Chapter 104: Hawaii (Patreon)

After two pleasant days of sailing in perfect wind conditions, we sailed into Kewalo Basin Harbor, between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. After a brief consultation, we decided to book a hotel instead of sleeping on the boat. We all needed solid ground beneath our feet, especially Rue.

We booked a three-room suite at Turtle Beach Resort and had a good meal at the hotel restaurant. Rue met a lot of kids to play with and went to make friends with the people in charge of the water slides so they would let him use them. I opened the computer, and we started planning our week in Hawaii.

After a long and arduous discussion, mainly to avoid spending the whole week in workshops like Alfonsen wanted, our itinerary looked like this:

Day 1: Sunday

Morning:

A hike to Diamond Head Crater, with panoramic views of Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean.

I planned to take A LOT of pictures.

Afternoon:

Waikiki Beach: Afternoon of relaxation on Waikiki Beach, swimming, sunbathing, or a surfing lesson.

The lesson was mainly for Alfonsen—me and Mahya had a ton of points.

Evening:

Dinner at Duke's Waikiki with live Hawaiian music.

Day 2: Monday

Morning:

Visit Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States, and learn about Hawaiian history.

Afternoon:

Ala Moana Center: Shopping and dinner at one of the largest open-air shopping centers in the world.

Evening:

Magic Island Lagoon: Watch the sunset at Magic Island. And, of course, picture time.

Day 3: Tuesday

Morning:

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. Maybe we will even get a skill for it (or at least, that's how I convinced Alfonsen.)

Afternoon:

Lunch at Nico's Pier 38.

Fresh seafood sounded great.

Evening:

Luau at the Paradise Cove.

Day 4: Wednesday

Morning:

Bishop Museum: Exhibits on Hawaiian culture, history, and natural sciences.

I warned the peanut gallery to shut up about old things dug up from the ground. I liked them, and they could keep their opinions to themselves. Mahya opted to join me—I think she still hoped to chance upon long-forgotten runes, but Alfonsen declined. After a Google search, I booked him a Haku Lei-Making Class.

Afternoon:

Lunch at Helena's Hawaiian Food: Authentic Hawaiian dishes.

Evening:

Slam Poetry Workshop.

Mahya didn't want this workshop and said she would spend the evening on the beach. Alfonsen was ecstatic about another workshop, and I wanted the skill.

Day 5: Thursday

Morning:

Hula Workshop in the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Lunch at Aloha Tower.

Evening:

Sunset Dinner Cruise.

We put this down as a maybe since we sailed a lot and weren't sure we wanted more sailing.

Day 6: Friday

Morning:

Manoa Falls Hike.

Picture time.

Afternoon:

Lunch at Rainbow Drive-in.

I wasn't sure about the "Drive-in" part, but all the sites raved about this place.

Evening:

First Friday Art Walk: A guided tour of art galleries and live music in Chinatown every first Friday of the month.

Day 7: Saturday

Morning:

Honolulu Zoo.

This we chose mainly for Rue. In Beijing, we discovered he loves the zoo.

Evening:

Dinner at the Poké Bar.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the hotel pool, relaxing. That evening, I checked the Archive and saw an update from the Traveler Sonak.

_____________

Tr. SS

Greetings John Rue,

I boarded the ship in Southampton, and according to the published schedule, I should arrive in New York in ten days in the morning. I will update you on my progress when I am in New York.

_____________

Tr. JR

Hello Sonak Susil,

We are also on our way to the United States and will arrive there in about eleven to thirteen days. I believe we will meet in Las Vegas in about two and a half to three weeks.

_____________

The next day, the hike to Diamond Head was terrific, and I took lots of pictures. The afternoon at the beach was fun, but there were too many tourists, so me and Mahya mostly sat under the umbrella with a book. Alfonsen went to the surfing lesson and showed amazing athleticism. After twenty minutes, he surfed better than the instructor. He and the instructor disappeared together, so me and Mahya went to dinner without him.

He showed up the following day, all smiles and looking relaxed. He spoke everyday English for the rest of the day, so I was delighted with this development.

The visit to the royal palace was very interesting and surprising. I thought a palace in Hawaii would look different, but it was very similar to the castles we visited in France.

They didn't know what hit them when we got to Ala Moana Center. I think between the three of us, we spent over fifty thousand dollars.

After this visit, Mahya commented, "Shopping therapy is Earth's greatest invention."

It was too late to go to the lagoon, so we had dinner in the shopping center, and Alfonsen disappeared again.

"Maybe tomorrow he'll also sound normal," I said.

"Here's hoping."

The snorkeling was enjoyable, as the fish in Hawaii are beautiful. Neither of us gained a point, but we didn't care. The experience was unique in itself.

Of course, Rue also wanted to dance at the Luau; what else did we expect? And, of course, everyone directed their phones towards him. He looked so cute with the garlands as he danced with the hula dancers. I wanted to take pictures, but he wore a glamor to look like a Tibetan mastiff. Finally, I couldn't help myself and did it anyway.

Alfonsen disappeared again and the next day appeared only in the evening for the workshop. Mahya and I enjoyed the museum. We didn't discover any forgotten runes, but the displays were interesting, so we didn't care. Rue stayed at the hotel to play with the kids on the water slides.

I personally really enjoyed the Slam Poetry Workshop and wrote two poems about our cruise.

Joy of the Sea

From Shanghai's bustling quay, we embark on the northern sway,
Where the compass needle twirls, our sails unfurl to play.
Past the aisles of Japan, where cherry blossoms lay,
A whispering sea breeze carries us on the Pacific's grand ballet.

