Honolulu, Hawaii - Never thought I would ever be here!

We sailed into the harbor and docked right next to the Aloha Tower which I remember from my childhood. My mother would often have the Arthur Godfrey radio show playing while she cleaned or cooked. Yes, I am that old. Later it would be his television program and we could finally see the beautiful place he talked and sang about so often. He loved it so much he moved not only his show there but his life as well. When he sang I Want to Go Back to My Little Grass Shack he meant it! (This is a later Bing Crosby Version.)

We set out early on our separate excursions. Carol went out to visit "Monarchs and Missionaries." This included a tour of the city highlights and focused on the Iolani Palce, the only palace in the United States since Hawaii was the only place that had a resident Royal Family before becoming a state. She also spent time exploring an area where Mission houses had been brought and set up in a compound with a still existing mission church. She found the mission houses and the way the missionaries lived most interesting. The palace is elegant and modeled after European fashion by Queen Lilokahlani. For a while the upper tower served as her prison!

 

In the front of the palace is, perhaps, the most famous statue on the islands. That of King Kamehamaha. I am sure you have seen pictures of it in any movie or TV show about Hawaii.

 

My tour was also of the city of Honolulu.but ended at Pearl Harbor. The beautiful National Park is a hallowed place as it surrounds the graveyard of some 1,177 soldiers, sailors, and airmen died almost instantly - hopefully - on The Day That Will Live In Infamy! on that Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 Japan attacked from aircraft carriers off the shores of Oahu and from nearby islands. This battleship and the others were in Pearl harbor. It is not the only harbor and not the one where we are docked. If some how you do not know the history, please , please learn it.

I was very surprised when I thought about that this was actually my fifth (5th) visit to Hawaii, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor but only my fourth, 4th, to the Arizona Memorial. When I brought my grand kids here in 2018 we had tickets and the day before one of the little boats hit the landing dock and disabled it and we could not visit. It was still a very emotional visit. I am very fortunate that they understood the value of Pearl Harbor.

Here are a few of my pictures.

The sign is never free for even a moment of people who think they should be in everyone's photos pictures!

The Arizona Memorial is pristine crosswise above the sunken ship. The names of each fallen heroes is etched into the marble wall of the contemplation sanctuary. Additional names have been inscribed because survivors have requested to be returned to rest with their shipmates after their deaths. The moving ceremony takes place after hours when the family brings the provided urn or cremated ashed to be submerged by a special dive team to be placed within the confines of the ship between the gun turrets. The unique dive team sinks slowly below the surface holding the urn over their heads so the last thing the family see of their loved one is the urn sliding below the surface of the waves! Interment

Oil still drips in visible droplets continually from the Arizona and the oil slick is viable 84 years after the attack!

Visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial can see barbette #3, which held gun turret #3, above the waterline and very close to the memorial.

Do not skip your visit here is ever the opportunity presents itself!!

Carol and I happened to arrive back at the port at the same time. She was on a "short bus" and my full bus. Back on board we had another delicious lunch and set out for a nice walk. Next to us at the port was the University of the Pacific and a small shopping mall to provide for the students. However all the shops in this pretty place were closed because it was Sunday. Only the ice cream place was open. I considered taking the bus around the island to Matsumoto Shave Ice which holds many happy memories but not really enough time for that. We started to walk to Waikiki but that was quite a distance and the nearby places we had already seen or like the capital building were under renovation so after about an hour we returned to the ship.

There was time for a swim before dinner. Dinner was an Hawaiian a very nice luau themed buffet on the pool deck with guitar music and singing by James and with lots of free Mia Tais flowing!

We played Name That Tune Trivia before the evening show which was by a local family. Drums of Polynesia featuring Kauvaka was a local destination performance which is something that Viking likes to provide. This was a family of a Mom and Dad. Some children, nieces, nephews, and even younger ones playing, singing, dancing and sharing the local Hulas and Tahitian stories.

The sail away was very nice as I wandered on Deck Eight (8) and the Aloha Tower bid us a Fond Farewell as well as a Please Return Again!