So I've ben here fo about a day and a half now. Before I get into the roller coaster that has been my life since my plane too of from Boston 2 days ago let me jsut say this one thing: Apparently life is expensive over here. Yup, things cost a little more than you would expect over here.
So since I left Worcester so very early Monday morning (thanks Cait) I have slept for a total of about 11 hours my 2 nights here so far. Even now I feel like things have yet to slow down. But lets not get ahead of ourelves here. Let's go back to the beginning...
So Cait drops me off at the airport and I wave goodbye to the last vestiges of what I know before walking into the terminal. The plane takes of without any problems and I find myself sitting next to 2 people that are not chatty at all. Luckily we are only flying for about 5 1/2 hours so its not like I'm looking to actually enjoy myself. I will say that Alaska Airlines does have nice seats with decent leg room and cushiony head rests. I sleep off and on the entire ride to Seattle and bid my antisocial neighbors a fucking adiu.
Oh Seattle... there is nothing like sitting around an airport terminal for 4 1/2 hours to make you really appreciate life. The only thing that made that stay better was the half ass service and crappy food in the mini Chilis. Oh then the extra hour delay of our plane really put everyone into a cheery mood. Soooooo, almost 6 hours after landing in Seattle (actually just outside the city)we get to board our plane. Being the generous soul I am I also allowed my seat to be moved so a family could all sit together. Yup, it turned out I gave up my seat next to a lovely college coed so she could sit next to her father. And me, I was moved next to an overly affectionate french couple who could barely speak english. I bet you can all guess how thrilling the conversations were on that flight. On a lighter note, the french guy next to me was watching season 1 of Prison Break on his little IPad. In French but I could still follow along. And the forward seat I was moved to was in a row that allowed full leg room and plush chairs.
After another 6 hours of flying surrounded by off and on crying babies, a slightly smelly man in front of me, and multiple snacks provided by the flight attendants I land in Maui. By this point it is 8pm here, dark, but smells of flowers and ocean. It takes me forever to find my car rental place. Apparently I booked from the only place located off the airport property. Fast forward me rushing acros busy streets with all my luggage and i get my car (after upgrading to a slightly larger vehicle since i predicted sleeping in it many nights over the next week and a half. A guy needs his comforts.
Now for the interesting part of my knight. Not really knowing where I was going I just start driving. The main highway goes in a big cirlce so I figured I would get to where I needed sooner or later. Well I chose to drive West. Now west away from the airport takes you over to the Northwest part of the island. This part of the highway is crazy windy going over, through, and under steep cliffs overlooking the ocean. It twists and turns so much the speed limit at points is 10 miles an hour. Plus, no street lamps lighting the way. So there I am, pitch black road following along the egde of 100-200 foot cliffs that drop into the ocean. Luckily at this point i have ben up almost 24 hours and am just lookign for any place to pull over and sleep. After about 30 miles of this I pull over just to look at the view from a point on a cliff about 150 over the ocean. Then I piss off the cliff. It was a very touching moment, had to be there I guess.
Finally I make it into downtown Lahaina. Its now pushing 1030pm and I'm pretty much slepwalking. I've given up looking for a place to sleep and am now jut looking for people to help me out. Who do I find? Yup, a group of drunk people hanging out on a street corner at the visitor center. They're all eating ice cream drum sticks. Going over I quickly explain my situation and ask if they have any suggestions. This one older guy (around 45-50) looks at me and asks if I have 25 bucks. Once i confirm i do he says "Follow me, I got a spare room at my cottage on the ocean. You can crash there." He then drunkily hops on his beatup mountain bike and pedals away. So I hop in my car and follow him down the main street doing about 10 miles an hour as he weaves unsteadily to our destination (sidenote about this: before he got on his bike he came over and told m that part of the agreement was I had to carry his uneaten drumstick for him cause he didn't want to drop it. So I drove down the road carry this thing out the window cause I didn't want it dripping into my car). We arrive to our destination 5 minutes later and I am relieved to see it is an actual cottage and not some shack where I would be smothered in my sleep... or worse, I would find myself back at Pink House! As soon as he stumbles off his bike he comes over and is excited to see I didn't drop his ice cream. He leads me inside to a pretty sweet coattage, money is exchanged, and then he takes me to to private beach behind the cottage to meet the other 2 hammered guys staying there. After quick introductions we go inside and he shows me to my bed. I'm asleep within 10 minutes. It is around midnight here so that would have made it just after 6AM there. 25 hours with no sleep.
The next morning I wake up to everyone still sleeping. Its just before 8 and I decide its time to bounce and explore. As I'm getting my stuff packed up one of the guys I met last night walks in and looks at me without recognition. "Where did you come from?" was his comment. So after reintroducing myself to this guy whois standing there in his boxers he just walks to the bathroom and proceeds to take a piss, leaving the door open. I gather my gear, say my farewells, decline a morning beer, and am on my way.
