Monday, July 31: Dolphins, Turtles, and Hula
We were beginning to learn that Hawaii (outside of Honolulu at least) seems to operate on a state wide early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule, which makes sense given that for all the best things to do there (hiking, surfing, snorkeling, etc.), conditions are most prime in the early morning. So we were out of bed early again on Monday. 6am, I never thought I’d see you so often on vacation.
About six weeks prior, I booked a reservation for us on a morning snorkeling cruise with Sail Trilogy (our only formal tour of the week), based on recommendations from the TripAdvisor forums. I had heard mixed reviews about whether an actual tour was worth it for snorkeling, since there is so much great snorkeling from shore, but the reviews for Trilogy were outstanding and the tour also included a lot of food…. so there wasn’t that much of a question. Food, boat, coffee, and someone to watch over me and make sure I don’t drown/get eaten by a shark? Sold. Unlike Rick, who is an experienced swimmer/part dolphin, I’m not a terribly confident swimmer. When we were at the beach the day before, I took a quick dip in the ocean, which made me feel a bit more secure. (Apparently, a childhood full of summer pool visits pays off in an impressive amount of body memory and as it turns out, I’m not that terrible of a swimmer), but I don’t have a ton of experience ocean swimming (see previous post re: beach time). I’ve also never been snorkeling, so having a friendly crew there to teach me the basics and keep a watchful eye out was endlessly comforting to my increasingly-worrisome nature.
We booked their West Maui tour, mostly because it departed 1 mile away from our resort, and if we were going to get up at the crack of dawn (AGAIN) we might as well be slightly lazy about it. Northeastern urban stereotypes that we are, we try to ditch the car when we can, so we set out to walk the mile south for a 7:30amish check-in on the beach. We knew that the beachwalk near our resort (a narrow boardwalk set back from the beach on the dunes) stretched the length of Ka’anapali Beach, so we were looking forward to a leisurely early morning beach stroll. Our hopes were dashed relatively quickly– we were running late (of course), so our leisurely walk was more like a fast-paced, speed-walking waddle. And we learned that after the first 100 yards, the so-called “beachwalk” turned away from the beach and mostly navigated through golf courses, parking lots, and (oddly) other resort properties. The Sheraton’s pool is lovely, by the way. We finally made it to the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, whose beach lawn was the meeting destination for the tour. We checked in with our co-Captain Carrie, who had an energy and enthusiasm at 7:45am that would normally make me suspicious, but she was brimming with such sincerity and humor that her infectious spirit instead put me in a great, relaxed mood (6am wake up call and boring parking lot speed-walk be dammed). After getting everyone checked-in, we lined up in two straight lines (right out of a Madeline-in-Hawaii book) as the creatively named “Trilogy III” catamaran came closer to shore to pick us up. In our two straight lines, we waded through the shoreline and boarded the boat quickly and were soon out at sea.
Rick and I “overslept” enough to miss our morning coffee, so by the time we were on board I was primed for breakfast. The crew, after a brief introduction and guide on safety, immediately started passing out coffee, juice, cinnamon rolls, and fruit. I can see now why so many people recommend getting out on the water while in Hawaii. I had my coffee (black and hot, i.e. perfection) and my gooey, icy cinnamon roll, while we rocked along through thte waves, meditating on the absolute vastness of the ocean in front of us. We were facing west as we sailed and could see a rain squall falling about 200 yards in front of us, complete with a rainbow floating between the rain clouds and the ocean. I preferred this view, though there was also a pod of spinner dolphins on the east (beachside) of the boat who swam along with us for a bit.
After offering seconds (and thirds – don’t mind me if I just take this whole coffee carafe, thanks) on breakfast and getting everyone fitted for snorkeling equipment (wherein I was given the “Never wear flippers on land because it will be face-plant city, population: you” piece of VERY crucial advice), we reached our snorkeling destination in about 40 minutes. The crew explained that because that rain was ahead of us, it created calm winds, clear skies, and perfect water for snorkeling just behind its path, so we anchored in Honolua Bay on the northwest shore of Maui.
