Maui 2013 - Feb 28 to March 8

February 28
Another sunny day.  After a relaxing morning around the condo and pool, we again went whale watching with Robbin and Cora on the zodiac with Captain Steve.  We got a discount as a repeat customer.  Half the boat seemed to be repeat customers.  Things started out slowly and I was concerned that this could be a disappointment,  We went quite a while without seeing any whale action near by.  then we found a pod, and a whale did swim under our boat.  Then they were off.  We spent a while searching again.  We did get reports on the radio from a boat we passed that was working on trying to release a whale calf that was entangled in netting.  Reports did not bode well for the little (relatively) guy. Finally, we found a mother, a calf and a male escort whale.  We stopped to watch them.  The calf was very curious about our boat apparently, and soon swam up to and under us.  I could see it clearly under water below me.  The adults followed.  Several times they surfaced around both sides of the boat, and looked like they would leave.  Each time the calf returned.  We had whales surfacing within ten feet of us, or swimming just below the surface beside the boat.  It was an awesome display.  Cora had made the comment earlier that she wanted to see the whale's eyes, and sure enough, at one point she looked straight into an eye.  She was pretty excited and moved by this. While I did not see a breach, at least not close enough to photograph as I had hoped, it was a wonderful trip, and we hope to come back with Carl, the assistant, who does the Lanai snorkel trip in the future.

In the evening we went to Whaler's Village to walk through the fancy hotels in Kaanapali.  This was fortunate, because it gave us a chance to check out some jewelry stores.  Once again, despite a hot day in Lahaina, it was windy and cool in Kaanapali.  We did end up at Lielani's for a tropical drink before heading home.  Joanie had FUN and laughed hysterically at some of the off colour t-shirts she saw in one of the stores. 

March 1
After breakfast we went to Hilo Hatties for shopping.  Good times.  We also arranged for Robbin to be a second driver on the rental car, which cost the same for the rest of their stay as taking it for a week.  But, even good times end at some time.  I was standing in front of the table of coffee mugs when one of the employees came past with a cart.   I stepped back to get out of his way, and knocked four boxes of mugs onto the floor.  All broke.  It was time to move to another section of the store.  I gave Cora a coupon for a free mug with her purchase, but warned her to make sure her free cup was not broken.  Then we ran into Ted and Marika (I still called her Trudy) Vroon, who were on a Hawaian cruise.

After lunch we drove to Maluaka Beach, a nice beach at the end of the Makena Road south of Wailea. We were able to sit under some trees for shade.  This is also on the edge of a point often referred to as "Turtle Town" by many tour operators.  (There are actually several locations referred to as Turtle Town, just as the beach and several others are sometimes named Makena Beach by different locals.  Not at all confusing!)  Joanie and I tried snorkeling but in the late afternoon the waves were a little strong and our masks kept fogging up.  We did see about four turtles swimming when we walked to the point.  We brought clothes with us so we could change at the washroom by the little parking lot, and then went to the Shops of Wailea mall to do some shopping.  Did I mention that I actually hate shopping?  Before shopping though, we ate dinner at the restaurant, Cheeseburger in Paradise, where we celebrated Cora's retirement.  Cora and Joanie tried a new exotic drink, Double Trouble, and Joanie had FUN. 

After shopping for a little while, (I put my foot down and stated I was not keen on every outing turning into a shopping trip), we tried to find our way to the waterfront walkway.  We could not, so we drove to the nearby hotel, The Grand Wailea, where we were informed we could only park using their valet parking, so we returned to the shopping centre, where we were stopped by a security guard who said we should not park there if we were leaving the property.  I don't remember going for a walk in Wailea being soooo difficult.  We broke down and used the valet parking at the hotel.  Joanie bought a $2 roll of mentos to validate the parking.  We strolled along the walkway behind the hotels, and took in part of a luau show.  We returned home by 9:30PM.

Vacationing is sometimes about being flexible and going with the flow. On Saturday, March 2 we made plans to go to DT Fleming Beach.  Just before leaving, Joanie called Ryan and Stephanie, local friends, to confirm plans to see them after church on Sunday.  Stephanie was taken to a hospital on the Big Island because she was pregnant and her water broke early.  However, Ryan still wanted us to come, but suggested not going to Fleming Beach because that is where he was going to take us.  After extending our coffee break until late morning,our plans changed to just hanging around here.  It was a busy day though.  After a time of reading by the pool, we went to the banyan tree to see the local arts fair. We stopped by a jewelry store first to shop.  After ten minutes I was done and left the rest to shop on their own while I worked my way back to the pool area for more reading.  After dinner it was off to the Catholic school bazaar near us.  The place was packed with it seemed everyone who lives in Lahaina.  We were done quickly though, and got changed to go to the hot tub.  It was full with another group, so it was back to the condo.  We even watched a little TV for the first time. 

