Unexpected return to mainland

Without going into too much detail; we were forced to cancel the remainder of our trip due to a family emergency back home. In case you've ever wondered just how people get home in situations like these ...

The day starts off like any other; beautiful weather and a tasty breakfast on the patio. I don't need to check in for my windsurfing lesson until 9:30, but we arrive at the shop shortly before nine. It's not even open yet so we're waiting in the car when suddenly the phone rings.

Neither one of us is thinking clearly, but we're only a short drive from the airport so we head over there to try and secure a flight, but there's no travel agency at the airport and even though we could've booked with one of the airlines directly we wouldn't know if someone else had a faster connection.

I try to find things on my phone as we're driving back to our "B&B," where our host hands us the local yellow pages. We explain the whole situation to one of the travel agencies then wait for them to get back to us. Finally we call them again only to find out they did do a search, they just never called us back. Really?! Meanwhile the one flight I'd found on my phone has disappeared and all that's showing up are flights leaving late at night.

I change my search around and start looking for flights to cities on the west coast, and in another window search for flights from the west coast to home. It's a risk because if you miss your connection they have no obligation to help out, but what else can we do? And no, these last-minute flights were not cheap!

Flights booked we rapidly throw all our belongings in our suitcases, say goodbye to our fabulous hosts and hurry back to the airport. Once there we make the decision to also check the suitcase we normally bring as a carry-on and to have all our luggage labelled all the way through.

Security is a nightmare! I don't know why but the line stretches all the way through the terminal and it's hard to stay calm when it's really important that you get on the plane. There's no time to get food before boarding the plane and our plans to eat during our layover in Honolulu don't work out either. We sit down in some kind of grill, but they say the food won't be ready in time so instead I get a bag of chips from the machine ... I then promptly step on on the bag which sends them scattering all over the floor.

As a last resort we buy some questionable looking sandwiches from Starbucks, but they really are yucky and we have to force ourselves to eat even half of it.

To our surprise they do serve dinner on the flight to Los Angeles and even though it's obviously airplane food the vegetable curry isn't half bad.

When we boarded the plane we alerted one of the flight attendants to our situation and she was able to reseat us close to the front of the plane for landing. I wish I knew her name because if not for her we would've never made our connection.

She gives us directions to terminal six, but we're both fried and frazzled and we're running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Why oh why did we have to land in the terminal that's farthest away from our connecting flight!?! There's supposed to be a shuttle but we can't figure out where it stops or how often it runs and we're scared to stop and try to find someone who knows so there's nothing left to do but run, run, run until we can run no more and then run some more.

The flight is already boarding when we reach the counter and we haven't even gotten our boarding passes yet. There's only one person in line ahead of us; he also wants to get on the flight but he has bags that need to be checked so there's nothing they can do for him --- he missed the flight.

Things aren't looking much better for us, especially since we don't have boaring passes but after a few terse moments where we explain everything again they place a call to the gate and we get the OK as long as we hurry through security. Fortunately things are moving faster here and even though we still don't get a chance to get a proper meal in at least we are able to catch the plane.

Our last layover is also the shortest, but at least we'll be in Cleveland and a lot closer to home. It's now morning on the east coast so even if we miss this flight we should be able to get another flight very quickly. Luckily we don't have to worry about that because the flight gets in a bit early and after walking to our next terminal there's even time left to get a quick bite at Subway. The last flight also goes off without a hitch and to our surprise we find that all of our bags have made the trip as well.

I strongly hope to never have to go through anything like this again, but maybe sharing our experience will help someone else in knowing what to do when the unexpected happens ...

Day 12: West Maui

Wake up a bit early this morning thanks to a friendly neighborhood rooster, but this is remedied quickly by closing the door and going back to sleep.

When it’s really time to get up I drag myself out of bed and get some more fantastic travel tips from our hosts. They really are the nicest hosts anyone could wish for!

More yummy fresh cut fruit and yoghurt for breakfast then we go back on route 30, this time a little further north to Ka’anapili, but first a quick stop at the 8^th mile marker to watch the whales. There’s some definite whale activity going on in multiple places, but they’re pretty far out so unless you came prepared with binoculars it’s hard to see just what’s what. Still it's a great view.

