Whew – what a whirlwind day yesterday. Our entire family got a small taste of Hawaii that left us wanting more! We were on the “Big Island” of Hawaii for most of the day. Joe and I walked to a beautiful child-friendly white-sand beach nearby. Along the way, we experienced the gorgeous smells of some native flowering trees. Even the blooms that had fallen to the ground were really fragrant.

In the afternoon we took a tour to several waterfalls, a black sand beach, and a cave formed by a lava tube. The cave we saw is actually about 10 miles long, but we only explored a little way inside. It was the highlight of Joe’s day. Well, that and the cat he got to play with at another of our stops…

Jack and Dan did a zip lining tour, and although it wasn’t as thrilling/fast as Jack hoped for, they were soaring over spectacular scenery and they also had a great day.

Today we sit moored in Honolulu as we refuel. This evening we leave for Japan, our second longest stretch at sea. Crossing the Pacific can be rough we’ve heard, but so far, none of the family has had any sea sickness, and we sure hope that continues. I have had students run suddenly out of my class looking a tad green… pretty sure it wasn’t my teaching…

I apologize for the lack of pictures here on the blog, but for some reason the limited connectivity on the ship doesn’t seem to allow it. I’ll have to add a bunch at an internet cafe in Japan. Oddly enough, I can add some pics to Facebook. Go figure. So, I hope if you are connected with me there you check those out!