Spring Break in Hawaii - Day 9/10 (Pride of America)

 

Chinaman's Hat Park

Today is the day we disembark from our lovely Hawaii cruise. We had our final breakfast on the ship and was escorted off the ship by our butlers. The normal line to get off the ship was very long, but as usual, with our priority disembarkation perks, we hardly slowed down at all.

Our cousin Dan picked us up at the cruise port and took us to Kualoa Regional Park, where a baptism is going to take place. There was jaw dropping scenery the whole way. The baptism is a big celebration, so there was a lot of food, people, and outdoor games set up.

The beach here is beautiful too, with Chinaman's Hat Island in the distance.

Chinaman's Hat Island is officially called Mokoli'i, which means little lizard in Hawaiian. Legend has it, when goddess Hi'iaka traveled to retrieve Pele's lover, she had to kill a giant lizard. The lizard fell in the water, with the tip of its tail sticking out, forming Mokoli'i. 

After the beautiful ceremony, Cousin Dan took us to our hotel, but made a pit stop at Waiahole Poi Factory for a carryout so we could have some authentic Hawaiian cuisine. 

 

The green colored one is Squid Lu'au, the yellow brothy soup is Chicken Long Rice, the one under the fork is Poi, and the small white cup is the Haupia. The food is so different from what we are used to but tasted pretty good.

Our hotel tonight is at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Oahu Kapolei. This was a convenient location to Cousin Dan's house and he was able to join us for the complimentary evening reception (2 free drinks per person at the bar).

April 7, 2024

This morning, Cousin Dan and wife Lori joined us at our hotel to say final goodbyes. 

We have had an exciting week in the Hawaiian islands. While it wasn't cheap, there really isn't a cheap way to see Hawaii, so I think this cruise was well worth it. Every island has been amazing and the beauty of the islands are just indescribable. Our flight is this afternoon, so we spent the morning walking around the hotel, and stopped at Foodland for some Poke. 

I love Poke, which is a Hawaiian food. But what I've found out (with my limited experience in my two trips in Hawaii) is that the poke in Hawaii is neither cheaper nor better. One thing is true - poke is everywhere in Hawaii and there are so many more varieties of it. Anyway, I got myself a bowl and loved every second of it.

Our flight today is a direct flight home, through Delta One. We had some food in the Delta Sky Lounge, which featured some local cuisine and fruits as well, then boarded our flight.

Beef Short Rib in Delta One

My flight experience was great. Our seats folded flat. My main entree of choice was the Beef Short Rib with sauteed Maui onions, roasted root vegetables, Fresno peppers. 

Banana Chia Pudding

My pre-arrival snack of choice was Banana Chia Pudding with toasted macadamia nuts. I love the menu's concentration on Hawaiian cuisine.

This concludes our spectacular tour of Hawaii. From ziplining, to climbing a waterfall, watching sunset over a volcano and enjoying food and drinks at a Luau, this has been a really amazing trip. Until next time!