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Hilo, Big Island of Hawai’i

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2023 Vancouver-Hawai’i Cruise

Oct 15, 2023 – a day in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai’i, USA

I’m up at 6:30AM to enjoy the beautiful approach to Hilo harbour, with Maunakea lit by the morning sunlight and the observatories clearly visible on top. My stateroom balcony gives me a great view of the shoreline as the ship sails into Hilo Bay and docks at 10AM. I’m ready to go, so leave the ship by 10:30AM – my destination is Reeds Bay, Banyan Drive, Coconut Island and Queen Lili’uokalani Gardens.

Map of my walk along Hilo Bay from Koningsdam - Apple Fitness iOS app.
Map of my walk along Hilo Bay from Koningsdam – Apple Fitness iOS app.

It’s already hot, and it takes 20 minutes to walk along Kalaniana’ole Street to my first stop, Kuhio Kalaniana’ole Park. I need to cool off a bit before walking further to Reeds Bay, walk along Banyan Drive and find a mini-market where I buy a chilled Coca-cola. This revives me nicely as I continue my walk along Banyan Drive to Coconut Island. It is Sunday, so lots of local families are enjoying playing in the shallow water, having picnics, and just hanging out in the shade.

I spot a Common Myna and some Saffron Finches foraging in the grass, and a Pacific Golden Plover perched on a stone pagoda in a pond.

I continue to wander through the beautiful Queen Lili’uokalani Gardens and then walk back to the ship and the welcome air conditioning. My Apple Watch tells me I’ve covered 6.4 kms (4 mi) and taken about 10,000 steps, so it was quite the workout for me today in the tropical heat! Although I walk every day around the Promenade Deck while we’re at sea, land walks provide more meaningful exercise.

A Cannonball Impossible burger with fries and a Heineken beer for lunch after my walk

It’s nice to sit in the shade aboard ship and enjoy my late lunch of a Cannonball Impossible burger with fries and a Heineken beer.

I make use of my Jethro Mobile USA mobile plan to call my friend as the ship is leaving port, to confirm our rendezvous for tomorrow’s port call in Kailua-Kona on the other side of the Big Island. Later in the Main Dining Room, my choices for dinner: Kaua’i Poke appetizer, Mahi mahi for main course (excellent sauce and moist fish), and Cherry crisp for dessert. I have a Trader Vic’s Mai Tai with dinner – a nice drink, but too sweet for me.

I have my usual Tanqueray 10 Gin Martini before the Crow’s Nest Lounge closes at 9PM. My favourite server knows me well, so my nightcap is always made just how I like it. It’s lovely to be spoiled!

Hilo
Hilo
16 photos
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Costa Rica

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April 18, 2023 – Tuesday – Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas) on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I’m awake at 5am as the ship turns into the Gulf of Nicoya enroute to dock at Puerto Caldera near Puntarenas. Once the Explorations Cafe opens, I get a cappuccino to take back to my stateroom to enjoy on my balcony in the early morning sunshine. I have a bagel, lox and cream cheese with a passion fruit parfait for breakfast in my stateroom, since my excursion leaves at 8am this morning from the pier.

As our rather large group boards two buses, I’m happy to see that Swiss Travel are the excursion company today. I have lots of good experiences with this Costa Rican travel company, who provided services to TravelQuest on their Costa Rica astronomy tours in past years.

Small farms on the side of the highway

We drive for about an hour and a half along the Pan-American Highway (Carretera Interamericana Norte) inland from Puntarenas, passing small farms in the hills until we are almost at San Ramon. The Cloud Forest we visit today is in a private reserve – San Luis Adventure Park – San Luis Canopy Tour. We split up into groups and walk along the trails, and over four suspension bridges which offer elevated vantage points to view the cloud forest below. Each of these bridges stretche between 30 and 78 metres (95 and 253 feet) and are suspended up to 38 metres (126 feet) above the ground.

Our guide stops along the way to tell us about the flora and fauna found in the cloud forest. Our first stop is an open hummingbird garden, where I photograph Amazilia hummingbirds perched on the bushes in the area. Many people miss them, since they are busy talking and moving about. I keep still and move away from the crowds in order to get some good sightings.

