Monday 4/6/09 10:00pm HST (3 hours earlier than PDT)

Speed: 19.5 kts, Temp: 68.9 degrees, Humidity 87.2%

20 degrees 17’ N 155 degrees 34’ W

Sailed 2195.6 nautical miles from LA

Sailed 54 miles from Hilo

157.4 nautical miles to Honolulu

Seas: 5.0 – 7.5ft moderate, wind: Force 7 Gale (50 mph)

Sea temp 64.4 degrees

This morning around 6:30am our time, the Golden Princess made her arrival into the laceType w:st="on">portlaceType> of laceName w:st="on">HilolaceName> on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Hilo is considered the flower capital of Hawaii and is also the gateway to Kilauea Volcano as well as the laceName w:st="on">VolcanoeslaceName> laceType w:st="on">National ParklaceType>. The goddess Pele is said to live in the heart of Kilauea Volcano, lucky for us we had no plans to visit the volcano so there would not be any offerings needed to appease Pele. The weather was mostly clear but you could see the dark thunderhead clouds bumping up against the mountains, they helped to bring the humidity up to 88% with a temp of 84 degrees. We had an early breakfast and Kim headed out to get the rental car while the rest of the team made a quick pit stop and then disembarked. We reserved a bouquet of local flowers to be picked up on the trip back, something to bring more of Hawaii into our cabin (adding it to the martini windsock that is hooked on the outside on the balcony, thanks to Kathy). A quick bit of history before you head out on our adventure in Hilo….Hilo is a very old port town but much of this area was besieged by a tsunami in 1960. It deposited fishing boats into the main streets as if they were cars being parked on the streets. Hilo is very tropical with beautiful gardens and has rampant jungle like growth of leafy tree ferns, and various flowers as well as Banyan trees. Now on to the adventure! Kim picked us up and we headed out to visit the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. We drove south for about 5miles and turned down a road lined with trees, 2800 acres of Macadamia Nut tees, and no, that wasn’t a typo! We were able to look in from the outside of the factory and see the workings going on. There were videos setup along the way that helped explain the process (some of us process freaks really enjoyed this part). The air was filled with the smells of freshly baked Mac-Nut Cookies, it was amazing. We did our best to not to be enticed, but had to pick up a few cookies to nibble on. We headed out to do some sightseeing, driving down the scenic routes, looking into the jungle like vistas, passing waterfalls and just enjoying the scenery. We made a stop at a tropical garden area and took a look around, and Kim found a mongoose that was darting in and out of the foliage, but not fast enough to escape Kim’s photo talents. We were just wandering around the area, stopping here and there for better views and then saw a sign for Malasadas!! We had heard about them during our Hawaiian lecture the day before, so Kim did a quick maneuver and we found ourselves right in front of the store. Malasadas are a freshly cooked doughnut type of pastry. YUM was on everyone’s lips and a bit of sugar too!  Kathy found a Starbucks, so we had to stop and get our “fixes”. We found a local farmers market down the road and spent some time looking and oohing and ahhing at all the fresh vegetables (so many different kinds) and fresh fruit – Paulette, they had papayas priced at 7 for a dollar! Everything smelled so good! There were many handcrafted items, items made out of ti leaves, shell items, koa carved items, lots and lots to see. The folks who were behind the “counters” were older and very happy to tell you all about their wares. This would be the place to buy all your grocery needs if you lived in Hilo! One of the most interesting things available for purchase was a frog purse made out of tanned skin of a genuine frog, complete with legs – hope it wasn’t Kermit. We made a stop at Rainbow Falls, watched the water for a while, Kim climbed up and down the pathways and the not so made pathways. Bonnie put her fanny pack on the back of the car while looking for something and then about ½ a mile down the road realized she didn’t have it!! Yep, it was a panic moment that flashed through her mind…but then her sister Kathy smiled and pulled the pack out from the back seat and said she had seen it had been left and made sure it made it into the car. Bonnie now calls Kathy, Saint Perfect Sister I’ll Do Anything For You Kathy! We stopped at a local place for lunch – called L and L Drive In BBQ. They are known for something called Plate Lunches. Plate Lunches are a combination of different cultures, Japanese, Philippino, Korean, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Maori and Puerto Rican to name just a few. During the early settling of the islands, while these groups of folks worked the sugar cane, they would bring their lunches and would share their foods, so the Plate Lunches ended up having a bit of everything. BBQ ribs, chicken, rice, mac salad (only and always made with
Best Foods mayo), fish, shrimp, Lau Lau (pork rolled in Ti leaves and steamed), kahlua pork are some of the main components. Kathy ventured out more than anyone and had the Lau Lau plate. She shared bites with everyone, so we were all exposed to more than just fried fish or bbq chicken, way to go Kathy!! A giggle fest erupted over lunch and the locals thought we’d been drinking too many mai tais! It was time to gather up our exhausted and sore rib bodies and do a bit of shopping before heading back to the ship. We accomplished all we needed to (trinkets, pants, pop to name a few), and it was a trip to the airport to drop off the car, catch the shuttle back to the ship and be onboard prior to the sail away. We had a great time in Hilo, enjoyed the time and the lack of rain (we really lucked out), and the giggles!  Good time was had by all, and we are now sailing to Honolulu, so stay tuned for the continuing adventures of Marlene, Bonnie, Kathy and Kim.