February 9th Honolulu

Friday, February 9th. At approximately 10.00pm last night we past over the Tropic of Cancer as we sailed over the Molokai fracture zone towards the Hawaian Islands. This morning we arrived in Honolulu, which brings our total number of n. miles sailed since January 2nd to 20,233 and our 39th day. We arrived at 7.00pm to an overcast sky and temperatures in the low 20 degrees. We took the opportunity to ‘phone home’ and succeeded this time, wishing Mark a happy birthday for tomorrow. Our circle tour of the island began at 10.45am and we had an excellent driver who told us a great many very interesting historical facts as we travelled along. Driving through the city and along the Waikiki Beach area we were able to view the many elegant and expensive properties en route to our first stop, Hanauma Bay, located in Koko Head Park. Its rugged grandeur was created by volcanic activity 10,000 years ago and this beautiful sandy cove with palm trees on the beach is now a popular spot. Over the centuries the sea eroded the outer crust of the volcano and gushed in forming a delightful bay. Here we were able to look back and view Diamond Head, one of the many volcanic cones in the Honolulu area and where humpback whales frequent these waters. Of course we had our usual tourist stop for shopping, where we bought a sandwich for lunch, and Alan found another barber shop where he spent ten minutes and ten dollars! The next bay, Halona, was where Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr made history kissing on the beach in the film ‘From Here to Eternity’, (Alan’s favourite.) This bay has a submerged lava tube that when tide conditions are right, waves surging through, erupt in a spectacular geyser of sea water, but it didn’t happen for our visit! Motoring on we travelled through the tropical rain forests and up 1200 feet to Pali Lookout at Nuuani State Park for the amazing views over the island. Our next stop was at Punchbowl Veterans Cemetery, which has been developed in the crater of a volcano and where all those who died on the USS Arizona are buried. The last survivor was buried there last Monday and so now the cemetery is closed except for visitors. This was a very moving experience and our driver, a war veteran himself, told the history well. It was surrounded by the most beautiful Banyan trees in regimental alignment with the gravestones. We did not go to see Pearl Harbour, site of the USS Arizona memorial and haunting reminder of the tragic events of December 7th 1941 because of the amount of walking involved. It had remained overcast most of the day with the odd light shower, but it was very comfortable for our day of sightseeing. We returned to the ship to prepare for our departure at 7.00pm and set sail for Pago Pago, one of the American Samoa Islands some 2270 n. miles south east of the Hawaiian Islands, which will take us across the equator and into the Southern Hemisphere again. We set our watches back last evening and so we are now 10 hours behind the UK.

February 6th, 7th & 8th

Tuesday 6th February. A lazy day at sea after our hectic two days in San Francisco. 1800 new passengers embarked with 450 world cruisers remaining onboard so there will be a lot of new faces to get accustomed to, including some crew. Alan began the day by attending two lectures “In the Path of Captain Cook” with Geoffrey Blainey, followed by “Our Home Planet” with Colonel Walter Cunningham who was one of the astronauts on Apollo 7. I did the obvious and went to the laundry before blogging! We now have a DVD player in our suite so I got a film out of the library and watched that before our formal black and white Ball in the evening. It is good because we can also view our own DVD recordings of this cruise (very amateurish – but I will try to improve!) The table for two we now have by the window is very nice and the elderly American couple to one side of us are very pleasant. Elisa had informed our new waiters very well so they knew what we liked etc. It had rained all day and was a quite chilly Force 5 with 7.5 ft. swell as we headed south west with 2076 n. miles to Honolulu. The show was an American singer, Tony ‘B’, who sang songs from legendary entertainers. Clocks went back an hour.
Wednesday 7th February. Ships time was 9 hours behind the UK as we continued our south westerly circle track across the Pacific Ocean towards the Hawaiian Islands. We sailed over the Murray Fracture Zone, one of the principal east-west rifts in the crust of the northeast Pacific Basin, with depths averaging 4500 metres. Alan went to another lecture by Geoffrey Blainey, followed by a new lecturer, Bill Miller, talking about the Great Atlantic Liners. The temperature was 15 degrees, cloudy with showers and quite a roll on the ship due to the swell and Force 7; luckily we had become accustomed throughout our six weeks. After Alan’s swim and my gym we decided to eat in our suite and miss the formal evening as it was a repeat of the last segments cocktail party and show - so we ‘slummed’ it while Victor set out the dining table and served our three courses and champagne with his usual flourish. It was DVD time then for the remainder of the evening (Alan fell asleep, but he needed to, I don’t know how he keeps going so long on such little sleep!)
Thursday 8th February. After a rough night at sea with drawers flying open and closed we were pleased to get up and greet the warmer climate of 20 degrees, although we still had a Force 5 and 12 ft. swell. Fortunately, we were well enough to enjoy the morning lecture with astronaut, Col. Walter Cunningham; he had some amazing tales to tell. Today we sailed over the Huddell Seamount with depths averaging 2000 metres. After lunch we were delighted to attend the RADA production of ‘Bottom’s Dream’ an hour tale taken from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The theatre company, lead by Clive Kneller, whom we met on our last QM2 cruise, will be on until Sydney and have three more shows to perform. After that we both slept until Victor woke us up for canapés at 5.30pm! In the evening we joined the team playing ‘Call My Bluff’ and won! The clocks go back an hour ready for Honolulu tomorrow and I am sending this now as the Internet is difficult to log on to in this area, it takes an hour. Not many folk about due to rough seas, but it has got warmer.