Other than the hummingbirds, we don’t spot other birds, butterflies or small mammals. Our guide talks about the plants, such as orchids, heliconias, ferns, bromeliads and other species of aerial plants that are part of this habitat.

After we slowly hike up the hill back to the main office, we enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch of beans, rice, vegetables and a choice of chicken or fish. I have the fish, which is very good. There are also some fruit drinks available from a self-serve fountain that is included with the lunch.

On our way back to the ship we stop at El Jardín, which has a massive souvenir shop, a display garden and decorated ox carts in the back, along with a screened area containing some butterflies. I take video of the butterflies with my iPhone, since I know from past experience it is hopeless to take photos of butterflies as they constantly flit about our heads.

The excursion returns at about 3:15pm, just beating the All Aboard time of 3:30pm. The ship doesn’t pull away from the dock until 4:45pm, 45 minutes late due to excursions returning a bit late. We have three days at sea until we reach Puerto Vallarta, so being a bit late leaving port isn’t an issue.

Costa Rica Cloud Forests
Costa Rica Cloud Forests
37 photos
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Hilo, Hawai’i

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Oct 7, 2017 – Hilo, Hawai’i, USA

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

I luck out this morning, since I’m facing northwest as the Eurodam enters Hilo Bay early this morning. I have a perfect view of Mauna Kea as the Sun lights it up from the top down to sea level. The bonus is a Full Moon shining brightly above the sacred mountain with so many telescopes at the summit. Despite the early hour, I call my friends to come over to my verandah to share in the wonder. I setup my GoPro to capture a 4k time lapse video of the sublime view while I take still photos with my dSLR. The Eurodam slips into the dock and ties up while many are still asleep, however the Sun has risen and the day is warming.

Joy, Joe and John having lunch at the Hilo Bay Cafe
Joy, Joe and John having lunch at the Hilo Bay Cafe

A mutual friend who lives on the Big Island picks us up at 11AM  just outside the gate to the wharves, and gives us a beautiful lei to welcome us to Hawai’i in the traditional manner. Our first stop is to have lunch at the Hilo Bay Cafe. Our table on the patio gives us a wonderful view of the bay while we have a beer and fish and chips as we catch up with each others’ lives.

After lunch, we walk along the shoreline by the Lili’uokalani Gardens and over the foot bridge to have a look at Coconut Island. Since it is Saturday, there are lots of families enjoying picnics and swimming and paddling in the bay. We have a look at the tsunami flood levels marked on a coconut tree, which illustrates just how high the water level has risen in past years within the shallow bay.

We decide to go see the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, which is along the coast just outside Hilo. It is quite a hike down to sea level and then back up the hill to the parking lot, however the foliage, spectacular flowers along the walls of the gulley are breathtaking. I remember this spot from my previous visits, however I used the public access to the shoreline, so missed the best parts.

We return to the ship by 4PM and sail out of Hilo Bay at 6PM, on our way to Honolulu tomorrow.

Slide show featuring Hilo, Hawai’i (2009-2017)

Big Island of Hawai’i photo galleries

Hilo
Hilo
32 photos
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Oahu, Hawai’i

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Port of call on a 2010 South Pacific Cruise from Vancouver to Auckland aboard the Volendam

Oct 1, 2010 – Friday – Oahu, Hawai’i

Koko Head shoreline, Oahu, Hawaii
Koko Head shoreline, Oahu, Hawaii

I wake up early, and Volendam is already docked in Honolulu harbour at Pier 11, right beside the Aloha Tower. My friends and I thought we could catch a free shuttle to Waikiki, but instead have to take a taxi to pick up our rental car for the day. This is a hassle and delays us a bit, but eventually we are off on our self-guided tour around Oahu.

We head out to Diamond Head, but after paying to get inside the crater, find out it is an hour and a half hike to the top and return. We don’t have time for this, so we don’t stay long. We drive a bit further to see Hanauma Bay – a very pretty coastal location where there is lots of coral growing. It is very popular for swimming and snorkelling and costs $14.50 to go down to the shore and use the beach, but only $1 to park and look around. We do the latter and then move on to Koko Heads – another spectacular sight – a blowhole and beautiful shoreline along the south coast of Oahu.

