Back in the USA....and feeling a little bit giddy!! When we got our feet onto American soil, some of us broke out into a spontaneous verse of "America."🇺🇸
We read that the #1 attraction here is the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. It is a World Heritage Site and boasts two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and the more volatile Kilauea. We voted for "more volatile" and headed for Kilauea which has been erupting continuously for the last 20 years! It's gigantic crater is called "The House of Everlasting Fire." We only wish our visit could have extended into the evening hours so we could view its fiery glow.
It was a bit chilly at the higher altitude, but the steam vents warmed us up. As rainfall trickles into the ground, it is heated by the scalding temperature of the solidified hot rock. The rainfall is boiled and emitted as steam and sulfurous gas....kind of eerie!!
We were also able to fit in a visit to the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Hilo experienced great loss of life by two disastrous tsunamis that struck in 1946 and in 1960 (just one year after Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA.) Both of these events were caused by distant earthquakes. We learned that tsunamis can reach speeds of up to 600 miles per hour! That's as fast as a commercial jet!! The museum was founded by a survivor of a tsunami as a way to remind local people of the possible consequences of future tsunamis.
....and when we got back to the ship....something we don't ever see in Naples or Marblehead....
Honolulu, Hawaii - March 25, 2014
Honolulu was the venue for the gala over-the-top black tie dinner organized by Cunard for the 700 people who are doing the full world cruise. On the bus that was transporting us to the Hawaiian Convention Center, Chuck and I decided it was about time that we tried our first "selfie".....
Chuck was quite fond of this young lady who greeted us with colorful leis!
The spectacular outdoor venue was complete with mai tais, Hawaiian music and adorable little hula dancers. And, of course, we were summoned to dinner by a warrior blowing a conch shell.
....WOW!! What a night!
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