Aloha!!!!: Lemon Drops and Mango Sunsets

OK, I know I am really late posting this one………………..With my Captain training completed successfully just days before leaving for a vacation in Maui at the beginning of March, I was looking forward to trading my snowshoes for flip flops for a week. The journey was a long and sleepless one. I left North Bay at 06:00 and 20 hours later, and 4 airplanes later, I was in Maui. It took me 4 flights to get there on a route that took me through Toronto, Denver and San Francisco. It also took me 4 flights to return, taking me through Honolulu, Vancouver and Toronto before arriving in North Bay approximately 27 hours after leaving Maui. Yikes!! I now understand why Hawaii is not a popular vacation spot for people on the east side of the country!

The cool thing is that I was on many different types of aircraft, flying on the Air Canada Jazz Dash 8 between Toronto and North Bay, a B737 and B757 with United Airlines taking me from Toronto to Maui, a B717 with Hawaii Airways from Maui to Honolulu, a B757 with Harmony Airways from Honolulu to Vancouver and a B767 with Air Canada from Vancouver to Toronto. Wow. The best leg was from Honolulu to Vancouver with Harmony because their service is impeccable with great onboard complimentary food (they served Mario’s gelatti!!), complimentary blankets and pillows, and very considerate and friendly flight attendants. It helped that I had a whole row with 3 seats to myself. (It really is too bad that Harmony is done with scheduled flights now. Aviation is a tough business!!!) Unfortunately, on every flight that I was on they showed the film Night at the Museum (both ways!!). Definitely not my first choice in movies…especially four times!! I read one book on the way to Maui and two one the way back.

There is a 5 hour time difference, so it was safe to assume that I suffered some jet lag. Ted and Rob met me at the airport in Maui and brought me back to Kehei where we stayed in a condo at the same complex (Hale Kameoli) as we did the last time we were there. I got a really good night sleep and we took it pretty easy on the first day, hanging out on the beach and browsing some local shops. We went out for Thai food with Ted, Carol and Shannon. The next day we took a boat cruise on a Catamaran to Molokini Island for some whale watching and snorkeling on the reef. We saw many whales and even got up close and personal with one who decided to swim under our boat and then treated me to an awesome photo op. We had a great time snorkeling around the Molokini reef taking in the colourful fish and other strange sea life.

The next day Rob and I spent the whole day alone together just lounging on the beach and snorkeling around the reefs. We had a romantic dinner at seaside restaurant where we took in a beautiful sunset. I indulged in a fancy drink that came in a whole pineapple as well as a few lemon drop martinis. Yummmm!!! We finished off the night with a starlit stroll along the beach. The next day, Rob went on a deep sea fishing adventure with his dad while Carol, Shannon and I visited the spa for a Hawaiian massage. Oh ya, now that’s how to wind down and relax for your vacation!! Rob and Ted returned with the fruits of their adventure….a red snapper and some fish that apparently induces lucid dreaming. They cooked them up on the barbecue for dinner. The next day, Rob and I headed to Lahina in the morning for a surf lesson. Wow, so much fun!!!! I cannot wait to go again. I think I have found a new favourite summer sport!! Afterwards we met up with everyone else and had lunch at “Bubba Gumps” and then browsed some more shops. We ended my last evening in Maui with a nice dinner on the patio at Tommy Africa’s. It was a very short trip but a well appreciated break from the winter blahs and a chance to spend some time with my husband and family who I miss so much.