semi-random flotsam
The adventure for today is the big one – a sailing day to Lanai with snorkeling and snuba (firsts for us both).
We get there early- because if I’m not early I worry about being late – and have time to see the giant banyan tree and have a breakfast stop to ensure we’re settled for sailing. (Also both wearing our SeaBands, of course.) Continue reading “Adventures over and under the sea”
It’s our free day – the only firm thing we have scheduled is the luau tonight. But we need our swimsuits dry for tomorrow so we spend just the morning on the beach. The waves are only rough at the water’s edge, at the shelf where the shore drops steeply off. There really is no wading today; we both swim. It’s so smooth and so clear that I know D would swim far far out if I didn’t wave her back – I’m afraid of what else swims even if she is convinced she’d see and escape first. NOPE. Continue reading “Here there be dragons (teeth)”
The “big thing” for today is a helitour – her first – over Western Maui and Molokai.
We get there way too early but since we’ve got our bearings, we drive straight up into the island until the road gets narrow and winding (whoa-pa!) and D is almost starting to feel-less-than-good from it so we turn back. By the time we get back to check in for our flight she is feeling better and we’re ready to fly! Continue reading “Soaring”
For our first full day we have a Valley Excursions tour for the Hana Road – essentially circling the island.
Our pickup is at 6:45am – it’s good that we are still on Eastern time – and the driver actually arrives 15 minutes early. We are the last two on the bus. We don’t get to choose but we end up in the first two seats behind the driver and tour guide, Eric.
Our first stop is actually for a continental breakfast – I get coffee and D tries POG (which turns out to be Passionfruit Orange Guava juice – we decide later she would have liked it better if she’d known what it was. But she likes the muffins and I like the lilikoi jelly for the biscuits, and soon enough we are back on the road to Hana.
Where to start? The road is windy and narrow snaking along the cliff side road. I’m glad we’ve taken a tour. I’m glad I packed my seabands for the drive. I’m so very glad D is unfazed by it.
The views are spectacular though. We stop at lava rocks buffeted by sea spray, pass twisted and looming trees wrapped in giant rhododendrons, and so many waterfalls I lose count.
We stop for lunch and everyone takes advantage of real facilities to get on their swimsuits.
At the black sand beach we wade in over smooth, hot, shifting rocks. We don’t really swim – the rocks are hard on the feet and we have a ride ahead of us. Anyway a few stops ahead at Haleakala National Park we hope to swim in the seven sacred pools and then change back to clothes.
But the pools are closed due to unsafe conditions. We press on, to the little church beside the graveside of the Sam and Mary Pryor (of PanAm fame) and of Charles Lindbergh, and discover the climbability of banyan trees.
We do make an extra stop later to wade into the cool of rain runoff, before changing back into clothes for the ride back. Eric gives a lot of tips as to wear to find food and shopping, before he drops us all off.
In all it’s been nearly 12 hours, and although we’ve had an amazing time, we are glad to be back and to get some food into us. We stop at the takeout grill poolside and share some fries and sodas while we wait on our small pepperoni pizza.
Food when hungry is such a felt blessing.
But the whole day has been.
We have good intentions but D is asleep by 9:30 and I turn out my light before 10:30.
I start my day around 9, coffee and Duolingo and Rosetta Stone in a corner of the Château.
Around 10:15 I go back up to make sure we get out in time for check out and get to our tour in time.
We do, with time to go get a little shopping in, and then we start our local walking food tour.
Our guide Florence is funny, friendly and informative as we trek through the old city, tasting and learning as we go.
The tour lasts a net delicious 3 hours of nibbling, and we get done in time to meet our tour of the hotel (another hour)
Then we take the funicular into the lower city to say we did– plus explore a bit and have a smidge of dessert, before we collect our bags and vehicle and trek back to Montreal.
That’s another three hours, plus check in, parking hoopla, unwinding time, and finally venture out into the evening drizzle to find a pub (full and loud as the locals watch the basketball game). The staff are nice though and the food is good. We share a Pad Thai with chicken (I add sriracha to my plate) and a cookie with cheddar and ice cream that we order on recommendation, but with doubts.
Our doubts are unfounded.
When we booked the trip, aside from our final port of call, this one was what S was most interested in. She’d dived caves in Mexico years ago but was looking forward to the ruins at Tulum. Continue reading “Cozumel for Tulum”
Our next port of call is the Cayman Islands. Our excursion for the day is called Best of The Caymans and it is quite the eclectic mix! Continue reading “Grand Cayman”
