Saturday, December 29, 2007

Hawaii - Day 7

Our last day on the cruise. A great shore excursion for Andrew and I this morning. Surfing. Can you believe it? Poipu Beach – great surf, greater instructors.

I almost chickened out. Just then an older Hawai’ian instructor arrived and heard my announcement. He convinced me that they could get me up on a wave. Sure enough. They did. I did. Not for long, but close enough. Andrew, of course – the athlete he is – didn’t have a problem. He was surfing first time. I’ll post pictures tomorrow in Waikiki when I have free internet.

One local had said she didn’t surf because she didn’t like being shark bait. “Sitting on that board, with feet and arms paddling, to a shark you just look like a turtle: their favorite meal. Nope. No sirree. No surfing for me.”

Well, I dismissed that – because, after all I’ve eaten this week I think that I’m safe. Sharks don’t attack whales.

Our last dinner was the best. We enjoyed a little French flavour at the Jefferson Bistro. It sounds more casual than it is. It was smaller, more intimate, than most of the other restaurants on board. Five course meal. Escargot, mussels, lobster, filet mignon – so many great choices and impeccable service. For Andrew, Lila and I, this was our favourite meal of the entire cruise. Fine dining at its best. We usually dine so casual, this was a very special treat.

This afternoon I had the delightful pleasure of making my own Kukuoi nut lei. A special cruise-end craft in which quite a number of folks took part. I will wear it with pride.

I’m mostly packed. We disembark at 9 a.m. Three more days in Honolulu, then we fly home. It seems appropriate as we depart the most beautiful of the islands (The Garden Island, Kauai) that this is our most active night sail. Most of us truly look like drunken sailors walking down the hallways. I’ll close with a little verse I jotted to describe the lovely sensation that first raised anxiety and now lulls me into a contented slumber:

Ship’s sweet arms around me wrapping
Sway me slow like the front porch swing
Forty-five thousand tons and me
Rock the gentle rhythm of the open sea

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