Here it is, the moment all 8 of you who read this blog have been waiting for: Pictures from Maui! The pics I’m going to post here are ones I took. Neil took some of the gig and he’ll do a post for your reading pleasure, I’m sure.
I made friends with two very cool gals, Marion and Linda, who were there with their husbands who were also buried in the mire of the gig. We played on the beach, sat by the pool, drank Mai Tais, snorkeled, shopped and ate. Meanwhile, our beloved guys were sweating it out in the ballroom of the Grand Wailea Hotel. Despite this disparity, our husbands were very happy to have us there with them, because we gave them support when they needed it. This picture was taken only 3 days after we arrived, hence the bright pink hues of our skin!
One day when Neil was walking back to our hotel from the ballroom, he saw this mother cat with her 3 little kittens. Were they looking for their lost mittens? He stopped and took a picture of them because they were so cute, and we missed Freds. There were a few resident cats around the area. I don’t think they belong to anyone in particular, just the island, and they’re very friendly and sweet.
Our intrepid tech, Neil, only had about 1 1/2 hours at the beach to lay in the sun and snorkel. We got down to the beach by 9am one day, when the ocean is still calm. We had fun looking at the brightly coloured fish while floating in the water and being pushed around lightly by the waves. Poor Neil got a bit of a burn though, even though we slathered SPF 30 on him before we went out. It was worth the fun in the sun, though! Here he is at the beach getting ready to snorkel with all the other lobster tourists!
I didn’t take as many pictures during this visit as I had during the last. I did take a few on the last two days; you know, the requisite flowers, palms, sunset and moon-through-palm-leaves shots. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.
Palm trees rustling in the wind.
The Wailea Marriott, where we stayed, had a pool called an “Eternity Pool”. One edge is slightly lower than the water line so the water cascades over the edge like a waterfall on the other side. When you swim in it, the horizon blends seamlessly with the water so you feel like you’re swimming in a pool that stretches for eternity. Of course, when you’re in the ocean, you feel the same way, but eventually your feet can’t reach the bottom, so swimming in the pool is a bonus. I went for a short swim in it, it was salt water and was so soft it felt like silk.
Plumeria is such a pretty flower with a soft, delicate scent. Here it is illuminated by the setting sun.
Two palm trees standing sentinel over the walkway near the ocean.
The last night Neil and the crew did the load out all night. They had worked during the day with a short break between gigs, going back a few hours later to do the strike. If memory serves, they worked from 10pm until 9am. I ran into Neil and John B. coming back from the strike. They looked wiped! John B. was ready to keep going though, on an adrenaline high, clearly! He was heading for the pool, Neil was going back to the room for a shower and a nap, and I think Mel kept trucking too, so she could get some sun before coming home. By the sounds of it, their local crew was pretty good, and their local crew chief, who they nicknamed ‘Alpha Dave’ kept the crew moving steadily throughout the night. Rock on, Alpha Dave!
Our last night in Maui and I took a picture of the full moon peaking through a palm tree.
There was a pond at the resort, and the morning of the day we left, I took some pictures of the dragonflies and water lilies in it. Monet’s inspiration! My dragonfly picture is a bit blurry, unfortunately.
This is Ulua beach, where I went every day. The reef at the far end was where we snorkeled. The morning I took this picture, the waves had started to pick up, and the water was cloudy from sand kicked up by the turbulence, but I still saw a lot of beautiful fish, and a few scuba divers below as well!
I found this peaceful retreat at the end of the beach near the reef. A Hawaiian family was fishing there, a dad and his three kids. I sat on the coral and volcanic rock pebbles under the shade of the tree, listened to the water rush over the rocks, the banter of the children, and the birds singing all around. It was heaven, and reminded me of home: Our beloved 29th beach.
Then it was time to leave. Maui Jim (our favourite taxi driver!) took Mel’s partner, Jeff and me to the airport, and I started my long, long journey home.
Bye Maui!
I had a two hour layover in Honolulu. We flew past the city of Waikiki, and I was amazed at the size of it. It reminded me of Vancouver, with development eating up the side of the mountain. I’ve been reading a book called “A Short History of Everything” by Ronald Wright which explores the demise of several civilizations and their causes, starting with Rapa Nui’s (Easter Island) population. The islands of Hawaii are small, delicate ecosystems, and if improperly managed, maybe they’ll go the way of Rapa Nui. I encourage you all to read this book. It makes you think about who we are as a species, where we’ve been and where we’re going. As depressing as this might sound, perhaps we can make a difference, if we try.
After all that, on with the travel story! After 3 hours in Honolulu, I flew to Seattle for another 3 hour lay-over. Neil was on a later flight direct from Maui to Seattle. We hadn’t expected to see each other until Vancouver, and couldn’t call each other either because my cell phone had died. But as I was sitting in the main food court of the Seattle terminal watching the planes load and unload passengers and baggage, whose voice do I hear behind me saying, “Well, hello there, pretty lady,” but Neil’s! What a happy surprise! We sat together for awhile because his plane had been delayed. It all worked out well though, because the delay meant we arrived in Vancouver about the same time.
Now that we’re recovered from this trip, I wonder where our next one will take us? I’m ready for an adventure! Resorts are nice, but it’s time for something challenging (but cheap)! Maybe we should start playing the lotto.
Thanks for reading!
Ingrid
Puddle Ponderer
