04.05.2018 update from Oahu

Thursday is Oahu day.  We got on a Hop On Hop Off bus at the Cruise Ship Terminal and did two of the five loops.  The first was on an open side trolley and the second was in an “air conditioned” enclosed bus.  We think that the trolley would have been cooler.  We went around Waikiki then on to the South side of the island and into Diamond Head Crater on to the first tour.  On the second we went around Honolulu and the Pali lookout and much in between. John’s sunglasses flew off his hat while on the trolley, so we will be replacing them on Maui tomorrow.

The highlight of the day was the Folkloric Show in the ship’s big theater tonight.  It was a group of 10 girls from the Island’s most famous hula school.  They were amazing, aging from 6 to 16 years old.   There is a big, multi island hula competition going on on the Big Island of Hawaii and the best dancers are at it.  So, as great as our show was, we can’t imagine how good the dancers are in the big competition.  At the end, the girls came into the audience to say Aloha to us.  John’s heart raced a bit reminiscing how in an Irish Dance performance in Dublin, in 2005, one dancer so wanted John to go onstage with her and dance with her.  No request was made tonight, just a handshake of Aloha.

Colleen and John