Hawaii was a surprise, though I had spent a few hours there in the late '60s while our old ship was refueled. Highs were mostly in the mid 80s but the humidity---well that seemed to be sufficiently thick you didn't need bottled water, you only needed to avoid being parboiled in your own skin!!! I again faced the fact I can put on enough clothes to stay warm in the winter, but can't remove enough to stay cool under such conditions. Still had a good time. There are many really neat sights to see on the islands and every island is different but similar. Of course, the inhabitants of each island are living on the best of all them!!!
Just ask them!! No, you don't have to ask, they will tell you right away!! We saw, among many others, the "grand canyon" of Hawaii on Kauai, and on the Big Island went to the Ulalena performance, a presentation of Hawaiian myth and history in dance and music, with amazing effects achieved with cloth and light. Lovely and very moving music. We wore our Mu-Mui's to this (and to a Captains Reception earlier) and recieved numerous compliments from locals (most of whom were in shorts and halters
). Also had a nice steak and shrimp dinner at the Moose-Jaw Inn (which sounds like it should be in Alaska, but is a chain).The observatories on Mauna Kea at 13,000 ft. above sea level were impressive, though we were only able to visit one of the Keck mirrors, with its independent lenses looking like an inverted fly's eye!!
Bubba Gumps was a noontime destination, and it is too much food for a couple of old broads who are used to restricted diets, let me tell you!!!. Most of it is fried, of course. Their strawberry shortcake, well, two of us couldn't do justice to it. Very good, but you need a min. of three people to eat it.
Fresh fruit abounds, pretty much for the picking in many places. Pineapple plantations and one sugar cane plantation continues to produce, but these are gradually being superceded by other places. Rapidly, tourism is becoming the top of the economic ladder. I was amazed to realize there is nearly no native vegetation left on the islands. The trees, grasses and stuff are all from somewhere else, from African Tulip Trees to Magnolias, to Crepe Myrtle (which are the size of trees there). Begining with the Melanesian and Polynesian settlers, everyone has brought their favorite crops and plants, and animals, at first because the islands flora was inedible by them. So they talk about indiginous vegetation (those brought by polynesian settlers) and introduced vegetation and critters (that brought by explorers and settlers from Captain Cook on down.)
Alaska with its highs in the upper 50's was a complete shock. We exited the plane in the early morning and the temp. was still 48 degrees. I was glad for the long sleeved T-shirt and light jacket I packed.... The views of the nearby mountains at Anchorage are enough to make your heart sing!!
Overall, a great time. The largest fly in the ointment is the stupid security at the airports. It is time consuming, and seems largely ineffective in its screening efforts, mainly making travel difficult. Woe be to any traveler who happens to possess a tube of lotion that is .04 oz. larger than the limit (had to throw a brand new tube of scrub away, and two bottles of lavender lotion I was returning as requested souveniers --$35 bucks down the toilet). You can't buy any last minute items that are too large for the rules for carryons, but instead need to pack them in checked luggage. If you have already checked your luggage, oh well, don't buy them. I changed planes 6 times, and 6 times went through the same silly procedure. Wear slip off/on shoes 'cause you have to take them off at every screening. I wished I was not as delicate as I am about the smell of my feet several times!
I also passed this screening with a nail file in a pants pocket (not deliberately) that was strong enough to cut up a steak after our arrival in Alaska (I wanted to test it) and I suppose it could have been used as a poor weapon by a very stupid hijacker.Still, a nice time over-all.
Love, Carolynn
