Sunday 16th July
There was a slight cool change overnight the breezes off the ocean picked up perceptibly lowering the temperature just a degree or two. Again a lazy warm Hawaiian day lays ahead. The clans are gathering for the big day on Tuesday all but a very few guests have arrived. There is to be a meet and greet this afternoon, members of our family, Amanda’s family and Heathers family will meet up at the Outrigger hotel in Lahaina so that everyone can get to know each other. Kylie, Peter, Krystal & Tyson have never met the American side of Amanda’s family. Many years have passed since Troy and Matthew have seen Amanda’s side of the family as well. Then off course very few of any of the family members have met Heather and her parents and sister.
I manage to watch the first half of my home Australian Rule Football teams game for the weekend before Jimmy, Susan, Gaby and Kate join us for a picnic style lunch on our balcony. The panoramic view from the dry hills behind us to the ocean also provides a cooling breeze as we enjoy our lunch.
The ocean and sand calls to Jimmy and Susan they take off to the beach leaving a tired Gaby to do some couch surfing. As with most teenagers holidays means sleeping in, their body clocks only clicking in as the evenings draw near.
Matt and I watch the last half of our football game, the Adelaide Crows once again in good form defeating the Melbourne Demons in the winter warmth of the Darwin night air. Where the only moisture problem was from sweaty hands that made the ball handling a slippery task.
The sun and sand seekers return to collect their sleepy child leaving us to prepare for the evening ahead.
Along with Kate and Jim, we take a taxi to Lahaina and the Outrigger where Troy & Heather have planned the meet and greet. We arrive, the party has already started. Troy and Heather have set up a bar in the hotels grounds, commandeering part of a large thatched roof open air pavilion There are greetings of Aloha all round to those that we have not seen for a few weeks, months or even years and introductions to those we have not met and to those who have not met Kate & Jim. Then we mingle and mix with the crowd as gradually more of the guests arrive, with more and more Aloha’s.
The meet and greet sees many a glass of sparkling wine, a beer or two and the odd Makers Mark consumed, by 7.00pm the group splits up. The Palmer-Pushman-Fagan group along with the Stunnel’s head to Front street to Lahaina Pizza Company, while the Palmer-Callaghan-Davis group take a taxi to Frida’s Mexican Beach House Restaurant also on Front Street but the Northern end. Frida’s is a relatively new restaurant in town, the building once held Lahaina’s bait and tackle shop. Now the timber framed and clad building painted in pink, with white balustrades serves to offer the local catch as well as meat, chicken and vegetable dishes in a truly Mexican style. Once inside we are shown to our table beneath painted white high raked ceilings from which dangle great iron chandeliers of rusted circular steel that form ball shaped cages encasing the light globes. A row of modern timber shaped fans with vertical blades entice the ocean breezes to come inside and circulate them around. The ceilings flow down to a row of horizontally folding corrugated iron clad windows that now raised give a stunning view of the ocean just meters away. We settle in, our two bottles of pre purchased wine unscrewed by our own hand at a cost of $25.00 a bottle.
As the sun goes down we are treated to the most spectacular of sunsets, thick dark clouds cover the top of Molokai spreading out over the ocean, a darkening pale blue wash behind them. The sun god has then painted the sky with huge strokes of orange that fade to pink behind and beyond the island creating the most dramatic of scenes. In the foreground the pinkish light reflects off a darkening ocean as various sea craft gently sway to and fro.
Amanda and I order a two taco plate each, Amanda the beef and me the Hawaiian grilled fish (I am just loving the fish here). Both dishes served with Mexican Green Rice! A cilantro rice pilaf cooked in chicken stock with poblano chiles, parsley, cilantro, onion, and garlic. Also called Arroz verde, plus refried beans. The meals are tasty and certainly not lacking in size. Kate’s Jim sitting opposite me is served an enormous vegetarian burrito that a clean plate soon testified was delicious.
Again the stories continue from the previous night the three siblings now joined by another in Sandi to add more flavour and perspective.
Finally only the lights of the sea crafts masts are visible and it is time to make our way home once again, to recharge ready for another beautiful Hawaiian day.