Good bye to Maui, Hello to Honolulu

We have arrived in Honolulu on yet another beautiful day….sounds like a broken record or a streak of really good luck. Either way, I’ll take it.

Waikiki Beach....

I am not in the business of or expert enough to rate cruise lines but I have to say that Pat and I have been extremely pleased with the Carnival Spirit. The staff are all extremely friendly and well trained. The food was great, the itinerary was well done. The entertainment staff was outstanding. It is rare these days to have a full band on cruise ships…Carnival has one and they are outstanding as were the singers and dancers. As a special mention, we really enjoyed our meals in the dining room and owe a lot of that to our Headwaiter, Katerina. Katerina had a great sense of humor and quickly learned our likes and dislikes. I hope that Carnival recognizes the gem they have in the dining room.

Thanks, Katernia!!



The Billings, The Glenns and our new friend Susan!

 During our cruise we met several interesting folks including our new friend Susan who has taken double digit Carnival cruises and seems to know the staff on a first name basis…..probably has something to do with her baking cookies for the Captain.

As our traveling is starting to draw to a close, we have truly enjoyed the many places that we have visited. Not all have been comfortable or familiar but isn’t that the point of traveling? If every place were like home there would be no point in leaving. As an easy way to see many places comfortably, we think that cruising is a great tool. If you are a careful shopper, you can usually book cruises for about $100 per day which compares favorably with what you might pay for a very mediocre hotel anywhere…and the price includes meals. For that reason alone, it’s a great value. Do your research though…..we were very happy with Princess and Carnival (odd that they are the same company….) and very unhappy with MSC. It’s not for everyone and we are about “cruised out” but it has been worth the effort.

Today, we got off the ship, checked into the hotel and went to tour the Pearl Harbor memorial. If you have not visited, put it on your list if you are ever in Honolulu. The Pearl Harbor Memorial consists of the USS Arizona, the USS Bowfin submarine, the battle ship USS Missouri, the Memorial for the USS Oklahoma that was sunk. The final ship that is part of the memorial is not open to the public which is the USS Utah. The Utah was sunk on a part of the Naval base that is still a working part of the base.

The Missouri is an interesting story. Not part of the attack at Pearl Harbor, the USS Missouri’s keel was laid in 1941 and did not sail until 1944. The Missouri was an “Iowa” class warship (our largest class of battleships) equipped with 16 inch guns that could deploy a 2700 pound shell with pinpoint accuracy over 23 miles. These guns, the largest ever for a battleship were so effective that the Missouri was re-fitted and deployed during Desert Storm.

It is fitting that both the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri are placed “bow to bow.” Though the Arizona was not the only ship sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, it was the greatest loss of life (1177 sailors lost) and was the rallying cry as the US declared war on Japan. The Missouri was the ship where the Japanese surrendered ending WWII. Again….a visit that everyone should put on their list.

6 forward guns of the USS Missouri

Notice the number on the side of the gun turret...
This is the number of shells fired during the Gulf War

Inset plaque where the actual Japanese surrender was signed

USS Arizona Memorial

That’s enough history for now….time for a run around Diamond Head.

We will post some great photos of Oahu in the next couple of days. Like all the others, Oahu is simply stunning…..it’s never a bad day in paradise.

Regards,

Pat and Chris

Maui is number 1!

We pulled into Maui yesterday morning for a 2 day stay on the island. This is the first time that we have experienced this on a cruise ship….typically, the ship is in port for just one night. I don’t know if it was just convenient to the carrier or if Carnival thought that Maui warranted a second day. In my opinion it did. Maui is one of the few islands that we have not visited before and I think we have been missing out. This could be our new favorite!

