A Few “Lesser Known and Obscure” Facts I Learned While Visiting Hawaii, French Polynesia and San Diego

Bottom line: Build great memories; expand yourself to fit our glorious world; connect to others (animals included); gain greater appreciation for famous adventurers of our past.

Sea Turtle feeding in shallow water of Hilo, Hawaii.

Janet, my wife, and I recently returned from a 32-day ocean cruise from Los Angeles to parts of the South Pacific.

1) Our cruise stopped first at Hilo on Hawaii (the island). We enjoyed our one day on terra firma after five sea-days, despite some early morning light rain.

Looking across Hilo, Hawaii towards

Mauna Kea's snow-cap and telescopes.

2) Hilo is reputed to be one of the rainiest cities in the US, if not the most, averaging 15 feet of rainfall per year. Whereas, the leeward Kona Coast, on the other side of the island, receives 15 inches per year.

3) With all that rain, and the rocky lava landscape of Hilo, waterfalls are abundant. Rainbow Falls is one such example, though a rainbow isn't always visible.

Here's Rainbow Falls?!

4) We visited the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens where I discovered some useful information in the men's bathroom (I guess, we men and boys need to know this!), which I share here for your edification, as well.

5) Somewhere along the way I heard that Hawaii, the island, has three colors of sand beaches: black, white and green. Imagine a green beach! We didn't see it, however.

6) The following day, we arrived at Maui. During a bus tour, we learned that the pineapple and sugar cane industries of old were decimated by international competition. The islands now depend upon tourism. Of note: Lahaina is making a recovery, though slowly. Tourist traffic is not allowed in the historic downtown, though we did see portions of "greater" Lahaina.

Sunshine on Kahulua as we depart Maui.

7) On to Honolulu, Oahu, we toured the USS Arizona Memorial, where 1,777 crewmen died. A second battleship memorial, USS Utah, lies on the opposite of Ford Island, where 64 crew died. The Missouri faces the memorial to symbolize standing guard over the Arizona, as well as creating bookends of our war with Japan (beginning and end), since the Japanese surrender was signed on Missouri's deck.

USS Arizona Memorial (right); USS

Missouri (left) faces the Arizona.

8) The following day, we arrived in Kauai, and visited the Kilohaha Plantation. Established in 1986, it now is an elegant tourist destination with a historic railroad, a collection of local animals, restaurant and performance pavilion.

Hawaiian dance performance

at Kilohana Plantation, Kauai.

We "sailed" southward toward French Polynesia later that day, and over the following six sea-days we crossed the equator.

9) The "shellback" of the ship's crew (those previously having crossing the equator) judged the "polliwogs" (those crossing the first time) during a King Neptune Ceremony. All, as you might expect were told, "Bow to, or kiss, the fish. Then, jump in the pool."

The Cruise Director (far side) officiates as the

Assistant Cruise Director, polliwog, kisses the

fish before heading into the pool.

Janet and I dove into a variety of activities on board during our sea days, wanting to make the most of our time aboard, which passed quickly. We listened to numerous lectures of interest, joined in Team Trivia Quizzes and Baggo competitions, and attended the evening musical performances, aside from binging on food and drink, of course.

From the various lectures, we learned some interesting tidbits.

10) The Tahitian alphabet contains thirteen letters (five vowels and eight consonants), though uses glottal stops and macrons for long vowels.

11) The vanilla plant in Tahiti requires pollination by hand, since its pollinator bee no longer lives there. That pollinator still lives in Mexico, however, but I doubt the bees made a conscious choice in that matter!

12) Polynesia contains a diverse collection of more than 1,000 islands within an imaginary triangle bounded on the southwest by New Zealand, on the north by Hawaii, and the southeast by Easter Island. French Polynesia lies within triangle.

13) More than 800 species of fish live around the French Polynesian Islands.

14) Parrot fish do not have a fixed gender.

15) The Tahitian black oyster produces the famous black pearl after being seeded with a small Mississippi River stone.

Unfortunately for us, we arrived at Bora Bora simultaneously with a storm. Needless to say, that threw a bucket of water on the proceedings!

A less-than-ideal view of Bora Bora!