March 2
Another sunny day.  We went to church in Kapalua, on the golf course.  This is where Ryan and Stephanie go, and we met Ryan in the parking lot.  We all enjoyed the service, and even knew most of the songs.  Visitors were given shell leis during the service.  Hilo Hattie would be jealous.  After church we did some shopping at the store near by.  Okay, it was only for ten or fifteen minutes, but we did.  Then we met Ryan and his children, Jonah and Avery at the Plantation golf course down the highway for brunch.  This is where the PGA holds a major golf tournament, and the trophy was on display.  We were a little worried about how much this was going to cost, because Robbin and I were going to treat Ryan. The cost however was very reasonable. We had a wonderful eggs benedict.  Afterwards, Ryan gave us a tour of the school where he works.  We then parted ways and drove a few minutes to DT Fleming Beach.  It was a little confusing day because plans kept getting made and broken.  On the phone Ryan talked about going with us to the beach, but then made no mention or show any intent to go with us.  Over lunch he asked if we wanted to drop by his house to get changed for the beach, but after the school tour, there was no indication that he still expected us to follow him home, so we said goodbye.  We however had a very good visit with him.  DT Fleming was beautiful as usual, and also very windy.  We came home at about 3PM and sat by the pool until dinner, drinking our frozen $2 slushy drinks.  I had a pina colada, which was 6% alcohol.  Not bad at all for the price!  Robbin and I BBQ'd steaks, and met two fellows from Kelowna.  They were new and asked about the system for BBQ'ing, and we told them it cost a bottle of beer.  They did end up bringing us beer, even though they knew we were joking.  In the evening, we wanted to get outside, so we walked down Front Street, and stopped for a coffee at our usual place beside Cheeseburger in Paradise.  We also did some shopping.  All in all another A+ day.

March 4
Things are getting really weird here in Hawaii.  It's only 10:45PM, and our friends have gone to bed, not unusual, but so has Joanie, and I am reluctant to admit that if it were not for this blog, I might join her.  What is happening to us?  I still get up every day between 7 and 7:30 and am always in bed before 12:30AM. 

Today we did not go shopping!  OK, going to Boss Frogs to look for snorkel equipment does not count.  Robbin and Cora rented equipment for a day, and ended up also buying a sunset dinner cruise, which was going for half price because they were trying to fill the boat.  We of course joined them.  But first, it was off to Kaanapali and the beach at Black Rock.  The water was a little clearer than previous visits.  It was a little eventful, but that is a story for another day.  We returned early so we could drive to Ma'alaea Harbor for our cruise at 4:30PM.  The sitting arrangements were not fancy, but the food was excellent.  Some of us had fish, ono-ono, crusted in macadamia, while others had prime beef.  Along with the Caesar salad, roasted potatoes, veggies, a delicious chicken and moist chocolate cake, we were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.  There was also a musician on board, playing Jimmy Buffet, Eagles and other mellow music.  He often plays at Fleetwood Mac's bar as well as at one of the hotels.  He was very good.  We enjoyed the sunset, with whales surfacing in the foreground.  The price, $49, included two free drinks, we had mai tais, and Joanie even had an extra free drink.  She had FUN.  Apart from the fact that we had to watch The Bachelor on TV in the evening, it was wonderful again today.  The oddest thing though was that we went to be at 11PM. 

March 5
After breakfast, we drove to the north end of the island.  We stopped at several lookouts over Honolua Bay, a  sheltered cove for snorkeling on a calm day, which was not today, and also a famous surfing place.  We watched in amazement as scores of surfers waited in the huge surf and then caught just the right wave, some standing and some lying on their boards.  It was like in the movies where the huge wave curls right over the surfer, and you thing they are done for, but then they emerge from the wave "tube".  The road above the site was lined with cars, and there were lots of people watching.  We then drove further, to a lighthouse (now a mechanical uninteresting tower) and the blowhole.  The coast was fantastic.  We stood in awe, watching the large waves crashing over beautiful, interesting lava formations.  I find blowholes are often over-rated, but this one was not.  We drove a little farther on the highway to get a better glimpse of a pyramid like outcrop but turned around after a while, knowing the road was going to get much narrower and rougher. 

The rest of the day was spent around our pool, and then in the evening, we dropped by Kimos for a drink.  Joanie had FUN.

Studying my Hawaiian bird book, we were intrigued by how bird sounds are written down.  The other day I saw a francolin, a quail-like bird, which made a very loud, piercing sound.  However, I could not describe it nor find words to record it.  The closest I came today was a red cardinal that is welcoming the sun every morning.  He seems to sing "tweeeet, tweeeet, weiner-weiner-weiner."  What that means I have no idea.