 

Chorus:

Oh, the joy of the sea, as we sail the world so free,
From Shanghai's port, we depart, to the vast and open sea.
Japan whispers soft farewells as we sail with glee,
Marshall Islands' beauty tells of nature's tapestry.
Hawaii's hula sways. In our hearts, it will be,
As we sail away, with the waves in perfect harmony.
California's Golden Shore, our final jubilee,
Each stop's a treasure more in this sailing odyssey.

 

The aisles of Japan fade, a memory profound,
As we chase the horizon's line, where sky and water compound.
Through the Marshall's tranquil realm, our memories are crowned,
With tales of ocean's past, where nature's bounty is abound.

 

To the Marshall's scattered crowns, jewels of the ocean's fray,
We glide through atolls and lagoons, in the sun's eternal ray.
Hawaii's aloha spirit, in the waves' majestic spray,
Bids us farewell as we pass in the night's serene display.

 

Hawaii's shores beckon, with their hula dance renowned,
We linger in their warmth, in the aloha we found.
But the journey calls us forth, to where the dreams are homeward bound,
To California's golden gate, where our spirits will be unbound.

 

With each knot and starry guide, our vessel charts the way,
Through the vast and open blue, where dreams and dolphins stray.
Until at last, California's shores rise up to meet the day,
Our northern passage complete, in the golden state's embrace we stay.

 

With each island left behind, our hearts with joy are wound,
For every wave we ride, brings us closer to the mound.
Of California's welcoming arms, where our spirits will be unbound,
As we complete our northern trek, with our sea-faring love profound.

Whispers of the Pacific

 

In the vast blue expanse where the sky meets the sea,
Lies a trail of islands, ancient and free.
From the shores of Nippon to the atolls so grand,
A seafarer's passage through time's shifting sand.

 

Chorus:

Oh, sing me the song of the ocean's embrace,
Where the zephyrs play and the dolphins race.
In the heart of the sea, where the world finds its pace,
We sail through the whispers of the Pacific's grace.
In the dance of the waves, in the sun's warm kiss,
We find the joy of the mariner's bliss.
With the stars as our guide, over waters we'll trace,
The endless journey in the Pacific's vast space.

 

Marianas' guardians of the deep ocean floor,
Caroline's jewels, Micronesia's lore.
Isles of beauty, where spirits still dance,
Echoes of history, in each wave's advance.

 

Voyagers of old with sails unfurled,
Navigating the mysteries of an uncharted world.
Guided by stars and the ocean's soft call,
Finding their way, a lesson for all.

 

Here, the wind carries tales of the brave,
Of mariners resting in a watery grave.
Yet, the islands beckon with promise and light,
A haven for souls in the still of the night.

 

So let us set sail from Yakushima's green land,
To the Marshall's lagoons, where palm trees stand.
For in this great ocean, where dreams intertwine,
Lies the heart of adventure, a treasure divine.

On the way back to the hotel, Alfonsen complained, "It is not fair that I did not get a point."

"Maybe poetry is something that needs more than one workshop."

"But you did get a point."

"Yes, but I also wrote poems. You didn't."

He looked thoughtful, took out a pen and a paper, and scribbled on the page all the way back to the hotel. At one point, he huffed, growled, crumpled up the page, threw it away, and informed me, "See you tomorrow morning," and disappeared.

Oh well …

The Hula Workshop was fun, and we all earned the point. It never hurts to earn more points. We chose not to go on the dinner cruise and spent a fun afternoon at the beach.

The hike to Manoa Falls was terrific, and again, I took a lot of pictures. Mahya and I enjoyed the art walk and bought two pieces each. Alfonsen disappeared before the walk.

Rue didn't have fun at the zoo and kept trying to convince us to let the animals go. It was new; in Beijing, he didn't care. He kept shouting in our minds, "Free animals! Freedom!" It was stressing him so severely that we left after a couple of hours and went to the beach.

Alfonsen's surf guide joined us for dinner. He was a huge Kānaka Maoli man named Keoni who never stopped smiling, even for a moment. He told us stories about the islands and the tourists coming to Honolulu, and kept us laughing most of the evening.

He also called Alfonsen, Al. Each time he did this, Alfonsen winced a little, but kept quiet. Me and Mahya exchanged a look. We were in total agreement. Al didn't know it yet, but his name has changed henceforth forever and ever.

Towards the end of dinner, Keoni asked me, "I hear you're American. But where are Al and Maya from? I can't place the accent, and whenever I ask Al, he avoids the question."

Al tensed up and told me telepathically, "Please don't say anything."

"Relax, I'm not an idiot. I'm a Traveler, too."

I laughed and said, "He's not avoiding the question; he just doesn't know how to answer you. You see, the three of us are children of diplomats. You think I'm American, but my passport says I'm German. It's just that my father was posted in Washington when I was young, and the accent stuck; I also lived in Spain, Israel, and, in recent years, in China. Mahya is English but grew up in India, France, Russia, and China for the last three years. Al is Austrian, or at least that's what his passport says, but he was born in Egypt and grew up in Egypt, Costa Rica, Romania, and China for the last five years. So when someone asks me where I'm from, I say I'm from Earth. Mahya says she's from everywhere, and Al never knows what to say, so he doesn't say anything."

"Oh, so you all met in China?"

"Yes."

"He told me about China. I thought he was talking about a trip there; I didn't know you all lived there."

"Yes, our parents are posted in Beijing."

Mahya and Al asked me simultaneously, "How did you think of such an answer?" "How the hell did you came up with it?"

"The first thing you learn in foster care is the art of bullshit," I answered both of them.

Keoni spent the night in our suite, and in the morning, we said goodbye and set sail on the last leg of this journey.