Maui Harbor at Kahalui

Maui, like all the others is a volcanic island. Haleakala, the volcano on Maui is still classified as an “active” volcano although the last eruption was thought to occur around 1790. This differs from the big Island as it still has an active volcano and continues to grow. Maui is the second largest island at approximately 2,400 square miles ( 4 times the size of Kauai). Like the big island, there is a dry and wet side. The eastern side (Hana) is very wet taking about 400 inches of rain a year (although the southeast US may approach that this year ). The Lahaina side is dry, much like Kona. Unlike Kona, Lahina is more well-established and more mature than Kona. A big number of restaurants and shops are all over…..lots of premium brands but not as much “power partying” bars as I saw at Kona. At my advanced age I appreciate the feel of Lahaina more.

I just can’t help myself….more history. I’m a car guy with a “teaching” problem. Anyway, Lahaina was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1820- 1845 under King Kamehameha III until it was permanently moved to Honolulu. Lahaina was also the world wide whaling (first use of the moniker “WWW” to my knowledge ) capital until whaling was prohibited. Lahaina looks exactly like a whaling village as many of the shops and buildings are clearly preserved buildings from that era. Our favorite attraction (aside from shopping which is probably second best to Honolulu) is the wharf area and the giant Banyan tree at the old courthouse. The first picture below looks like several trees but is just one tree and covers an entire city block. Planted in 1873 by William Owen Smith to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the Christian missionaries, this tree is just stunning. Pat visited years ago when the tree was actually larger. It was so thick, that you could not see the courthouse through the trees. Banyans are unusual…as branches spread; they drop small feelers towards the ground to pick up water. Once they take root, they grow and support the branch allowing the tree to spread ever wider. These trees are all over the Hawaiian Islands (and other islands in the South Pacific, I believe) but this is the largest I have seen.


One entire Banyan Tree....can't get all of it in the frame



These are the "feelers" that the brranches will drop down.
Later they will thicken to several feet wide supporting the tree.

As one must do in Hawaii, we spent more time at a beach in the afternoon….returned to the ship exhausted and hungry.

The next day, we got up early to make the drive up to Haleakala volcano. After thinking about it, I wasn’t really interested in coasting down the volcano but I did see several intrepid (Pat says “crazy” ) riders going up to the top…..that is something I would love to try….next trip, maybe. Haleakala is often obscured by clouds according to the locals; good fortune smiled on us again and we had another beautiful day as you can see from the pictures below. Read the captions….in one you will note that the Big Island is off in the distance. Some of the other pictures show the cinder cones in the crater. You will also note that we were significantly above the scattered clouds. The summit elevation is 10,023 feet. I figure the clouds were about 2,500 feet below us.

View from the Summit

Cold up here!  Science City in the distance

Notice the cloud layer below us

One of the several cinder cones in the Giant Caldera

Science City.....Big Brother is definitely listening!

"Silver Sword"...only found here.  Blooms once every
15 years then dies.

According to geologists, the last major eruption was about 3,000 years ago and has determined the shape of the island today. Scientists believe that more minor eruptions have occurred in the last 500 years….the last one around 1790. This was determined by comparing geologic surveys by explorers before and after that show a slight change of shape in the island. As a side note, it amazes me how accurate maps and surveys were even several hundred years ago and how little modern equipment has refined these earlier surveys.

Haleakala is also home to about every agency that operates either a listening station or some sort of observatory. “Science City” as it is known has facilities operated by the Department of Defense, the FAA, the University of Hawaii, the Air Force, the Smithsonian Institution…..and, according to the news yesterday, Apple may have a listening post to track all of you I-phone users out there (just kidding…..I hope).

We look for views everywhere we travel and I would have to rate this one in the top 5.

Maui seems to have a perfect combination of qualities that we favor on one island. For example, we like the size and differentiation of the Big Island, we like the beauty of Kauai and we like the metropolitan feel of Honolulu. Maui seems to have some, if not all, of these qualities. We will certainly visit here again.

Tomorrow, it’s Honolulu until the 26th when we come home….hopefully our power will have been restored by then.



Regards,



Pat and Chris

Kona and Kauai......

Kauai is like an old friend to Pat and I. We have spent quite a bit of time here with my father and Sally (Sally’s generosity should continue to be recognized) at Sally’s time share in Poipu Beach. We appear to be blessed with terrific weather at each and every stop on our visit this trip and Kauai seems no different. We got up, watched our pilot pull a nifty 180 degree turn in tight quarters and docked without further drama.


