Today’s port of call was the island of Maui – the Valley Isle, and the second largest of the Hawaiian chain. Despite being larger, they have fewer people with 145,000, who are described as friendly and laid-back. Two million visitors come here in a year, making it the most visited island.
Pineapples, sugar cane, cattle ranches, and rain forests keep the islanders employed. Haleakala Volcano has been dormant for 200 years, and rises to 10,023 feet in elevation. It is the destination of many tourists to this island.
And this was our only tender port of this trip, as well as the Alaska cruise. Yesterday, everyone had been given directions to collect tender tickets, unless you were booked on a tour. They would get priority over the rest of the guests who were on their own, as it should be. As for us, we have gotten a phone message saying all we needed to do was present ourselves to someone at the front desk, and we would be escorted to the tender landing without having to get tickets. As we were not in a big hurry to get to shore, we did not feel the need to beat the crowd. But at other times, it has been most appreciated.
Anyway, the actual port was Lahaina, which also translates into the cruel sun, as it can be extremely hot here. The average temperature given in today’s newsletter was 70 degrees. Have no idea where they got that from, because even at midnight, we doubt it would be 70 degrees. The population of Lahaina is 11,704 people, who are mostly in the tourist-related industry. At one time, this village was the missionary and whaling community, and also the home of the Kamehameha kingdom. Today it is obviously tourist-geared with dining, shopping, and nightlife spots. There are 5 museums, boutiques, eateries, and art galleries. High end resorts and hotels are located north of here in Kaanapali and Kapalua. If you are into golf, you would be in heaven.
One of the most well-known facts is that Maui is a haven for the humpback whales. The season begins in November and ends in April. The whales migrate from the North Pacific to mate and calve. These humpbacks are 40 to 50 feet in length and weigh 45 tons. It is estimated that four to five thousand whales migrate from Alaska, after feeding for months.
A myriad of tours were offered today with a drive to Haleakala having the most options. They ranged in time from 6 to 9 hours, some with picnic lunches, costing from $110 to $290. It was recommended for folks with motion sickness to take proper medication prior to the tours, because the road has many twists and turns.
Two helicopter rides over the summit of the volcano ran from $330 to $440 for 3 ½ to 7 hours. No guarantee of seeing it due to fog or clouds. Did we mention that the photo department rents Go Pro cameras for $30 a day? Might be interesting if you are doing a once-in-a-lifetime flight.
Easier excursions included riding segways, a catamaran ride, snorkeling, and hiking. The Atlantis submarine ride would run $140 for under 2 hours. And lastly, there would be time for an evening luau –all-you-can-eat buffet, including the song and dance of Polynesia. Since the last tender would be at 10:30pm, this is the first time we have seen this tour on the books.
A leisurely breakfast was a good way to begin the day, especially with many guests on tours. The dining room was not full to the brim. Getting the same table has been nice, since the waiters know our orders almost by heart now. The rest of the morning, we caught up with some computer work. For some unknown reason, Cruise Critic has been giving us some trouble posting, but it is their doing, not ours. Reports will be resuming as soon as they are back in business.
We left the ship close to 11am, showing our room key, and getting down to deck A from deck one with the approval of a customer service gal. Two tender boats were being filled next to each other. One had outside stairs to navigate, while the other had a platform right to the boat entrance. Way better, because the swells were acting up by now. We recall times when the tendering stopped in Lahaina due to 4 to 5 foot swells, making it unsafe to transfer anyone to shore. If you did not leave early, you would be out of luck. Then you were never guaranteed that you could tender back to the ship. And there have been other trips in Maui that were cancelled altogether because of the dangerous conditions. Today we were lucky.
Once ashore, which was slow-going, we headed right to the famous banyan tree, which was planted in 1873. Today it reaches over 60 feet high, covers 2/3 of an acre, and is ¼ mile around. It might have spread even wider if the asphalt roads were not surrounding it. It sure provides much needed shade in such a hot place. And for that reason, it is perfect spot for the local vendors selling trinkets and art work.