The crew went over how to use snorkeling equipment (plus a more in depth session for novices like me) and then we were set loose into the bay. Rick was ready to go, but I needed a few minutes of adjustment to get the hang of this totally-unnatural-but-really-cool breathing underwater thing. Rick was right – flippers make even the most hesitant swimmers feel like Michael Phelps – but I couldn’t figure out how to breathe correctly. Rick tightened my mask and patiently answered my ridiculous questions:
“Are you supposed to be drinking any water?! Are you supposed to breathe through your nose?!?” … “Uh, no. You have the snorkel mask because you’re not supposed to be swallowing ocean water.”
I realize this comes off as Rick being sarcastic, but one thing I love about him is how insanely sincere and patient he is even when I’m asking idiotic questions. Which happens on a near daily basis. That's right, behind this pretty face is a shocking lack of common sense; your narrator is one who once had to be taught how to use a simple can opener over the phone by her sister's college roommate.
After about 5-10 minutes, I got the hang of it and was off – though I did stick by Rick, my personal lifeguard. This will sound ridiculous, but the only thing I couldn’t get used to was the mouth breathing – I felt like a creepy, noisy mouth-breathing stalker coming up behind a school of fish to gawk at them. Very Kristen Stewart à la Twilight.
Maybe because it was my first time snorkeling, but the thing I loved most was just leisurely swimming around pretending to be a (heavy-breathing) fish. Sure, actually seeing the fish and turtles was amazing, but if I had to pinpoint my favorite part, that was it – the swimming itself. Trilogy had several crew members on the boat, and another one out sitting on surfboard in the water, so I always felt safe and secure. Brittany, who was on the surfboard, was also able to point out several fish and turtles, which was helpful. We were able to snorkel there for a little over an hour, and it sealed my confidence in choosing to go with a snorkel tour, and Trilogy in particular. You couldn’t ask for a better first snorkel experience. After our 70 minutes were up, we got back to the boat (flippers OFF) and sat down to a delicious lunch of fried rice, BBQ chicken, green salad, and rolls. Rick and I settled into our lunch on one of the picnic tables toward the back of the boat, where it was a bit quieter and very peaceful.
After lunch was up, we sailed around to the next door bay (Mokuleia Bay), where we were off on another 45 minutes of snorkeling. I was an old pro at this point (obviously), so the 40 minutes flew by. I couldn’t believe how quickly the morning flew by. Back on the boat, the crew let the sails out to stride slowly back to our pickup point at Ka’anapali Beach. We indulged in an ice cream sundae and washed it down with a couple of Maui Brewing Company lagers. I told Rick that this was by far my favorite part of the trip so far, and even now – after back on the mainland for a few weeks -- I standby that assessment. A bit pricey at first glance, it was worth it so many times over for the all-inclusiveness (so much food and drink!), and was a perfect introduction to snorkeling. I am glad we were able to get on the water and see Maui from the ocean, a perspective I think it deserves, given how central the ocean is to island life.
The Trilogy III barreled toward the much-more-busy midday beach, sending a few sun loungers jogging out of the way to make way for us (that’s right, plebeians, we have arrived) and we departed the boat (in our two straight lines) after goodbye hugs for the crew, already feeling like we had a full day at only 1pm. We headed back on the beachwalk, stopping for a few choice photos where we actually walked by beach instead of parking lots.
We arrived back in the condo around 2, and settled in for a couple of hours of relaxing before heading into Lahaina at night for a luau. I lounged around the condo while Rick went back to the gym and worked out (the discipline of that guy…). I noticed in my lounging state that my sunscreen didn’t do much to protect my spray-tan-fading skin from the tropical sun. Between the morning on the boat and the beach day the day before, my front shoulders, face and hips were pretty well burnt and crisp. A shower confirmed the pain, so I huddled up on the lanai to eat lunch, watch the brave beach-goers below, and faithfully reapply aloe vera every 20 minutes. Rick, too (despite my warnings the day before, I feel compelled to say) had felt the wrath of the sun and his entire front and arms were a pale red color. As we showered and dressed for the luau, we looked every bit the part of lily white tourists very much out of our element.
