Catching up - Oahu and Maui

How is it possible that I haven't had a new post in 5 days! I'm definitely falling short of my daily goal. In my own defense, Matt and I have been a bit under the weather with a cold. It was already going around the ship when we boarded. Apparently, this cruise started in Alaska, and it continues onward after dropping us in Sydney. I spent the first port day in Oahu on the ship getting some rest. Matt kayaked to a sandbar with his Oahu-based son and enjoyed his company. Yesterday, I was feeling better and ventured out onto Oahu for most of the day. I finally got to meet Matt's son. A handsome and charming young man in his early 30's, he has lived on the island ~10 years, loves to surf, hike incredibly steep trails for fun and fitness, and create his own music mixes (I probably said that last one wrong). He took us to an AMAZING bakery for breakfast in Waikiki, The Liliha Bakery. You MUST check it out if you find yourself in Waikiki. I had macadamia waffles with custard and fresh fruit. Oh. My. Matt's dear son bought us a half-dozen cream puffs as a parting gift and now owns a special place in my heart.

After breakfast, he drove us cliffside along the Koko Head Crater to Sandy Beach. It's a long, thin beach with super fine sand that somehow invaded absolutely everything we brought or wore. A lifeguard promptly approached each new arrival to warn of a dangerous rip. This meant I never went in past my knees and was pummeled by the breaking waves, which were surprisingly strong. The one time I did lose my feet and got churned and dragged around by a couple of waves, I was happy to see Matt's son was right there, making sure I didn't drown in 2 inches of water... In case you don't know, I can't swim. I had a life-flashed-before-my-eyes-in-a-panic experience at 16 that left me with a deep respect for the power of water. Needless to say, I spent the majority of the time sunning while the boys enjoyed the waves breaking over their heads repeatedly. Something I will never understand as 'fun'. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching football and enjoying the perfect weather before heading back to the ship to try to remove the remaining fine sand from our hair, bodies, and swimsuits. It was a perfect day.

Today we are in Maui. Matt and I were up at 5:30 to watch the sunrise and the ship approach port. This is a very working port, so you have to walk quite a way to get to a street where you can grab a rideshare. We headed first to the small but lovely Maui Nui Botanical Gardens to learn a bit about the flora and fauna, how it got here, and what is actually native vs. imported. Fun Fact! The kukui nut can last 121 days in salt water.

Afterwards, we visited the Hale Ho Ike'ike Maui Museum at the Bailey House and enjoyed a docent-led walk through the museum, and explored the grounds. We maneuvered our way back to streets with sidewalks and got iced drinks at the cute, little Wailuku Coffee Co. before heading back to the ship for a late lunch and nap. Tomorrow - Kauia! I've always wanted to go there. We are catching a ride with a couple we've befriended who're renting a car.

View of Kahului, Maui from the back of the ship