Anyway, so today we’re going snorkeling at Black Rock, located on the grounds of the super fancy Sheraton resort. We’ve walked through and at times even stayed at a lot of high end resorts, but I have to admit this really is a NICE place.

No public parking unfortunately, but it’s so worth the money. Like I said the grounds are amazing, lush greens everywhere with beautiful tropical flowers and everything just flows together.

The property is located on a stretch of perfect soft sand with calm crystal clear water lapping the shore. There’s a few boats docked off shore, some paddle boarders floating by and of course lots of snorkelers around the right end where black rock is at.

The people sitting next to us all reported a strong current swimming to or back, but I didn’t notice it at all myself. The water is amazingly clear and even though it’s a smaller area there are a lot of fish and quite a few varieties. Lots of trumpetfish and unicornfish. Unfortunately, shortly after entering the water the battery indicator on the camera started flashing low and 10 minutes later it was completely dead L

This is all I got ... oooh yeah nice clarity here!

Pacific trumpetfish in bright, bright yellow

Black (?) triggerfish

Last picture of the day ... I think it's also a trumpetfish. There were tons of them in all different colors, pretty good camouflage artists.

I'll admit, I'm a camera junkie so when the battery petered out so did my desire to keep snorkeling. It's still fun, but I know I'd be frustrated if I ran into something really cool. Besides, lots to see on land as well.

And then there’s the local youth jumping off one of the cliffs …. yet another thing that’s still on my bucket list. I don’t want to do anything stupid, but after watching them do it for a while and having seen the landing area while I was snorkeling it’s hard to come up with reasons not to.

Of course, I realized as soon as I started climbing up the rock that that part looks a lot easier than it really was – or maybe I just don’t know where to put my free? – but a busted knee aside I make it to the top unscathed. Looks pretty freakin’ high from the top by the way! Eek!

Jump! Here I've just jumped off the ledge on the right

Woohoo! Now that was fun! But there's places to go, people to see, so we vow to return to Black Rock later this week and continue our exploration of West Maui.

Lahaina is supposed to be really cool place to wander around so I Tripadvisor the top places to eat and find a place called the Gazebo. Of course it turns out to be a ways north from Black Rock instead of downtown Lahaina, but that actually works out great since we’re headed that way anyway.

The Gazebo is a cute little restaurant overlooking beautiful Napili Bay that serves breakfast and lunch only. I’m all set on a plate lunch when I find out they’re still serving breakfast … uhoh. That adds a whole lot more options and how can I possibly resist white chocolate chip pancakes?! They are, by the way, to die for. Yum Yum Yum.

After “lunch” we take some time to explore Napili Bay. Looks like they’ve got some great boogie boarding here.

Honolau Bay has some of the best, if not the best, snorkeling on Maui, but today a large winter swell has rolled in and everyone is out watching the surfers. It’s unbelievable the amount of surfers waiting in the line-up and they’re pretty aggressive about whose wave it is too. Don’t mess with da local boys, bra!

Looks like a different place closer to shore 

Still the surfers are pretty far out and Pipe’s got us spoiled so we press on.

Next stop, the Nakalele blowhole. Pretty amazing! Basicially the ocean has eroded part of the lava shelf and is now forcing itself through the narrow opening.  Sandy watches from the top while I scramble down the “path” to the bottom for a closer view ... see the tiny people in the picture?

There’s two German tourists playing near the blowhole … talk about playing with fire! Oh wait, that was yesterday :-P

 Cute sweetheart opening in the rock.

The blowhole is spouting every few seconds, mostly just a small fine mist, but occasionally big sprays like this one. I read that when it's really roaring it can spout 70 feet high!

At this point the road has gotten pretty squiggly with wondrous ocean vistas waiting behind every turn, while on the mauka (=mountain) side a vibrant green bears witness to the large amount of rain this area receives. Quite the contrast with the dry area we’re staying in.

Quick picture of Gracie, the Nissan

The last stop before we turn around is the controversial Olivine Pools. I say controversial because they are both beloved by reckless tourists and reviled by locals who have seen bad things happen there one too many times. Again the “path” leading down is a mess so I scramble down by myself to get a closer look. No one’s taking a dip while I’m there and with the waves crashing on the rocks that’s just as well. Definitely pretty, but not a real blow-me-away experience either.