Yellow Hibiscus in Crouching Lion's garden
Yellow Hibiscus in Crouching Lion’s garden

As we head north to the eastern shore of Oahu, it starts to rain. The vegetation is more tropical of course…the south shore is like a desert in comparison. The coastline around the Kaneohe area is very pretty, and the mountains are deeply grooved similar to the Napali Coast on Kauai. I guess the same processes are at work since they are both north-facing coasts – wind and water erosion. We have lunch at the Crouching Lion Bar & Grill in Kaaawa (now closed), and then head back to Waikiki to return the rental car and get back to the ship.

Volendam departs Honolulu at about 11pm, bound for Kailua-Kona and the Big Island of Hawai’i on a slow overnight cruise. We have another lovely dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room this evening.

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El Silencio Cloud Forest

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Feb 14, 2008 – Thursday – La Fortuna to San Jose, Costa Rica

2008 Costa Rica Southern Skies Fiesta, Volcanos & Rainforest

Cloud forest canopy & clouds

We leave the Tabacón resort this morning, returning from La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano to San Jose and the Central Valley. First stop is El Silencio de Los Angeles Cloud Forest. This is the first Cloud Forest I have experienced up close, and it is fascinating. We see lots of fauna and flora, including several varieties of hummingbirds, army and leaf-cutter ants, orchids and other amazing flowering plants. The cloud forest lives up to its name as the clouds silently drift through the forest canopy, nourishing all the life below. We have a very nice lunch at the adjoining Villa Blanca restaurant, and I admire the folklorique mural on the wall depicting historic industry in Costa Rica.

Historical scene on a tile mural in the Villa Blanca lobby

We get back on the bus for the drive back to San Jose, however there is the inevitable shopping stop at Sarchi. Thank goodness it is only a half hour this time before we are underway again. I really find the shopping part of these tours to be boring and a waste of my time. We run into rush hour traffic as we approach San Jose, which makes us late for our Farewell dinner. We all rush through our Courtyard Marriott hotel check-in, and manage to get to the restaurant before they cancel our reservation. This is a different restaurant than last week. The dinner is very nice – no band playing this time, a few short speeches are made, and I get to talk with some of my fellow Canadians in the group.

Rush hour traffic on the highway into San Jose

I have to be the first to leave the restaurant, since my flight tomorrow leaves at 7:45am. I am told my airport transfer is arranged for 5am, so that means I have to get up at 4am – a killer hour. Also, due to a scheduling mistake by Continental Airlines, I now have to overnight in Seattle-Tacoma, so I won’t be returning home to Victoria, Canada until Saturday instead of Friday evening. Back to the reality of a more crowded, hectic pace, with travel stress and decisions to be made, after a sublime two weeks in rural Costa Rica.

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La Selva Preserve

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2008 Costa Rica Southern Skies Fiesta, Volcanos & Rainforest

Feb 11, 2008 – Monday – La Selva Preserve, Sarapiqui Rain Forest, Heredia, Costa Rica

We visit the nearby La Selva Preserve this morning, which is a biological research station focused on the rain forest. Our guide is a bird nesting researcher, so he is very knowledgeable about the many birds we encounter on our nature walk. He also has interesting stories to tell about La Selva itself, as well as the flora and fauna in the preserve. He catches a Blue-black Grassquit to show us the feathers, and we also see a poison dart frog on the forest floor (Oophaga). He calls the birds to us using a portable speaker he drives with a bird song database from Cornell.

Oophaga - poison dart frog on the forest floor

Our guide Diego conducts a walking tour near the hotel this afternoon, but I just want some down time, so I don’t go. It is wonderful to just sit on the deck overlooking the lagoon; watching and listening to the rain come down in showers, and observing the interesting wildlife, which is so close. As I explore the hotel grounds, I also discover some unique features of Sueño Azul Hotel, including high wire acrobatic apparatus, and a horse barn with a riding ring. Then there’s the previously mentioned pedestrian foot bridge across the river, providing guests with their main access to the hotel.

My wildlife spotting list from this amazing tropical area just for yesterday and today reveals an abundant diversity!