Our planned Bora Bora shore excursion cancelled, Janet and I rode to shore on a ship shuttle, though she returned to the ship immediately, when learning additional shuttle service had been suspended.

Local musicians perform at the welcoming

point/shuttle dock, while Janet poses

moments before abandoning ship, err, land?

I, however, being more adventurous, ambled along the main street over the next hour-and-a-half as the rain slackened, chatted with several shop owners, mostly selling pearl jewelry, perused the local grocery, paused at the protestant church to listen to the parishioners sing a Polynesian hymn. (The church provided the lyrics on an elevated screen!)

Finished with my foreshortened investigation of the local culture, I meandered back to the shuttle landing and listened to the live local music, until another shuttle arrived. (I knew the ship's crew wouldn't abandon those of us still ashore!)

That evening, we proceeded to Papeete, Tahiti, by-passing Moorea, which would also require shuttle service ... in the storm.

16) The first of our three days in Papeete, Janet and I hired a tour around Tahiti Nui, which is the larger of two conjoined land masses comprising Tahiti. Locals call the smaller, Tahiti Iti.

Janet poses on Matavia's black sand beach.

Note her improved disposition since Bora Bora!

17) Captain J. Cook made his 1769 observations of Venus's transit of the sun just yards from the beach.

Marker to Cook's Venus transit observations.

Further along, we stopped at Fa'aruma'i Valley, where three watersheds each have a falls.

We, intrepid travelers, pose at one such falls.

Here's a second falls.

We took a local walking tour of parts of Papeete during our second day in port.

Pepeete Town Hall.

Back on the ship that evening, Janet and I attended a local Polynesian dance group performance.

"O Tahiti E" performs.

I loved their costumes!

A solo performance. I admired

her commitment to the tattoo!

With an additional, unplanned day in Papeete, Janet and I took a ferry to Moorea, then hired a tour guide to sightsee.

Belvedere Lookout, 820 feet elevation, provides a spectacular view of Cook's Bay (right) and Opunahu Bay (left) with the sacred Mont Rotui between.

Janet and I pose at Belvedere Lookout.

We crossed into the mountainous interior—all "newer" volcanic islands have that distinction—through shallow, following streams, lush rainforest, cultivated fields, past sacred sites to Opunohu Bay.

Back at beach front in Opunoha Bay, Fare Tutava (restaurant) served up two great smoothies. Afterward, we ate the flower blossom garnishes!

Loving my fruit smoothie

with flower blossom garnish!

The restaurant also had a number of colorful, Tahitian themed women's bathing wraps for sale.

Women's bathing wrap with manta ray design.

Then, we drove the narrow, winding concrete "road" to Magic Mountain Overlook. (No, not related to the Magic Mountain in southern California!)

A pano of Opunohu Bay from

Magic Mountain Overlook. Note

the azure colors of the lagoon.

Viking Neptune docked in Papeete, Tahiti.

That evening we sailed for Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, and after two sea-days, we anchored in Taioha'e Bay.

A pano of Taioha'e Bay, Nuku Hiva.

(No, our ship hadn't gotten bent!)

Janet and I arranged for a tour of the island. We stopped at numerous locations, including scenic overlooks and sacred ruins.

Our local guide, Ma'u, with our ship

anchored in the harbor. Note her leg tattoo.

18) We drove to Taipivai Bay, and visited the village where Herman Melville was a "guest-captive," according to his fictionalized account in Typee. (Quite inspirational for me, the visit and the book!)

A pano of Taipivai Bay.

Plaque commemorating

Melville's "visit" and writings.

After Janet and I bid Ma'u goodbye, and before we returned to our ship, we hiked a short distance to the "Tiki Tuhiva" sculpture overlooking the village and bay.

The "Tiki Tuhiva" sculpture.

That evening, we sailed away from Nuku Hiva, headed for San Diego.

Nuku Hiva during sunset.

Seven sea-days later, we arrived in San Diego Harbor, renowned for US Naval presence.

19) We toured Balboa Park, which contains numerous beautiful buildings, including eighteen museums, all within easy walking distance.

This elegant building serves as the park's

Visitor Center and the Prado Restaurant.

20) Returned to our ship, I walked a short distance to, and toured, the USS Midway, the last diesel powered US aircraft carrier.