The next 5 hours have me finding a wallmart (of course) buying as much cheap food that doesnt require cooking as possible, camping gear, and bottles of water. Then I drive to Lahaina and begin job hunting at local restaurants. Around 1 I get a text from Jon who puts me in touch with Sara. So I call her... little do I know what I'm abou to get myself into.
Around 2 we meet up at a tiki bar at on of the resorts north of Whalers Village. That should have ben my first clue. After chatting for an hour while downing a few local beers she has to go to work and I decide its time to go snorkling. We promise to met up later. I was to head to the restaurant where she worked around 9pm.
Not knowing where would be a good place close by to snorkel I part at a stripmall not far from th coast. Seeing a guy who appears to have just finished snorkeling I ask him where I should go. Immediatly he resords "Snorkel? Come on, I'll fucking show you the best fucking spot in the area. Come, just follow me!" The guy could barely speak english but he had the word "fucking" down pat. It turns out this guy was from puerto rico, been living here 8 years working at the Weston, and was a free lance yukalalie (i kow i killed that word) player on the side. Of course he would be. He walks me to the beach and sets me up at a reclining chair on Weston Resort property next to his "break chair" which came with a cooler of beers. After sitting himelf down he points to the water and says "you snorkel this area, hang out here with me when done." Why the hell not. So I do. A little too windy but still a good time under water. When I finish I plop down next to this diminitive, portly guy and we crack beers open. He fills me in on stories of his life on Maui. Around 5:30 i realize i have to go run as we watch the sunset behind one of the islands west of Maui. I kill my beer, say goodbye to my new buddy and head back to my car to run.
Now let me tel you this... it gets dark jsut as fast on Maui as it does in Worcester. 25 minutes into running down the road that runs parrallel to the coast it is dark out. By the time I turn around I can't see 100 yards ahead of me. Not that I would have ben able to anyway, the road was just as windy as the one I almost drove my car off of numerous times the night before. Apparently Maui does not believe in streetlamps at normal intervals. But I make it back to my car after only having a few close calls with vehicles. Gathering up some clothes to change into I head down to the beahc shower back where I snorkled. My snorkel buddy was still there drinking with another guy. I don't get too jealous. After a nice public showering, using a loofa made to look like some cartoon turtle cause the supermarket had no others, i walk over to the bathroom to change. Yup... all locked up.
I have 2 options here. 1: walk back to my car in my running shorts and change there. 2: Do a quick change in the small enclove and hope no one walks by. I go with option 2. Now this public bathroom is set between 2 large, 10 story hotels. I do a quick look around and do the change. Luckily no one walks by. What I forgot to do was also check up the side of the building I was facing. About 4 floors up directly across from me was a couple of women (mid to late 30s) sitting on their balcony smoking cigs. I look at them for a couple seconds as they look back at me. We can clearly se eachother. Fuck it, I wave to them, say how ya doing, and walk aways. They just smiled and waved. I hope they enjoyed their free show.
So I find myelf at the Hula Grill where Sara works. This is the same place Jon works hen he is on the island. Its about an hour before closing so I'm chilling at the bar drinking bers and whatver else the bartender offers me. By closing time I'm tired but pretty buzzed. Sara comes by now and then to chat. 10:30 rolls around and the place closes up. Time to move to the bar next door. I have a water as Sara and osme of the other workers have beers and wine. At 11:30 we all decide to go to a bar acalled Tequilas. There we proceed to drink more beer and mixed drinks. Sara offers to let me crash on her floor. Happily I accept. 2nd night in a row I avaoid sleping in my car. Life is good. 1:45 hits, I'm tired and slightly drunk now. Bar closes so she has me follow her. Home? NOt quite. Instead we roll up to a hole in the wall dive bar called Nacho Grandes. Yup, high class. She wants to acquant me with the people there as she claims "i'll be finding myself here alot over the next 8 months" and proceeds to buy us each a double shot of tequila. And we all know I love tequila (Second side note: when i say she bought it what I meant was she ordered it, realized she was out of money, so I paid... sound like a familiar situation?). So after taking these shots of heaven (sarcasm) it is finally bedtime. Or so I though. We roll back to her place somewhere between 2:30 and pretty drunk. The next 2 hours or so are filled with sitting around, listening to music, drunk life talk, watching her cat "monkey" run around and trying to be quiet so as to not awaken her roommate.
At 4:30 I can't stay awake anymore. Rolling out a sleeping bag I literally pass out on her bedroom floor. Lucky for me I got to sleep in until the late hour of almost 8:30.
It's now around 2:00 PM. It's ben raining most of the day as I've ben driving around getting everything I need to substitute teach. I kinda wish I knew I needed officail transcripts from my colleges before i came here. Oh well, don't sweatthe small stuff.
As I look outside I can see the clouds are starting to clear up around the mountain that is dominating my view right now. I think it's time for a run and some swimming before dinner at the Hula Grill tonight.
Peace til next time...
Pictures to come soon
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