on the cruise. We drove to Volcano National Park where we saw the steam vents at the Kilauea Caldera. We walked through the Thurston Lava Tube. This was amazing. A Lava Tube is a conduit formed by lava flowing beneath the surface. When the lava flow ceases, the rock cools and leaves a long cave-like channel. Then we drove to the Macadamia Nut Factory, and then to Akaka Falls. It didn't rain, but the day was windy and cool.
On Oahu, we docked at Honululu. I took a tour that drove through the city and then went to Pearl Harbor. The seas were so rough that the Navy stopped running boats to the USS Arizona Memorial. I was really disappointed that I could not go out to the memorial. On the way we saw the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the US. This palace had electricity, flushing toilets and hot water before the White House did! We saw the Supreme Court with the statue of King Kamehameha in front. We drove through the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater. The cemetery has the status of Lady Columbia, or Lady Liberty in front. This status is dedicated to all grieving mothers, and has the inscription "the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom". There were light drizzles off and on for much of the day.
On Kauai, I took a tour that went to Waimea Canyon, Wailua River and the Fern Grotto. Waimea Canyon is a small version of the Grand Canyon and is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The Wailua River is the only navigable river in Hawaii. On the way, we stopped at the Spouting Horn, where you can see the ocean come spouting out through holes. According to legend, this coastline was guarded by a giant lizard who ate anyone who tried to fish or swim in the ocean. One day, a young boy entered the ocean, and when he was attacked by the lizard, he stuck a sharp stick in the lizard's mouth, swam under the lava shelf, and escaped through a small hole to the surface. The lizard followed and got stuck in the lava tube. To this day, you can hear the lizard's roar and see her breath spraying from this hole. The Fern Grotto is only accessible by boat up the Wailua River. The Grotto is a natural lava rock grotto, with hanging ferns, cooled by the mist of a waterfall. Originally, only Hawaiian Royalty were allowed in the grotto. Today, it is a popular spot for weddings. It rained off and on throughout the day. We saw a lot of rainbows.
On Maui, we tendered into Lahaina. The weather was beautiful - warm and sunny. I didn't take any tours. On shore, I had a large bowl of the shaved ice that is so popular here. I opted to have the ice with mango, pineapple and coconut syrup.
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