Probably the safest drive from that point is to return the way we came so we back track the whole twisting way, stopping only to take pictures here and there (it’s much easier to stop as most of the viewpoint are on this side of the road).

On the way up we missed Makalua-puna Point, better known as the Dragon’s Teeth, an area where the wind and the ocean have shaped and colored old lava to look like a row of shark’s teeth. The get there we have to walk along the edge of the Ritz Carlton golf course -- perfectly manicured of course. I actually check out the different lengths of the grass for the various zones and I swear they’re cutting it by hand using a ruler or something. Holy smokes! I can only hope that we don’t accidently dislodge a sod lest we lose our home.

Fortunately we make it to the teeth without any incident and it’s another fabulous view. They look really awesome in the late afternoon sun.

It’s almost sunset by the time we cruise into Lahaina; just in time to get some shave ice from #1 rated Ululani and watch the sun disappear behind one of the other islands (Molokai, I believe). This is THE world’s best shaved ice btw! I get a scoop of vanilla ice cream with kiwi, passion fruit and melona shaved ice. OMG, the melona is out of this world good! I am so going to come back to this place!

Lahaina’s downtown area is very cute and quirky with a mix of tourist trap souvenir shop, surf gear, restaurants and art galleries all thrown together. We walk past the Baldwin Home but it's closed.

Dusk is falling when we arrive at Banyan tree park. This entire park, about the size of a whole city block, is occupied by one giant banyan tree. It has roots growing down everywhere so it doesn’t even look like it’s all the same tree .. so weird. To make it even weirder there are hundreds or maybe even thousands of birds sitting in the tree and they are making such a ruckus. I wonder if they always do that?

I do an easy climb into the tree, because everyone knows; trees are made for climbing!

Then when we’re walking back to the car I spot a picture of a horse in one of the art galleries, except it’s not just a normal photograph but several images blended together to make it looks like the horses have escaped from a merry-go-round. All the pictures in the window show some kind of optical illusion and we can’t resist stepping inside to view the other work. The artist's name is Thomas Barbey. Who’d have guessed I’d ever step into an art gallery voluntarily? Hahaha. No really, it was great.

It’s been a pretty long day again and tomorrow I’m scheduled to have a wind surfing lesson so it’s time to get to bed!

 Mileage for today:

Day 11: more snorkeling yet

We are really getting spoiled here; we wake up to a fridge filled with all kinds of yummy breakfast foods. We have cut up fresh food, yogurt, toast with guava jelly and different kinds of cereal. Wow!

The trade winds make snorkeling tricky in the afternoon, whipping up waves and reducing visibility, thus the plan is to go out first thing in the morning, but where to go? There’s so many options and we don’t really know what’s what yet so we make our way to Makena Landing / 5 Caves.

Cars are parked all along the road so I take this to be a good sign and if nothing else the setting is very picturesque; a gently curving bay lined with trees and views of other islands in the distance. We’re parked quite a distance away, but I think I spot a shortcut except it dead ends and as we’re backtracking I feel a sudden sharp pain in my big toe.

Thinking it’s probably just a twig I keep walking, then stop again, look at my toe  -- can’t find anything, keep walking, ouch, now limping, stop again, re-examine my toe followed by my flip flop, keep limping along, ow, ow, ow, start whining -- now Sandy’s looking at my toe, more limping, throw myself down on someone’s lawn stretching my toe as close to my face as possible all the while pressing on my shoe trying to find something wrong with either part … and then finally Sandy turns my flip flop over and attached to the bottom is the meanest, gnarliest thorn you could possible imagine. Not long enough for me to feel by pressing on it, but enough to pierce my toe every time I put my weight on it. According to my guidebook the thing (called a kiawe thorn) is tough enough to pierce Kevlar. Yeah, no kidding!

Now thorn-free we make our way to a sunny spot on the grassy cliff overlooking the bay. You know, it looks kind of cloudy up close but there’s a bunch of snorkelers and scuba divers already out there so that’s promising. I take a minute to warm up then throw myself in the remarkably murky water. It gets a bit clearer once I get further off shore, but still a bit of a letdown, especially considering there’s less coral here and very few fish. Part of the problem is that it’s also a lot deeper so the fish are way at the bottom where they appear like tiny little flecks of color. When I go over to where other people are snorkeling (in the hopes of finding a good spot) there’s still depressingly little to be seen. Since I’m out by myself it don’t want to go all the way around the rock to the 5 Caves area that's supposed to be one of the better snorkeling spots on Maui. Oh well. 

