22. Return to Honolulu

On Saturday, we made our way back to Kahului to return the rental car and board the Hawaiian Airlines plane for the short flight to Honolulu. As soon as we landed, we heard a news report that the first humpback whale sighting of the new whale season had occurred near the small island of Molokini. We recalled that we had just driven past a clear view of Molokini on our way to the Kahului airport, but we had missed seeing the whale. Every year, the whales from Alaska return to these waters, in an annual migration to the whale playground in the same waters we had enjoyed for the past two weeks as well. We checked into our Wyndham condo in Waikiki, located in the newly developed Beachwalk area, located near the Halekulani Resort and the Trump Tower of Waikiki. It is also just one block from the beach, near Fort DeRussy. It is a very convenient location, especially since Cynthia and Lorita can easily walk the three blocks to the International Market. Before our arrival, Cynthia had contacted her friend Michelle, who had worked with her at the Boy Scout office in Richmond prior to Cynthia’s retirement. Michelle and her husband John have been stationed here at Pearl Harbor for the past few years. So they drove into Waikiki to have lunch with us, and then drove us to see the area where they live near Waikele, located upcountry beyond Pearl Harbor. It was a special treat, especially since Cynthia and Michelle have remained in contact by email and phone calls since their move to Hawaii. We were pleased to hear that John’s job has not been impacted by the current government shutdown, although we were saddened to learn that the USS Arizona Memorial has been closed since the shutdown. It seems such a senseless development for the many people who have traveled here hoping to see that impressive memorial, only to be disappointed. We are so grateful we were able to visit the memorial together on the front end of our Hawaiian adventure. Another sad development is the need to begin making preparations for our departure on Tuesday. We have plans to visit the Iolani Palace tomorrow, on Monday, for one last sightseeing event. We saw the pictures taken by Mary Etta and Chester during their earlier visit before our arrival, so now we are looking forward to a similar experience, exploring the Palace that was the home of Hawaiian Royalty prior to the annexation of these islands by the United States. So, stay tuned . . .