Sue and I arrived in Maui after 10.5 hours of flying. We flew from Toronto to Vancouver (that flight was about an hour and a half late but we made up so much time in the air that we landed only a half an hour late in Vancouver). Our stop over was not too long, just long enough to stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat. The flight from Vancouver to Maui was 6 hours and 10 minutes. Thankfully, I was able to sleep for most of that journey. Note to all travellers - bring ear plugs. They are literally the best invention ever. The constantly crying baby did not even penetrate the sound barrier provided by these tiny pieces of foam!
What a joy it was to land where there is no snow and lots of warmth. We landed at 1030, Maui time. It was 21 degrees. The airport is small and was very quiet. The building is sort of an outdoor indoor deal as there are no real outdoor walls. There are sort of half walls that open directly up to the outdoors.
Our first order of buisness was to get to our rental car. Other travellers were doing the same and we were all shuttled to the rental agency. We had booked an economy car, but for a slight upgrade we were able to get a Jeep that had less than 300miles on it! It seems that there are either Mustangs or Jeeps to rent on this island as we keep seeing them all over the place.
After the rental, it was an easy 45 minute drive to our Condo. It was really dark so I couldn't really see the beauty of the place that would be revealed to me the next morning. The front desk was closed but we were able to access our keys though a lock box system. Sue and I had decided, when booking this vacation, to put out a little extra money in order to get the ocean view condo. Unfortunately, upon arriving, we discovered that we ended up with the partial ocean view condo. Something that needed addressing the next morning. The condo, however is great. It is well equiped. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, and living room. We also have our own deck which is where I am sitting as I type this. Settling in, for me, included changing, brushing my teeth, and hitting the bed.
On Friday morning, I was awake by 6ish. Sue was already up and sitting on the deck. I joined her and we sat and allowed the day to begin. As the skies got lighter, a beautiful scenery emerged. Directly in front of our deck are massive palm trees that frow higher than our deck level (we are on the third floor). To the left, we are able to get a glimpse of the ocean. It was lovely to sit out on a deck in January and enjoy the warmth and the breeze.
After coffee and getting a bit organized, Sue and I had to check into the condo and we wanted to talk to the front desk about our ocean view room. Gloria, at the front desk, was extremely helpful. She noted that they were at capacity right now. The solution that she offered us was that we would possible get to move to and ocean front room in a few days, they waived the weekly cleaning fee, and if the move was not possible, she would contact our travel agent in order to get our money refunded. Although the ocean view was really all I desired out of our condo property, we are in Maui after all and really that can't be a bad thing. So, we will see what happens from here.
We headed down to the ocean as there were word from people that there were turtles visiting. We saw five really large sea turtles close to shore. There is a bit of water, then a reef, and the turtles seemed to be enjoying a meal as the waves rolled in and out. We also saw some humpback whales breeching and jumping around. They were really far out but we were still able to see them.
So, a whale watching tour is obviously needeed. We went across the street to Down the street from the condo is a small cafe called Bad Ass Coffee. Sue and I grabbed a java and I bought some fruit from a local farmers market. We crossed the street to the ocean side and sat and enjoyed our coffee and a banana. We sat on the top of some roots from a really gnarly tree. From here we were able to enjoy the ocean and all it has to offer.
That afternoon, we headed out to the local Safeway to stock up on food for a few days. Groceries here are expensive. We made sure to get some local coffee beans and some local beer.
Sue and I enjoyed a late afternoon lunch on the lanai (deck). After lunch, I was getting kind of sleepy but thought it better that I head down to the water's edge and sit in a louge chair and read rather than sleep in the condo. Sue headed to the local fruit stand but was back fairly quickly as they are only open in the mornings of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So, we spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out water side. We sat under the shade of a giant palm tree. A gecko decided to make friends and appeared on the side of said tree.
The end of our day was topped off with a beautiful sunset and watching a number of humpbacks swim into the setting sun.
I really tried to stay awake until 9pm but that proved a bit difficult for me. I think that Sue was a bit more successful than I was!
A great start to your vaycay
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