OUR TIME IN EDEN

ENJOY THE VIEW

How precious and fleeting is life? How fortunate that we have lived and breathed and laughed and loved for all these days? As the recent lava flows on the Big Island threaten the town of Pahoa, we are reminded of the capriciousness of life. Our time in Eden is sadly, short-lived, both figuratively and literally. Yet, imbued with the infectious Aloha spirit where time slows and attitudes lilt, Team VFH realizes how serendipity and chance can soften the blows of such realities, or unfortunately add to our grief. Well, rather than cobbling together a list of cautionary tales perhaps it is better to just sit back and enjoy the view, and what better place than in Hawaii.

Maui Palms (C) Pierre Leclerc

Of course, opting to travel to Hawaii is not done lightly, especially for your favorite cheapskates. The cost of such a trip cannot be ignored. Airfares are steep. Food can be expensive and Hawaii’s gas prices are the highest in the United States. It is far away. This tropical archipelago is the most isolated population center in the world. California is 2,300 miles away and Japan is 3,800 miles distant. You can’t go much further west before you hit the International Date Line and the day starts anew. So, if you come this far you should not complain about the costs; just enjoy the view. What is particularly fascinating is that on this range of massive volcanic mountains, just barely peeking above the blue Pacific, one has the same expectations of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as they would in New Jersey.

NEW JERSEY PALM

Okay, I’ll give you the scenery and weather of Hawaii’s Eden is a bit lovelier than New Jersey’s Eden, although paradise in both places is fairly expensive. A recent article puts Hawaii and NJ in the top seven most expensive places to live in the United States. Yes, it may be a “self-evident truth,” but it’s gonna cost ya. If you opt to travel to Hawaii then, throw out your budget.  Considering a move? Convince yourself you won't survive "island fever"; your pocketbook will be happier in the long run. 

MOST EXPENSIVE STATES TO LIVE

URBAN DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF ISLAND FEVER

Here’s a game to play. This website compares cost of living between cities. I compared my historic and touristed little river town, Lambertville, New Jersey with Lahaina, a spirited tourist town on the Valley Isle, Maui. According to the website it is 38% more expensive in Lahaina, Maui than my place in New Jersey. I admit it’s not a very fun game for dreamers.

WHERE TO LIVE?

Going FULL TOURIST

SERENDIPITY AND CHANCE AND HAPPY HOURS
Thankfully there is one self-evident truth in Hawaii that surprisingly is not expensive. In fact Happy Hours, that sensible catering to the thirsty masses, are rather pervasive on Maui. One might not expect Hawaii and especially Maui, to be so reasonable, but even in the deepest recesses of the resort stretch along the Ka’anapali coast on West Maui one can find a number of places to get out of the sun and drink cheaply. Some of the joints are on the beach offering incredible views of the ocean and others are in strip malls, and some are hidden in industrial neighborhoods. There is a website that can help you navigate through all the options. It is from 2013, but hey, this is Aloha time central, so you know this is still up-to-date. MAUI HAPPY HOURS

Doing research at Duke's

Of course, with such a list one may have to throw out all other activities on Maui if you wanted to binge your way through all the listings! During a week of non-stop antics for your favorite moochers it was a wonder we managed to find the time to quench our thirst. 

Readers of this blog may remember our week of Maui exploring. On Monday we did the much ballyhooed "Road to Hana" and survived. Tuesday we went full-tourist and attended the Old Lahaina Luau. Wednesday was a beach day at Makena State Park's Little Beach and then a Willie K Dinner Show at Mulligan's on the Blue that evening. Thursday we went snorkeling at the crescent shaped islet Molokini and Friday had us greeting the sun atop Mount Haleakala before hurtling white-knuckled down the massive shield volcano on bikes.

Mai-Tai's at Dukes

Despite our limited free time we managed to squeeze in some libation research. Just a few to share here.

MAUI BREWING COMPANY
Since our arrival on Hawaii I had been drinking the Maui Brewing Company's Big Swell IPA in cans and our first research drinking soiree was to go to the source. Inside the large, airy brewpub contrasts the strip mall location. They offer an extensive variety of very good MBC beers that are written on chalkboards and a strip of ice embedded in the bar to keep your selection cold. Decent price for burgers and the Happy Hour is daily from 3-6 pm and beers are $5.00 for pints.
MAUI BREWING COMPANY

Maui Brewing Company

DUKE'S BEACH HOUSE
I'm always wary about slick, touristy joints like Duke's Beach House. It screams expensive. After all it is right on the Ka'anapali Beach Boardwalk with resorts everywhere. On our first day on Maui we took a stroll along the boardwalk and were pleasantly surprised by their "Aloha" hour prices. From 3-5 pm many of their beer offerings are under $5 and Mai-Tai's were $6. We were fully expecting our libations to set us back a day's pay or two!  Of course, Janet insisted on eating the flowers they floated in our drinks!
DUKE'S BEACH HOUSE

Sunset at Hula Grill

HULA GRILL's BAREFOOT BAR
This joint is right on the ocean and we snagged a couple of pews at the crowded Hula Grill Barefoot Bar to drink some Mai-Tai's and watch the sunset. This evening it seemed everyone had the same idea. Located at the very busy Whaler's Village shopping mall, the Hula Grill brimmed with tourists. Thankfully live music, sand a beautiful sunset and pupus like Hawaiian Creviche and Crab & Macademia Nut Wontons, helped us overlook the commotion. Their Aloha hour is also 3-5 pm and features $6 Mai-Tai's. 
HULA GRILL

