Honolulu 1954

As we left Fanny Holt Ames she was on the President Monroe steaming towards Honolulu while nursing her friend Agnes who had broken her arm. They arrived in Honolulu at 8:30, and after the traditional Hawaiian dancers and leis made of orchids, plumeria, and carnations, they headed to the St. Francis Hospital. Today the St. Francis is a small 52 bed hospital whose modern looking building couldn't have been the one Fanny visited. Its claim to fame is that it is the facility where former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos died in 1989. After a comedy of errors arranging care that had her in "hysterics" despite the seriousness of Agnes condition, Fanny finally left the hospital and had a midnight supper of Martinis, 3" tenderloin, "real Hawaiian pineapples," and champagne before getting back to the ship at 1:30.

On the 29th Fanny was busy with trip issues-Agnes would have to abandon the tour and Fanny was making flight arrangements-, but managed to get to the Fisherman's Wharf restaurant for a lunch of Hawaiian fish and coconut milk ice cream. Fisherman's Wharf remained in business into the 21st century, but closed recently. Details taken care of she went to Waikiki Beach "for old times sake, but how it has changed." This hint of past trips was not explained. Fanny was back on board the ship and dead tired by 3:30. After a half hour concert by the Royal Hawaiian Band and singers featuring pleasing native specialties the ship sailed at 4. She would spend the next week and a half at sea on the way to Japan. We'll check in on shipboard life in the next few days.