Another day in paradise! We awoke to a beautiful sunrise and blue skies. Later this afternoon, we board the NCL Pride of America for a seven-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. Before that happens however, we will do some more sightseeing around Honolulu. We want to visit Diamond Head Crater, a visible icon from Waikiki Beach. We also want to drive to the South Shore of Oahu to see some of the most beautiful beaches and vistas. We need to return our car to the rental counter by 1:30 PM so we don’t want to waste the morning. 
After another breakfast buffet at the hotel, we loaded our luggage and headed for Diamond Head. The parking lot to this natural wonder is actually the center of a volcano crater. Diamond Head is the most recognized landmark in Hawaii and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968. In 1902 it was chosen as an ideal site for coastal defense of Oahu. Fortification began in 1908 with gun bunkers and an entry tunnel. A couple years later a Fire
Control Station was built. The trail used today to climb the summit was originally constructed 
for mules. It has switchbacks, rugged terrain, tunnels and LOTS of stairs (I don’t think the mules used them!). In one spot there is a set of 74 concrete steps, leading into the first tunnel. The tunnel is 225 feet long. The second set of stairs is 99 steep 
steps with no rest stops. Finally, there is a spiral staircase of 52 steps! Access to the exterior of the crater is through slits once covered with metal shutters. The summit is 761 feet, which seems relatively insignificant but the steepness of the trail makes it seem quite difficult. Getting to the summit is an 
accomplishment and you even receive a certificate when reaching the summit (for a donation, of course). I have walked many trails in our travels and I must 
say that this was one of the most arduous. The effort was rewarded however with stunning views of Waikiki Beach and its numerous hotels and condos.Dennis wisely declined the ascent since he has been suffering from plantar fasciitis. I wasn’t smart enough to think of an excuse. I’ll let you know tomorrow if I can walk. Lol
Sadly, we have been warned numerous times about prevalent theft on the island. We were told not to leave anything in our car when parked in a public lot. There were signs prominently stating this in the Diamond Head parking lot. Very sad.When I was at the summit, I viewed Diamond Head Lighthouse and so when I descended we found it on the map. With our trusty Garmin we
drove to the lighthouse and enjoyed the view. I walked below along the beach to capture it and Dennis walked along the top. When we got back to our car, we saw a cute little two seater being driven by a young 
couple. I asked them how they liked it and they said that frankly it was kind of scary, as they were in the open air without helmets in a vehicle that looked like a toy. It was cute and easily navigable. It was bright green and hopefully they would be safe.Our next goal was to explore the South Shore of Oahu. We have been promised some beautiful scenes, with rocks, sandy beaches and lots of waves. We
would drive as far as we could, given our limited time. We traveled 
along Highway 72, also known as Kalanianaole Hwy. It hugged the shoreline in most spots and offered turnouts that delivered on the promises made. 
Halona Blowhole Lookout, Sandy Beach Park, Makapuu Point and Beach Park and Kaohikaipu Island were a few of the fantastic spots we visited.We checked our time and wanted to visit a place
called Byodo-In Temple before we headed for the car rental. Located within the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, this Buddhist temple pays homage to the Japanese who began to immigrate to Ha
waii. It is a scale replica of a 900-year-old temple at Uju Japan. It is built completely without nails!Once leaving, we headed through a tunnel that traversed one of the mountains and quickly found ourselves near the airport and the car rental. We headed to the agent that would transport us to the cruise ship. We were treated to fresh flowered leis. Made with fragrant gardenias, they permeated the air around us. I have never seen Dennis wear flowers so well. Lol
We were at the ship dock by 2:00 PM and began the expected cattle call. Check your id, move 100 feet; check your id, move 100 feet; check your id, move 100 feet. The only difference was the hand sanitizer we were given prior to walking the gangplank to the ship. The captain mentioned several times that everyone of the ship is strongly encouraged to regularly wash hands and use hand sanitizers to minimize the likelihood of mass illness. Gulp. The unique thing about this cruise ship is that it has US registry. Most cruise ships are flown under other nations’ flags for taxation reasons. Because this ship travels in US waters and visits only US ports, it must be registered in the US. It was refreshing to hear the captain speak over the loudspeaker in perfect English. It is usually an Italian accented captain and one catches every fourth or fifth word. The ship is decorated in American style with lots of murals depicting cites across the country. Chicago, Hollywood, Washington DC, Miami and others were plastered on the walls. Eating areas had an American flair rather than the traditional designs on cruise ships.
We will rest this evening, enjoy a Second City comedy revue and look forward to docking in Maui in the morning.
Aloha!
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