21) Here's the "Unconditional Surrender Statue," aka "Kissing Statue." Incorrectly, the sailor reputedly kissed a nurse, though she was a dental hygienist in actuality!

The oversized statue with USS

Midway (background).

That evening, we sailed away to Los Angeles, where Janet and I disembarked the Neptune the following morning.

We'd sailed 8,885 nautical miles (10,225 statue miles) during our trip, and experienced twenty-one days at sea. As a result, I gained a deeper appreciation, if only a hint, of by-gone sailing in the South Pacific, and the experiences of the likes of James Cook, Herman Melville and Paul Gauguin, to name only a few. Plus, I took advantage of a loaner copy of Melville's Typee, which I thoroughly enjoyed, though his complex sentence structures make it a difficult read.

Of course, wouldn't you know, I developed severe cold symptoms upon our return home, though Janet's course of infection preceded mine by a few days.

I thoroughly encourage you to travel, travel, travel! Consider spending your money and time traveling and building memories, rather than on material goods. I yearn to return to the South Pacific even as I complete writing this.

Walk in beauty.

(PS - your feedback is welcomed.)

A Few “Lesser Known and Obscure” Facts I Learned While "River Cruising" Budapest to Amsterdam (+England)

Bottom line: Though the best laid plans often go astray, the travel remains a worthwhile learning adventure.

Panoramic view from the Fisherman's

Bastion in Buda looking towards

Pest at nightfall. (Note the well-lite

Hungarian Parliament building across

the Danube.)

Janet, my wife, and I still enjoyed our recent trip to Europe, including England, primarily through central Europe despite Danube flood levels. Janet and I spent time in Budapest before we boarded our river cruise ship. The itinerary called for a river cruise up the Danube from Budapest on the Viking Bragi, transition to and sail along the Main (pronounced Mine), then the Rhine to Amsterdam. However, heavy rain in the upper Danube region prevented cruising upstream beyond Bratislava, where our ship moored alongside eight other river cruise ships in safe anchorage. From that stationary point, we were bused to cities on the itinerary upstream along the Danube, spent two nights in Bad Griesbach at the Hotel Maximilian, then transitioned to a sister ship, Viking Skadi, for the downstream leg along the Main and Rhine rivers. Despite the Danube's condition, we visited every city on the itinerary! After spending two additional days in Amsterdam, we flew to England, where we drove to Highley to visit a friend.

1) Budapest (Hungary) is two cities. Buda meaning water (for the hot springs) and Pest, pronounced Pesht, meaning flat.

2) Learning Hungarian for an English speaker proves quite difficult, we were told. The language has forty-four letters with 14 vowels. Just pronouncing Hungarian names provided ample challenge for me.

3) As usual I enjoyed viewing the fine art in the museums, pinching myself at times, though growing overwhelmed by the sheer volume of art work. Talk about the immensity and complexity of history!

"The Great London Fire" (1666)

by Lieve Pietersz Verschuier in

Budapest's Museum of Fine Arts!

3) My memory of Bratislava (Slovakia) is over-shadowed by our mooring situation, crossing and re-crossing eight river cruise ships, and the bus drives in and out of the cargo facility past shipping containers.

Disembarking the Bragi for a bus ride.

(Thankfully, the water level here never

got higher and had disappeared when

we returned later that day.)

4) We attended a classic music concert in Vienna (Austria). What could be more apropos? Johann Strauss I (the Elder), a native Viennese had three sons. He and his sons wrote music and conducted! One grandson, Johann Strauss III, also became a famous musician. Together, they wrote over one-thousand pieces. (No photos allowed of the performance.)

5) In Melk (Austria), we toured the abbey. Originally a royal palace, it was presented to Benedictine monks in the 11th century. Ninety pounds of gold has been used on the church statuary, etc. We didn't get inside the church, however.

Melk Abbey church entrance.

5) We discovered Passau (Germany) flooding has been frequent, at least on a historical scale.

Passau flood levels marks. (And this

building stands some feet, maybe ten,

above the current Danube River level!)

6) We witnessed the art work of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau. Everywhere I looked, I saw exquisite craftsmanship as evidenced by extravagant artwork.

St. Stephen's Cathedral ceiling.

7) Regensburg (Switzerland) hosts the oldest sausage kitchen (likely in the world), it's building erected in 1135 CE.

