Adventures in Hawaii

Yesterday Amanda and I took a puddle jumper from Oahu to Maui. We picked up our rental car and headed twenty minutes west to meet up with some old friends who've put down roots here in Maui. We caught up with them at the locally renowned Kihei Cafe where our friend ordered a family style breakfast with everything from traditional Hawaiian fried rice and gravy to banana macadamia nut pancakes and everything in between. (The local iced coffee is out of this world and quite possibly the best I've ever had.) We then spent the rest of the day getting settled into the condo we rented, visiting the local food market, and hanging out on our lanai which overlooks, you guessed it, the Pacific Ocean. Our friends came over and we cooked a family style meal together. The food was great and the company was even better!

This morning our friend, a professional baker by trade, cooked us a phenomenal breakfast from scratch including fresh squeezed orange juice, brioche French toast, German pancakes, banana muffins, and bacon (okay, the bacon wasn't from scratch). We also had locally grown Hawaiian fruit including starfruit, guava, pineapple, and a super tart fruit with crunchy seeds you eat whose name escapes me... I loved it. Our coffee was from a sur la table which we learned takes out all of the acidity in the coffee and results in a smooth, velvety cup of joe. Amazon prime here we come!

Originally the plan was for me to stay out of the water the remainder of our trip after my knee incident, but our friends would have none of it. They made my wound watertight with a homeopathic remedy known to the island locals as "dragon's blood" and although I was weary it worked like a charm! We spent the remainder of the day on one of the world's 10 best beaches, Keawakapu Beach in Wailea. Swimming in the bluest, clearest water I've ever seen was an unforgettable experience. To share it with my wife and friends made it all the better.

I'm writing this as Amanda and I watch the sunset from our lanai. Soon we'll be off to grab some local bbq and finish the night with some shaved ice. I sure could get used to an island life... things move much slower here and relaxing is exactly what we needed. We are so grateful for this experience.Lue lisää