Because we didn’t have much time in Lahaina during our first night at the Pioneer Inn, we wanted to get there a little early to visit some of the historical sites we had missed before. The SPG properties (including the Westin villas) on Ka’anapali have a very convenient shuttle that runs on a 1-hour loop and hits all of the hotel properties plus several stops in Lahaina. Since we knew the Luau would be open bar, we opted for the shuttle over driving and left the Westin around 4:15. We took the shuttle all the way down to the last stop in Lahaina, near the big Banyan tree, with a plan of leisurely walking the mile or so up Front Street to check-in to the luau at 5:45, stopping as we wished along the way.
We first wandered a bit through the Banyan Tree courtyard, since we missed it earlier in the week despite staying right next door. Planted in 1873 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first mission in Hawaii, the tree trunk and root system now covers an unbelievable 2/3rds of an acre. Walking under its sweeping branches and shade was like meandering through a maze I imagine in an enchanted fairytale, and there were several kids swinging from its many trunks and branches (despite clear signs advising against doing so). We strolled around the park, stopping briefly to look at local craft merchants’ goods or to take a picture or two, before finding the Old Lahaina Courthouse, which serves as a historical museum for the area.
Built in 1859, the courthouse served as sort of a catch-all for old Hawaii – it was not only the judiciary center, but also the customs house, governor’s office, post office AND small prison (in the basement, of course). The museum is clearly a work of dedication from the local historical association, and it tells the history of Hawaii and Maui beautifully, careful not to neglect the story of ancient Hawaiians and their important legacy in contemporary culture. Hanging over the upstairs stairwell was the tattered, framed Flag of Hawaii, the last to fly over the courthouse before being replaced in 1898 by the American flag, and it was impossible not to feel the reverence held for such an important Hawaiian emblem. Our plans to leisurely stroll up Front Street evaporated in the Courthouse as both Rick and I quickly got lost in the exhibits and time slipped by us. We were so engrossed, in fact, that when we did leave around 5:15 we found the front door locked from the inside! Clearly on island time, we didn’t even think to note when the Courthouse would close (we entered around 4:35 or so), and must have been so quiet the museum staff didn’t notice us when they left for the day. With no number to call, we had no choice but to let ourselves out and hope (fingers crossed) that the museum would be ok for the night. Visions of the morning news (“Old Lahaina Courthouse Robbed; Two Tourists Held Accountable”) passed through our minds as we made our way up to the luau. (jk I had already developed an impenetrable legal defense by the time we were 3 blocks away.)
I mistakenly thought the walk to the luau would be a stretch of shops and restaurants for the entire mile north, but about two thirds of the way there the commercial activity quieted, and we eventually lost the sidewalk too. Whoops! It was still relatively pedestrian-friendly though (except for the lack of shade and the feeling that my sunburn was frying me from the inside out…), and we made it to the Old Lahaina Luau at about 5:40. We checked in, were given prompt and friendly instructions, an informative brochure, and then lined up for a 6pm entrance. The Old Lahaina Luau is (arguably I’m sure) considered to be the best, most authentic luau in the entire state. Its popularity is such that you need to book a reservation as early as possible, as they sell out 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The earlier you book, the better your seats, so this was actually the first thing I had reserved – even before our flights! – in early March. The service and efficiency of the luau was evident from the time we got there, and it wasn’t hard to believe why it was so popular; they clearly had this down to a well-tested science. We met our host a little before 6pm, and after he provided us with a fresh orchid lei and Mai Tai (or virgin fruit punch for me as a non-Mai Tai lover ahhh don’t kill me) he showed us to our seats. Booking early paid off, as we had almost the best seats in the house –as close to the center of the stage as possible, right in the front of our table. The only downside (for me) was that the tables were set up with seats of eight, so if your party didn’t fill the full table you would be seated with other guests.
