Hawaii page 3
In the evening, the group gathered for karaoke where we
had a lot of fun. There were 3 or 4 professional sounding
singers on the ship, so we enjoyed listening to them. One
did the Elvis songs exceptionally well.
Most of our crew watched the karaoke singers.
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John sang his standard karaoke song, "My Way".
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Shannon Butler, Shawn Butler, and Ashley Bott sang
the song from 'Grease,' 'Summer Nights.'
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While more of the group (by the post) cheered on.
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It was Wednesday (July 28, 2004) morning when
we arrived in Hilo. Bruce
and I stayed on board to rest while Page, Brandi, Taylor,
and Brittney went shopping. It poured so hard those out
on various Volcano Tours could
hardly see a few feet in
front of their faces.
Taylor and Brandi in Hilo.
I started getting a sore throat and was pushing pain killers
and antihistamines at it in an effort to be able to participate
in the tours coming up the next two days.
Free daily hula lessons were provided, so some of our
children and adults participated.
Brittney and Taylor prepare for their first daily hula lesson.
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Shannon, Peggy, and Page learn the hula.
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The ship left at 6 PM to head toward Kona, Hawaii on the other side
of the island. It was dark when we passed the
Erupting Kilauea Volcano that was flowing into the ocean. This was
exciting for most people on board. Unfortunately we were still
pretty far away...something about hot water...so most of my photos
were black with a couple of tiny red specks in the middle...not
un-similar to my photos of Elvis from the one concert I attended
in Dallas and sat in the balcony...his was a white speck in a sea
of black!
Thursday (July 29, 2004) afternoon, several of
John's 'younger adults' went on the Kona
Tiki Barefoot Party Sail shore tour.
DESCRIPTION
Sail the crystal blue on the best party boat in Hawaii!
Enjoy a casual happy hour sight-seeing cruise off stunning
Kailua-Kona, with live Hawaiian music and hula dancers to
entertain you and a complimentary open bar that serves up
the best Mai Tais in the Islands. Board the 150-foot long
Tamure, a massive replica of a Hawaiian sailing canoe, at
Kailua-Kona cruise ship pier. You will enjoy a two-hour
cruise off of the coast of historic Kailua-Kona with awesome
views of majestic Mauna Loa and Hualalai Mountains rising up
in the background. Pods of spinner dolphins often swim up to
the boat to say Aloha and from December through April you
may see whales swimming in the turquoise waters around you.
On this double-decker party boat hang out on the main deck
where you can watch the live Hawaiian band and hula dancers
perform - they will have you dancing on the tables in no time!
Or, take the party upstairs to the observation deck where you
can sunbathe and watch the world go by.
Alex, Shane, Hillary, and Crystal start to party.
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Crystal, Hillary, and Shane have fun.
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Staci, Alex, Shane, Hillary, and Crystal relax on the party boat.
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Alex, Staci, Hillary, and Shane cruising.
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Bruce's family, Brandi, and I went on
the Body Glove Snorkel & Dolphin Sail.
DESCRIPTION
Come aboard the trimaran Body Glove and cruise the Pawai
Bay, a protected marine preserve of gorgeous coral reef
gardens filled with thousands of brilliantly colored
tropical fish, as well as endangered sea turtles and
wild dolphins. Along the way, enjoy a breakfast of
freshly baked pastries, tropical juices, island fruits
and Kona coffee. The Body Glove features a spacious
upper sun deck, a large shaded cabin and fresh water
showers and bathrooms. A 15-foot water slide and
high-dive platform are a big hit with passengers of
all ages. The experienced crew will provide you with
snorkeling gear and personalized instruction. A
buffet-style deli lunch is also provided. Sodas are
included and cocktails are available at an additional
charge.
The Body Glove trimaran double decker.
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Brandi snorkels with a camera.
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You'll notice in the photo that I'm in the water between
the words BODY and GLOVE on the boat! There had been a
lot of rain, so the water was a little murky. Still we
saw several varieties of colorful fish and some brain
coral. Several of the crew had started doing half gainers
from the diving platform after most of the people had
climbed back on board. So this was when my niece Brittney
Bott...the gymnast who is our hopeful from Denver for the
2008 Olympics...started doing double flips from the briskly
rocking platform dive. I was down below in the water to
encourage and rescue if anything went wrong. Then Bruce
did a back flip to encourage my other niece, Taylor, who
also did a couple. Nobody wiped out or drowned.
Now, sometime between the Party Sail and when we returned from our
snorkeling, Staci broke her wrist after a friendly shove by her
brother, Shane, into her chair that she missed, and tried catching
herself as she fell. Ouch! I think they were waiting for the
swelling to go down, so the ship doctor just gave her a bunch of
medicine.
Taylor, Brittney, Page, Shannon, and Bruce dressed up for dinner.
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Shannon and Bruce wait for dinner.
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Page and Brittney wait to be served.
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Shannon, Brandi, Brittney, Bonney, Taylor, Page, and Bruce looking good.
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The ship left Kona at 5 PM and we were on our way to Kahului, Maui, Hawaii.
CONTINUE saga...
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