On Day 9 of our cruise we were on our last Hawaiian Island, Oahu. We were so lucky to be able to meet up with another friend for our day there. Dan is a retired Marine, and fellow Seattle-lite, whom I hired back during our working days at the VA. He has since retired again, moved to Hawaii, and is loving every minute of it.
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| Me and Dan at Punchbowl National Cemetery |
He was a fabulous tour guide showing us things we never would have seen otherwise. Our first stop was The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, commonly called "Punchbowl," where local Marines were rehearsing for Anzac Day to commemorate Australian military casualties in the Gallipoli Campaign of WWI.
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| Beautiful view looking back to Honolulu |
Punchbowl is so named due to the volcanic crater in which it is situated. It is a serene and solemn place steeped in history.
Learn more about it here.
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| Atrium describing WWII battles in the Pacific... |
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| all done in mosaic |
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| The Chapel |
Dan lives far from the craziness of Honolulu in a lovely spot near
Bellows Airforce Base. These are the islands to which he frequently
kayaks and then snorkels to catch his dinner. Tough job, but someone
has to do it!
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| Dan and his islands |
He toured us all over the island, going from one fabulous lookout or beach to the next. This colorful Hawaiian Cardinal was seen at various spots.
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| Red Crested Cardinal |
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| Dan and Jim at Nu'uanu Pali |
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| Fun to watch the waves break through the arch! |
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| Truly paradise! |
As a grand finale to a fabulous day out, Dan took us to Romy's food truck for garlic prawns. They have their own shrimp farms here and the prawns were very fresh and absolutely full of garlic. YUM.
Jim and I returned the the ship feeling kind of smug - we had the million dollar tour with our own personal guide and no crowds or herding! It was so great to see our friend Dan happy and thriving in his own tropical paradise.
Next stop, Fanning Island.
Audrey
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