Ka-uai is this place so nice??

 

Ka-uai is this place so nice?

After leaving San Francisco the ocean just got bluer and bluer.  The weather was warming up and the pool deck was back in full use.

Nawiliwili, Nawiliwili, Na – wili -wili, I just love saying that out loud… This was where we were docking for Kauai Island.  Named after the wiliwili tree….. Naaaaa  wiliwili J

It was a tight squeeze getting in past the breakwater, but with the assistance from the tugs, Captain Perra performed a three-point turn to tuck us up against the pier.

This was a replacement port so we had nothing planed.  Deciding on a taxi tour we were a little alarmed to see a long queue and only a couple of taxi’s … but luckily that was because only two taxis were allowed in the port area at one time, so as one left, another came in. 

The biggest issue was that there was a long Walmart queue but no Walmart shuttles.  A few quick phone calls and it finally turned up.

Our taxi tour was to Waimea Canyon, nicknamed The Grand Canyon of the pacific.  An amazing canyon stretching 10 miles long and 3600 ft deep, and over a mile wide. So rugged and yet so beautiful with layers of browns, reds and greens.

Away from the canyon the island is lush and green thanks to its really high rainfall.  Also known as the garden isle, Kauai is also popular with film makers with movies like Jurassic park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Descendants and South pacific to their credit.

Pit stop on the way to the canyon was at the Kauai coffee plantation.  With all their coffees in specially marked urns waiting for you to try, and encourage you to buy.

Taking us to the end of the road after the canyon, from the Kalalau lookout lay a beautiful vista of the ocean from the other side of the island.

Whilst in a US territory, you can’t help but ask a local what they think of their election race.  After listening to some interesting and sometimes some strange views, todays took the cake…

Our Drivers predictions … one candidate will be assassinated before the election while the other will die of natural causes within six months…….  Yes, folks, you heard it here first!!

To round off our day, we swam at the beach just next to the port. At first I decided to sit on the sand and guard our belongings while Garry swam.  It looked so inviting, and remembering our taxi driver mentioning they have nearly zero crime rate, it was not long that I carefully stacked our things, covered them with a towel and ran into the water to join Garry.

With just a little more time to spare we were joined by Ed and Bev, and enjoyed a snack and a beverage of the alcoholic kind before returning in time for sail away.

 

Walking the Embarcadero - A day of "If Only's"

If Only we were here longer…

On our last morning we thought we would fill in the time by walking the Embarcadero.  Heading back past Pier 39 and Fisherman’s wharf, we decided to venture towards Ghirardelli Square, only stopping for an impulsive shopping spree to buy a couple pairs of Jeans, jumpers, belt and shirt……. as you do.

Built as the original Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory, this building was saved from demolition and restored as Ghirardelli Square, housing a museum, specialty shops, restaurants and the flagship Ghirardelli store. Who said marketing doesn’t work… one free sample = shopping bag full of chocolate.

Just in front of the factory there is a foreshore that winds itself right around to the Golden Gate Bridge, and on a day like today everything just glistened.….

If only we had an extra day we could have hopped on a bike and rode around, passing through the Presidio and across the bridge like so many cyclists do.

We walked past ships on display as part of the Maritime National Historical park.

We stopped to watch a couple of sea lions frolicking around a boat waiting for scraps from a fisherman cleaning his catch.

If only we had time to try the famous Boudin’s clam chowder, having to settle for a can to take home.

If only we could only catch a ferry to Sausalito or visit the Muir Woods, catch a jet boat or ride a Segway.

If only we read the Patter this morning and seen that all on-board was 12 noon and not 12.30 as we thought.  Luckily the earlier time was to accommodate muster, so lucky we weren’t waving our ship goodbye LOL

 

Now on the downhill run.

You would think that sailing out of San Francisco at 1pm would guarantee beautiful blue clear skies. We had the sky, we had the blue, the sun shone brilliantly, but the Golden Gate Bridge was still shrouded in fog.

San Fran saw a new Captain take over the helm, and although Captain Riky is a favourite, Captain Perra endeared himself greatly by putting a on a great sail away party and paying for the drinks!!

The Pacific Circlers took up their usual position on deck 11, but we decided to be up at the pointy bit for when we passed under the bridge.  Out we glided, flanked by a couple of Zodiac’s … “oh that is nice … look at him up the front manning that water cannon, they must be going to put on a display”.   Hmm on a closer look, that was not a water gun, that was a machine gun….  Eek

Goodbye Pier 39, goodbye Fisherman’s Wharf, goodbye Alcatraz on the other side out the front -  we waved goodbye….

It was blowing an absolute gale out at the pointy end, one of those winds that if you leaned into it, it would hold you up…. Then suddenly the Captain blew his horn once... then he blew it again…  “hmm we have already had the mandatory 3 horn goodbye” then he blew it again, again, again and again…short and sharp, not a greeting but a warning. A sail boat in front was not taking heed, surely he could see us… surely he could hear us… our escorts zoomed forward and corralled him out of our way. Battling the winds, he tacked and we left him in our wake…