This vacation is in my bucket lists of things I wanted to do...and wishing became a reality!
We flew to Los Angeles and was bused to our Golden Princess ship. We were sitting on the front seat and Roger took a photo of our reflection in the bus driver's rear view mirror.
It was four days on the ocean with lots of things to do until we docked at Hilo in the Hawiian Islands.
We took a free city tour of the Japanese gardens...very lush and green.
Nice and warm, around high 80's to 90 degrees. Humidity was very noticeable.
There were unusual trees, more like numerous vines wrapped around each other.
Tarzan would love these hanging vines.
This guy was doing stretches facing the ocean and then he turned around. I don't think he liked me taking his photo.
They call this a waterfall? I've seen taller ones in Oregon.
Doesn't Roger look good in a ball cap? He looks better with it on than off.
This was our tour guide to the volcanoes. He was MOST interesting. He called us "cousins from the homeland." He says we're all related but he is related directly from Hawaiian royalty. Ya, right.
There are many active and extinct volcanoes on Hilo. This is one of the active ones, but not for a while, just steam for now.
Huge crater, like the grand canyon...
What it looked like during its active stage a few years back.
This is a huge mural depicting what the early islanders might have seen.
My first walk through a real rain forest.
We actually got to walk through an inactive, hopefully extinct, lava tube.
It was like walking into a cave but you soon realized it was different.
Hot lava used to stream through here instead of human visitors.
this is the exit of the lava tube.
Next port is Honolulu Hawaii. What a thrill to see Diamond head in the distance.
As we docked I took this photo (from our cabin balcanoy) of a huge clock tower...which has the words "Aloha" on the brim.
From the sidewalk, looking at the tower and rows of shops.
Neat Hula statue in the park welcoming us as visitors.
In the shipping depot there were numerous murals, very large 10 ft. by 20 ft., hand painted on the walls. They are from the vintage era of the 1940's and 1950's. REALLY NEAT TO VIEW.
One of the very few children on this ship was this child. Everywhere the child roamed he was tethered with his mother at the other end. I have never seen anything like that before.
The islands have plush rain forests and then the green mountains seem to just jump straight up from the valley floor.
This beautiful wooden statue of the king and queen were standing outside the shop and macadamia fields. Those nuts were in any form you wanted, even chocolate covered.
The Hawaiian flowers and arrangements were just breathtaking. You know me and flowers. I just felt like I was in Heaven when I saw them.
This little island in the Pacific, off the coast of Hawaii, is call "Mexican Hat." Good name.
When we arrived at the Polynesian Cultural Center this cute little gal was waiting for us, with not only shell leis but real leis also. Everyone who serves at the center are Mormon college students at the Hawaiian BYU university. I chatted with her and found out that she is from New Zealand AND is a fourth generation member of the church. Her great-great grandfather was converted by Mathew Cowley when he arrived there. Sweet gal, who took good care of us during the day.
We were all assembled on the banks of this man made canal and then here they came! WOW!
The first natives represented their homeland of Fiji.
Then came the actual students representing their homeland of Tonga. All the colors of each group was stunning.
Then the bright yellow of Tahiti.
These students represented their island of New Zealand.
And the end of this fantastic parade of islanders, came the representatives of the island of Hawaii.
All I can say is the people of the islands are beautiful, colorful, and gentle people.
...except for maybe this guy...(above)
This Tongan showed us how to start a fire with just bamboo and a stick and coconut grass.
Amazing.......
He also showed us how to crack a coconut, squeeze out the milk, and take out the coconut...
He asked an audience member to try but he didn't do so well.
This coconut tree climber was AWESOME. No ropes...nothing but hands and feet.
Then he started to show off...so cute and neat!!!
There were numerous villages and huts we visited, each with a demonstration of their culture and music....WONDERFUL!
Towards sunset we were taken to the Hawaiian Temple...I wept...it was so beautiful and the sweet spirit swelled within me.
As I approached the visitor's center I saw a tall white haired missionary standing at the door. I shook his hand and asked him his name. He replied, "I'm Elder Eubank." When I looked up I instantly said in amazement, "You're Mark Eubank! My favorite KSL Channel 5 Weatherman!" I couldn't believe it. He said, "You must be from Utah?" I said, "Yes I am." I told him how well I thought his son was doing in his place as the weatherman. Anyway, He and his wife has served three years there and he had only a few days left.