Regensburg's Historische Wurstkuche.

8) Nuremberg (Germany), aka Nurnberg, known for the post WWII Nazis war crime trials, sports Kaiserburg Castle, dating to the Middle Ages.

Kaiser Castle visitor's ramp, which I

suspect didn't exist in the Middle Ages.

9) Here's the Kaiser Castle entrance during the Middle Ages. Imagine storming that door with you're back exposed to arrows!

Kaiserburg entrance during the Middle Ages.

10) Bamberg (Germany) is the home of rauchbier (smoked beer), made by drying malt over an open flame in a smoke kiln, which imparts a smoky character to the malt. (A more distinctive flavor than that of Guinness in comparison.)

Author savors a rauchbier with pretzel. (Yum!)

11) One of the more extravagant structures I've visited is the Wurzburg (Germany) Bishop's Residence, a baroque palace, built around 1730 CE. Opulent would be an understatement. Built for ONE person, the bishop at that time, to impress people of his power.

Ceiling of the "Grand Staircase

Entrance." (Impressed? I was.

Note the corner plaster statuary

which blends into the fresco.)

The Mirror Cabinet ceiling.

A panorama of "The Mirror Cabinet" at

floor level. (Cabinet? Somebody's definition

has changed!)

12) Occasionally, a builder/owner cheats a little to gain floor space, though I suppose it was legal to do! Such was this case in Wertheim (Germany).

A house in Wertheim, Germany.

13) We sailed past twenty-one castles along the middle Rhine, according to a map I'd received.

Mouse Tower, built on an island as a

shipping signal station. (Legend says

it's name derives from mice eating a

bishop imprisoned there.)

14) We toured the Marksburg Castle in Kolblenz (Germany). The dining room door opens to a privy and locks from the dining room side only. Left open during privy use, the door was closed and locked at night to prevent intruders entering through the hole.

The castle's dining room with attached privy.

15) Cologne (Germany), Koln in German, was all but destroyed by bombing during WWII. The cathedral remained mostly untouched, however.

Cologne Cathedral. (Note the dark

coloration, which can't be cleaned

as limestone is too soft.)

16) About ninety-five per cent of the windmills in Kinderdijk (Netherlands) pump water, don't grind grain. Netherlands has an extensive water management/control system.

Kinderdijk Windmills. (Note:

they're idle at the moment.)

17) Families live in the windmills in order to run and maintain them, much like lighthouse operators.

Windmill multi-purpose living room.

18) Everyone slept in a sitting position to prevent Satan mistaking them to be dead and take them.

Windmill bedchamber. (Note: there's

little opportunity for an adult to

stretch out prone to sleep.)

19) An early form of industrial footwear, wooden clogs were used to prevent injury to the feet while operating the windmill. Wood was easy to carve, offered good protection from crushing injuries, and, if the clogs wore out, they could be burned as fuel for heat!

20) Amsterdam (Netherlands) is twenty-one feet below sea level! Or so we were told. Canals crisscross the city, much like Venice (Italy). A local told us, "If you like rain, don't visit Amsterdam."

One Amsterdam canal on a rainy day.

21) While in Amsterdam, Janet and I toured the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. Once more, I felt overwhelmed at the volume of artwork, the history and talent, far too much to absorb and appreciate in a short time. (Note: no photos allowed in the Anne Frank House.)

Vermeer's "The Milkmaid."

Van Gogh's "Blue Lillies."

22) To take fuller advantage of our time in Europe, we flew to London (England), then drove to Highley to visit a friend, David. The three of us visited The Engine House Museum and Education Center in Highley. (Eat your heart out, Sheldon Cooper!)

Janet and David pose next to one

of many locomotives in residence.

23) Janet and I couldn't pass up a London museum visit, of course.

Monet's "The Thames below

Westminster"at the National Gallery.

Thus, endth our trip!

Walk in beauty, fellow earthling.

The agony of de-feet, knee … and back (PCT)

Bottom line: Aging pains can be a bee-otch ... particularly when in the wilderness.

