Days 3-9, Jan 11-17, 2024 Five Sea Days + Two Days on Oahu

For more than six decades Larry has wanted to buy UH T-shirts.  Finally at Walmart in Waikiki he found some at reasonable prices!  These are strong remembrances of his alma mater and ROTC, both changing the direction of his life.

Typical Hawaiian vegetation

Present-day State Capital Building

Hawaii State Shield

Iolani Palace

Built in 1882 by Hawaiʻi's last king, David Kalākaua, this stately three-story building is a real treat to explore. After the overthrow of the King's sister Queen Liliʻuokalani in 1893, the structure served as the territorial and state capitol until 1969. The Palace Galleries showcase jewels and regalia from the days of Hawaiʻian royalty.

More info:  https://www.iolanipalace.org/

Quilt personally made by Queen Lili’uokalani 

In 1895, to save her kingdom from being torn apart, Queen Lili’uokalani signed over her authority to the US government.  Subsequent to that event, she was imprisoned in her own bedroom in her palace–‘Iolani Palace–for ten months.  Her closest companion stayed with her, voluntarily, throughout her confinement, leaving only on Sundays to see her family.  During the time that she was under house arrest, Queen Lili’uokalani worked in crazy quilt style–the most popular quilting style of the day–and created much of the 97″ x 95″ “Queen’s Quilt” that is now on display in ‘Iolani Palace.

More interesting facts:  https://whip-stitch.com/the-queens-quilt/

King Kamehameha

Statue

Model of early catamaran used by Polynesians to travel among islands.

Navy ship in Pearl Harbor

Kamehameha Schools, formerly called Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KSBE), is a private school system in Hawaiʻi established by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate, under the terms of the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was a formal member of the House of Kamehameha. Bishop's will established a trust called the "Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate" that is Hawaiʻi's largest private landowner. Originally established in 1887 as an all-boys school for native Hawaiian children, it shared its grounds with the Bishop Museum. After it moved to another location, the museum took over two school halls. Kamehameha Schools opened its girls' school in 1894. It became coeducational in 1965. The 600-acre Kapālama campus opened in 1931, while the Maui and Hawaiʻi campuses opened in 1996 and 2001, respectively.

It was developed at the bequest of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop to educate children of Hawaiian descent, and is designed to serve students from preschool through twelfth grade. The school teaches in the English language a college-prep education enhanced by Hawaiian culture, language and practices, imparting historical and practical value of continuing Hawaiian traditions. It operates 31 preschools statewide and three grade K–12 campuses in Kapālama, Oʻahu, Pukalani, Maui, and Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi.

By the terms of its founding, the schools' admissions policy prefers applicants with Native Hawaiian ancestry. Since 1965 it has excluded all but two non-Hawaiians from being admitted. A lawsuit challenging the school's admission policy resulted in a narrow victory for Kamehameha in the Ninth Circuit Court; however, Kamehameha ultimately settled, paying the plaintiff $7 million.

As of the 2011–12 school year, Kamehameha had an enrollment of 5,398 students at its three main campuses and 1,317 children at its preschools, for a total enrollment of 5,416. Beyond its campuses, Kamehameha served an estimated 46,923 Hawaiians in 2011 through its support for public schools, charter schools, and families and caregivers throughout Hawaii.

According to the Kamehameha Schools home website, the mission statement is as follows: "Kamehameha Schools' mission is to fulfill Pauahi's desire to create educational opportunities in perpetuity to improve the capability and well-being of people of Hawaiian ancestry."

For more interesting history of these schools, see                                                                           https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_Schools

We departed Oahu, Hawaii on Jan 17.  We will have five sea days before reaching Bora Bora.  Our sea days are loaded with many activities to choose from plus lots of entertainment.

Around noon January 20 we crossed the equator heading south.  This passage for those who have not previously crossed the equator there is a celebration in the primary swim pool that transitions passengers and crew from Pollywogs to Shellbacks.  A fun time for all!

We will arrive early morning January 23 at Bora Bora, a partial collection of the Society Islands of French Polynesia.