ALOHA FROM KAUAI ~~ March 7

Welcome to Nawiliwili (Kauai) ~~ March 7

We have just arrived but aren't settled in the ship's berth yet. In a bit, we will need to report to the Princess Theater to meet up with the group going on the 5-hour excursion we will be on.

The Golden Princess sailed out of Honolulu at 11:00 p.m. and approached Nawiliwili on a north westerly course during the early morning hours of Sunday. With our pilot on board, we navigated the tight turns into the harbor and arrived at approximately 7:30 a.m. Hawaii consists of eight main islands which, from East to West are: Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. There are also 124 inlets, reefs and shoals which are either uninhibited or are only sparsely populated usually by people who are staffing government facilities. The first Europeans to land in the islands were led by Captain James Cook who, on the 18th of January 1778, landed on Kauai, which is the 2nd largest island of the group. By this time, there were an estimated 300,000 native inhabitants.

Sunday’s Weather Forecast at Nawiliwili: 75 degrees with partly cloudy skies and isolated showers.

For many visitors, Kauai is the Hawaii they dream of. Known as the Garden Isle,” Kauai offers breath-taking scenery, sandy beaches and charming villages, all combined with a sense of aloofness from the other Hawaiian Islands.

This separateness has both geological and historical roots. Geographically, Kauai, along with its mysterious neighbor Niihau, is the one island that cannot be seen from any of the others. And historically, Kauai was never physically conquered by King Kamehameha. Rather, Kauai’s king voluntarily submitted to Kamehameha’s sovereignty and, as a result, kept much of the island’s autonomy.

Nature has full reign in Kauai, the 4th largest of the Hawaiian Islands. In the center of the island is the dramatic Mt. Waialeale, a remnant of the long-extinct volcano that gave birth to Kauai. Along the north shore are the spectacular Na Pali cliffs, 14 miles of rich green valleys and steep, narrow cliffs. There’s also the desert-like palette of beautiful Waimea Canyon, the lush tropical sanctuary of Fern Grotto, the splendid Lamahai Beach, and so much more. Incidentally, the wettest spot on earth is Waialele with 450 inches of rain per year.

Lihue is the commercial and governing center of the island. It has a country-style charm characteristic of Kauai and serves as a gateway to this special place.

OUR EXCURSION IN KAUAI

Leaving at 8:30 a.m. we will view Kauai’s Spouting Horn on a scenic drive that visits Waimea Canyon. Ancient Hawaiians believed that the loud lava-tube blow hole was the voice of the angry goddess Kaikapu. Mark Twain hailed Waimea Canyon as “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” We will survey its dramatic volcanic slopes from a scenic lookout 3,400 feet above the canyon floor. We will see Lihue which is Kauai’s main town, the historic sugar town of Koloe, flower farms, cane fields, and the villages of Oma’o, Kalaheo, and Hanapepe on our 5-hour tour.