Not to be deterred – ok, well a little – we decide to drive up to another local snorkeling spot called Ulua. Unfortunately unbeknownst to us they're doing construction and only a handful of parking spots remain … of course they’ve long been filled so the only option is to turn around and try something else.

By now I’m a little frustrated, it’s getting late and I haven’t been able to do anything that even comes close to Kona. Have I been spoiled for life by Kona’s clear waters and abundance of fish?

We drive a ways up north and connect with route 30, where a large reef stretches along the highway around mile marker 14. Overhyped according to my guide book, but lo and behold, it’s actually pretty decent! Visibility is not bad and the reef is huge – you can snorkel left and right and far out to sea without it getting deep at all. Not quite as many fish and fewer variety than in Kona, but I still get to see some new fish including the supercool oriental flying gurnard.

More colorful wrasses -- first a Christmas wrasse

Then a belted wrasse

The wind has picked up quite a bit and we’re getting belted with flying sand, but curiously it doesn’t really affect the ocean here ... see how smooth the surface is?

Another kind of lizardfish I think ... just look at that adorable little face!

Bluespotted cornetfish ... almost looks like a limbless crocodile

Weird kind of underwater snail

Saved the best one for last; a male spotted boxfish

Due to a miscommunication we end up in Wailuku with me badly needing a restroom. That means a trip to McDonald's is in order. After eating poi – and hating it – at the luau on Big Island, I’d said to Sandy that if anyone can make it taste enjoyable it’d be McDonald's so what better time to try it?! And yes, in case you’re wondering; with the addition of no doubt exorbitant amounts of sugar, butter and some time in the deep fryer taro pie is mighty tasty!

No luck with the bathroom though; there’s a crazy dude in the ladies room. Yes, I said dude and no, I have no idea why he was in there but he certainly wasn’t going to come out and giving the amount of cursing when I tried to open the door we think the better of it.

The number 1 rated place on TripadvisorWailuku for me.

Quick bathroom stop at our rental unit, then off to Maui Pizza Madness where we split a pizza. Not bad!

Sunday night is the night of the legendary sunset celebration at Little Beach and when we get there a ton of cars are already parked alongside the road. This is actually a good thing because there are no mile markers in this area so it can be hard to figure out just where things are.

The path opens onto Big Beach; definitely a big (and beautiful) beach, but my attention is drawn to two adorable little critters near the garbage can. Someone behind us is talking about mongoose so for now I’ll assume that’s what they are.

It’s a bit tricky getting to the top of the rock ledge that separates Big Beach from Little Beach, but the view from the top is fantastic.

It’s not until you tear your gaze away from Big Beach basking in the late afternoon and wander over to the other side that you start noticing the sound of drums in the distance. It’s like the beat draws you in to join the party happening down on the beach.

The scenery on this side is no less gorgeous, but probably the first thing you notice is that some people pack very light omitting extraneous items like clothing. And when you’re surrounding by all those peace loving, pot smoking people it’s easy to see how you could misplace your own bikini and frolic in the waves by the setting sun.

As the sun drops lower and lower the drums pick up the pace and people are dancing like the 1960s never ended. Pink shorts guy was a riot ... just kind of swaying in place oblivious to what was happening around him.

There she goes! Lower and lower as the drums become more hectic ...

Lots of cheers when it finally disappears behind a low hanging cloud and then the real party begins; the fire dancers come out from their spot in the trees.

It's both exciting and a bit frightening to be able to watch from just feet away without any safety nets in place -- and yes, they do go flying at times, but everyone just laughs and the show goes on.

It's not just the guys who get to play ...

Lots of fire breathers.

You can tell by looking at the pictures that they use all kinds of different things to hold the flame; sticks, fans, hula hoops and poi (balls of a string)

Hula hoop dancer

 

By 8pm the party starts dwindling down and we decide to head back while there are still enough people there with flashlights should we need it. It’s a bit scary having to navigate down the steep lava in the dark, but someone is nice enough to stand near the most difficult section with a big torch so we make it to Big Beach without incident.

What a fabulous day!