Just4You

Jay had a 4-door jeep-like vehicle. Very easy to get in and out and to see everything.

I highly recommend booking Treat Lightly Kauai with Jay Dorrance, a local on Kauai. Having Jay as your very own private tour guide for the day is the best way to visit Kauai. You can specify exactly what you want to see or do, or leave it up to Jay to take you to the best places and private areas that only the locals know about. You can hike and explore, or simply relax and kick back on the most beautiful beaches sipping fresh coconut juice from a coconut he opens right in front of you. Jay embodies the aloha spirit, as he does, indeed, tread lightly on this beautiful and magical land. He made me feel welcome and at the end of the day, I felt as if I, too, were a part of the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. Next time I visit, I want to stay at his cabin on his property.

Donna, almost 80K hits! Your review continues to be my favorite! Hawaii hasn't changed that much since you first posted this.

If you want to read my latest review of Hawaii Nov 2012 (and see lots of pictures of my tattoos, i.e., your henna design):

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1742282

From Egon (regarding moving to Switzerland, which requires having a residence there while waiting for a visa to live there permanently):

Lots of Canadians escape the Winter months, those on the east usually wind up in Florida and Texas, those in the west, Arizona and California. We had ground frost last night, but today's temperature is maybe 55F in bright sunshine. The trees have mostly shed their leaves, which covers lawns like a carpet, after a display of colours which is a delight to see.

Since such a limited number of apartments is available (3 in all) a decision has to been made promptly. With the Consulate requiring where you are going to live, the only way that can be accomplished is by renting for 3 month ($ 5400) but not living in the apartment because they would require the visa (IF they accept this). I would have to stay in Canada hoping that the visa comes through and then travel to Switzerland, in the middle of winter, stay somewhere while I furnish the apartment - in my present condition it looms entirely too large an undertaking. It seems very prudent to not trying to battle the issue, particularly if there are other viable opportunities.

This is our Thanksgiving weekend, and we are invited by Joyce's

daughter, and I have to get ready.

I send my love!

Egon

Wrong choice of words. What I meant by them is that since we get similar e-mails you can submit what you have, i'll compare and submit anything I get differently (if suitable, that is...lol).

Glad to hear you will continue on this blog. Besides Egon, it was also because of you that I kept reading!

Suitable is right... he's quite the character with a great sense of humor! Wish there were more Egons in the world. I should be getting another email from him in the next day or two.

I am back from my cruise and am letting Just4You take over if that's okay. I will let Egon know as well.

Pat, please continue to share any emails from Egon and I will do the same! I don't think anyone should "take over," since many of us communicate with him via email. I will be happy to share what I get in the way of emails or pictures.

That was a touching story of the power of music on your cruise. You have a wonderful writing style and I would like to hear more of your cruise experience. If you write a review, please give us the link.

Here's the latest from our dearest Egon:

Dearest Karie.

Maybe, I think the if you drew a straight line up north of you, you would get to North Bay, Ontario. This being the case, it would facilitate your mentally thinking of me, like the fly on you hand - but I am not so easily satisfied! [i live near Houston, Tx]

While i am acutely aware of the brain's learning ability, I am suspicious that a it has its age related limits. However I am ploughing along.

I think that I have to forego dream of spending the rest of my life in Bern,there are just too many difficulties. To start with, it takes about 4 months to get the visa for living in Switzerland, and I have an address in Bern where I am going the live, then th,ere is always a waiting time for assisted living, plus the logistics of the whole move including medical insurance - coupled with my present affliction which prevents me from communicate properly and a not so spry condition - let reason prevail!

I send you love - Egon

Here are a couple of pics of Egon. Click on them to make it bigger.

I heard from Egon today:

I am working on the Swiss deal, but this is really very much complicated. Only the fact that I had sold everything two years ago (except 30 cartons of personal effect in storage), makes it at all possible, but the logistics of the move looms large. We'll see what happens, and where the guide takes me!

I am attaching photographs of myself.

Egon

I do hope he makes it to Switzerland! I can't attach the photos and videos from here since I'm at work but will do it Monday (most of the photos and the 1 video were already on this site, but he attached a more recent picture of himself with his son, Steve.

I believe he really likes to hear from us, after all, he is a natural communicator who braved the rain and potholes to get to a WiFi area to keep us updated on his experience when he was on the cruise ship. Even if he lost his ability to speak fluenty, he can still write!

Looking at this picture:

would make me wonder what the heck it was. I'll settle for my Windjammer buffet instead....This looks NASTY! Not so sure our Egon would eat it either! LOL...I'll have to ask him and get his reply.

It doesn't look too appetizing. Oh well... to each his own

Here is another interesting blog by a multi-millionaire who is on another world cruise on Amsterdam. Fantastic pics! We can at least dream, can't we?

http://amazingvoyages2.blogspot.com/

It was confusing until I realized you have to start at the bottom and read UP. Kind of crazy the way it's set up, but the pictures are great. Looking at his picture makes my skin hurt (gasp:eek:!)...the sun damage from all the tanning!! It reminds me of a leather belt I own.

