Day 8 Hilo, Hawaii

Note: Super disappointing news about adding photos to the blog. I have a plethora of amazing photos on my phone with no way to get them to my iPad to post on my blog. I need my tech support (i.e. Bill) to fly out to Hawaii to figure this shizzle out! There’s something hinky about the ship’s internet because it won’t talk with my phone that is on the data plan. Color me confused!

We’re here! We arrived in the port of Hilo, Hawaii at 7:00 this morning. We went out on the balcony in our pajamas and watched the shore line slowly approach. It was a slow process so we both had time to take a shower and then come back out to see what progress was made. It was all so very exciting yet boring given how long it took.

We finally arrived and docked in the industrial section of town so it wasn’t much to look at yet still interesting. Our scheduled excursion was at 9:15 so we made our way out to the terminal on the dock and found an amazing amount of chaos. I figured the cruise line would be a model of efficiency about signage and where to go and where to wait. WRONG! There was one poor guy running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to get senior citizens to listen to him (fat chance) while trying to get the tour guides in their proper places. By some miracle we got on the right bus to go visit Akaka Falls and the surrounding area. 

Our bus driver’s name was Albert and I can’t wait to add his photo here. He had a greased up Mohawk and big glasses and was the nicest guy. He was both the bus driver and the tour guide and I was impressed that he could do both at the same time. Mad skills.

I also want to let you know that a major milestone in our family was achieved today. My mother, Mum/Tikki-Boo, visited her 50th state today by stepping on Hawaiian soil. I’ve posted a picture of her on both my Facebook and Instagram pages if you would like to see a wonderful picture of Jeanne Soule ❤️ achieving this goal.

We stopped at Akaka Falls first for a 1/2 mile loop around the area with the highlight being a stunning waterfall. I hate that my photos aren’t working because it was an incredible sight. But what was even better was a particular Banyan tree along the way. If you haven’t seen one of these, google it because it’s an amazing system of roots that creates a tree that looks like many small trees put together into one. Fascinating and beautiful. 

Next up on the tour was a visit to the Pana’ewa Zoo and Gardens. We were mostly interested in the gardens but really enjoyed the zoo aspect as well. The flowers and greenery in Hawaii are spectacular and we really enjoyed our time there. From there it as a quick stop at a candy factory (not mad about that!) and then back to the ship in the early afternoon.  We thoroughly enjoyed the morning activities but were happy to be back in the air conditioning cause it’s stinking humid here! 

We recovered in the cabin for the afternoon and then had a 6:00 reservation at one of the speciality restaurants on the ship. Tikki-Boo’s accomplishment needed to be properly celebrated! We had the most wonderful waiter, Bayu, who had trouble pronouncing Mum’s name, Jeanne - so she invited him to call her Mum and he spent the remainder of the evening calling her Mama. He really made dinner so much fun. Our seat couldn’t have been better. The restaurant was at the rear of ship with big picture windows so we could watch the shoreline of Hilo disappear into the evening as we sailed out of port. It was quite magical. 

And the food was mostly good too. We started off with a very disappointing calamari that was the bounciest damn thing I’ve ever eaten. I’ve decided that bouncy found is a hard no for me. There are rules about these things that must be adhered to, thank you very much. The entree made up for it though as we both got the filet mignon and wowzers. The heavens sung and the angels wept it was that good. It was the perfect way to end a monumental day for my mother. 

We are currently sailing to the other side of Hawaii to Kona and will arrive there at 7:00 am. Brace yourself for another day of touring Hawaii.

Aloha and snoopers*

*For those who are unfamiliar with “snoopers”, it’s a term that Mum’s father, Poppy, would use for kisses 😘