Day 9: Oahu

This was a most memorable day. The day began with us driving through Honolulu and Waikiki beach, and ended with a spectacular performance at the Polynesian Cultural Centre. The contrast between modern civilization and traditional Polynesian cultures was striking.

Today's weather was +28C, felt like +35C with a slight breeze.

One of our dinner tablemates on the ship is Fred, who hails from Oakville, ON. His plans today were to rent a car and drive around the island all day. He graciously offered to drive us around and show us Honolulu for the morning, then drop us off at Pier 2 of the cruse ship terminal. What a wonderful way to see the highlights of the city. Of course, Waikiki Beach was one of our stops:

and the palace of Hawaiian King Kamehamea:

and the courthouse across the street, which is featured on the TV show Hawaii 5-0: 

The Polynesian Cultural Centre up on the North Shore was spectacular. First up was the Rainbows of Paradise - a parade of long canoes featuring the dance of was island. The royal court of Hawaii:

Fiji:

The site was divided up into small areas that featured the dances and customs of each island. We visited those, and then went to a fantastic luau. We had a great time. Following the luau was a theatrical performance called Ha: The Breath Of Life. It was a spectacular performance, complete with a stunning fire dance.

After a long day, we finally arrived back at Pier 2 at 10:20PM. We boarded the Grand Princess, and prepared for tomorrow's excursion at Kauii. We went upstairs to One5 - the nightclub on board - for a nice cold bevvie. 

It's 12:32AM after a long day. Good Night all.