On Friday night we sailed back to Honolulu, and when we woke up on Saturday morning we were back where we started. The ship had a very structured process for getting people disembarked, which involved labelling our suitcases with a purple tag and putting them outside our bedroom door before we went to bed, to be collected during the night.
After a buffet breakfast on Deck 11 we retired to our cabin until it was time to depart. Gwen and her friend from Buffalo Gateway came to say goodbye, and Gwen added a message to this blog. Jo and Deborah spent our last hour aboard in the library reading. Then our colour group was called and we joined the queue to disembark.
On shore our luggage was waiting for us, neatly organised into colour groups. We headed for the taxi rank and found a free shuttle bus that takes people from the port to the Maui Dive Shop. If you're willing to do a tour of the shop, they will then put you on another shuttle box and take you to Ala Moana or Waikiki.
The tour was quite interesting, although it was Saturday and there wasn't much work being done. First we saw a video about how they harvest black and gold and pink coral, and gold from an undersea vent. Then they showed us the various processes in designing and casting and polishing the gold settings, and cutting the coral. Last we saw the jewellry show room. There were some stunningly beautiful pieces, but all way out of our price range.
When we got back downstairs where our luggage was being looked after, Jo realised her backpack was still on the shuttle bus. The staff were very helpful about locating it, and it turned up about ten minutes later when the shuttle bus brought the next load of passengers from the port.
We got dropped off at Ala Moana Hotel and were able to check into our room straight away - on Level 32, with a great view of the marina and the beach. We made a quick trip to Walmart for Deborah to buy a lei and some souveniers (and hoping she could find space in her luggage) and then had lunch one last time at the Food Court.
Back at the hotel, we changed into party clothes and got directions on how to get to the Marriott at Waikiki (where our bus to the luau was leaving from). We caught a Number 8 bus and got out a couple of blocks away from the Marriott. We were looking for a Hilo Hatties, "the store of Hawaii", which sells Hawaiian clothing and gifts and food, but didn't find one. We walked through the International Market, which reminded Deborah of Vietnam: a lot of stalls selling cheap jewellry and clothing and bags, and vendors more persistent than any we'd met so far in Hawaii.
At the Marriott we had time for a cup of tea, and the luau crowded slowly gathered. There were 8 buses going to the luau, and two were allocated to our group. We had a lovely tour guide, Tai, who entertained us all the way there. He talked to everyone on the bus, and remembered their names by associating them with film stars. Deborah was Deborah Kerr, and Jo was Joanne Woodward.
The luau was about 40 minutes away, past the airport, and on the beach. There were long tables set out around a central stage, two bars, and a long buffet table. When the pig was cooked we all gathered around to see the ceremonial removal of the pig from the roasting pit (Imu Ceremony), and then each table in turn visited the buffet. The lady sitting next to us with her friend had white hair and looked very frail. She had been a member of her chorus for 36 years.
The pork was very tender, and there was also fish and chicken as well as salads. Deborah tried a taste of poi (mashed taro root), which tasted like wallpaper paste; Tai says they only make it to feed to tourists.
We think that the entertainers at Germaine's Luau were the same ones who performed at the Showcase on Tuesday night of the Convention. They did dances from all over Polynesia, in various colourful costumes. The bare-chested guys were worth watching, and the girls were gorgeous whether they were shimmying their hips slow or fast. There was a backing band, and a singer who performed traditional Hawaiian songs. They pulled audience members up to dance with them, and awarded prizes. It was fun.
Back on the bus to the Marriott, and we caught a taxi back to our hotel and fell into bed. We set the alarm for 5 am so we could catch the 6 am shuttle bus to the airport. Consequently we were at the airport at 6:30 am, and the Qantas counter didn't open until 7:30 am, which was a bit annoying for the people joining us in the queue. Anyway, we got through all that and through security, and had a look around the airport. We found a food court that served breakfast, and a bookshop where Deborah bought a few more paperbacks to fill in the plane trip, and then explored the shops. There were some lovely dresses and jewellry, but all too expensive for girls used to shopping to Ross's and Walmart. The food court overlooked a garden and a pond with the biggest koi that we've ever seen.
Our flight left at 10:15 am on Sunday morning, and took 10 hours to fly to Sydney. We had lunch and dinner on the plane, and there were four movies. Even so, it was a long flight with a lot of ocean to fly over - 8,000 kilometres of it.
We arrived at Sydney around 5:30 pm on Monday night. Sandy, who is a Customs Officer and Deborah and Pete's friend, was there to greet us. There was no queue at the Immigration desk, and hardly any queue at Quarantine either, so we got through very quickly. Jo went off to find her shuttle to Cherrybrook, and Pete was waiting for Deborah to drive her home (which was lovely, because lugging two very full suitcases on the train at peak hour would not have been much fun at all).
