This was the first and only tender port on this cruise--not too bad a mad house getting off, because we acted like crew and just walked down to the tender. We'd seen this huge banyan tree back in 2009. I learned that it's the largest banyan on the islands, but none of the banyans or figs are native.

 
Richards was a missionary and what makes him notable is that he was the one who created a written form of the Hawaiian language. The house is one of the first using cement.

 
A walk along the waterfront highlights both the formal and informal marketing to the tourists.

 
The railroad vine is a type of morning glory native to Florida.

A sandy Asian cemetery just off the beach.

 
The old sugar train and a man on a mission: preaching with his cross made from metal downspout tubes.

 
We had lunch at a marina at the end of the bus route. Then we took another bus back to a high end shopping area that also serves as a gateway to a resort beach. This whale skeleton hangs from a reception area right at the bus stop.

Westin letters are molded into the turf.

A fancy pool/waterfall, artificial paradise setting between the resort hotel and the beach.

 
 Resort lawn art...

 
We did like this tiki sculpture carved from a dead palm trunk, though.

Party boats don't need docks, they just run up on the beach and lower the ladder.

Back through the whaler's portal to wait for the next bus back to the port.

In front of the bus stop, entrance into the shopping center, and beach portal was a sculpture of a mother humpback whale with two calves as documented by Captain Scammon in his book "Marine Mammals," published in 1874.


Next and last stop is a short day at Nawiliwili on Kauai.