The stop in Honolulu had been an emotional day for all six ladies. They all had turned in early after dinner. Jane and Maura did not bother going to the night club as Maura had ordered a bottle of wine for them to share in the privacy of their room. They sat on their balcony and drank the bottle of wine while they talked and then went to bed.
In the morning they were up and dressed with their swimming suits under their clothes and knocked on Cailin's door at 7 AM to pick her up to go down stairs to meet their 7:30 excursion. The three of them were scheduled for an 8-hour 'Kona & Open-Ocean Dolphin Swim' excursion. The boat was only in port until 4 PM so that is why the excursion started so early.
They traveled by motorcoach as they enjoyed the views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Their tour guide told them of the history of the volcanoes and explained about the 11 microclimates. Maura really enjoyed this part of the tour because there are only 13 microclimates zones worldwide and they were experiencing 11 of them right there. Jane laughed and thought to herself, 'my girlfriend is such a nerd.' Maura sensed that Jane was laughing at her and just turned and said, "what? I am impressed with this information." Jane smiled and just shook her head and pulled Maura into a hug. Maura smiled and hugged Jane tightly. She knew Jane was only teasing her as normal. Cailin, who was sitting to the side of them across the aisle, just laughed at the two of them. She really did think they were a great match for each other. They were at their best when they were together.
At the end of the 2 1⁄2 hour trip they arrived at their destination. They boarded a 24-foot, high powered motorized Zodiac raft. This military grade raft was able to get close to the pods of Hawaiian Spinner dolphins. Once within the pod the three suited up with their masks and fins and slid off the side of the raft to swim with the dolphins. The staff took pictures for them so they would have the memory of this once in a lifetime experience. The staff also had video cameras attached to the raft so they would be able to purchase a video of their swim with the dolphins later. Because they found the dolphin pod so fast, they had time to snorkel along a coral reef. They had a light lunch and then they saw Kailua Kona Village from the raft. The tour guide told them of the history of this small fishing village that had become the political, social and commercial center of Kona in the 19th century. The ride back to the boat was quieter than the trip out. The tour guide did point out some additional interesting sights. Jane and Maura were cuddled into each other with Maura almost half way in Jane's lap.
Angela, Constance and Hope had time to meet for breakfast before they left for their 10 AM excursion. They were going on the 'Volcanic Landscapes by Helicopter' tour. They flew over Kilauea's most recent eruption sites and saw the glow of the active lava flows on the Eastern Rift Zone. They saw first-hand the devastation to the area and how it was shaping the ecology. They flew over the black-sand beaches that were formed by the lava that had been cooled by the water. Their tour guide explained how the black-sand was polished smooth as glass by the sea's waves over the years.
It was a different perspective seeing this from the air during their 45-minute helicopter flight.
Angela, Constance and Hope all knew they never would have been able to walk down on the volcano or the black-sand beaches which is why there were happy that the girls had chosen the helicopter ride for them. Constance commented, "our girls really are great, they knew us well enough to know that we would not enjoy the walking tour of these volcanos. I rather enjoyed the helicopter ride with the two of you. The sights were breathtaking and truly captured the devastation that a volcano can cause." Angela added, "ya, it is beautiful and sad at the same time. I mean the beaches were beautiful but knowing they were formed from the tragedy caused by the flow of the lava is sad." Hope nodded her head to both ladies' comments and added, "I am so happy we saw it from the air. I can't believe people actually walk out on those volcanos."
The excursion only lasted 2 1⁄4 hours so they had lunch on the ship and enjoyed sitting out by the pool while they looked over the activity sheet and figured they would participate in Bingo while the girls were still on their excursion. Constance was excited she won at Bingo again. She enjoyed this new activity and told Angela and Hope she wanted to play anytime it came up on the activity sheet. Angela told Constance, "Sweetie, I think this happens once or twice a day, are you sure you want to play that much? There are other activities to do." "Angela, it is so much fun. I have never enjoyed an event so much before so yes I believe at least once a day would be fine with me." Constance stated as Angela and Hope laughed slightly. Angela thought 'It was good to see Constance let loose a little bit and enjoy herself.'
Constance said, "you know each of these islands have so much to offer, we are only getting a short time at each. I think it might be nice to plan a trip where we can spend more time on the islands. What do you ladies think?" Angela said, "I am not sure I could afford such a vacation. I was barely able to get time off for this vacation. Although it would be fun." "Nonsense Angela, if I invite you, it would be my treat. I do not enjoy traveling by myself. I have spent too many years traveling the world often alone and I refuse to do it anymore. That is the one great thing that has come from me meeting your daughter. She made me see that I am missing out on so much. I think I will contact my real estate agent, Rebecca, to purchase a house on one of the islands. Let me send her an email right now so she can start working on it and see what is available." Angela had a shocked look on her face. To think that Constance would just purchase a house like that with very little thought, it amazed her.
Constance looked at Angela and Hope and said, "the two of you do know that I have houses all over the world, right? Very rarely do I stay in hotels anymore. All of our houses are staffed and ready for occupancy at a moment's notice. I am not trying to sound stuffy or anything, it is just that I want to clarify. We are family and I want to share what I have with my family. My pilot Karen and her husband Dan love traveling. They have worked for the Isles Foundation for over 10 years now and they have their own room at all of my residences. I treat them as family also, and in return they are very loyal. Karen is honest with me and will tell me when I propose a trip if she thinks it is not a good idea."
Hope stated, "that is a very generous offer, Constance, I would enjoy vacationing with you in the future." Angela nodded, "Of course, Constance. I also would enjoy that." "Great it is settled then. Can we make this an annual vacation?" Angela and Hope both nodded in agreement.
Jane, Maura and Cailin managed to stroll back on the boat around 3:40 PM exhausted from their adventure. They went to their rooms to freshen up. Half an hour later they were down by the pool. The burger bar was calling to Jane and she just couldn't resist the pull for a cheeseburger and fries. Maura and Cailin just looked at each other and smiled. Jane could always manage to eat. Maura and Cailin also grabbed a quick bite of food knowing it would be hours before they had dinner. Maura did not want a burger so she went to the buffet and picked out a salad and sandwich, a healthier option for her. Cailin opted to get a cheeseburger like Jane.
Angela, Constance and Hope happened to walk by as they were eating and joined them. They share their adventures and spent the next hour just telling of their tours and sharing pictures. Angela took out her activity sheet and asked the girls if they wanted to attend the comedy show later that night. They had to hurry up with their dinner to make it to the show on time but the show was worth it. They all laughed so much. All six of them were getting along so well. It was almost midnight before they all retreated to their rooms. They had another island to see in the morning so they said their goodnights and went to their respective rooms.