29 November 2007

29 November 2007
Aloha from Lahaina, Maui
We had a beastly day of weather for our one day at sea on Wednesday. The sea was calm but the rain came down by the buckets-full making the exposed decks slick. One shouldn’t be surprised to find a couple of hundred of our passengers swimming in the pool, soaking in the saunas or stretched out on the chaise lounges. After all, you go on a vacation to swim in the pool, soak in the sauna or lounge on a chaise and what does a little (make that a lot) rain have to do with anything. Sometimes you have to work a little harder than other times to enjoy the good life.
The foul weather greeted us in the late afternoon on Tuesday just as our ship left Kaua’I. The plan was for the ship to slowly drift by the beautiful north end of the island so that passengers who didn’t have an opportunity to visit the area while on land could experience the beauty that is there. With the gathering storm, the island looked like a dark lump of coal peaking out from the ocean. We actually parked at the north end of the island so that digital cameras could take advantage of the normally cool photo-op. We parked but the beginning of the rain storm drove everyone inside where they found it is really hard to get a good picture through a window covered with rain drops.
On Wednesday, our day at sea, we passed slowly by Molakai, Lanai and the smaller Kalohabi; each looking like a drowned animal of some kind trying to swim to dry land and failing. I doubt if many of my fellow passengers will brag about their pics from the three islands.
Today arose like phoenix from the ashes of yesterday and provided us with a marvelous Hawaiian kind of day. The brilliant sunshine accompanied us as we “tendered” to Lahina for a morning of seeing sights. I found that the old “Pioneer Inn” still maintains its position of prominence at the center of the little town crowded with souvenir shops and tour barkers. The streets and sidewalks were packed with the 2000 passengers from the Pride of Aloha and a thousand or so from the Holland America ship Zaan Damm (which sounds a little bit like something worthy of washing out one’s mouth with soap”. With no specific quest for the day, I wondered from one end of Front Street to the other taking in the sights and smiling at people who said hello to me by name. Working the bridge game lets you meet a lot of people who find the name Bill easy to relate to the guy with the white hair and beard.
The largest Bayan tree in Hawaii still graces the town square opposite the Pioneer Inn. The tree was planted in 1873 by the then sheriff to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the first Protestant mission in Lahaina. It has been lovingly nurtured ever since. It now stands about sixty feet tall and for all intents and purposes covers the one acre town square. While I sat in the shade of this marvelous tree, workmen were busy stringing Christmas lights that will be turned on to begin the Christmas season on the coming Saturday. I began to think about the fact that Christmas was about to begin in Lahaina but no other signs of the season were evident. It almost seems as though no one in town wants to bring out their Yule dressings before the Banyan Tree starts the season. What a great idea!
On board ship, Christmas began just after the dishes were washed on Thanksgiving Day. Trees and garlands were brought out of storage and set up all over the central part of the ship. Not to be picky, but the trees appear to be laden with the dust of many Christmases past and just a little bit tacky.
I have had fun the last couple of days watching a magician perform. I have seen many ship board magicians over the years but this man is really great. Several years ago I was chosen from the audience (I was sitting in the front row with my pick me smile in place) to participate in an amazing allusion. I was put in a sack like curtain with the magician’s charming assistant for less than five seconds, the time it took to pull the sack up around us and then to drop it down again. When the sack came down, I was coatless and the girl was wearing my tux coat. When people asked me how she did it, I answered that I was asked not to tell. Honestly, I don’t know how she did it. The magician of the last couple of days tied his girl with a large rope and a half dozen big nots and then put her in the sack with a man from the audience. The sack was held up to cover the two for about thirty seconds. When it was lowered, the girl was wearing the man’s coat with the rope still in place but on top of the coat. The extra time was probably needed to untie and retie all of those knots. Amazing. A second allusion really amazed me. The magician called for three people in the audience to volunteer the rings they were wearing. Mine was one of the three. The other two were lady’s wedding bands. The magician performed the time honored Chinese Ring trick but with our rings. Believe it or not, he made the three rings appear to be looped together. You and I know that such is not possible but he convinced his audience, and me, that the three rings were truly linked together. He held the three within three feet of my nose and asked if that was really my ring and I had to answer in the affirmative. Just call me Shill Bill but it certainly looked like they were linked.
The magician did a second show in the afternoon of the following day with ‘ole Shill Bill in the front row. His slight of hand tricks were very impressive and a lot of fun to watch.
Bridge has been pretty much of a bust on this cruise. We had three tables twice, two tables once and six tables on our At Sea day. With 2000 passengers one would normally expect a dozen or so tables each game day. I played one day but acted as stand-by fill-in for people who had to use the John or leave early. Not the greatest but still fun.
We will have one more stop at Hilo tomorrow and then disembarkation on Saturday with a short airplane ride home. With luck, I’ll be home in time for the ten o’clock news and ready for a busy couple of weeks getting ready for the next cruise.
While taking a picture of the Pioneer Inn, I recalled, as if it were yesterday, having a candle light dinner there on a stormy night thirty- five years ago. The candles weren’t for affect but rather to replace the electric lights that had been wiped out by the storm. Luckily, our food wasn’t prepared by microwave in those days, as is so often the case now. If it had, we would probably still be sitting in the wind rattled dining room waiting for our entree.
Love to all,
Grandpa/Dad/Bill