Maui Ain't Getting Much Better

Last we saw our hero, he was waiting for the car rental company to show up . . .

Well they did, and that was about the only thing that went right on Monday.

That afternoon was the only time I had set aside to do something fun on the island. I had hoped to catch the luau at my hotel which is supposed to be the best one on the south coast (I didn't want to go to the most famous one in Lahaina because I didn't want to have to drive back after possibly having some festive beverages). It is only offered Thursday through Monday so this was my only night to catch it. I enquired as to the start time, and found out that I would not make it back from the 2-hour whale watching trip I had booked for that afternoon.

Greased up with sunscreen, put the polarizing filter on my new fancy-shmancy telephoto zoom lens, and drove up a half-hour north for the whale-watching cruise. Had a few minutes before I had to check-in, so checked my voicemail in the office. The whale-watching organization had called just a few minutes before, leaving a message that all cruises had been cancelled due to the weather.

Not my luck on this trip so far. I thought, however, that I would salvage the evening by now being able to get back to the hotel in time to catch the luau. Went back to the hotel, went up to the front desk to sign-up for the luau - told that it's sold out.

Not my day.

Have been working ever since, which is just fine because the weather has been very windy, on the cool side, and rainy. High surf warnings have closed most of the beaches in the whole island chain. Forecast for the duration of my trip is pretty much the same, except for heavier rain tomorrow - the day I leave.

Supposedly, one can see the whales from the beach right in front of the hotel. I looked. They're not there. Either that or they're hiding.

The good news - I love my client and they love me. When I had to make a presentation to the entire staff who had gathered in a huge meeting room, they introduced me and then presented me with a beautiful lei made from kukui nuts and leaves from the state tree. Perhaps there will be another chance to come back sometime in the future.

Aloha and mahola for reading.