For those who have never visited, Kauai is often considered the most beautiful of Hawaiian Islands. Nicknamed the ‘Garden Island” Kauai is watered almost daily with rain….Near the center of the island is the “wettest spot on earth” where they get over 450 inches of rain each year.

Pulling into Kauai

We rented a car and made a quick trip to Kapaa town. Kapaa has a main drag full of restaurants, galleries, surf shops and shave ice stands. Shave ice aficionados, Ken and Barb, say it is the best they have had anywhere.

After a quick trip to the beach, we headed up to Kilauea lighthouse which is on the eastern side of Kauai. I have noticed that most of the natural attractions in Hawaii have started charging admission and parking…..looks like tough times have hit everywhere and, like most states, Hawaii is looking for other sources of revenue. Be prepared for these charges. By comparison, they still seem reasonable.

Kapaa Beach

There is much to visit on Waimea but time did not permit us to go too far from port. Some attractions I would recommend to visitors are Waimea canyon and the Na Pali coast. Waimea canyon is Hawaii’s Grand Canyon and has some great hiking trails with stunning views. Like the other islands, Kauai has microclimates and it is not uncommon to have bright sunshine and 90 degrees in Waimea and have a rain storm and 60 degree temperatures at the top of the Canyon so be prepared with good shoes and rainwear.

The Na Pali coast is covered more completely in an earlier blog of ours. A great way to see it is by boat….we’ve done it and recommend it highly.

I realize that I have not mentioned much about Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii which we visited a couple of days ago. Kona is on the dry side of the island….although it was a little overcast and rainy in the hills. Kona’s climate lends itself well to the major export, coffee. Boutique coffee plantations are all up and down the Kona coast…..the coffee is wonderful but quite expensive. For my money, Kauai also has coffee plantations and I have been extremely happy with their coffee….it’s also much cheaper. As a shopping tip, run into Costco in Lihue, Kauai if you want real Kauai coffee at a bargain. This is where we pick it up when we are here. Kona is very tourist oriented and a party town. Two storey bars and restaurants spot the main drag along with every conceivable shop from the high end jewelry stores to the t-shirt shops. We took a tender (lifeboat) to the island since Kona is not a deep water harbor…this took some time but Carnival runs it very efficiently……it’s also quite funny watching people board the tenders!

Tender (which becomes a lifeboat if the
ship sinks)

Royal Kona Hotel....where we took the
entire Billings clan in 2008

As a side note, let’s talk nutrition and health on a cruise ship. I think of this as I see a XXXXXXL (6XL) Hawaiian shirt on the rack in one of the stores we stopped by. This shirt is bigger than my first apartment……Cruise ships have great food and plenty of it. My suggestion is to plan your day to allow for some physical activity. If you are like most cruise passengers, you will eat more and exercise less…..not a good formula if you plan to stay fit. Most cruise lines also offer a “light menu” that is more nutritionally sound than the regular menu. I have had this on a few nights and recommend it.

Tomorrow, we visit Maui for an overnight stop. I have never been here….Pat visited in the late 70’s but we are sure that it has changed since then. I am thinking about taking the bicycle ride down the volcano….apparently, the ride is over 20 miles long and drops 10,000 feet in elevation. As my sister describes it, she pedaled about 10 strokes out of the parking lot at the top and that was it for 20+ miles. My dad tells me that he clocked a couple of riders hitting 60 miles an hour on the way down. That is roughly double the speed where I feel comfortable……I may pass on this one. Pat is encouraging me to give it a try……hmm…..wonder why?

Regards,

Pat and Chris

Checking in from Hilo, HI

We made it….another long ocean crossing. I am pleased to report that this was a much more enjoyable trip than the recent one where we crossed the Atlantic. Actually, there are several reasons for this. Despite our skepticism regarding Carnival (usually known as a low-end provider and party boat), we have had a great time on this ship so far. Carnival has worked hard to keep the onboard activities fun, the food is of much better quality (although too much of it…I have been killing myself in the gym just trying to keep the pounds off!) and the staff is truly excellent. Secondly, as we cruised temperatures and climate improved each day the closer we got to Hawaii. Finally, there were noticeably less 300 pound passengers with a liking for Speedo swim suits. Again…it’s all good!


