Laid Back in Kahului

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Our plan for a trouble-free shuttle to the airport paid off. We boarded three minutes early and we were on our way to the airport with one other lady bound for Canada. So many things could have gone wrong with Economy Rentals. After getting our boarding pass and luggage tags from a machine that had us weigh our own bags, we put the tags on the luggage, and then simply gave them to a guy who put them on a conveyer. There was a lady was making sure that only those with the TSA-preCheck went into that line. We got to our gate. I went and got a croissant egg sandwich at a Burger King airport vendor; and, then waited in an interminable line to get Sharon a chocolate chip muffin. When I got close enough to see that it was actually a chocolate chunk muffin, I decided that the chocolate croissant was probably a better choice for her, and she seemed to appreciate that. The flight to Maui was really quick: Quicker than from Vegas to LA! Beverage service was a cup of water, and you better not blink when she’s coming down the aisle or you’ll miss out. Sharon only had time to play one game of “Train of Thought” on her Lumosity app. She’s rather good at that one. I think she’s successfully done 56 trains (I’ve only managed 50; albeit 50 of 50 which is perfect). The airport in Kahului, Maui is an open, breezy facility that embraces its tropical setting. Aloha really is a way of life here from the moment you step off the plane.

We found our bags, and amazingly, the Fox shuttle was waiting at the shuttle stop, apparently for us! We boarded, and off we went, the only ones on the bus. Renting the car was nothing of the ordeal in Honolulu; and, although Fox was on our #*%@-list for rental car companies from our experience with them at LAX, on Maui they really have their act together. A credit card, a driver’s license, a couple of signatures and one initial, and we were on our way.

On the flight from Vegas Sharon spotted an episode of Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives on the flight entertainment console that featured a street-cart pizza vendor in Maui, Outrigger Pizza, and clued me in that I should try this pizza. We googled it in Maps and found our way there. It was about 10:30 in the morning and our check-in wasn’t until 3 PM. We found the pizza cart okay; but, nobody was there. Sharon checked online and found that they don’t open until 11AM on weekdays. We drove on to a McD’s for Sharon to get a Big Breakfast; but, being past 10:30 McD only offered some of their breakfasts “All-Day”. Remembering that it is Friday, and it is Lent, I talked them into giving her an egg biscuit with just the egg and just the biscuit (no meat or cheese). It wasn’t the best she’s had, but it will do on the second Friday in Lent (in a pinch). We went back to the Outrigger Pizza and this time someone was there; but she said that they were running a bit late and that they probably wouldn’t be open until closer to noon. We drove down the shore some ways and found some roadside public parking. Evidently, we encroached on the car in front of us because Sharon said they kept shooting us dirty looks. They were an older couple, parked, and sitting with a couple portable beach chairs that they’d set up on the roadside grassy knoll overlooking the short beach below. Their aging station wagon was open in the back and stuffed with surfboards and other beach stuff; although, they didn’t exactly look like the sort that would be using these things. The coast was beautiful, although I have yet to see anybody body surfing. I’m almost wondering if people do that any more.

We went back to the pizza place and this time they were open, there was even a customer there who just had gotten his pizza out of the small oven, which the show had said cooks the pizzas in just three minutes. I ordered the Lilikoi Pork pizza, recommended by Guy on his show, which is garlic aioli, Kailua pork, sweet bell peppers, sweet onions and three cheeses finished with a Lilikoi sauce drizzle. It was quite good, and unlike any pizza I’d ever had. I’d definitely recommend this to people, and I would go there again.

We found our resort and decided to take a chance on getting in early. I was told, if your room is ready, you can certainly check in. We got lucky and moved into our seventh floor single bedroom suite overlooking the ocean with island of Lanai in the background. Sharon sent me out to forage for food (She needed a pack of tuna fish, because, did I mention, this is the second Friday in Lent). I went to the Safeway we saw several miles back down the road at the Cannery Mall. I also picked up a couple of pieces of deli fried chicken and a cup of macaroni and cheese for me.

My chicken turned out to be horrible. I suspect it may have been made sometime before Sharon’s birthday last week. The skin was brittle and disintegrated into dust when you bit into it and the meat was akin to eating thin slivers of rawhide. Sharon seemed to find some justice in this, that if she should suffer, then I should suffer too. Well, she has another thing coming. My birthday is coming up, and it happens to be next Friday, and you can be sure I won’t be eating dried up chicken from Safeway in front of her on that day.

We unpacked, relaxed on our balcony a bit, and took it easy for the rest of the day.

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