Day 12: Lazy day around Ka'anapali

Monday, September 7, 2015

For our last day in Ka'anapali Tjitske would like to spend some quiet time on a beach, and I would like to do some more surfing. Sandy is happy to just go along with the flow so we'll do a little bit of both.

Farmers Market Maui has several yellow juices in the cooler, but it's all orange juice with a telltale frothy layer on top. All except one, that is simply labeled “juice.” Hmm.

I quickly smell the top of the container and sure enough ... someone is trying to hide my passion fruit juice!

Tjitske gets yogurt and a fruit bowl, while Sandy picks up some pumpkin bread and a very frozen berry acai bowl. I still have leftover passion fruit cream cheese so I pick up another bagel to go with it and then it's off to the salad bar for a breakfast salad. Yep, I totally made it that up, but they have a rocking salad bar with all kinds of fresh veggies, olives, croutons, nuts, cheese and fresh fruit. So yummy! Now I'm kind of bummed I waited until today to try it!

My surfing lesson with #1 rated Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy in Lahaina is set for 1:30 pm, which leaves us all morning to enjoy the beach. 

We head back to Kapalua, because it was perfect for us last time; with quiet water and the palm trees providing shade for Sandy & Tjitske to read their books in.

Trying something new to keep the hair off my back to stay cool.

It is a lot more crowded today, but I'm encouraged by the many people snorkeling. After my sunscreen has had time to sink in, I head out to explore the left side of the bay that I didn't have a chance to check out last time.

The visibility is questionable heading out, but I run into three turtles. Yay! They are all busy, munching on seaweed, and not paying me any attention. I get really lucky when one of them swims towards me just as I'm shooting a movie.

I move on to the back of the bay and the water is much, much clearer here, but also deeper which makes for not so great pictures because the light doesn't penetrate that far down. Still I was happy to see healthy coral with a good variety of fish. Makes me wonder why this place has a bad rep for snorkeling? 

I should have thought to take this picture before I got my underwater camera wet. Just ignore the drops on the lens haha.

I try to get Tjitske to come out and play with me, but she is super comfortable and with only 45 minutes left she prefers to stay ashore and chill. This time I head for the other side of the bay, where I find a super school feasting on something. It's pretty cool to see them all hanging out together. 

Here's a sampling of today's beauties:

Bluespine unicornfish

Christmas wrasse (male)

Lei triggerfish

Hawaiian spotted toby

With only 20 minutes left I head back out one last time and discover a fish I've never seen before! A spotted coral blenny! What a neat find.

Sandy & Tjitske are already packing up when I get out of the water. I jump in the car, wet bikini and all, and we stop at the ABC store for a quick lunch and some gas for Lewie.

Who knew the ABC store deli had such yummy fried rice? Sandy splits the fried rice with me and gets a hot dog, while Tjitske has them prepare a Ceasar salad. I also grab a Gatorade, a banana, and a drumstick, plus a Maui cucumber and a Maui Wowee crispy mochi chocolate bar for later. Can you tell how much I love to snack on things? 

It's a little past one when we arrive at the RHSA and after signing in we hang around for a while, then we walk across the street to break wall, so named because it's right by the breakers. The waves look pretty big so I pick another 9ft board, even though they suggest trying an 11ft. In hindsight, the longer board would have been better because we were surfing tiny little ankle biters in front, instead of the bigger waves I'd been eyeing up. Oops.

Random picture of a dude surfing with his dogs, because isn't that just the cutest!

There were three other people in the lesson, but one drops out almost immediately when he gets a microscopic cut on his hand. Even with plenty of personal attention it was a pretty boring lesson with most of the time spent standing by my board awaiting my turn, because it took the other people forever to paddle back to our instructor. At least I got to ride some waves though!

Tjitske snapped this rare picture of me carrying my board overhead. I have an old shoulder injury that makes it very uncomfortable for me, but I have to admit it does make it look like I know what I'm doing haha.