Of course we had to get a photo with him.
On the island of Nawilwili we had a great time. We wandered around this quaint island and found this beach bum guy making bowls and hats out of palm tree reeds. I purchased a bowl and visited with him.
We then were told that the botanical gardens at the Marriott were gorgeous. So we walked through the paths, mini lakes, and among the stunning flowers.
Roger said, "Come over here quick. There is a Gecko." Of course it wasn't like the one on the commercials, not green, and it wasn't very big, about the size of my hand, but I enlarged the photo to make it look big.
Here's my beautiful flower in the garden sitting on the bench.
Yes, these are very large gold fish...
Hundreds of them....
Well, we got back to the ship at 11 p.m. and headed out into the ocean with the help of the Pilot ship....Now onto Maui.
The ocean is big, wide, endless, awesome, expansive, and endearing.
We had to use the tender boat to get us into Maui. This is a view of our ship from the island.
We took tender boasts to the island of Maui. This island is so quaint and relaxing, at least where we were. Great shops, tasty flavored ice cups, Macedonia ice cream, and gift shops, plus old historical buildings.
Below is a princess tender boat which brings us ashore. They are needed because the cruise ship can't get close enough to the peer.
This was the most unusual awesome tree I have ever seen. It looks a thousand years old. The limbs just keep going every which way. In fact there was a very large branch, as thick as a trunk that was growing 6 ft. perfectly horizontal across to another tree and attached. So both trees became one tree.
This Maui native was carving some beautiful items. I wish I could have brought one home, but my suitcase was getting full.
Watching him carve with his tools and holding items with his feet was very interesting.
about that tree again...the limb on the left goes straight over and attaches to another tree.
The historic Baldwin Home is behind me. This is just the sign. It is the old island courthouse.
This is Roger paragliding behind a boat...........................................ya, right.
Back on the boat, in the wheel house Bar for afternoon trivia game,
Later in the day at the piazza (in the middle of the ship) we were entertained by a famous Russian Dance couple. They were really good.
Now after dinner with our new friends, we go back to our cabin and sit on out balcony and view the moody clouds and massive ocean. For the next three days we head back through three times zones to Ensenada, Mexico.
The ship had a "goodbye to the Islands" party and had the second floor piazza filled with balloons which would soon be released to the floor below.
Occasionally we saw other ships, never a cruise ship, usually cargo ships.
Someone on their balcony yelled, "Look a whale!" I said where? She pointed to these rocks but I just couldn't see anything.
Well, welcome to Mexico, more important, Ensenada. The night before we arrive a letter arrived to each of our cabins. On top of the page it said, "WARNING"..Then is stated that we should be very careful when we get off the ship. They said...don't go alone on shore...don't wear fancy jewelry. Try not to act like the typical tourist. Don't go on side streets etc. Well, by the time I finished reading it, I decided not to go into the two of Ensenada. We did go off the ship and onto the pier because there were shops near the ship. Right off I found my favorite leather purse. I was happy. When this town wasn't so evil, many years ago, when Gabe and I went on a tour bus to the town, we were perfectly fine. But this time I was a little nervous about it.
Well, after a four hour docking there...the cruise ship was ready to leave for Los Angles. We could always tell because the pilot tugboat was ready to lead us out of the harbor.
OH I forgot, there were very loud voice stress seals there, basking on the island edge. You could hear them a mile sway.
Before We got back on the ship I wanted to take a photo of the life boats and all the people who stayed on board watching all of us who got off for an hour or two.
Roger found a bench near a Mexican port office...
While we were docked these guys got out and were using these long pools to clean the ship. I thought they were painting it but they were washing all the salt off, so says Roger.
When we got off there were three ambulances waiting. Apparently three different passengers had heart problems. I can't imagian being this close to the end of the cruise and having a heart problem in Mexico and having to pay medical expenses in a foreign country. I saw one of the patients and didn't look so good.
Well, he were are the next day entering the same port in Los Angles that we left from.
It was a sad to have to leave new friends, our cabin boy Edwardo, and are table servers, Patti and Gerald. We came home to cold Cache Valley weather around 28 degree...so from 80 to 90 degrees to 28 degrees. HOME SWEET HOME.