Speaking of selling stuff, that is the name of the game in this town. The waterfront is chock full of boutiques of typical souvenirs from Hawaii. Hordes of passengers as well as visitors from all over the world crowded the narrow sidewalks as we made our way through town. Even though it was before noontime, restaurants and cafes were full of customers. We chose to wait until later, since we just ate breakfast, it seems.
We continued with our walk, which took us past the now-closed Hard Rock Café. It used to be our favorite restaurant for lunch. So far, nothing else has moved in, even though right next to this restaurant are the Outlets of Maui. It houses 30 or more brand name shops with some deep discounts. We know this because many of the crew like to shop here, and they know bargains. One of the stores is Hilo Hattie, where you can find hundreds of Hawaiian-print clothes and other products. In the beginning of this cruise, the port shopping guides gave out flyers for these stores where if you got them stamped in each port, you could get a free kukui nut lei necklace (worth $6.99 at an ABC store). Or, for free, you can receive a complimentary seashell necklace. Or can you? For the second time in two years, the girl that was gifting those turned around and sort of ignored us. One of us was determined to get the necklace, so upon leaving, we asked for one. Her question was, “Are you from the cruise ship?” Guess we did not fit the profile, and she was not going to give us anything. How stupid was that? It was enough to deter us from buying anything in this store.
Then we resumed our walk to Baby Beach, about another mile up the road. Today the street was closed to traffic due to a water line being replaced by the county workers. On the way, a resourceful local was selling beach chairs and boogie boards, some of them Tommy Bahama. Recently this summer, we saw these in Costco, so we assume there is one of those warehouses in Maui.
Once we navigated the narrow road between the houses, we found the beach full of young families enjoying the gentle surf and shallow, warm waters. The little ones were digging holes to China and filling them endlessly with sea water. Some of the young fathers were doing the same, having as much fun as their kids. We walked to the old decaying pier, where the beach ended, spending some time cooling off under some trees. It was nice watching the surfers catching waves on the outside of the reef. Soon they were joined by snorkel boats, some larger than others. Dozens of tourists jumped in the waters, probably thinking they were the only ones there. Then we saw another boat come, and more people dove in the same spot. Boy that must be fun trying to see the tropical fish with masks and snorkels. By the time we left, there were three boats.
Had we crossed the road at this point, we would have been close to the Lahaina Cannery Mall, and halfway to Kaanapali. With the heat of the day, we had gone far enough. Lunch was calling us.
Back in town, we made our way to Kimo’s, a nice restaurant on the water’s edge. The breeze was priceless. We had about a 10 minute wait, which was not bad. Seated on the patio covered with umbrellas, we ordered two salads and beers. By the best part was dessert, which was free. Last year, we dined here and saved the receipt, which entitled us to a complimentary Hula Pie with the purchase of two entrees. The print had faded terribly on the old receipt, but our waitress said it would still work. Good deal. Now we can save the new receipt and it will be good until our next visit.
On our way back towards the tender boats, we strolled by one of the shaved ice stores. These Hawaiian treats are made from block ice, which is finely shaved, and firmly packed into a mound. It is drizzled with a variety of syrups according to your tastes. Even better, some are made with a scoop of ice cream in the center. People were lined up to the street waiting to buy these.
Back to the coolness of our room was so nice, we stayed there until dinner time. Tonight we have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill, and glad we did. The menu did not look too exciting in the dining room. We both had Caesar salads with a shared order of shrimp with American sauce. They gave us three jumbo prawns, which were quite good. Even better were the lamb chops with side of mashed potatoes, fries, and mushrooms. Desserts were lemon brulee tart and an almost baked Alaska. And that’s all folks…….
There was a live show in the Mainstage. A fellow by the name of Tyler Bryce was featured as one man, many voices. Sounds like he is a singer that blends comedy with his impressions of famous singers.
Tomorrow, we will be in Hilo, and our final stop in Hawaii.
Bill & Mary Ann
Click link to see Pictures 1 of 3