Egon sent Pat a pps format slideshow called "The Beauty of the Night".

I can't post the pps but I think this is the same thing on YouTube.

 

touching... my favorite song, too. Thanks for posting it.

Pat, have a wonderful time!

It might be transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder but unsure of the stage (I'm a doctor). I believe Andy Williams died recently of bladder cancer. I'm betting he still has a few good years left, after all, he is otherwise healthy, brilliant, and a talented musician.

So relieved his mind is intact and he continues to keep us in the loop. Now if we can just get him to write about his perceptions and observations, or his new "journey," maybe it will help form connections around the damaged part of the brain.

I just want to scoop him up in my arms and protect him! I invited him to our home near Houston this winter because it gets cold where he is. Also secretly wishing he gets to go back to Bern Switzerland. Anyway, I thinks he still looks great (MSC slippers and all :D).

I got an email from Egon. I am hoping he will continue to write about his observations and perceptions, especially after what he has been through. The journey he is on is much different from what he or any of us expected, but it is still a magnificant journey that he can share with us. With over 139,687 views, there are many of us who are not ready to have him "retire."

Dear Karie,

of all the comments on my musings yours takes of cake! Thank you so much!

I am recuperating from the bladder operation and well as from the stroke, but I am still more or less "speechless" - but I can write. I am now in Canada at my son's place www.torbay.net but I have grave doubts that I might be embarking on "many more exciting journeys" as you suggest.

Maybe you would like to look at my website (Below).

Best regards,

Egon

http://home.cablerocket.com/~egon/index.htm

I just read all 74 pages of this fasinating thread! It makes me appreciate life more, with all its ups and downs, joys and sorrows. But mostly it makes me appreciate humanity.

One of the funniest quotes I read from Egon's journey was when he was people-watching on the ship. He was commenting about the frenzied mass of people embarking on the ship, everyone was rushing around with a look of either panic or annoyance, and acting as if their meal would be their last as they heaped their plates full of food that was mostly wasted. He wrote "What I realized is that humanity is nothing to shout about." I found his observation of people on vacation and his comment hilarious! How often have I thought the same way!

Later, when I read the touching stories of everyone on this thread, including Egon's, where it involved the help/prayers or others, I was touched. The journey of Egon's adventures (along with life's experience from a few of you) taught me that there is hope for us, after all. Life is glorious, isn't it?

It's not the experience in life that counts, but the life you experience.

Here's the pics of your henna tattoo to compare to mine:

Hey Donna,

If you're out there, I got a permanent tattoo on my leg of your henna tattoo. I liked yours so much I copied your picture and took to my tattoo artist and he did a similar black & gray tattoo on my leg.

Here are some pics of it. Excuse the white leg, haven't used the fake tanning lotion yet for our upcoming trip to Hawaii Nov 2012:

Hey Donna,

If you're out there, I got a permanent tattoo on my leg of your henna tattoo. I liked yours so much I copied your picture and took to my tattoo artist and he did a similar black & gray tattoo on my leg.

As suggested the moderators can move it over, if you ask them. Another thing you can do is to copy and paste it over here. That way it will be on both boards, not a bad thing.

Thanks for the idea, I made a new thread, but only copied the link, hope it works. I don't know how to copy the entire review since it's on several pages.

I asked the cruise critic administration, but they said it should stay on NCL board. The only problem is that it will be dropped if it doesn't get any posts and gets to the last page, and there are only 10 pages on the NCL board. At least here on Hawaii:Ports of Call there are hundreds of pages, and if activity stops or slows down it will still be around, just on a later page. Even with this new link it will be dropped once it gets to the end of the 10th page as long as it stays on the NCL site.

WOW, almost 60,000 views! I think your review beat the record! Your review is awesome. I've read it several times because I refuse to come down from the high of magical Hawaii from my recent Dec 2011 trip. Re-reading your review keeps that high going. Thanks!

By the way, I made the mistake of posting my review on NCL boards instead of Hawaii Ports of Call. Anyone know how I can move it to this area?

We booked our room reservations direct through the Outrigger web site. The farther in advance you do it the better the price was my experience.

I went to the Outrigger website and couldn't believe the prices were so good this far out. I thought the best places to find a good deal on hotels in Hawaii were any sites OTHER than the hotel. Boy was I wrong! Thanks!

I enjoyed your review and photographs! We just returned from Pride America Dec 18 and are returning again Nov 2012. After reading your review, I believe we will upgrade to aft balcony cabin. We are also considering a few days at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach (instead of Waikiki Resort that we stayed at in past). Do you remember who you booked the room through for Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach?

Thanks again for the great review!

Here's a link to my Dec 2011 review: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1534322