Day 7 – Kauai

I swear that after today this island is now no longer ‘the Garden Isle’ because we laughed so hard all day it has to be called the ‘Laughing Isle’!

March 2^nd was going to be a slightly difficult day for me since it’s been two years today since my Mom died but I was determined to remember her well and enjoy my day in her honor.  She loved to laugh and was such a great ‘punster’ and storyteller that I think she was conducting the fun for me today!!  Thanks, Mom!! XOXO

We were up early and watched the docking in Nawiliwili which is always like threading a needle with a small port and a large ship like the Sapphire!  It was another gorgeous morning and we disembarked about 8:30 and took a shuttle to the airport for our spiffy rental mini-van!  The girl behind the counter was a kick and the laughter started there with her terrific sense of humor. We almost had her talked into taking the day off and touring with us!!

We headed out to Wiamea Canyon which rivals the Grand Canyon in spectacular scenery.  We headed up to the top viewing area and were met my 7 or 8 buses full of the ship’s passengers!  It was a bit cooler up there but to be at a lookout viewing a helicopter way below is amazing.  It reminded me a little bit of the Blue Mountains in Australia.

On our way back we needed to stop a do a bit of shopping since poor Don had to find something for a tummyache and the Commodore decided that we should buy some gin to pour into water bottles and sneak them back on the ship!  This gin is primarily for the afternoon gin and tonics the Commodore and Don enjoy on the balcony every afternoon. 

We made our way to the Poipu area and found a nice restaurant for lunch where we enjoyed some beautiful fresh mahi mahi in a lovely outdoor setting under the canopy of several lovely trees.  A perfect lunch!

While the guys paid the bill, Betty and I decided to go back to the car in the parking lot to transfer the gin into the now empty water bottles.  We opened the two back sliding doors with Betty on one side and me on the other and she passed me the opened gin bottle and I proceeded to pour it into the bottle chatting along about how we couldn’t believe we were sneaking gin and I kept having the feeling that we were being watched.  Betty scouted around and said that the coast was clear so we changed bottles and kept pouring and chatting.  We finished our task and Betty took the empty gin bottle to the big recycling bin at the back of the restaurant and when she returned to the car we were happily congratulating ourselves when I noticed that the car RIGHT NEXT TO ME had a guy just sitting in the drivers seat with his window wide open!!!  He had been sitting there watching and listening to us the WHOLE time!!  OMG!!  Like we were synchronized, Betty and I both slammed our sliding doors and positively collapsed with laughter.  I haven’t laughed that hard or that long in a long time and it felt great.  We got to enjoy it again when Don and the Commodore arrived back at the car. 

Did another Costco run for gas and then returned the sporty mini-van and back ‘home’ to the ship where we lounged around on the balcony sipping wine and the, now famous, gin and tonics!!

Dinner was fun, again!  Our sommelier, Peter Cheney, from Australia, disembarks tomorrow for a four day trip to Napa to further his wine education and we will miss him.  He has been a delight to talk to each evening and he is quite well informed about wine without the least bit of snobbery!  Hope to run into him again!

Tomorrow we are in Hilo and so far have no real plans when we get off the ship.  We’ll likely grab a shuttle to somewhere and find the laughs!!

We are halfway through the cruise now and 7 days ago we boarded as passengers……in another 7 days we will be disembarked as freight.

Much love,

XOXOXOXO

M