Our first stop is Hilo on the eastern side of the big island of Hawaii. Pat and I have spent a good deal of time on the big Island and much prefer the more laid back Hilo side. Tomorrow we visit Kona which is more geared towards the tourists.

As usual, a little history is appropriate here. Hilo was founded by an English missionary named William Ellis in 1823-1824. Hilo Bay is a natural deep water port that helped Hilo become a major shipping center for the Hawaiian Islands. As with most areas in this latitude, sugar was a natural money crop that was grown widely throughout Hawaii and flourished in the period of 1850-1900. Whaling was also a major industry during that time. Obviously, both industries have dried up…..tourism and agriculture are the major economic drivers of the region now. Hilo is the second most densely populated area in the islands after Honolulu. Population is around 50,000 for the city proper.


Hilo Bay


The Big Island of Hawaii has many micro-climates from tropical to desert. Hilo is on the “wet side” of the island and is very lush and green. As I mentioned, this is our personal favorite with the wide variety of climate and natural wonders. Active lava flows still pour into the ocean south of Hilo….in Waimea, you can see the Parker Ranch which is still one of the largest cattle ranches in the world…..truly something for everyone here.

One stop that we always make is the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo. This is a great little zoo that we have been visiting for years. The main attraction is Namaste, a Bengalese white Tiger. Namaste has been here for 13 years. I have been to a lot of zoos over the years but have never seen a white Tiger before.

Namaste.....lookin' good

Pat's in Heaven!

"Corpse Plant" ...native to the Island of Borneo
Remind me never to visit there...

The zoo also has quite a primate and tropical bird assortment as well as native and other tropical plants. One of the plants is called a corpse plant (no lie) because; when it blooms it smells like a rotting corpse! What is the attraction with nasty smelling vegetables and plants anyway? First Brussels Sprouts now a Corpse Plant?……I mean, why would anyone bother growing one of these. Imagine the backyard barbeque where you show off a plant that smells like road kill. Who figured that out and named it anyway? Seriously, it is huge and a beautiful plant but I plan to be well upwind of the next one I see.

Lunch was at one of our favorites in downtown Hilo named Café Pesto (cafepesto.com)….give them a try if you are visiting. Another Hilo institution is Ken’s house of Pancakes…..if you like 2000 calorie, heart stopping meals than you can’t miss Ken’s! The Macadamia Nut pancakes are perfect if you are either going into hibernation before a long winter or you just got your cholesterol results back from your doctor and you feel like living dangerously…..Seriously, great food…..we give it the thumbs up!

Tonight, we will pass the lava flow at about midnight as we sail over to the Kailua-Kona side of the Island…hopefully we will see some active flows….wonder if it glows in the dark?


That’s all for now…..best to everyone!

Pat and Chris





I need to hit the gym again....





Off to Hawaii!

And what a roundabout way to get there….Pat and I are taking yet another ocean-crossing cruise, this time crossing from San Diego (well not exactly) to the Hawaiian Islands. We have 5 days at sea this time instead of the 6 days we had last trip crossing the Atlantic.


When I say roundabout, I mean it. Due to an obscure law called the Jones act, foreign flag vessels (which almost all cruise ships are) are not allowed to transport passengers between US ports. The Jones act dates back to the early 1900’s and involves other activities….you may remember that the Jones act also gave the Island of Puerto Rico US citizen ship status. I can only think that the purpose of the law (as it applies here) was to eliminate foreign competition with American passenger lines. As liability became a greater concern, American chartered cruise lines ceased to exist. Today, most cruise lines are chartered in foreign countries like the Bahamas or Panama etc. The Jones act just isn’t relevant today.