6.23.24, Day 0, “Pre-positioning” -

Prim8 and I met Mark R. in Mojave to gas up the car before we drove to Kennedy Meadows, some twenty-five miles into the wilderness west of Hwy 395. Desert temperatures ranged in the 90’s and low 100’s, and we speculated about hiking conditions in the mountains.

Before this trip, Mark had explained he’d changed his trail moniker during his last PCT section hike from the Mexican border northward as a result from his consumption of pemmican. “I’m going by Tallow now,” he’d told me.

No more changes, Prim8 had demanded, not liking the idea.

“Okay,” I’d told Mark, somewhat skeptical. How many more changes will he adopt, Prim8?

Thus, Mark R., formerly known as Cabo, with the previous alias of Wrong Way, will now be referred to as Tallow.

We pre-positioned my car at Kennedy Meadows for our sectional hike southbound. A north to south hike on this section would eliminate the elevation gain of roughly 4,385 feet. If you’re going to do the distance, why not go downhill rather than uphill?

A traffic accident on Hwy 395 south of Olancha delayed our progress to Lone Pine. Dark clouds hung over the mountains to our west and a few large and sporadic rain drops splattered on Mark’s RAV4 windshield as we waited to continue.

By the time of our arrival, the ranger station in Lone Pine had closed, so we proceeded to Lone Pine’s Dow Villa for the night, where I’d reserved a historic room, sans private bathroom. No problem on that front, however the room felt stuffy and the air conditioning blew tepid air, not cool enough for my liking.

The room’s air still and stuffy, Prim8 complained, Hot!

Then, we’ll lay on the bed in the buff without covers or sheet. Not until the wee hours did I feel comfortable.

6.24.24, Day 1, “Our Most Northern Position on the PCT” -

After getting takeout at McDonald’s at 5 a.m.—Prim8 wanted coffee and a chicken sandwich—we drove to Horseshoe Meadow at 10,000 feet.

A posted sign near the trailhead parking lot warned of ACTIVE BEARS.

“As opposed to retired bears,” I told Tallow.

Mt. Whitney (the sharp point) from Near Lone Pine

Under clear sky, Tallow and I hiked to Cottonwood Pass, 11,132 feet, mile-marker 751.4 (according to the FarOut app, which Tallow used, and the PCT posted sign, differing slightly from Half-mile Notes of 750.8).

From the trail junction, we turned south to Trail Pass Trail—I kid you not—at 10,493 feet, mile-marker 744.5. (FarOut indicates the distance is 4.9 miles along the PCT, while Half-Mile Notes says 5.7 miles. Go figure!)

Regardless, we followed Trail Pass Trail back to Horseshoe Meadow.

Looking East from PCT Near Cottonwood Pass Towards Horseshoe Meadow and Surrounding Terrain

With clear sky, temperatures for the day ranged from 55 degrees when we left Tallow’s car at 7 a.m. and 80 degrees when we finished the 10.9 mile loop at 12:50 p.m.

Looking at Mt. Langely from Trail Pass Trail in Horseshoe Meadow

Back at Hwy 395, we stopped at the ranger station for a wilderness permit, then headed the Dow Villa in Lone Pine for the night, I appreciated the slightly cooler temperature in my room compared to the previous evening.

6.25.24, Day 2, “Southbound” -

We presented at the Alabama Hills Cafe and Bakery at 5 a.m. for breakfast.

“Breakfast isn’t available until six,” the gal said, “but you can get coffee and pastry.”

Tallow and I debated, and decided on take-out.

Hungry, Prim8 demanded, Ham and Cheese pastry.

Though I detest processed yellow cheese, I relented, and ordered one along with a cup of coffee.

Breakfast to go, Tallow drove us to the Horseshoe Meadow trailhead parking lot.

I downed a tab of Ibuprofen in hopes of forestalling an increase in knee pain—coming on of late—before we started our hike at 6:25 a.m. The 55-degree temperature felt surprisingly good once we were under way.

Two hours later, we’d hiked 2.2 miles to Trail Pass Trail/PCT junction at mile-maker 744.5. From there, we continued south bound on the PCT.

What? No blister, Prim8 insisted, as if he could order that, when heel pain suggested something amiss.

It’s probably, a blister, fella, but there’s little we can do about that. “I think my foot is trying to grow blisters,” I told Tallow. “I thought I’d solved that problem.” Apparently not, Prim8.

