Every single student, faculty, and staff member had to be cleared by U.S. immigration before getting off of the ship. "Clearing the ship" took almost three hours as we started the process at 6:45 a.m. and finally finished at 9:30. According to those vocal about it, immigration passage is most difficult for the U.S. Fortunately, and with no glitches, we passed with ease - Japanese immigration will be next.

With only one day in Oahu, many students planned extravagant trips to do as much as possible with as much adrenaline surging through their veins as possible with as many people as possible. I was not one of them. But here are a few of the things my shipmates did:

a) Went skydiving on the north shore.
b) Snorkeled around the whole island of Waikiki
c) Hiked beyond Diamond Head, beyond the warning signs, beyond beaten paths and up to the highest point on the island. (This was really only two students who returned mud-covered and elated.)

I joined two of my new friends to Hanauma Bay. Since the bus system (ranked "best in America ... whatever) took quite a bit more time than we expected, and since they were rushing to make it to that other thing they had planned, a bunch of other students had already finished their snorkeling there by the time we arrived.

Mike, Lindsey and I rented fins, masks, and snorkels at Hawaii's acclaimed most beautiful bay (they asked for our credit cards for collateral - Ah! The precious plastic!) We spent the day swimming, playing, snorkeling, and soaking up Hawaii's sun. While my other friends were touring the Pearl Harbor memorial, or visiting the Honolulu Academy of Art & Architecture, or risking their lives from 14,000 feet, the three of us floated and swam in water warm enough to wash a baby, and later walked the streets of downtown Waikiki.

Yesterday's "dock time" was 9 p.m. Dock time is the cutoff for all students to be onboard the ship. From this point on, it is the captain's prerogative to leave. Peace. Check out. Go to Japan without you. About half the ship's student population was at least 30 minutes late, due to the enormous crowd that showed up around eight to pass back through inspection and safety.

Luckily, our group, having been as well-organized and mature as we are, were right on time. Barely. Those who tried to sneak in alcohol by duck-taping bottles of "water" filled with vodka to their inner thighs, or putting the booze in Ziplocs (not sure why they thought this was a good idea) and those who were late for dock-time will receive port-time in Japan. So will those ingenious who thought rolling their own "cigarettes" of MJ would fool security. I guess once they figured they were late, chugging the remainder of their beloved boozeybooze was justified.

Wha?? Come on people.

Port-time is punishment. A person with port-time will stay in the ship while the rest of us leave. Plus, if the captain decides he does want to leave at, say, 9:15, which he could do - prerogative - he will leave those who are not onboard on shore. They find airfare to meet us in the next country. Yikes. So anyway, we had great fun. Some didn't, but that's only because they think this ship is standing still while the world rotates round them.

Next stop: Yokohama, Japan. According to the campus doctor, the Pacific will be 10 times as rough as when we started out. Not to worry, she said in front of the Union ... "We have more meds than you have puke." Shew!

We have also just picked up our first pair of interport lecturers. Two Japanese women were flown to Hawaii by SAS and boarded our ship last night. They will speak sometime in the next 10 travel days about the culture they know. Tentravel days. Omigod. (Mom and Jessica, thank you for the survival packs. They've already been put to good use, by which I mean I ate half the nuts/raisins already and munched the chocolate covered sunflower seeds until I felt that all-too absent endorphine burst that comes only from cocoa. I forgot to bring chocolate. And they only have M&Ms onboard. But! I've swiped a spoon from the caf ((shhh)) and now can eat my peanut butter with something other than the handle of my toothbrush!)

Lat: 21 degrees 24.40 N
Long: 162 degrees 2.69 W
Speed: 15.8 knots
Course: 289 degrees

Aloha,

C

PS - Ma! It's your top! It snuck into my luggage! It somehow also snuck onto my body when I went to Hawaii! Quick! You better come over and get it back since you didn't want me to take it! It's already nagging to come along to Yokohama!!