So, back on another trip. This time, we're in Maui, and only Maui, for the next week or so.
Getting here was half the fun, took a mere 24 hours.
So, ponder this, if you have the choice of taking either Delta airlines or Oceanic, choose Oceanic, at the very least you know you'll at least make it to the tropical island...
When Marlene and I take long flights, we try to break them up so that we have a layover somewhere in the middle to recover. The plan yesterday was to fly to LAX, layover in LA for 4 hours and then fly to Maui. Reality turned out to be, fly out to LA, and, uh, layover for 10 hours. The flight to LA was Continental, which went magically well. The second was Delta, which, I was shocked to find out, was still in business. The plane was delayed for mechanical reasons, and info was spotty throughout the day as usual. But, exciting, we were given a $7 meal voucher, which, at LAX, gets you a water. So, really, avoid Delta, just wait for them to be taken over by a real airline and you'll be better.
The flight did finally leave LA at 10:30PM (LA Time) and the flight was very empty, so were were able to spread out a bit. We arrived in Maui at 2AM (Hawaiian time, 7AM EST) and got the rental, then drove the hour west to the hotel. Arriving at around 3:30 or so (8:30AM EST). Since our first flight left Newark at 8:30AM EST on Sunday, it literally took 24 hours to get here. On the plus side, LAX was decent, and we found a place to plug this laptop in and watch the Bourne Supremacy, which is a always a good way to pass the time.
We got in to the Lahaina Shores hotel, got to our nice ocean view room and went to bed.
Woke up at 8:30 to check out the view. It's really really good. The room is great too, having a small kitchen with oven, microwave, stove, fridge, etc. Good sized room too.
We sat through the boring speech they give to new arrivals, but snagged some free breakfast. From there, we walked into the town of Lahaina and wandered around, marveling at the fact that we were not on a plane, or at LAX anymore. We came back to hotel, and since we had a car, and a kitchen, drove to Safeway to round up some vittles (not Tender). We bought snacks, breakfast foods, and dinner foods, came back, and then headed out to the beach, which is right outside the hotel property.
Did some sunbathing, well Marlene did, I kept burying my feet in the sand and wandering into the ocean trying to see the effect of salt water on open cuts from a very stupid past Friday event. The beach was great, the weather was great and my sunburn is mildly great.
Stupid event from this past Friday: So, if you're even carrying a knapsack with 2 laptops in it and enough stuff to make it weight over 30 pounds, and then you trip on the sidewalk in NYC, you WILL go down hard enough to cut your knee (ripping the jeans), your hands at the palms and your forehead. Yes, this is what I did, I looked like I was in a bar fight. My favorite part was I did this right outside the school I teach at and had to make my way back to my car in Jersey City before applying basic first aid. This involved taking the NYC subway and the PATH train, where I managed to bleed profusely on both. What a mess.
But, the cuts are sealing now, which is good, because we seem to be going ziplining tomorrow.
As for the rest of today, after the beach, we headed back into town to buy foot items to wear when going in the ocean as it is very very rocky in Maui. Then, back to hotel where we cooked up a roasted chicken and some rice a roni for dinner, and sat on our balcony where we ate dinner and watched the sunset. A great way to end the day.
So, uh, if we survive tomorrow, I'll let you know how this ziplining thing goes...
