Hawaii - Day 1: "Why, yes, I would like a hot towel"
Day 1 - “Why, yes, I would like a hot towel.”
Our flight out of LAX this morning turned out just fine. After being told we were 1 and 2 on the Standby list, we later got demoted to 8 & 9, due to higher seniority of other passengers. Boo! BUT - we still got to fly First Class!!
I have decided I am a First Class girl. I had no idea. The seats were absolutely massive (okay, only relatively massive, but still). I could stretch my feet all the way out in front of me before hitting the next seat. They reclined farther than in coach, and they had these kicky little footrests that also came out and made the reclining more enjoyable.
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
They offered us giant pillows and blankets and cute little horrible-for-the-environment bottled water containers. I went through four of those in one flight and felt terrible, but I get so dehydrated when I fly. We got those special little earbud adapters for free so we could listen to the in-flight movies and shows. We watched The Blind Side, but having just seen it, I quit halfway through. I enjoyed How I Met Your Mother much more, and dtiernan and I laughed through that one together.
They were constantly offering us drinks and food the whole flight.
Okay, pause, because I have to say what’s happening right now. Dtiernan is giving me a lovely lovely neck message while I type. I had a horrible neck/stress headache yesterday and sleeping on the floor last night was definitely not a great follow-up. Now his hands are doing wonderful things, but I am still managing to type because what if he stops??
Back to the story. We were offered constant food and drink (and the snacks were way better than in coach). I had Sun Chips and Twix and Reese’s cups, plus they served us breakfast. I had Cheerios & yogurt & a croissant (far superior to the one I bought in the terminal and threw away halfway through). D had a bacon & cheddar omelet. It felt decadent to be eating like that in the air - and with so much room! Our trays were so adjustable and wide and pleasant.
I also made use of the free drinks benefit. I had a rum & Coke early on, and had a couple of Bailey’s near the end (hey, it was a 5.5-hour flight!). I wasn’t even particularly craving alcohol, but I felt compelled to take full advantage of the situation. It tasted all the sweeter for being free and First Class.
Oh, and hot towel! They came around offering hot towels to refresh ourselves with. I tell you, I don’t know if I can ever fly coach again.
I got pretty bored by the end of the flight, not helped by my new Nora Roberts turning out to be disappointing (I picked up the Donovan Legacy series from the library and I’m beginning to see why I hadn’t read them yet). At least I am also reading a great anthology called “Tales from the Scale” that I will blog about when I get back. Pretty thought-provoking book.
Anyway, I was quite grateful when we finally landed in Maui. We got off the flight with no problem and found a shuttle to the harbor & our hotel. The drive took longer than expected due to a traffic accident up ahead, but if I’m going to be stuck in traffic, please make it along a Hawaiian coast, because damn, that is eleventy times easier to deal with. Palm trees and gorgeous blue water and amazing cloud formations over soaring mountains and just beauty all around.
From 2010 Hawaii
Our hotel for the night is quite nice. I booked it because it is directly in front of where the ferry will pick us up tomorrow, but it’s actually a nice little place. It’s historic, and it’s the site of the oldest lighthouse on the Pacific. Right now, I’m sitting on our balcony while typing this (D has finally gone back inside and I bet he’s falling asleep as we speak - well, it is 2 a.m. inside our bodies).
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
Once we got settled in and showered (Hallelujah for that - we were very much done with wearing airport grime around), we stepped out for lunch. There are quite a few shops and restaurants directly next to the hotel on the harbor, so we had no problem finding a place called “Da Kitchen.” I saw the menu outside and was instantly taken with the idea of “Fried Macaroni & Cheese and French Fries.” It was exactly as described, and I made sure we took a picture to commemorate.
From 2010 Hawaii
Then we went to sit in the shade by the water and just relax while the more intense sun hours faded. It was very peaceful. I finally got antsy and wanted to get in the water, so we headed down to the tiny, tiny strip of sand allocated to the hotel. It was chock full of rocks - shifting rocks - so we doubled back to get our water shoes. Even then it was a challenge, and the water never got very deep. We stayed out there for a little while, enough to say we did it, and then decided to head back. The beaches at Molokai will be much more conducive to swimming.
From 2010 Hawaii
We swam in the pool for a little while after that, but it was getting a bit chilly in the shade (it’s in a courtyard in the middle of the hotel). We cleaned up and headed out to take some pictures during the “golden hour”, which is just a time of day before sunset when photography and film looks particularly impressive in the light. There is this fantastic banyan tree in the park next to the hotel. It’s unbelievably large and amazing to look at. We had fun taking some shots and playing with light. D’s new camera is very cool. Then we sat by the water and watched the sun go down. Just lovely.
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
From 2010 Hawaii
We went to the “Cool Cat Café” for dinner and came back here and we are just plain tired. It’s been a long 36 hours, I tell you. But we’re here, we’ve been in the ocean, we’ve seen a sunset, and we’re loving it.