Februry 3rd, 4th & 5th San Francisco.

Saturday, 3rd February. Throughout the morning we travelled parallel to the coast of the Baji California (Californian Peninsula) and in the early afternoon we passed some 25 nautical miles west of the Cedros Islands and the entrance to Sebastian Vizcaino Bay, one of the large shallow bays and renowned breeding grounds for the Grey Whale, but we didn’t spot any. The temperature was dropping as we headed north and was around 22 degrees with a strong cool breeze so we didn’t stay on deck for very long. Alan had been to a couple of lectures and I spent an ‘interesting’ hour in the launderette – the place where you hear all the ship’s gossip! We had a quiet afternoon because we were starting our evening at 7.00pm in the Queen’s Grill Lounge having drinks with our fellow diners, Gill and Jeffrey (spelt wrong in previous posts), and John and Mary, because they will all be leaving the ship on February 5th at San Francisco. We had arranged for our three tables to be set together for a farewell dinner and ordered 3 chateaubriand, which was wonderful, but I think we should have a few days very light eating now! Tomorrow will be a busy day as we arrive in San Francisco and there will be a lot of interest from the US. Tonight we put back our watches again and are now 8 hours behind the UK.
Sunday, 4th February. Throughout the night we continued on our north-westerly heading paralleling the Mexican coastline, bound for the Mexico/USA border where we crossed some 130 nautical miles west of Tijuana in the early hours. Now paralleling the United States coastline we past San Diego and Los Angeles some 110 n. miles to the east. Temperatures were around 12 degrees and back to our British climate! At 3.00pm we approached San Francisco Bay and picked up our pilot before entering the main shipping channel heading for the Golden Gate Bridge, the second longest suspension bridge in the US. We were overwhelmed by the number of small boats and yachts that accompanied us on our way. The fire tender boats escorted us with their water hoses jettisoning water out to great heights. (First picture with Alcatraz in the background.) Here we were met by the Second World War ship, the Jeremy O’ Brian, one of only two remaining of 2700; the other is the John Brown moored at Baltimore. The volunteer crew’s average age is 75 and they carried 600 passengers to view our arrival. We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge around 4.00pm with a clearance of only 3.5 metres and I was on deck 11 at the front of the ship to film it all. The CNN news helicopters were buzzing the ship as were the police patrols. There was quite a chill in the strong wind as we continued and sailed past downtown San Francisco on our starboard side and Alcatraz Island on port side (left). Passing Pier 39 the sea lions that reside there slept throughout the whole episode. Along Fisherman’s Wharf we were amazed to see so many people; it seemed the whole of San Francisco had come out to welcome us with cheers and waves. The view of the city hills was fantastic as the sun shone down on them and brightened the day for us. When we reached the Oakland Bay Bridge we completed a full 180 degree swing giving us a full view of the city before heading north to a temporary anchorage just off Treasure Island, the US Naval Station, where we had to go through Immigration control whilst on board. After clearance we sailed into Pier 27 at 8.00pm. Our tour of China Town began at 8.30pm, but as it was Sunday most of the town was closed. Not that it mattered, it was not a very exciting place at all and we were unimpressed! Dirty, dismal and grotty are just a few adjectives and after walking through several streets for approximately one hour we were pleased to return to our coach. Manchester’s China Town is much better! There followed a sightseeing tour of San Francisco’s main areas which was far more interesting and we ended the tour with a drive over the Bay Bridge, which links San Francisco to Oakland and Berkeley. The bridge is approx six and a half miles long, but we didn’t cover the full distance; we stopped en route to view the QM2 and look back across the illuminated bridge. (I was pleased to be able to ride over the bridge because it is the one that Danny DeVito drove over at the start of the series called ‘Taxi’, and it was just