Monday June 25, 2018
After all the disruption of the previous night and early morning, I was able to manage a couple more hours of sleep. As dawn began to break right around 5:24 a.m., the sound of birds wafted through the screen door and I determined this would be a decent enough time to finally get up. I made a pot of coffee, roused G out of sleep, and enjoyed the view from the balcony while she and D got themselves ready for the morning.
The view from our balcony, slightly warped by the cell phone camera
We decided to start our day with an early dip in the ocean. The sun was not even on the water as of yet, but the temperature was already warm and the water mild, so we strolled north along the beach seeking out an ideal place to swim. There were several people jogging or speed-walking along the beach path and only one other person in the water, swimming laps up and down the length of the beach.
At 6:00 A.M. the water seems a bit chilly.
I had hoped to see at least one sea turtle during our trip, I had no idea my goal would be reached so quickly on the very first morning! We were only about ten feet out from the shore when I looked up the beach and saw a shadow swimming towards us. I assumed it was a stingray, and as I turned on the camera I put my face in the water I saw that it was, in fact, a sea turtle! I caught a quick couple of photos of the turtle as it swam between us.
Our first sea turtle!
Later in the morning, I sketched the turtle while we waited for breakfast.
After our morning dip, we headed back to the condo to freshen up before making our way out to breakfast. D texted his brother to give him the details on the location of our condo keys, and the address of where to mail them. He agreed to pick the keys up and send them out to us as soon as he could.
We had decided to drive north along Highway 30 to take in the coast in that direction and have breakfast at The Gazebo on Napili Bay. Parking was very difficult to find, and after circling the small parking lot a few times, D let me out to go put our names on the list for a table. The restaurant was located within a resort, and as I approached I saw, with the long line ahead of me, that the likelihood of getting a table prior to lunch time was rather slim. I messaged D with the news (1.5 hour wait for a table) and he set to work searching out an alternative while I made my way back to the car. The temperature was already climbing, and it was a relief to get back into the air conditioned Jeep.
D found a place on the other side of Napili Bay called the Seahouse Restaurant, which was also located within a resort. They were able to seat us with just a short wait, and we were soon happily sipping coffee and taking in the view of the beach and bay through the open wall.
G ordered some kind of custard filled pancake
The breakfast menu was limited for me, I had papaya and yogurt. Though I would have preferred something more substantial, this is the moment I discovered that Hawaiian papaya is so much better than the South American kind we get on the mainland.
I sketched while awaiting the arrival of our breakfast.
Due to the distance from the condo and driving around, our breakfast was a little later than we'd anticipated. Upon arriving back at the condo, we re-lathered up with sunblock, gathered our snorkel gear, and by 11:30 we were back on the beach for some more time in the water. For this outing, we decided to explore the coral areas directly in front of our resort. The coral was a good distance from the shoreline, so I brought my inflatable snorkel vest to stay safe and secure.
I followed this humuhumunukunukuapua'a (state fish of Hawaii) for a while, attempting to capture a better photo
D striking a pose... the water was a beautiful shade of blue
I found some other fish near a shallower island of coral down the beach
We enjoyed the water and beach scene for a couple of hours, then my stomach began to grumble for lunch. It was still on mainland time and felt that dinner should be upon us at any minute. We determined that given the time, and the desire to get ourselves onto Island Time, we opted for a light lunch in the mall next to the resort, saving our appetites for a proper dinner time later.
I found a placed called "Choice Health Bar", where they served a selection of pre-made salads and freshly pressed juice. My soba noodle salad was amazingly refreshing.
G opted for an acai bowl from the coffee shop near by. The fresh fruit, granola, and acai blend was just what she needed to cool down after being under the hot mid-day sun.
Lahaina is a very popular town on the west coast of Maui, filled with shopping and art galleries, and was just a short 10 minute drive south from our resort. With so many restaurants within close proximity to each other, we decided to take the drive down, park, and see what might be available. After reading through a few menus and checking wait times, we chose Lahaina Fish Company.
The restaurant had both indoor and covered deck seating. The deck extended out over the water, giving us a lovely view of the ocean.
G and I waiting for dinner
The Mai Tai at Lahaina
The restaurant is next door to a house which also extends over the water. I sketched the house while waiting for our food.
G began her meal with a refreshing salad
D and I both had chowder
My dinner: grilled opah in a red sauce with Maui onion mashed potatoes. Opah is one of my favorite fish to eat on the islands, the texture and density is similar to halibut, but with a brighter flavor.
With dinner done, and still feeling the mainland drag of time on our brains, we drove back to the resort and settled in for the night.
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