Today Molokai, across the channel, stands clear and tall, well, sort of tall. No clouds to shroud its ancient volcanoes. The ocean is calm and no breeze stirs the palms. Blue, blue, blue Hawai’i.
As has happened 61 times for me, the planet has moved on in its orbit, past the spot that marks February 14th. Today Kate and I bid aloha to Maui and aloha to Kauai. I’ll write next from the Hyatt Resort on the south shore of Kauai. On the 24th I’ll move to Da Fish Shack when Kate leaves for home; it’s on the north shore.
Last night Kate and I made our way to Mama’s Fish House, where, to my surprise, they now recognize us as repeat customers. I say made our way because Kate drove and I navigated using the %$@!! navigator in my phone. Which got us thoroughly lost. When I drive, my inner navigator works fine, I’ve found Mama’s several times, but as a passenger I got thrown off and relying on technology didn’t help. Sigh.
We did, however, make it. It was Valentine’s Day so Mama’s had a full house. The bay on which Mama’s sits is the best wind surfing in the world (or so they claim) and the waves and wind were monster yesterday. Must of have been good. We arrived after dark. We have seen the windsurfers, propelling themselves on surfboards fixed with sails, leaping from wave to wave. Very balletic and colorful.
Mama’s is a polished island wood structure with walls made of drift wood and flotsam, the occasional old door and whatever struck the owner’s whimsy. Inside, it has rattan light shades and tables covered with blue cloth decorated with white ginger leaves. They have expanded by 100% since I’ve been there, but managed to retain the intimate South Sea ambience.
We had an Island meal of opah, mahimahi, lauau pork, seared banana, ron baton lychee nut, star fruit and a surprising fresh coconut. Quite a birthday treat. The waiter brought out my macadamia nut crisp with six candles, special ones Kate brought, the flames burned the color of the candle. A happy birthday.
On the way back we ran into a road construction project that cost us 30 minutes at a time when we were both pretty sleepy. Not fun. Looked to me like they were laying fiber optic cable.
Final, and sad, note. Maui has grown too much. It is too crowded, too built up and not as much fun. The road construction was only the last inconvenience created by this development during our trip. I will be glad to get to Kauai.
Aloha.