Monday 17th July
Just one day now until the big day, the final guests arrive today. The day is a little cooler white caps appear on the deep blue ocean, the ever present cloud on the islands has increased over night. Evaporated moisture from the ocean is drawn upwards, forms new wispy clouds that coalesce with their mountain top parents as if gathering to await a greater cause.
Amanda and sister Sandi are day spa-ring this morning, the Marilyn Monroe studio of beautification awaits. After breakfast they meet to go off to this mysterious place of wonders, where diligent young ladies fuss around, painting nails or toes, plucking eyebrows, waxing faces and other places while they giggle at the resulting tickle, making sure that any grimace is of course surreptitious.
Matt and I take off to refuel the Hyundai, the fuel economy astounding as we have driven most of the nine days since we landed with trips to Kahului and Haleakala national park. We miss our turn off to Whalers Village to complete some last minute shopping and end up in Lahaina then circle around again heading north finding a service station before circling back again this time finding Whalers Village. Refuelling is an adventure in its self, we both stand in front of the bowser like Gutenberg looking at a Kindle. The machine has only one dispensing nozzle, you lift then select your choice of fuel by pressing a large button, either unleaded 87 Octane, Premium 89 Octane or Extra premium Nitro off the scale octane. We go through this relatively simple process, the LCD display tells us to lift the nozzle to fill and pay inside the store or insert your credit card into the slot and lift the nozzle. Since we are used to paying inside we take that option but are met with a non compliant machine. Matt goes inside the store anyway to ask for help, turns out we can only use a credit card. I insert the credit card and as the vehicle fills with fuel the machine slowly sucks the money out of your bank account, when your tank is full your account is empty. Fuel here is comparable with home costing around US$3.44 a gallon or 3.8 litres at the current exchange rate that’s around AUS$1.25 litre.
We travel onto Whalers Village and complete our shopping tasks, arriving back at Honua Kai just little after the newly refreshed Amanda. Brother Jimmy and family arrive shortly after with a bottle of wine in hand. We are soon chilling out on the patio enjoying a glass of wine or beer. The gathering clouds, disturbed by the increased winds sent the occasional sprinkle down on us while we were on the road this morning. Now those clouds are stretching darker fingers down towards the ocean sending with them almost horizontal rain that comes in showers through the canyon created by our building and an adjacent one down to the ocean itself. The raindrops completing their eternal cycle from ocean to sky and back again. The rain drives us in, then out again as the sun comes out creating rainbows against the hills behind us. Then in again as heavier showers persist until they have returned their fill of water to the sea and the sun once again dominates the sky.
Troy is having a pre dinner happy hour, boys only session at Fleetwood’s tonight, Susan wants us to checkout the vodka oyster shooters while we are there. Jimmy, Matt & me take an Uber cab to Lahaina arriving before anyone else. The shooters turn out to be just plain natural oysters in the shell no vodka in sight. Jimmy playful as ever asks the waitress for a shot glass, we order some oysters, put one in the shot glass fill with water and a little spicy sauce with wedge of lemon. I take a picture of the resultant product, then of Jimmy downing one that we immediately send to Susan. We will try to keep the joke going until she tries to order the same before Wednesday nights group dinner. More of the male guests and members of the wedding party arrive and we enjoy a drink before taking our leave for dinner.
Tonight the Palmer-Page-Callaghan-Woessner group dine at Honu Seafood and Pizza restaurant (The word Honu meaning green sea turtle).This restaurant is situated next door to and is a sister restaurant to Frida’s Mexican restaurant scene of last night dinner. The buildings bones are identical to Frida’s internally but externally clad in yellow corrugated iron. The decor a much brighter white with blue accessories the walls covered with colourful fishy paintings and prints of sea creatures. Instead of ironwork chandeliers hang white lanterns the theme mirrored by the lantern like lights on the fans that draw in the ocean breezes that waft in from the row of open windows facing the ocean. Not such a spectacular display by the sun god tonight proving that even he can have an off day.
Again Hawaiian fish is forefront on the menu, I chose the Fresh Fish Dore Style Monchong or Sickle Pomfret, locally caught on hand lines from deep water reels at around 900 feet and averaging 12Lbs (5.4kg) it’s served on a bed of Capers, lemon, butter, dill pollen with turkish quinoa. So far the best tasting and freshest dish I have had this trip. Amanda chooses the Bikini Blonde (A Maui brewery beer) Battered Fish and Chips, Coleslaw, tartar sauce and Korean aioli. This is also a favourite of many of the other diners. They are served a large basket of Ono (other wise known as Wahoo) fish and Chips. The Wahoo is a highly prized game fish built like a torpedo, very fast in the water and delicious when caught at around 30Lbs (13.5kg) it’s a challenge to land. Amanda as were the other diners were all very happy with their choice although the portion size was a challenge for some.
Once again night falls and the sea view fades to an inky blackness, out on the street the stars shine brightly heralding the promise of a clear sunny day for the wedding tomorrow.