March 6
The day began early, dropping Robbin and Cora off at the dock for their six hour deluxe trip with Captain Steve to Lanai, for snorkeling, whale-watching and dolphin watching.  The zodiac has no washroom facilities so they are a little worried.  The only advice they were given from the local snorkel shop was, swim away from the other snorkelers if you have to go, and if you need to do a big job, make sure it is down stream.  Yuk!

For the past few days, Joanie has been suffering from a toothache off and on, and it has been more on than off lately.  It appears to be a problem with her crown.  We spent a while walking around town looking for a pharmacy which had something to numb the tooth.  We tried some tooth pain killer but that only seemed to work for twenty minutes or so.  It looks like we may need to explore dental work, but first, I need to find out what happens under my medical or dental coverage. 

Robbin and Cora really enjoyed their tour, and saw three whale breaches nearby, even though the only thing they had to show for it was a picture of a large splash, due to people always standing in front of them.  They saw hundreds of dolphins and enjoyed good snorkeling.

After dinner we strolled down Front Street and shopped at some of the jewelry stores there.  I might have seen some of these stores before.  I wrote my blog early today.  It is completed by 10:15PM, and Joanie and I are sitting alone.  Robbin and Cora are making Wade and Colleen look like wild and crazy night owls.

March 7
Today was an educational day.  It began with breakfast.  I learned about convection ovens.  I learned that if you place a stack of pancakes, that you slaved over the stove to make, into the oven, they will burn, even if the oven is only set at 210 degrees.  I also learned not to volunteer to make breakfast. 

After a dismal breakfast of salvaged pancakes, we went to Polo Beach.  Up to now, I thought Polo Beach was just a shorten form for Po'olenalena Beach, but we found it was actually a different, and very nice beach.  It was a mostly cloudy day and we spent hours sitting in the sun, due to a lack of shade, unlike at Po'olenalena. I used lots of sunscreen, but I guess it only lasts so long.  In the mid afternoon, despite the black, ominous clouds hanging overhead, the sun did manage to break through for periods of time.  With the heat and lack of wind, it felt like my legs and forehead were in an oven.  Robbin referred to Joanie as Aunt Jemima. 

We also managed to arrange for Joanie to go to the dentist tomorrow for her toothache.  That scrapped plans to go out for breakfast, something I do not care much about, being quite skilled at making pancakes and other breakfast dishes, but something Robbin adores doing. 

After dinner of leftover ribs, (I have yet to eat a rack that was not overly fatty), we walked down Front Street, checking out a few jewelry stores on the way.

I am wondering how things will change around here over the next few weeks.  Up to now, fellow tourists consist of mostly old people, including a high percentage of obese people, and young families with very young pre-schoolers in diapers.  I suspect that as Spring Break approaches, these will be replaced somewhat with families with school-age children.  Tomorrow is advertised as Town Party in Lahaina, but I can't see it being too exciting with the current crowd.  We hope to go to Bubba Gumps for dinner to celebrate a belated Robbin's birthday.  Joanie will no doubt have FUN, if the dentist does not take all our money.

March 8
Joanie managed to get an appointment with Ryan and Stephanie's dentist in Kahana, so we went there to see about her pains.  I was very apprehensive about what this would cost, since our dental plan required us to pay the cost first, and then apply for reimbursement up to the equivalent cost in Ontario.  She has x-rays taken, and the total cost was $135.  Of course this did not remedy the situation.  She required a root canal in the crowned tooth, and got prescriptions for anti-biotics and pain killers to see if she could survive until we get home.  She was also advised to make an appointment with a specialist for next Friday, in case things did not improve and she would require the root canal now.  I can only imagine the cost of that procedure! 

After lunch we went to Kapalua Bay, since it was not too far away.  We sat and waited patiently, sort of, for quite some time for a family of three to pack up and leave a parking spot in a crowded lot.  The man was in absolutely no hurry, despite out sitting a few feet away, waiting.  We needed to "hang loose".   The beach was beautiful and sheltered, and despite a write up which suggested snorkeling was poor here, there were lots of people snorkeling over the reefs not far from shore.  We of course decided not to bring the snorkel gear, but the boogie boards instead.  There was no boogieing to be done here, but we will be back to snorkel.  We also appeared to witness a whale rescue attempt.  There was a helicopter hovering overhead, and a number of boats, including a rubber dingy, following a whale.  Presumably the whale must have been caught in netting and they attached two bouys to it in order to slow the whale's swimming down..  We have no idea if they were successful.  This is the third time we have heard attempts to free whales caught in fish netting.  We hoped this was not still the first whale we heard about days earlier on our first whale watching trip.

For dinner we went to Bubba Gumps.  The food was delicious.  We walked along Front Street afterwards but town party which was advertised all week seem to be a fizzle.  Nothing special was going on so we returned home.