Update 4.05.2018 from the Big Island

Today, Wednesday, we were in our first port on this cruise.  We docked at the pier at Hilo, Hawaii, the Big Island.  We took a tour to Volcano National Park from 9:30 until 1:30 on a tour bus.  The tour stopped at the Mauna Loa macadamia factory.  The “tour” of the factory consisted of a climb up the outside of the building to the second floor and peering into the factory through plate glass windows.  We were on the second floor, the plant on the first floor.  It was not terribly exciting but they had a really nice garden with large plots of colorful, native plants. 

There were small photo op stops at a volcano crater, some steam vents, and a lava flow.  The last stop was at a museum with so much information on volcanoes. Our tour guide/bus driver was extremely knowledgeable on volcanoes and passed on so much information that we could not absorb it all.  Way too much of it, really.

The best thing on the tour was a stop at a lava tube.  There was a walk across the floor of a crater, totally reclaimed and full of jungle plants.  Then we entered the lava tube, a tunnel formed by lave flows thousands of years ago.  It had water dripping into it and large puddles on the floor.  Shoes got wet, but it was fun.

Tonight we were entertained by a quartet, sometimes a capella, which sung many songs from the 50’s 60’s and early 70’s.  From Frank Senatra, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and a wonderful Motown medley. They were also in the Princess Cruises ‘Entertainer of the Year’ nominees in the past.  It was a fun show.

On to Honolulu tomorrow.

Colleen and John