Adventures In AlohaLand Day 6

Day 6 Woke up a little later than usual this morning and headed down to Duke’s for breakfast. YUM

The ocean was not churning quite as badly as yesterday so the catamaran’s are running! I decide to take the one I have seen out of my bedroom window every day. It is bright yellow and red, Hawaiian Royal Colors. The name it The No Hoku. It is located just to the left of the Outrigger Waikiki as you face the beach. You don’t need a reservation, you just show up and Nobuku will take your money, I think it is $25. Open bar and when the weather is right they let you snorkel/swim for a bit. The evening cruise is open bar, no swimming, sunset cruise.

The No Hoku is captained by Capt. John John, the crew for my trips while I was there was Shogu and Nobuku not sure of the spelling. Both the crew members were originally from Japan. They were so cool. Again, great thing about traveling alone, people talk to you. They took pictures for me and made sure I was having a good time.

There was not a full boat by any means, but a few families and some couples and me. They told us ahead of time that the waves would be pretty rough to be safe. I had a mai tai. It was great!
We cast off from the beach. The crew does everything from casting off to bartending to generally keeping people from being swept overboard or hurting themselves when the waves are crashing. They saved several folks from getting hurt trying to move around when it was choppy. And by choppy I mean we were leaving Waikiki and folks were surfing in to shore next to us! LOL

The ride was so worth it! I loved this! I have to tell you though, because the surf was so high, it was kind of sketchy a few times. A few people got really seasick. The crew did an excellent job taking care of them. The music was good. The mai tais were good. They had beer and soft drinks, etc. too. The views were spectacular going out around Diamond Head and back. I highly recommend this company. Lots of fun! Coming back in Nobuku stood at the bow (front) of the boat and blew a conch horn to move surfers and swimmers out of the way so that we could land safely on the shore. It was so much fun. Some folks were disappointed that they didn’t get to snorkel/swim, but it was obvious that the water was too dangerous on this day. The Capt was very experienced and I wasn’t afraid at all, but it was quite a roller coaster ride. I couldn’t help but squeal a few times it was like being a kid again. Too cool!

When we came ashore, I walked the few feet to the bar at Dukes for lunch! LOL It was pretty busy. I sat at the larger bar not my favorite small bar. I ordered a lava flow from a guy named Jesse. Well, he made it and then it proceeded to sit there at the end of the bar for quite a while. I was getting very frustrated, while he talked to some random hoochie girl and then took other orders. My drink still sitting there. Thank goodness my buddy Dustin came in to work. He said “Hey how’s it going South Carolina?” I said “Well, good except I ordered that drink that is melting down there and can’t seem to get it to me!” He walked over and got the drink and as he was handing it to me, Jesse realized what he had done. He came over and introduced himself, apologized and bought the drink for me. So, I guess no harm done. But watching him work, he is nowhere near as efficient as the others who work there. Oh well, there has to be one in every crowd! I ordered a really nice grilled chicken Caesar salad. It was very good and came in a timely manner.

While sitting at the bar the man next to me asked me what part of South Carolina I was from. I told him Charleston. His name is Chris, well, it turns out he is from Summerville, SC. That is like a suburb of Charleston, a town in it’s own right, but 15 minutes away. He still owns some houses in SC. Too funny to run in to someone from my state all the way in Hawaii! Then he introduced me to the guy sitting next to him. He had on a hat with all kinds of pins on it. Turns out this guy is from Australia and has been on this incredibly long journey visiting the United States and part unknown. His name was Stuart and he has so many truly hysterical stories to tell of his exploits. After about 4 huge glasses of ice water and listening to these tales, I headed upstairs for a shower and a nap.

After my nap, I ran across the street to see if I could find some aloha wear to wear to the luau at Paradise Cove tonight. I was really surprised to find 3 dresses that I really loved. 1 for the luau and the other 2 I could actually wear them anytime. Even at my size they were very pretty and the lady at the store gave me a great deal!

I ran back over to the hotel and changed clothes. I had to walk a couple of blocks to where the buses pick up for the luau. They gave me my bus number and off I went. I had Cousin Ten ( like the number). He was hysterical. The ride was pretty uneventful, and before we knew it we had arrived.

I got the upgraded package where they serve you at the table and your seats are close to the stage. It was perfect. I was about 3 people back from the stage and the show was fantastic. But I get ahead of myself.

Right off the bus, I had my picture taken with a really hot guy! LOL That was part of my package. Then they had a free mai tai. Not as good as the ones on the boat, but not bad. Then they show you your seats. At that point you can wander around the village at will. They have all kinds of activities you can take part in. I got a wrist bracelet of flowers and a drawn on tattoo. The man who did my tattoo is from Samoa. He is also the guitar player in the band that plays in the show. We were able to try the hula, that was a lot of fun. Also, a man was singing with a guitar. He was very good. There were also games to play. There were lines, but not too bad. I was able to do everything I was interested in. They then call everyone for the hukilau(sp?) That was fun and beautiful.

Then everyone is called to go see the pig being taken from the ground. They explain what will be served for dinner and explain it a little. Then they take your picture with the Royal Party. It was a lot of fun. The night I was there it was a full moon. That added to the beauty of the evening. The show was well done. The dancers seemed to really be enjoying themselves. The dances were beautiful and the fire dance was awesome.

By the time it was time to leave, I was tired and pretty much ready to go. I was really glad I didn’t have to drive. On the way home, I made friends with a couple who were visiting from NY. He is a professional musician, a drummer with a touring band and she is a professional dancer. They were so nice and we chatted the whole ride back. I met some of the coolest people on this vacation.

Walked back to the hotel, with my goodies ( glass I purchase, pictures and such). After the long day I had, I went right up to bed. Another perfect day of sunshine, new friends and good fun!