And then we were home.
After a buffet breakfast on Deck 11 we retired to our cabin until it was time to depart. Gwen and her friend from Buffalo Gateway came to say goodbye, and Gwen added a message to this blog. Jo and Deborah spent our last hour aboard in the library reading. Then our colour group was called and we joined the queue to disembark.On shore our luggage was waiting for us, neatly organised into colour groups. We headed for the taxi rank and found a free shuttle bus that takes people from the port to the Maui Dive Shop. If you're willing to do a tour of the shop, they will then put you on another shuttle box and take you to Ala Moana or Waikiki.
The tour was quite interesting, although it was Saturday and there wasn't much work being done. First we saw a video about how they harvest black and gold and pink coral, and gold from an undersea vent. Then they showed us the various processes in designing and casting and polishing the gold settings, and cutting the coral. Last we saw the jewellry show room. There were some stunningly beautiful pieces, but all way out of our price range.
When we got back downstairs where our luggage was being looked after, Jo realised her backpack was still on the shuttle bus. The staff were very helpful about locating it, and it turned up about ten minutes later when the shuttle bus brought the next load of passengers from the port.
We got dropped off at Ala Moana Hotel and were able to check into our room straight away - on Level 32, with a great view of the marina and the beach. We made a quick trip to Walmart for Deborah to buy a lei and some souveniers (and hoping she could find space in her luggage) and then had lunch one last time at the Food Court.
Back at the hotel, we changed into party clothes and got directions on how to get to the Marriott at Waikiki (where our bus to the luau was leaving from). We caught a Number 8 bus and got out a couple of blocks away from the Marriott. We were looking for a Hilo Hatties, "the store of Hawaii", which sells Hawaiian clothing and gifts and food, but didn't find one. We walked through the International Market, which reminded Deborah of Vietnam: a lot of stalls selling cheap jewellry and clothing and bags, and vendors more persistent than any we'd met so far in Hawaii.
At the Marriott we had time for a cup of tea, and the luau crowded slowly gathered. There were 8 buses going to the luau, and two were allocated to our group. We had a lovely tour guide, Tai, who entertained us all the way there. He talked to everyone on the bus, and remembered their names by associating them with film stars. Deborah was Deborah Kerr, and Jo was Joanne Woodward.
The luau was about 40 minutes away, past the airport, and on the beach. There were long tables set out around a central stage, two bars, and a long buffet table. When the pig was cooked we all gathered around to see the ceremonial removal of the pig from the roasting pit (Imu Ceremony), and then each table in turn visited the buffet. The lady sitting next to us with her friend had white hair and looked very frail. She had been a member of her chorus for 36 years.
The pork was very tender, and there was also fish and chicken as well as salads. Deborah tried a taste of poi (mashed taro root), which tasted like wallpaper paste; Tai says they only make it to feed to tourists.
We think that the entertainers at Germaine's Luau were the same ones who performed at the Showcase on Tuesday night of the Convention. They did dances from all over Polynesia, in various colourful costumes. The bare-chested guys were worth watching, and the girls were gorgeous whether they were shimmying their hips slow or fast. There was a backing band, and a singer who performed traditional Hawaiian songs. They pulled audience members up to dance with them, and awarded prizes. It was fun.
Back on the bus to the Marriott, and we caught a taxi back to our hotel and fell into bed. We set the alarm for 5 am so we could catch the 6 am shuttle bus to the airport. Consequently we were at the airport at 6:30 am, and the Qantas counter didn't open until 7:30 am, which was a bit annoying for the people joining us in the queue. Anyway, we got through all that and through security, and had a look around the airport. We found a food court that served breakfast, and a bookshop where Deborah bought a few more paperbacks to fill in the plane trip, and then explored the shops. There were some lovely dresses and jewellry, but all too expensive for girls used to shopping to Ross's and Walmart. The food court overlooked a garden and a pond with the biggest koi that we've ever seen.
Our flight left at 10:15 am on Sunday morning, and took 10 hours to fly to Sydney. We had lunch and dinner on the plane, and there were four movies. Even so, it was a long flight with a lot of ocean to fly over - 8,000 kilometres of it.
We arrived at Sydney around 5:30 pm on Monday night. Sandy, who is a Customs Officer and Deborah and Pete's friend, was there to greet us. There was no queue at the Immigration desk, and hardly any queue at Quarantine either, so we got through very quickly. Jo went off to find her shuttle to Cherrybrook, and Pete was waiting for Deborah to drive her home (which was lovely, because lugging two very full suitcases on the train at peak hour would not have been much fun at all).
And then we were home.
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