I change into my dress and we move the car from the three hour lot to the one in front of the school, where I lick the now melted chocolate bar out of the wrapper. Much to Sandy & Tjitske's amusement my face is coated in ooey gooey goodness by the time I'm done. Yummmmmm!

Time for a stroll around Lahaina. 

Tjitske had spotted a cool dress at Karina's Boutique and I convince her to go inside and see what else they have. She finds a less flashy silk dress that she likes and the saleswoman grabs a pamphlet and explains that it can be worn many different ways and "would you like to try it on?" Two minutes later she's manipulated the dress around this way and that to show us how easy it is to change and how nice it looks. When Tjitske asks how much it is, we both recoil in shock from the $149 price tag. That seems really excessive for a simple dress ... or maybe my days of shopping at Marshall's have spoiled me for regular retail for life? The woman is quick to assure us that it's like buying many dresses for the price of one, but after promising to think it over we beat a quick exit from the store.

We don't even make it past the Tresor store before we get sucked in again. One of the sales girls is standing outside and would we like to try some special salt scrub moisturizer? She quickly deposits a table spoon in each of our hands then instructs us to rub them together and surprisingly enough it really does moisturize our hands, but now we are coated in salt crystals, which she is all too happy to rinse for us … inside the store. Well played, lady! 

We get quizzed on our beauty rituals. Apparently, brushing my teeth and my hair doesn't count and I'm off the hook, while Tjitske gets treated to a special skin peel on her forearm. Next she's deposited into a chair and the woman starts fussing over her face. She makes a halfhearted attempt to to get me in a chair also, but I quickly go “check on Sandy,” who is standing outside the store rolling her eyes. 

No worries, I did go back and rescue Tjitske by asking how long they would stay open so we could think about it.

It's still early when we sit down at Cheeseburger in Paradise. There's a live musician and I ask to be seated away from the music to make it easier to talk, which the hostess translates into three tables over. It's a great table though, right next to the window overlooking the ocean so we're fine with that.

I order the burger special; an umami burger with mushrooms, onions, bacon, fried egg, parmesan cheese, tomato, and mixed greens, on a pepper and salt bun with a side of fries. Sandy gets her burger with the guacamole on the side and I trade my mushrooms for her guac to make mine even yummier. Tjitske has a garden burger on a gluten free bun with a side of onion rings. I'm glad we've been able to find things she can eat.

The sun hasn't quite set yet when we leave, so we hang out by the water for a while taking pictures. Look what I found! 

Finally, the moment we have been waiting for.

The little slip of sand bathed in golden light is so pretty.

What a way to end the day!

We are all stuffed, but we've barely started walking when we pass Ululani's. I guess shave ice is really water and it's important to hydrate, so I get my usual melona with a mochi topper, while Tjitske decides to try the POG; a passion fruit, orange, and guava combination. She's addicted to POG juice too now!

Somehow even the micro size looks pretty big.

We continue our tour of Lahaina by checking out a few of the surf shops, as well as many art galleries. There is even a gluten-free gallery, whatever that may mean ... I'm assuming the art is not meant to be eaten?

I loved these gorgeous life-like statues, but unfortunately I don't remember the artist's name. Some of my other favorites were Walfrido Garcia, Roy Tabora, Wyland, Peter Lik, Chris DeRubeis and Thomas Barbèy. Gotta write that down here so I'll remember what to buy when I win the lottery.

By now I am past stuffed and my food baby is showing, but I haven't had any Ono gelato yet and this is our last chance. Ono in Hawaiian means delicious and they totally live up to their name. Sandy says she'll get some if I will, and since I am the best girlfriend ever and I'd hate for her to miss out I will have a small scoop of lilikoi. It even has real seeds in it! Sandy loves the raspberry she got too.

Big day tomorrow, but first sleep.

♥

Breakfast: Farmer's Market Maui

Lunch: ABC store

Dinner: Cheeseburger in Paradise

Dessert: Ululani's

More dessert: Ono gelato

Hotel: Ashton Maki Maui