“People travel because it teaches them things they could learn no other way.” Lance Morrow
After 6 days at sea, we docked for the day in Honolulu, HI, January 12th, to refuel the ship. After breakfast on the ship, and (with in-port techo-access) some hurried check-ins back home, we disembarked. This brief stop turned out to be an excellent way to reinforce a Semester at Sea (SAS) mantra: Be a traveler, not a tourist. We loaded into a van with 12 students and a local guide for a day-long excursion. Larry was the faculty field liaison.
First, our guide drove us through town, pointing out landmarks. He showed us the hospital where Barack Obama was born and the high school that both he and Obama attended. (Our guide said he dated Obama’s sister, once!) Then, we went to a local state park, where we were greeted by a local expert on Hawaiian culture. He provided an engaging and educational presentation about the history and culture of Hawaii, with particular emphasis on the indigenous population’s marginalization.
He gave an important clarification about two simple, but emblematic, cultural concepts that tourists often disrespect: Aloha and Hula. He gave the history of both terms, explicating the actual meaning of Aloha. It’s a deeply spiritual term—not just a casual greeting. He took us through each letter, explaining its meaning, and then the overall meaning of the word. (Word Nerd Nirvana!) Then, he told us about the cultural significance of the hula and taught us some movements—with their cultural meaning and interpretation.
Next, we had a picnic lunch in the park, and, then, rode to a couple of scenic overlooks and a beach to dip toes (and a couple of full bodies) in the water. Finally, we trekked up through a muddy rainforest to a beautiful waterfall. (Hurrah! Trees!) At each of these points, we converged with other SAS groups. Over 80% of the SAS participants are female. At the waterfall, several of the women jumped in. It was a beautiful, albeit a bit scary, scene to see these nymphs frolicking! Erlene dubbed a particularly ecstatic one, “Water Girl.” Larry commented that, at first he was a little anxious, but then he realized that usually it’s the boys who do stupid things. And, girls should be allowed to be stupid too. The young women laughed, and one said, “That’s going in my blog.” (Out of respect for them, we aren’t posting photos; but, it was a lovely vision of female freedom.)
Our van energy was fun and the students were great! The day was so jam-packed that we didn’t have any free time to get our Starbucks coffee stash, pour-over travel coffeemaker, or other supplies and errands. We had to be back on ship and through customs (again) to disembark by 8:00 p.m.
At day’s end, we felt a connection with our co-travelers and the precious part of the world that generously hosted us for the day. John (one of the students) commented that he and his family have been to Hawaii many times for vacation. He continued, “But, I’ve never experienced it like this! I prefer this way…where you get to know about the place and culture, not just lay on the beach and go to hula dances.” Erlene replied, “Ah, you’re seeing the difference in being a traveler, not just a tourist.” Seeing the Voyage through the eyes of students makes it doubly enriching.
