We spent two days on the "Big Island" of Hawaii for our last port of call before heading home to San Diego to complete our circumnavigation of the globe aboard the MV Explorer. I had been to the island of Oahu several times for conferences in Honolulu, but never to any of the other Hawaiian islands. So, our short stay in the port of Hilo allowed us to see the famous Mauna Loa volcano, one of the world's largest. We also headed to Kona on the Big Island where the famous Kona coffee is grown. I did buy a pound, but at $30-$70/ pound, one was enough. Since I can buy the best coffee I have ever tasted at home for half that price, I didn't feel compelled to buy more. Besides, my luggage is expanding geometrically at this point in the voyage and I need to remember that I will soon land in our final resting place in San Diego. I read that my airline charges $200 for each bag over 50 pounds, so I will try my best to avoid that charge!
We stayed at the awesome resort of Hilton Waikoloa Village just north of Kona. The place is so big that there is a train to get you from one area of the resort to the next. We had a great dinner there with a few of my colleagues from the ship (John, Marie, and Doreen) and enjoyed quite a spread at the breakfast buffet the next morning. Yes, I will fear those bathroom scales when I return home next week as I have eaten like a bear since we set sail in early January. But, with renewed determination to return to the gym with a vengeance, I am sure things will return to normal for bikini season!
I will write my last post for my voyage blog after we land in San Diego Easter Sunday and summarize the trip and my experience with Semester at Sea. I have had a wonderful time the past three and a half months and met many people who will, undoubtedly, be lifelong friends.
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