Anyway, I digress…..what this meant to us is that we were required to check our bags at the cruise terminal in San Diego and then board a Bus to Ensenada, Mexico (home of “Papas and Beer” and other seedy night spots) where we actually boarded our ship. During that trip we were warned that we could be stopped and inspected by Federales and customs agents. What they didn’t tell us is that a roving musician would board our bus and subject us to Richie Valens tunes and make us sing along. We clapped at the appropriate time and tipped him well since, after all, a Federale was stationed outside our bus with a fully equipped M-4 at the ready. This could have been an elaborate ploy to search the bus for drug dealers and terrorists……we kept our heads down, smiled, put money in the bag and waited until his repertoire ran dry……

Carnival is our cruise carrier this time. We have never sailed with Carnival….it’s a different crowd where bikers are shoulder to shoulder with retirees, hopefully, we will coexist in peace…. We even have a bona-fide movie star here….Richard Keil (the character “Jaws” in one of the old James Bond movies). I couldn’t believe it when I saw him….he’s got to be at least 7 feet tall. Anyway, seems to be a fun ship….I already like the attitude of the staff. The test will be if I go stir crazy like I did during the last crossing. I’ve told Pat to get help if I start rambling on about Brussels sprouts. 

No pictures this post but should have some in a few days when we hit Hawaii.

Best to All



Pat and Chris

Barcelona and Montserrat

A little bit of a late post, but it took some time to go through the 600 (maybe more!) photos that we took in Barcelona.  Paring the selection down to just a few truly does not do justice to one of the most beautiful cities in the World.  Barcelona is an architecture student’s Mecca with street after street incredible buildings. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Spain is a country with a turbulent past and owes a lot of that to the differing cultures that now are under one roof.  The Catalan culture is no where represented better than in Barcelona.  Visiting cities in Southern Spain show the dramatic and different cultures native to these regions.

During our visit, we made a pleasant side trip to the Monastery of Montserrat (translated “serrated mountains”).  Parts of the monastery date back to the 11^th century but much of that was destroyed during Napoleon’s campaign in the 1800s.  As we drove up a steep mountainside with switch back roads to the monastery, I wondered why he would have gone to the trouble……Montserrat is almost 4000 feet above the valley floor……he was clearly determined to make a statement apparently!  As an avid cyclist, I watched a local peddle up the thing…..now I know why the Spaniards do so well in the Tour de France!  I would have coughed up a lung….or worse.

Serrated and Rugged terrain

Courtyard in front of the Sanctuary

You can figure this one out....

The "Black Madonna" is the most famous artifact at the Monestary and the reason for it's founding.

Anyway, back to Barcelona….

Antonio Gaudi is the most famous architect in this region….at least now.  According to locals, he was considered a crazy man during his era.  Many of his designs are outlandish in any age but must have been truly frightening to some in the early 19^th century when he did most of his work.  The following photos are of the Sagradas Familias Temple and Casa Batllo which are probably the most well known.  I find the Sagradas Familias the most interesting….construction began in 1883 and has never ceased.  The pace has picked up in recent years.  There are now 8 visible towers but the plan calls for 14.  Current projected completion of the building is now sometime in 2026!  Gaudi’s trademark is the almost “organic” feel of his buildings.  His work in recognizable and visionary.  One cannot help wondering where he got his inspiration.

The temple is huge...we are 200 yards from the street just to get it in the whole frame

The other side entrance....this is completly hidden from the front shot

Inside the sanctuary....notice Pat to the lower left for scale.

Hall of the Mountain King???

Ceiling detail.....very organic

Altar area

Stained Glass "Emblems" adorn almost all of the pillars in the Sanctuary

Our view of the city from the observation area
Construction cranes and scaffolding is everywhere

Cold, Windy day on the observation deck!

Base of the Temple

Casa Batllo.....another Gaudi creation.

Barcelona has an old town and then a gothic quarter within the old town.  Though it also has merit, I did not include any pictures of the newer town. 

This post is all about pictures, so I will dispense with further dialog and upload as much as google (or my provider) will let me. 

Chris and Pat