Familiar Territory

Our first stop in the Hawaiian Islands was the Island of Oahu. The last time we were here was in the early 80's. As we approached in the early dawn hours, I was taken aback by the size of the city. It has certainly grown and has a skyline of a major city like anywhere on the Mainland. 

The iconic extinct volcano, Diamond Head, was visible as dawn approached. I knew we would not be climbing it on this trip. The air temperature had been increasing the last few days as the humidity was making what was a comfortable walk on the deck, a rather sticky affair. We had a hearty breakfast on board and then headed out into the concrete jungle. The buildings are modern and nicely designed and you never forget you are in Hawaii, not only because of the climate, but the landscaping everywhere is native flora. Yes, the traffic is loud and congested, but somehow it seems OK because there is always a Palm Tree or a Bougainvillea bush in sight. 

It felt good, and familiar, to be back. We had been there twice before. We caught a 'free' shuttle bus to the Ala Moana shopping center closer to the heart of downtown. The bus was sponsored by Hilo Hattie's, the largest clothing manufacturer in the Islands. We soon discovered that there was a 'catch' to getting the same shuttle back to our ship. We had to make a purchase at their store, get it stamped, and when we were ready to go back, the cashier would verify our ticket and tell us which bus to stand in line for. It was a 20 wait to go back, but it was free and most importantly, air conditioned. Yes, we did buy 'stuff'. 

There was a spacious and beautiful park across the street from the shopping center where we enjoyed a bit of surf and sand. It was nearly devoid of people. I suppose most tourists were hanging out at Waikiki Beach. Our friends were having some mobility issues so we ambled our way back to catch the shuttle bus back to the ship. Quite frankly, the heat was getting to me and I was anxious to return also. We browsed around the University of Hawaii campus which was in sight of our ship. A wonderful place and right next to an iconic sight (right below the Aloha Tower) for the traditional Luau where one can experience Hawaiian dancers, pulled pork, pineapple and a taste of poi. We did two of these the last two times we were in Honolulu so we passed, especially when we saw the price. A pleasant day, but our ship was a cool and quiet refuge after our 'city day'.  

Just a note about the cleanliness of the ocean in the harbor. The water was very clear and clean, not what one expects where ships and dinner cruise boats docked day and night. There was even one spot right along the seaside walkway where one could peer over the edge and easily see many tropical fish of every colour and hue, like snorkeling without getting wet.