After getting settled and surveying the lay of the land, we headed up to the bar to get a specialty cocktail for me that wasn’t a Mai Tai. I settled on an “Island Warrior,” because it was the only cocktail that appealed to someone who doesn’t like fruit. (Ugh don’t kill me again I know how terrible it is for someone to visit Hawaii and not like fruit [or beaches for that matter] but rest assured I take full culpability in my flaws. It’s not you, Hawaii/fruit. It’s me.) The Island Warrior was some sort of combination of blue curacao and rum and soda and…I don’t know, but it was a lot of sugar. Too much for someone like me who despises the combination of sugar and alcohol. For the rest of the night (and by the rest of the night I mean at most two more drinks because I can count on one hand the times I've had more than three drinks in the last 5 years...), I stuck with about as much sugar as I’m willing to go – an old fashioned rum and coke. We briefly met our dinner company (a nice couple from Western New York and a couple with their parents), and then meandered around the luau grounds where there were craft salesmen set up and cultural demonstrations – you could try hula dancing, traditional Hawaiian sport, etc. There was also a space to see the imu, which was a large underground oven where the pig for that night’s feast was cooking. We paused on the northwestern edge of the grounds, as it was a bit quieter and less crowded there, to record a video postcard for the kids and watch the sun as began to dip down into the ocean.
Neither Rick nor I are coconut fans, but Rick was offered some fresh coconut immediately after one was cut open and he (being more adventurous than me) said it was the only time he’s actually enjoyed the flavor. We wandered back to our seats to enjoy the music from the band who had been playing continuously since our arrival and watch the full sunset. Within 20 minutes, the kalua pig (with much fanfare) had been unearthed from the imu and the buffet feast had begun. Tables were called up in sequence for crowd control at the two buffet areas, and this is where we realized our flaw with being close to the stage… but far from the food.
We waited another 30 minutes (at least) to be called to eat, which we wouldn’t have minded due to the scenery, but we also began a bit to regret the communal seating aspect of the luau. Some of our tablemates bickered with their partners, began to sing loudly (and poorly) along to some of the songs, and we struggled to bite our tongues overhearing a few cringe-worthy racist remarks. Still, always happy in each other’s company and with a beautiful oceanside setting, we managed the wait relatively easily. Finally in line around 7:45, I filled my plate with half poke and the other half shredded pork and wild rice. I get you, Hawaii. I can fit in here just fine without fruit. As I walked back to the table, I glanced back at Rick whose plate was piled high (there were distinguishable layers) with heaping servings of just about everything there. To his credit, he hadn’t eaten since the snorkeling “lunch” (at 10:30am) that morning, and had exercised, so his starvation (and resulting binge) was well understandable.
Because we were one of the last tables to eat, the luau show – which started at nightfall around 8pm – was underway while we were still eating, which made it difficult to go back for anything else (obviously the best part of a buffet…), and I remembering appreciating Rick’s layered-food ingenuity. The entertainment was worth it all. The show told the full history of Hawaii, beginning with the migrations of the first Polynesians to Hawaii, detailing the importance of the hula and a few stories of the volcano goddess Pele, and ending with a (very respectful imho, considering full historical context) detail of the missionary period and emergence of the modern hula in contemporary Hawaii, after it was banned in the 19th century. The whole show was beautifully done, and I was mesmerized for the entire time (eating a buffet dinner and having full access to a bar may have aided the hypnotic effect of the show). Anything that combines storytelling, dance, and music in such a masterful way will capture anyone easily. A little before halfway through, we were also treated to coffee and a selection of desserts – I had the cayenne-spiced brownie, which was heavenly. After the conclusion, they recognized the newlyweds, birthdays and anniversaries among the crowd, and invited couples to participate in a romantic dance by the oceanside. We did not partake, as my anxiety in such situations is difficult to overcome, but enjoyed the gesture and beautiful ending to one of our best days yet in paradise.
Our waiter dropped off some banana bread for us as a souvenir, which Rick reported was very good, and we headed out the door and across the street to wait for our Westin shuttle back to the villas. The luau ended at 9:15 and we were in our room by 10. We kidded ourselves thinking we would enjoy a nightcap before tucking in, and I think I had a single sip of wine before passing out at about 10:20.
