Coddiwomple Stardate 180514

-

After an 8-day week because of the international date line we docked in Honolulu on the Island of Oahu at 8.00am on day 15. Everyone on the ship must be cleared through Immigration. With 5200 people on board you can imagine it is a long morning. The staff are cleared first, followed by passengers. If you have read my special addition Coddiwomple No.3 you would remember me mentioning the ESTA form for which we had to pay for and fill in before we can enter the USA. A few days before reaching Hawaii we all had to fill in an immigration form. It was an exact duplicate of the ESTA form questions. So, double the amount of paper work. I mentioned this to some USA citizens how inefficient it is and was told, for them to go to Australia it is exactly the same.

We were all given a time based on our evacuation number to front up on deck 5 Sapphire Lounge for immigration inspection. We needed our Sea Pass card, Passport & immigration form. Our ESTA form was not even required. We went through in about 25mins then free to go and visit Honolulu. We do not need to repeat this process once we reach Seattle. Our 90 days in the USA started in Honolulu so we must leave USA by 4th August.

Again, we had not booked anything. We went out to the main road and grabbed the first bus that came along, Pearl Harbor here we come. A One-way ticket anywhere on the island is $2.50. For $5.50 it is all day travel. You can only pay by cash. Fortunately, I had the correct fare in USD. You deposit your fare in a machine on the bus that snatches your money. If you don’t have the correct fare, there is no change given. It is a quick system if you are aware of it. At least you are not forced into buying local transport cards that you will never use again.

Our idea was to go to Pearl Harbor and purchase tickets for the next day. The self-guided tour through the cruise company I thought was reasonable they were $45.75 USD each. When we arrived at Pearl Harbor Sharon proceeded to buy tickets for the next day. I stayed outside. Sharon came back out to tell me Pearl Harbor is free including visiting the Arizona Memorial. We decided to go then instead of coming back the next day. After buying our bus fare we were $80.50 better off than booking through the cruise ship. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the jetty at the Arizona memorial and you could not get on. Instead the ferry took you out there and just stopped near the memorial, so you could get a look. We spent nearly 4 hours at Pearl Harbor and it is a reasonably maintained and well-presented memorial. I was curious if the USA would explain the real reasons Japan attacked Pearl Harbor or just say it was an unprovoked attack. I was satisfied they did explain the true reasons.

Next morning day 16 I left Sharon in bed who was still suffering from a cold. I did a walk around Honolulu and just enjoying all the history I could absorb from the many monuments and historical sites. When I got back to the ship Sharon was ready for another day in Oahu. With no set plans again, we purchased another day ticket for the bus and checked out Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. The day was overcast with rain threatening

After seeing the world-famous Waikiki Beach and having been fortunate to visit many other beaches around the world I do believe we have the best beaches in Western Australia. One of the reasons Waikiki is popular the water is warmer than anywhere else in USA.

From Waikiki Beach we jumped on another bus that took us to Makapuu Beach. It took an hour to get there. When we got on the bus it was full, with limited standing room only. On the way there the bus could not stop to pick up any more passengers. The buses run about 1 hour apart so a long wait for the next one. Our idea was to get off the bus at certain places to spend time there and get the next bus back. There was a lot of rain and decided to stay on the bus to the end of its route. This way we got a seat and took in all the views of the coast and mountains on our way back to Waikiki. The bus was once again jammed packed with people by the time we arrived back.

After a late lunch at the Hard Rock CafĂ© we headed for the Waikiki Brewing Company. It was after 3.00pm which just happened to coincide with happy hour. $5 pints (which is a US pint that is 95ml smaller than the UK pint). I ordered my beer handed over my 5 USD and was told I needed another 26 cents to pay for the tax. They also expect 18% gratuities. I’m starting to realise the great USA is very backwards compared to the rest of the world. I enjoyed my beer and added it to my Untapped app where I can add the location and rate the beer. Other people you know on untapped then gets a notification where you are and what you are drinking. I received a message from friends of ours, Ben & Linda from Perth who were drinking 1.5km away. It was a great surprise and another pint to be had when they walked to our bar.

We had dinner that night with 4 Americans and I asked them why USA can’t just advertise the correct price up front like everyone else in the world. I was expecting a raging debate, but they agreed with me. Then we got on to gratuities. I said I understand gratuities with your low minimum wage of about $7.50 hour. The couple from Texas informed me companies pay service staff $2.25 an hour in Texas. Each state is different when it comes to minimum wage. In Texas some people need to work half an hour just to buy 1 litre of milk. They also explained one reason Donald Trump got the presidency was his business background. They were hoping something would be finally done about the unfair pay structure. But like most politicians in the world they spend more time defending themselves from the opposition than achieving anything good for the citizens of their country.

