I am almost hesitant to write about Honolulu for two reasons. The first reason is because it is amazingly wonderful. The second reason is that the majority of my readers have been to Honolulu at least once and a fair number have been there more than once.
Well, I too have been to Honolulu more than once, as a matter of fact, my life started in Honolulu. My father was stationed there after the WWII. Home movies, which I converted first onto video tape then DVD, show my siblings frolicking and even engaging in sibling rivalry. Before I was born, my father was assigned to the east coast so I was deprived of any controversy over my right to run for president.
There is a little amusing story about my mother’s return flight to the mainland with my sister and brothers. Apparently, there were limited berths available on the transport plane. Since my mother was pregnant, a corpsman in Honolulu had written a request for her to be accommodated with one of the berths so she could be more comfortable. The note requested that she be given a “birth.” Correct spelling was important to my mother and this is a good example of the role it plays in clear communication.
Holland America listed no less than 15 different ways to experience the city of Honolulu and the island of Oahu. Since we were docked in Honolulu for two days, these excursions could be offered twice or even more frequently. The excursions ranged from the simple “Hop on hop trolley” for $35.00 to “Honolulu by Air” for $260.
Mary and I had not booked any excursions. When Mary’s husband was alive, they had visited Honolulu many times and explored Oahu by car. I had also gotten to enjoy many sights and locations during past trips.
Before we had even exited the large ship’s terminal, we were recruited by a woman who easily convinced us to take the free shuttle she was offering instead of spending money on the “Hop on hop off trolley.” As with most free offers, there was a catch. First we would learn about Maui Divers Jewelry then we could go to Waikiki Beach.
My attitude was “What the heck, at least it’s not a time share presentation.” Actually, I was pleasantly surprised. After waiting on the sidewalk for a few minutes, we were whisked off in a little bus to a nice building. We went up in an elevator and were shown a brief film about the divers who discovered black coral. It makes very nice jewelry. From the little theater, we were guided to a floor where we could observe jewelry actually being made. This was fascinating to me. It seemed like we were on the viewing side of a one-way mirror where we could watch woman carefully crafting a variety of items and they could not see us. Actually, they could see us. Eventually, I caught the eyes of a few of the jewelry makers and they smiled. Of, course I smiled back. I think there a few jobs in the world where strangers can come just a few feet away and watch you work the way the tour was designed. I had never really reflected on the work that goes into some jewelry. I think the women who work there must have some special gift of being unflappable with what they are doing being so closely observed all day long by visitors.
Anybody who knows me, knows that I have worn the same cubic zirconium earrings for at least forty years. I wear a cross given to me by my friend, Joanna Jones; in celebration of her victory over several forms of cancer. I also wear a ring with the “Our Father” inscribed on it. My friend, Kerry Hoxie, gave me the ring because I coordinate weddings at St. Mary Magdalene Church.I have other pieces of jewelry; I just never wear any of them. I admit I am a creature of habit. I respect people who wear jewelry. I respect people who love jewelry. After the tour, I had a new respect for the people who design and make jewelry.It was little surprise that the last phase of the tour-so-we-could-have-a-free-
After our Maui Divers Jewelry tour, Mary and I only waited a few minutes before we caught our promised shuttle ride to Waikiki. Waikiki is the section of Honolulu where the beach is easily accessible. The sun was shining and the air was balmy. We had a very good time enjoying the beauty of the beach as well as observing the waves, sun bathers, swimmers and surfers. Mary’s son and grandson are involved in surfing. They own a surfboard shaping business so I snapped a picture of Mary posing with a surfer who was holding a huge surfboard.
We were having a good time walking and enjoying the sights but I was getting hungry. I spotted a restaurant which looked promising but Mary wanted to stop for coffee first. Once again it was lunch at Mc Donald’s. At least this time I had not brought a sandwich from the ship. One item on the menu we do not have on the mainland was freshly cut up pineapple. Yum! I am becoming quite a pineapple fan.The only thing that did not work out on our first day at Waikiki beach was that Mary and I would have liked to visit St. Augustine Catholic Church but, as far as we could tell, all the gates of the surrounding fence were locked. It was probably just as well because the last shuttle returning to the Amsterdam was scheduled to pick us up.
The following morning, I hoped to take a tour which was already at capacity. The name of this particular excursion was “Natural Highlights of Oahu.” A couple with whom Mary and I had become friends, was hoping to be on the tour. This was an uncertain possibility because Diane gets around in a wheelchair due to Polio which she contracted in 1959. A special bus that accommodates wheelchairs had to be used and it was unclear whether it would be available. I went to the Queens’s Lounge where those going on the tour were gathered and things worked out. There was space on the tour for me as well as Diane and her husband, Chuck.
The name of this particular excursion was “Natural Highlights of Oahu.” We had a guide on the bus who was particularly knowledgeable about ecology. We left Honolulu and proceeded to Diamond Head. He heard stories about the origins and history of this famous landmark and that were able to briefly explore it ourselves. We then proceeded along the southern coast to Hananuma Bay which was created by an ancient eruption. We had an opportunity to see the famous Halona Point Blowhole but the ocean conditions only provided a little wisp of spray. We went on to the Makapu’u Lookout which had incredible panoramic views. I took pictures. We visited an archeological site which was formerly a temple. All along the way, our guide talked about the flora and fauna. Our final stop was at the Pauli Lookout high in the Koolau Mountains. This provided a grand picture-taking finale for me.
Hananuma Bay
Makapu’u Lookout
Pauli Lookout
When we returned to our ship terminal, I was happy to observe how my friend, Diane was gently helped to exit the bus by use of special door and wheelchair lift. It is hard to explain but I derived a special sense of satisfaction knowing that despite the consequences of a disease over 50 years ago, Diane could enjoy the same sightseeing adventure as those more ambulatory enjoyed.