...and we arrive at Honolulu. Now, let' all correct our pronunciation in accordance with our Hawaiian guide. It's pronounced "Hoe-Noe-Lew-Lew" not "Ha-Na-Lew-Lew". All good? OK. Here we are:
The ship stayed overnight, here's the area where we were docked:
The next day, we actually took a shore excursion! That we PAID for! It's no secret that we are both interested in World World II and have been since we visited the Netherlands for the first time. Gordon hadn't been to Hawaii before, so a trip to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial was a natural. On the way, we were treated to not only very Hawaiian pronunciation, but a good history lesson. Seriously, look up and read about Hawaiian History. It's very interesting what we weren't told at school. Also took a quick drive by several of the main sights. Here's good King Kamehameha:
At school, we did get the story of Pearl Harbor and the destruction that rained down on a sleepy Sunday morning in December. The Arizona Memorial, of course, is located over the top of the sunken USS Arizona which protects those who perished when she sank. The wall at the memorial contains their names:
Of the few Arizona survivors, a number have chosen to rejoin shipmates after their own death. A somber ceremony is conducted and the urn containing the ashes is lowered into the ship, by divers, near this stack:
The divers say that when the urn is introduced, a phenomenon occurs that causes it to be pulled away deeper into the ship.
Last, we drove through the Punchbowl National Cemetery:
Next stop is Auckland, New Zealand, eight days away and on the other side of the date line and equator!
