We finally arrived in the islands after five days at sea from Los Angeles. You would think we would be chomping at the bit to go ashore. Strangely, this was not the case. Instead we took advantage of an almost empty ship, found a quiet corner with a view of the harbor, and pulled out some reading material. Lovely, relaxing day.

We did decide to change things up a bit however the next day. After sleeping in and having a late, hardy breakfast, we collected our government issued ID (mandatory to be able to get back on board), a small backpack with water, iPhones to be able to snap some pictures, hats and sunglasses. Gus managed to come along as well.

Having previously been to Hilo and visiting the major sites, we chose to instead visit a Japanese garden that was only about a mile from where the Emerald Princess was docked. It was rather humid (90%) by noon, so we jumped into a taxi to get to Lili’uokalani Park.

Admission was free. A local brochure described the park as a “100 year-old cultural park and Japanese garden rich both in history and beauty; an ocean-side walk not to be missed”.

GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I’m grateful for a slight breeze, kind strangers, a beautiful park and a chance to stretch my legs on solid ground.