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Published: September 4th 2010
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Maui Sunset
with Jamie, Micki and Karen From Waiuku to Kihei Without Spending a Dollar
I got up at 9:30AM and was checked out at 10. Getting that key deposit back made me feel guilty as hell, as did me then leaving my bag in their free left luggage room. I'd had a trip to the beach, a kegger and a bed for the princely sum of $2.80 - the 10%!d(MISSING)eposit hostelworld charged me to book!
Check in at the hotel in Kihei wasn't until 3PM so I went for a bit of a wander around Wailuku and listened to Lightspeed Champion's album "Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You", which I thought was apt.
Wailuku's a little town inland with a view of the mountains on one side and one of the ocean on the other. The streets were fairly quiet, although they were covered in political slogans for the upcoming local election. I had breakfast at a little cafe called the Wailuku Coffee Company and wrote in my journal.
I went back to the hostel and found Jeremy working on the desk and quietly explained to him that I'd just had one of the best hostel experiences of my life and didn't want to remember it with a twang of guilt. I fixed up the bill and then hung out in the TV room with Marcus, Jeremy and Rob (both of whom assured me they were at work - Rob spent most of the time lying on the pool table) and a girl called V who was from Bulgaria but grew up in London so when she spoke she sounded like a cross between Xenia Onatopp and Dizzee Rascal. We watched "The Land Before Time" and "Dog Town and Z Boys".
It got to around 2PM so I decided it was time for me to get to the hotel. Kihei seemed close enough on the map but I was told that a cab would cost me up to $70, which I wasn't up for. So my other two options were to get the bus, which cost $1 but apparently they're not real keen on people bringing large bags along, or to hitch hike. I ummmed and ahhhed and decided that the bus was the go. I farewelled Jeremy and Christine and then Marcus and Rob helped me take my bags up to bus stop because it was on their way to McDonald's.
When I got to the bus stop my sense of adventure kicked in - "C'mon dude, let's live a little". So I crossed the road and stuck my thumb out. Within 5 minutes I was in a crappy little car being driven by a quiet but friendly guy named Jake.
Being my first time hitch hiking, a number of thoughts went through my head and my possible rape and murder were fairly high on the list. I sized Jake up - surely I could take this weedy dude if push came to shove?
Get real Frost, if this guy's got violence on his mind it doesn't matter how big he is he's gunna beat your sorry arse. Besides he's so quiet, he's not the violent type...
But isn't it always the quiet ones? Needless to say Jake was just a regular dude helping me out. He was headed to Lahaina so he dropped me off at the turn off for Kihei and I said my grateful goodbyes. The turn off was in the middle of nowhere, so I started walking in the direction of Kihei and just kept my thumb out. Ten minutes traipsing in the hot sun with a huge pack got me thinking that maybe no one was stopping and I was just going to have to walk all the way to Kihei and then to the hotel, which was at 2881 S. Kihei Rd.
But then a car pulled over and I got a lift in to town with Josh. Josh was a native Hawaiian, married to a girl from New Orleans and had a little girl named Samantha who was just 20 months but he was already teaching her to surf! He gave me a ride half way through Kihei and then dropped me off at the supermarket.
"Thanks for the lift man."
"No pressure," (I think it's the equivalent of "no worries".)
I figured that I'd walk the rest of the way until I found out I was only at 1300 S. Kihei Rd. So I stuck my thumb out and followed Josh's advice for hitching - "just keep truckin'".
About ten minutes later I was getting a lift with Ricky and he was a trip! He told me about drumming to the sunset - a tradition that had been going on since the 60's where people went to Little Beach and drummed as the sun set every Sunday. He had recorded them and was selling CDs, which also featured his flute playing (doesn't that just say it all!) He pulled in to get some gas and after filling up I asked if he wanted some money for gas.
"Yeah, that would have been nice earlier," apparently you pay before you fill up in the States. I felt bad but also had the suspicion that he had only pulled over in the hope of getting some petrol money out of me - he only took me five minutes up the road. I was glad to get out of that particular car. He was nice enough but I suspect there was something in his system that impairs your driving ability and it wasn't booze.
I checked in to the Maui Hill and was blown away with the room. Massive bedroom, good kitchen, full washer and dryer, great couch and a huge TV with over 100 channels. But no time for TV, I had some serious catching up on the agenda.
I went to room 88 and met up with Reuben Broadfoot (Reubz), Aaron Stonestreet (Stoney), Craig Spradbrow (Spraddy) and Matt Rayment (Matty Ray). Having not seen these guys since I left Newcastle in 2008, it was great to catch up.
We went straight from there to Andy Lollback and Jamie Spoden's place. Andy and Jamie were the reason we were all there - they were getting married.
I went to school with Andy, we had worked at a pub together in Newcastle and he had lived with me for one crazy Summer at the Shangrala. He met Jamie at college in Newcastle Uni, when she came over from Iowa to study in Australia for a semester. They had fallen in love and he moved to Iowa with her - hence the Hawaiian wedding. It was inconvenient for everyone.
I met Jamie's mum and dad (Karen and Joe), her sister and brother-in-law (Micki and Dale), Andy's aunt (Ann-Marie), his mum's best friend (Margaret Mary, which is my mum's name so I gave her the biggest hug) and caught up with Andy's folks (Michael and Liz) and his sister (Kate) and her boyfriend (Eric). More people and names are coming. If I can remember them all.
Finally Blake Rainey (Reggie) and Rhiannon Folpp arrived. They were old friends from Newcastle who had been living in London, so had travelled the farthest of anyone to be there. I was staying with them - they got the bedroom and I was on the fold out bed.
We spent the night drinking, reminiscing, catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones. And admiring Andy and Jamie's view - that was something else!
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