Day 7.5 ~ Honolulu Wrap-up

Cover the earth before it covers you! ~ Sammi Baker, our cruise director

I feel as if I need another post to capture all the things I experienced on Oahu yesterday, so please bear with me. First of all, there’s the air of Hawaii. It’s redolent with the sweetness of flowers and green growing things. If I half close my eyes, it almost takes me back to the Garden that was once humanity’s home. That glorious scent wraps itself around you from the moment you set foot on the island.

The air is also filled with birdsong—cooing, warbling, calling. Even bustling Honolulu is alive with their singing.

But even in paradise, a little practicality has to rear its head. After our morning wanderings, we caught the Walmart shuttle so we could pick up a few necessities—distilled water for my bi-pap machine, extra laundry pods and Spray-n-Wash to treat stains (our little stain stick wasn’t quite up to the job!). While we were there, I made friends with a friendly little dog who reminded me of my Charlie (a fuzzy little fellow of indeterminate heritage but great heart.) The little dog’s owner encouraged it to “Say hi to auntie.”

Auntie and Uncle are used as terms of endearment and respect for older people on the island. After I got over the shock of realizing she thought I was old, I found the custom charming.  

The Pacific Princess had to pick up a few things in Honolulu, too. Crate after crate of food stuffs were onloaded and the ship was refueled with enough diesel to take us to American Samoa, which we won’t reach until Saturday.  

Before supper, a local hula school boarded the Pacific Princess and gave a cultural dance show for us. The youngest member of the troop was only six, but all the girls had been dancing the hula since they were three years old. They moved together in stylized grace. Wonderful!

The DH couldn’t resist snapping a picture of the lights of Oahu as we sailed away. I never say goodbye to Hawaii. I will always hope to visit it at least one more time…

May 22, 2018 update ~ Just had to add a short video of the darling little girls from the hula school who entertained us so charmingly. Enjoy!