Cherrie's tanager perched on a branch in the rainforest
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La Ensenada Lodge – Day 1

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2008 Costa Rica Southern Skies Fiesta, Volcanos & Rainforest

Feb 5, 2008 – Tuesday – La Ensenada “Star” Lodge, Abangaritos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Early morning wildlife walks are conducted by our guide Diego every day we are at the lodge. The main draw is the variety of birds, however iguanas, squirrels, vegetation, flowers, and the farm animals are also observed by our group. For those of us who are dedicated night sky observers, we sometimes join the wildlife walks as the Sun rises, before having breakfast and then going to bed!

Rufous motmot in a tree

I don’t have high expectations for the Tractor Ride this afternoon, however it turns out to be a memorable experience. The owners of La Ensenada are Italians, and their son Giancarlo guides the hour and a half Tractor Ride all over the property. We see their salt ponds, horses and Brahma cattle grazing in the pastures, stop at the Aguna Observatory wildlife observing platform at a pond. Along the way we spot lots of birds and iguanas, and near the end we wind up a narrow road to the top of a hill overlooking the property and the Gulf of Nicoya. Giancarlo’s Mama serves us some superb antipasto, beer and soft drinks while we take in the view. What a nice touch! By the way, the passenger wagon we are seated in is being pulled by an Italian Landini tractor.

The group having snacks and beverages atop the scenic hill

It is clear this evening, so I take a series of wide field photos of the Taurus-Eridanus-Aires area, and then the Orion area later. Eridanus – The Celestial River – is a very large constellation near Orion, but it hugs the southern horizon from our nothern latitude, so observing it from Costa Rica means it is much higher in the sky. I then capture a series of photos of the spectacular Eta Carinae Nebula before midnight, however my tracking mount isn’t properly aligned with north, so the photos are not very useful. So this evening is rewarding for visual observing, however I have to refine my astrophotography technique.

Limahuli Gardens, Kaua’i, Hawaii

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January 17, 2001 – Limahuli Gardens, Kaua’i, Hawaii

This botanical garden is located in Ha’ena, near the end of the north shore road. Be sure to allow yourself over an hour (two hours is better) to explore these botanical gardens. You don’t have to be interested in plants to appreciate the rare window to ancient Hawai’i which Limahuli Gardens offers its visitors.

Only basic facilities are available: composting toilets are located at the visitors’ center, drinking water is supplied along the way, and a guide book is part of the modest admission fee. Mosquitoes can be a problem in this wet area (Skin-So-Soft is provided), and rain showers are frequent but usually brief (ponchos and umbrellas are provided). Please stay on the well-marked pathway provided, and be sure to stay hydrated by sipping water from each station where it is provided for your use. Parts of the path are steep, and may not be suitable for those with mobility issues or certain medical conditions. Access beyond the parking lot for those who have limited mobility can be a problem, so check with the facility for current info.

Makana Mountain towers above Lumahuli, and was given the name Bali Hai by the producers of the movie South Pacific. In Hawaiian “Makana” means “gift”, giving us a clue to the importance of this mountain in ancient Hawaiian life. Makana was used for the ‘oahi fire-throwing ceremony, where light, dry logs were set aflame and flung off the mountaintop. The strong winds would carry the firebrands as far as a mile out to sea. This ceremony was reserved for very special occasions.

Pohaku-o-Kane means Stone of Kane. Ancient Hawaiian legend tells us this rock is very significant. Kane (the rock) and his brother and sister were rolling around on the ocean floor long before humans inhabited Hawaii. They all liked Kaua’i and decided to stay here. His brother and sister fell asleep on the shore nearby, but this rock was determined to climb to the top of the ridge. He tried and tried, but each time he fell back until Kane (a Hawaiian god) helped him to the top of the mountain ridge. In return, the rock promised to remain awake and watchful, and report everything he saw to Kane. Personally, I believe the legend – what other explanation can there be for such a large rock to be perched so precariously atop a high ridge, and remain there for so long?

Lumahuli is a special place which gives me good feelings. Take the opportunity to rest for awhile at the Lookout. Gaze around to fully appreciate the natural beauty, and soak up some of your own good feelings from this place to carry with you in your travels through these special islands.