Hawaii and back

 We rode the trolley into the city and walked to Henry's but found that they don't do it any more. Instead we had a big breakfast at “The Field” an Irish pub nearby.

The Oosterdam

The next big adventure was our cruise to Hawaii on the MV Oosterdam from San Diego. Barbara has always wanted to go on a cruise but I've been reluctant. I have worked on ships all my working life but my secret is that I get seasick every time I sail on one. 

Our RV club the Escapees sent out an e-mail that they were doing a group cruise so I brought it up with Barbara. She thought it sounded like a good idea but I think she was a little puzzled at me wanting to go. I figured that at least we'd have a common interest with our fellow passengers.

A cheeky looking fellow

We sailed on December 2nd and it took 5 days to get to our first port of call in Hilo on the big island of Hawaii. We had a tour booked “Taste of Hawaii” which took us up the Kilauea Volcano. It had stops at a candy factory and a coffee mill, lunch at an art gallery then up into the Volcanoes National Park. We had two guides David and Nate. David was an archaeologist and Nate a High School Science teacher. They really knew their stuff and we were treated to information on the flora and fauna and the geology of the volcanoes. It was a 6 ½ hr tour but went by in no time.

Volcanoes from the outside

And the inside

During the night we traveled to Hilo on the Island of Maui, this time we climbed 9000 feet up Haleakala then to Iao Valley. The driver/guide was a very funny Hawaiian who kept us laughing all day. 

We ended up in Lahaina and had a few hours cruising the very tourist town that had once been the center of whaling in Hawaii. We watched the sunset from Mick Fleetwood's restaurant in the rooftop bar. A super view and entertainment by the “Mad Piper” who apparently could play anything in any style on bagpipes!.

Some ports needed tenders to get us ashore.

Next came Oahu and the city of Honalulu. We had a secret weapon here. I met a lady on our online art group (Paintbasket.com). MaryAnne lives in the North Shore and has a guest cottage. When I asked if we could meet in person she immediately invited us to stay in her cottage and volunteered to drive us anywhere we wanted to go.

MaryAnne (Left) and Barbara

She took us to a couple of the local art shows. The one at the Hawaiian Country Club had food and drink to go with the art. We met and talked to several of the artists and met up with another Paintbasket member Liz and her husband. They gave us wonderful Leis and a pencil sketching set, such nice people. Back at the cottage MaryAnne and I sat and painted, tried some new art media, talked about our artwork. The time just flew by.

Turtle Beach

Hibiscus

Parrot fish on the grill

Before we left Mary Anne drove us around the North Shore and she showed us some great viewpoints known only to the locals. Barbara has wanted to visit the Arizona Memorial so we went there for an hour before finally returning to the ship. We'll miss MaryAnne, she was such good company. Before we left, her husband Earl gave us one of his turned wooden pieces and MaryAnne gave us a watercolor of the “Chinaman's Hat” Island which she likes to paint.

A great Hawaiian face

Reluctantly we made our way back to the ship and on to Nawiliwili on Kauai.

Anchored out

5 more days at sea tested just about everyone's patience, especially as a few days were quite rough. My sea legs had come back and fortunately I felt fine the whole way, but I did stay out of the theater and other dark confined spaces where I was more likely to feel motion sickness.

The legend says that if you give your Lei to the sea you'll come back to Hawaii.

But then we arrived back in San Diego picked up the car from Ken and Gloria's, the RV from Thousand Trails and headed out for Casa Grande.