BETTY'S BEACH CAFE
Speaking of serendipity it certainly was a pleasant surprise to discover Betty's Beach Cafe our last evening on Maui. This little gem is on Front Street in Lahaina but far enough from the burgeoning tourist areas. We went there on a Friday evening and it was quiet. Betty's Beach Cafe is set in the back of an unassuming little mall, but the back lanai has not only a great view of the ocean and sunsets, but also free view of the smaller and more intimate Feast at Lele Luau. This luau features fire dancing, something the Old Lahaina Luau does not. So, if you're inclined to save money you can reserve a seat with Betty on her lanai.

view from Betty's lanai

Betty's Beach Cafe is open from 8 am for breakfast through to midnight. With food specials like Wednesday night lobster dinners and daily drink specials like $2 margaritas and $3 mai-tais for their early and late happy hours Betty's Beach Cafe should be a destination for the budget conscience whether or not you want to see the luau for free. Had we more time in Maui I would have insisted on becoming a regular at this joint. 
BETTY'S BEACH CAFE

Okay, if you're interested in spending money you too can go FULL TOURIST and go to the Feast at Lele Luau. Go here for particulars: FEAST AT LELE But, here is a sample of what you'll see from Betty's lanai!

Mahalo for reading. Here's hoping your Thanksgiving and Holiday season is spent in the company of friends and family. Stay safe. Love, Janet and greg

PASS THE POI

THE OLD LAHAINA LUAU

I had never been interested in going to a Luau. It was a destination for tourists after all, parodied by the likes of Fred Flintstone, who had a famous line in one episode where he was cast in a Hawaiian Island movie: “Pass the Poi,” he said, practicing it over and over. It is probably good advice to never hire a lawyer who can discuss individual episodes of the

Flintstones, although this quality is admirable with hack travel writers. But, I digress here.

Seriously though, I thought luaus were events where Hawaiian natives hula’ed the night away for the benefit of brash tourists wearing loud Aloha shirts as they gobbled down Kalua Pork and LauLau and got drunk on Mai-Tais as they lasciviously ogled the young native dancers in their grass skirts and coconut bras. I thought such “celebrations” held for us haoles were cheap and degrading to the Native Hawaiians. We had already stolen their kingdom, now we have them performing like trained pets.

Despite my observations Janet insisted on going to one and I’m not one to go against her wishes.

HOW COULD I SAY "NO"?

“Yes Dear,” are the two most essential words a man can ever utter. But, I digress here.

She did her research well and got us two tickets for the Old Lahaina Luau. It is a traditional hula and feast and very well attended. All the reviews were aglow about this particular luau, perhaps because it was not a bunch of “fire-eaters showing off.” We were on stand-by and fortunate to get seats. The Old Lahaina Luau is held nightly, but the waiting list stretched until mid-August. We went on our Tuesday in Maui and we traveled to this area of Lahaina called Moali’i, just north of the main tourist area. It’s on Front Street and across from the Lahaina Cannery Mall.

Joking aside, in the tradition of old Hawaii, travelers were always offered food as a show

POI IS UPPER RIGHT

of love and respect and the beginnings of the hula may have been as both a religious ritual while also providing entertainment for the rulers. Until a written language was created Hawaiian lore was passed to the next generation through stories and displays of the dances that we witnessed on our fortuitous night at the luau. Keeping such old Hawaiian traditions are very important to the Hawaiian people who take great pride in their history and the Old Lahaina Luau showed a progression of dance and music from ancient drum dances through to the missionary hulas, the modern hulas before finishing with a Tahitian fete celebration of dance that features solo dancers.

Most interestingly, Lahaina, Maui today is a tourist town. Shops, restaurants and bars catering to the tourist trade crowd Front Street. But, before it was a tourist destination, and before it was the center of the Pacific whaling industry and a plantation town, Lahaina was the capital of the kingdom of Hawaii and the residence of ancient kings who would come here for rest and play. So, it’s conceivable that a luau in Lahaina with its feast and hula is the real McCoy.

We were greeted at the Old Lahaina Luau with music and Lei’s and Mai-Tai’s and seated at a l

TOURIST CENTRAL

ong line of tables surrounding a large central stage and then invited to walk the grounds past several displays of Hawaiian crafts and take hula lessons and bask in a glorious sunset. It was crowded with haoles and yes there were a lot of crazy Aloha shirts on display, but the Aloha Spirit was strong here (aided by more Mai-Tai’s and Little Tita’s and Honey Girls and Blue Hawaiians, all with “extra-loving” poured by the shirtless bartenders in traditional garb...that's more rum kids). Then we were invited to surround the underground oven or Imu for the digging up of the Kalua Pig. Dinner was served buffet style and the traditional feast featured not only the pig, but the poke (both Ahi and He’e …octopus…) and yes Poi. We did not pass on the poi by the way.

The feast continued with steak and chicken and island prepared fish and several side dishes.

Front St. Lahaina

We ate and drank a lot and the show was informative and beautiful. When couples were invited to dance to a modern song played by the live band, Janet and I twirled happily in the warm Hawaiian night. Though it was all steeped in tradition it was a bit hokey, but wonderfully loveable and for one night I did not mind being a tourist.
OLD LAHAINA LUAU

Go…

Before we went to the luau we spent a full relaxing day in the sun at the resort lounging by the

BANYAN TREE LAHAINA

pool. We left a little earlier than necessary to stroll around Lahaina a bit, stopping by the old massive banyan tree that fills a city block and to poke our noses in some of the shops in the area.  It may all be just a tourist destination but this area of the world is beautiful. 

Mahalo for reading.

Here is a taste of what we enjoyed at the Old Lahaina Luau. We hope your travels lead you to such enchanting destinations.