Day 17 we where in Lahaina, Maui. Again, nothing organised. Once on land we were accosted by everyone selling tours. Decided to do a 3.5-hour limousine ride that also supplied Rum and Vodka. It was only 9.30am but it was supplied so had to have some. The drive took us to Iao Needle. It was raining but the driver supplied us with umbrellas. There were waterfalls cascading down the valley that looked straight out of Jurassic Park. Our driver had been conducting these tours for 7 years she has only seen waterfalls 5 times. Then it was onto Kepaniwai Park which has memorials to all the different nations who have settled in Maui. Next was Maui Pineapple Plantation and surprise a souvenir shop and the end of our tour. Before heading back to Lahaina Summer our driver wanted payment. Once again quoted $75 each. Doesn’t include taxes or gratuities.

Spent time in the local museum and just walking around Lahaina and out to Baby Beach. I went for a swim and the water is a nice temperature. Sharon had had enough and went back to the ship. I kept looking around more and went to the local. Happy hour again. This time it was $3.50 pints that cost me $5.

The weather is now starting to get colder as we head towards Seattle. We have nearly finished our first cruise. Most people on board thought we were brave doing a 23-day cruise for our first one. A lot of people didn’t think I would enjoy a cruise. I was also a sceptic. Now the question is will I do another one. Short answer is yes. Long answer is as follows.

I would do another cruise if we went with a group of friends. If it was a short cruise I would consider getting a drinks package and just indulge in everything that is on offer and enjoy a great time with everyone. I’m not interested in cruising to lots of different ports because I never feel I have enough time to truly appreciate the location. We are considering a cruise from New York to South Hampton because that is to reach a destination and cruising is a great relaxing way to get there. Majority of the passengers on this cruise are over 70. They have been great company and I can imagine myself doing more cruising when I reach this age. For now, while I’m still mobile I will keep travelling by other means. Then Sharon may get her way. She loves them.







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coddiwomple Stardate 180922

-
Image
Our Uber driver dropped us near the Union Station and told us to head down a walkway which we did. After wandering around for 15mins I checked out our offline maps and realised he directed us in the opposite direction. Back on track we only had to wait 30mins before boarding. We are in economy which means 4 nights of sleeping in a seat. Amtrak seats were far more comfortable to sleep on. These trains are 60 year’s old. Amtrak were only 50. The train has two engines, 21 carriages and is 500m long. We have carried on two bags of food and planned on just buying our dinner. There is an observation deck which both of us has taken advantage of many times. They also put on entertainment by a duet. Our first stop we were able to get off for a stretch in a town called Hornepayne. Staff made the announcement we would be arriving in 10mins. The town has a population of 1000 and their train station is a two story brick building built in 1929. Something to check out. When we arrived the station w...
Read more

Coddiwomple Stardate 181203

-
Image
Our first day in London was cold and clear. I spent the morning plotting all the places to see on my offline maps for the next 8 days,  thanks to Jason's long list of things to see. Most of the places to visit don't open until 10.00am which gives us plenty of time just to lounge around in the warm hotel room. Before heading into a 2 degree morning. It is about a 10min walk to our closest tube station Kilburn on the Jubilee Line. You can use your credit card on the entrance gates to the trains so no travel card or tickets need to be purchased. We also could of payed with C/C on the buses in Thornhill, Scotland. I was thinking how far more technologically advanced the UK is compared to the US. You may have read from my previous blogs on how outdated payment options were in the US compared to other countries. I have also watched plenty of people paying for purchases and train fares on their phone by tapping. The US was fascinated when we showed them you can tap a card for purch...
Read more

Coddiwomple Stardate 180424

-
Image
After leaving New Zealand we were back in Australia for 3 weeks before heading on our 23-day voyage to Seattle. We spent 2 weeks in Melbourne catching up with family and friends before catching a train to Sydney. Then a week in Sydney once again catching up with more family and friends. We filled up our time well in Sydney by boarding several ferries that took us to Parramatta, Cockatoo Island, Manly and Toronga Zoo. Also caught a bus down to Coogee and walked back to Bondi. I had to try one of the many rock pools along the coast and chose a nice one recommended by Jade at Bronte Beach and it was a warm day for a refreshing swim. On the 22 nd April we boarded our cruise ship “Explorer of the Seas” It took us 1½ hours to get on the ship. I felt like cattle being herded to slaughter through multiple check ins and the border force. The ocean liner has 14 levels 4000 passengers and 1200 staff. This cruise ship holds 13 x the amount of people that are living on Stuart Island. The ne...
Read more