as impressive.) Alan was very tired after this excursion because I had bumped him and his wheelchair up and down the kerbs and steep pathways in China Town trying to keep up with the rest of our party. I went into the only remaining fortune cookie making shop and picked up a couple for us, Alan’s said “Appreciate the carer’s around you” and mine said “Your good deeds are never forgotten”. Well, that said it all! (Picure right)We had intended to bring back a Peking duck for supper, but when we saw the shop we decided to leave well alone! (Probably our stomachs were quite relieved.) We were back on board in the comfort and luxury we had become accustomed to by 11.30pm to prepare for our day in San Francisco.
Monday, 5th February. We were up bright and early and at the Indian Embassy for 9.00am. It took about an hour and a half to get our visas sorted so then we jumped into a taxi and headed for Market Street in downtown S.F where we went into Bloomingdales. It was a lovely warm summer day around 22 degrees. We had been recommended to eat at either Sammy’s or Tadich Grill on California, so we went to Tadich around noon. It is the oldest restaurant in S.F built in 1849 during the California Gold Rush, but moved premises several times, including its demolition during the 1906 earthquake, and is now a popular place for businessmen’s lunch. By arrangement we met up again with Gill and Jeffrey, who had left the ship and were en route to the air port.
The seafood cioppino that Alan and I had was out of this world, our taste buds sizzled! Whilst chatting with many of the people we met it was very apparent that the people of S.F are friendly and were eager to hear about the QM2 because it had been such a highlight over the last few days in their city. Alan and I then hot footed to find a cable car for a ride up and down the great hills of S.F. We spent almost an hour chatting away to both the passengers and the ticket collector, who turned out to be the cable car supervisor, James Waterfield, who liked to ride the cars. He explained that there were nine and a half miles of cable under the road and the cars hooked on to it to be pulled along the road. When we got to the end of the line the ‘anchor man’ changed ends of the car and held on to the hand brake whilst his foot was placed firmly on the foot lever. It was a marvellous experience that we both enjoyed immensely. The ‘tram cars’ turn on a turn table at the end of the line, but these are different from ‘cable cars.’ When we had completed a full circuit James jumped off and assisted Alan into his wheelchair and promptly took us on another hours sightseeing walk (I was dashing behind this enormous black American who was talking ten to the dozen.) He showed us so much that we would not have seen had he not escorted us around, purely for his own pleasure, although Alan did see him alright! He had to leave us and get back to his ‘car’ so he called us a taxi and we went to Fisherman’s Wharfe on Pier 39, we were moored at Pier 27 so it wasn’t far from the ship. We spent a couple of hours wandering around this very busy tourist pier and then found at the end there was an area where the seals have lived since the 1989 earthquake destroyed their normal habitat. They are very happy on the rafts that the city placed at the end of the pier for them and appear to have adopted this area as their new home. I was about to take a photo of Alcatraz Island and before I could get the camera out a mist dropped in and took it from our sight. It was amazing how quickly it fell over the water, almost in a blink, so we decided to return to the ship because it also dropped very cold, almost immediately. We didn’t have time to visit Alcatraz, but we did the things we most wanted and enjoyed our day immensely. While we had been off the ship the Mayor had visited and presented a plaque and announced that February 5th would always be known as Queen Mary 2 Day. Secretly, Arnold Schwartzneiger, the Governor, had also visited the ship. I was so tired, and full, that I went to bed at 6.30pm and decided to miss dinner. Alan went because we had asked for a new table next to a window and he wanted to show willing, as well as being hungry! I slept right through until 8.45 am the next morning! We put back out watches again tonight. (It is 12.45pm Feb 6th at this moment and I guess you are 845pm now.)