The Honeymoon Begins - finally!

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The prologue of our wedding is already family legend and had a happy ending thankfully. But, the honeymoon was put on hold. So, after surviving the summer, just barely it seems, we were damn ready for this trip. I don't think I was ever so ready to get the hell outta Dodge. So thankfully I can tell the tale.

I wasn't even breathing easy after we got on the plane. Based on everything that happened this summer, I wasn't going to be happy until we landed in Maui. You would think that just getting on the plane would be the time to relax, but let me present exhibit A:

We're on the way to our transfer at LAX, a couple hours into the flight, when the flight attendant comes on the intercom asking if there are any doctors or nurses on the plane. "Oh shit." Imagine having something seriously wrong with you on a plane (other than snakes... I mean a real emergency). It must be awful. Now, it's not just that someone might be having a heart attack on the plane, for my selfish ass it's also the possibility that we might have to emergency land in Houston or somewhere to get them off and to the hospital.

The lady sitting to my left gets up to go help (the lady to my right is my wife, just so you get the visual ;^)). Two or three other people are already up at the front. They stand around for a few minutes and one flight attendant goes to the back and comes back with what looks like an oxygen mask and a blanket. But when the woman comes back to her seat, we ask her what happened and if the person is ok. "It's fine," she says. "The woman has a hernia that swelled up. She doesn't speak too much English." So, crisis averted I guess. Can we please just get to Hawai'i???

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After (thankfully) uneventful landings, waiting in the terminal at LAX and take-off's from LA we arrive in Maui. The local time is around 8:30 p.m. By the time we get our bags, a fresh flower lei greeting courtesy of Liberty Travel, and our rental car, it's 9-ish. The meathead at Hertz gives us directions to the Hyatt Regency in Lahaina and we make the drive. It's dark, and in some parts, mostly Rt. 30, there are no lights. It's also kind of winding, and my body is trying to tell me it's 3 a.m., so it was kind of tough to concentrate. But we made it, checked in and ordered room service, because by then it was almost 11.

This hotel kicks ass. The lobby area is this huge open-air atrium with walkways and palm trees and Asian-inspired sculptures. The staff is super-friendly and all the amenities are five-star. This is the nicest hotel I've stayed in as far as that goes. We have a nice little balcony (called a "lanai" here of course) where journal writing is taking place, with a partial view of the ocean on one side, some of the hills and trees on the other. The trees do a relatively good job of disguising the parking lot below. But the room itself is really relaxing. Now it's time to relax.

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Photos

cheese on a plane
The first of many pictures where I hold the camera out, turn it around, we put our heads together and shoot.

somewhere over the Grand Canyon?
Looks like it could be. It's the desert anyway. Or Mars.

room w/ a view
Out on the lanai in Maui (this is from the next day of course)

ain't she pretty?
that's my bride