No Buds

Another day, another search for coconuts. We headed back to Kahului to the Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center. This is an outdoor mall with a large awning. In the center, locals sell fruit and prepared foods. We spent several hours here, and I took several coconuts back to the car.

We had a busy day yesterday, so we head back to our resort to check out the beach. The trouble is, we're in a windy, rainy part of Maui. I don't remember Kaanapali being this way in the 80's, but it was March back then and now it's May. I wonder if it's a seasonal condition. The wind made laying around on the beach not a great idea. We decided on the less windy of the two pools. I learned which strokes I can not yet do after my surgery, but I'm an avid swimmer and find my way around the pool just fine.

We drove into Lahaina for an hour or two. Someone very courteously got their car out of my parking place just as I arrived. That's nice of them. We wandered past all the tourist shops on Front street. This was the first time ever I not asked if I wanted to buy a bud. Guess I'm old.

The second luau wasn't associated with a hotel as most are. The Royal Lahaina Luau used to be on the beach. All luaus claim to be, but they are really just butted up to the beach. In the 80's this one was on the beach where a luau traditionally would have need held when Hawaii was a kingdom. Since the beaches belong to the public in Hawaii, I'm guessing the Royal Lahaina Luau was told to find another place.

The new place is nicely laid out. The stage is in the middle, and the audience is a bit more than a semi-circle around it. We're in the preferred seating tonight, which at this luau means we are sitting on a pillow on the ground. Yes, you're legs and back will be screaming at you later, but it's a great setting. The Royal Lahaina waits till later in the evening to start the show. This means fewer people are looking into the sun in the beginning. The show was better than last night. I bought a DVD on the way out.

I've been trying to shoot pictures at the luaus without a flash. Since most cameras' flashes are really only good for about 10 feet, there's no point to a flash. But we've only brought the small pocket camera with us, and the lens is very slow. Even when turning the ISO setting to 1000, the pictures are blurry. I'll take the bazooka to the last luau.