As the morning dragged on, the cool temperature rose to the 80s under clear sky by noon. Though tree cover diminished for stretches, short rest breaks and breezes staved off my total meltdown. Flies and mosquitoes periodically buzzed us. An application of DEET, and our movement along the trail, combined with gusting breezes, prevented their overwhelming us.

Owens Lake from the PCT

We arrived at Death Canyon campground aside a running creek, 8,946 feet elevation, mile-marker 730.8 after a ten-hour hike over 13.7 miles.

After a dinner snack, Tallow bear-bagged our food stash in a tree.

Though no bugs hassled Prim8 and me, once Tallow had set up his tent, I retreated indoors to prevent bugs from getting any ideas otherwise.

A blister! No, Prim8 complained, when I checked my feet and discovered one aside my heel.

Nothing can be done about that. We’ll have to tough it out, Prim8. I’d neglected to bring mole skin or band aids, only carried a small stripe of Duct tape for emergencies. We’ll take another Ibuprofen. I hoped to reduce any and all pain during the night to get better sleep, which had eluded me the past several nights, and maybe avoid muscle stiffness the following morning.

6.26.24, Day 3, “Continuing South” -

6:40 a.m., the temperature near the low 50s, again, felt quite comfortable. Knee, blister and back pains were negligible, but I downed another Ibuprofen as a pain preventative before we continued southbound.

The temperature rose into the 80s. Short breaks to catch my breath under the shade of a tree now and then, helped compensate for the exposure to the sun’s relentless heat.

Tired, Prim8 frequently complained. Stop! 

Okay. We’ll rest a moment, but we need to keep going.

Hurting, Prim8 griped about my on-going heel blister pain, though that felt tolerable, my knee ache, which seemed consistent, and an increasing lower back pain.

Getting old is for the birds, fella. 

I literally limped across the South Fork Kern River bridge (steel bridge) at 7,832 feet elevation and mile-marker 716.5. We’d totaled 14.3 miles distance and a 1,114-foot elevation drop for the day.

Nesting swallows swarmed under the bridge, collecting bugs to feed their young, while Tallow and I filtered cool water to replenish our bottles after he’d set up his tent.

"Steel Bridge" Across Crag Creek (PCT mile-marker 716.5)

Exhausted, I reclined on my sleeping pad to eat a light meal and took another Ibuprofen in order to maximize my R&R, rest and recuperation.

Tallow and I decided not to bear-bag our food, as the campground occupation of perhaps a dozen hikers would likely deter most larger critters. As well, we were well out of active bear territory.

6.27.24, Day 4, “Limping to the Finish” -

5:35 a.m. The trail continued away from the stream.

Looking North at Crag Creek and Across Clover Meadow

We continued over a ridge, then down toward the river again. Remnants of burned and fallen trees, left us with negligible cover from the sun. Hot, miserable and fatigued, Prim8 encouraged frequent breaks, which I took to catch my breath.

I encountered one non-poisonous snake aside the trail before reaching the stream crossing. There, however, an even larger snake—same species, I think—slithered over one of the logs used to aid hikers.

Non-poisonous Snake at PCT Stream Crossing Near Kennedy Meadows

(Courtesy Tallow)

The broad expanse of the Kennedy Meadows, covered with sage brush, made hiking to Sherman Pass Road a continued hot ordeal under unobstructed sun, while the temperature ranged in the 80s. I plodded onward, hiking slowly and taking frequent, though short, breaks, back pain dominating my concern. Thankfully, my knee pain had not increased, while my heel blister had stabilized.

Tallow pointed out a coyote that trotted away, some fifty yards off the trail. “Searching for a wabbit,” he said.

1:50 p.m., we arrived at PCT mile-marker 702.2, elevation 6,009 feet after a 14.3 mile, 9 ½ hour hike.

After retrieving Tallow’s vehicle at Horseshoe Meadows, we spent the night at the Mount Whitney Hotel in Lone Pine—with great air conditioning—before driving home Sunday, 6/28/24.

Note: I’ve decided to stick with the Half-Mile Note mile-marker designations, except for the Cottonwood Pass mile-marker sign, which read 751.4 miles. The remainder mile-marker designations are referenced according to Half-Mile Notes.