A 19 HOUR DAY ... WOOHOO!

ALOOOOOOHAAAAA!!  Yup I'm back in Maui after twelve years.   But first, I have to GET there.  The drive to Sacramento wasn't TOO bad, and I cruised right along in my Jeep.  It's smaller when it comes to parking, since the town I stayed in is tiny.  

The bedrooms at Cyndae's house are full to the brim, and though I would gladly have slept on the couch, she took me over to her daughter's house to spend the night.  This is the one who is the Southwest Pilot, and we just happen to be flying on what else ..... Southwest.  This is the same family I visited not long ago that have the beautiful garden in Davis.  Just look at the spoils here and on the kitchen sink.  Yummy stuff!!

I set my alarm for 5:00, and wasn't I surprised when it went off at 4 am.  Apparently it has a mind of its own since I had to update the phone, and now all my settings have changed.  I hate it when it does that.

I tiptoed around until Cyndae picked me up at 6:15 and we were off to the airport.  It's so simple now ... and so different from the last time I was here.  Check in at the curb, run through the TSA-check point, not taking anything out, and in no time, we were on the plane in our exit row seats.  It was rather a long reach to the fold down tray for me, but I found one in the arm of the chair.

I've never seen an airline pass out so many snacks.  I got six altogether and ate every one.  Not bad!!

In a flash we were over the ocean and above the clouds, but this is a 5 hour LONG flight.  I read most of the way and didn't sleep a wink.

In no time, we were flying over Maui heading to the airport.  This runway is a little different, and landing is fun fun FUN!  The crosswinds were dramatic as usual and the runway short.  Everyone hit the brakes to help the pilot, and there is always a rousing applause when they finally get the thing stopped.

We were picked up by one of Cyndae's tenants who drove us to her apartment.  We sort of settled in, but didn't stay long.  The beach was calling.

Just as a tease, we stopped in at the condos where we both owned many weeks years ago when it was affordable.  We were treated to an hour in the pool with not another soul before walking across the street to the beach.  This is where I spent many a week in years past.

The tide was coming in and it was way too rough for us lightweights.  We parked our chairs, and Cyndae said "let's walk down to the rocks".  I thought she meant the OTHER rocks, and before I knew it, we had gone over half a mile in the deep sand.  My legs protested.

I haven't seen the tide come in quite this far in years past, and we got blasted several times.  

These guys were all over the beach and in the middle of every road.  I've never seen so many birds before.

And it got rougher .......

This is looking the other way on the beach, to the area where all my turtle pictures came from.   The fish and rays under the water here are amazing.  We'll get to that eventually.  Right now we were waiting for the sunset.  

With another two hours before the sun hits the water, dinner called our name.  The same food truck has been in the same spot by the condo all these many years.  We could not resist the coconut shrimp ... the biggest I've ever seen.  It was enough for three meals!!

Still waiting on the sunset, we drove ... or rather "I" drove because Cyndae forgot her purse ... to McKenna beach to check on the turtles.  There are almost always six or seven that pull out onto the rocks for a rest.  You can barely see him back by the trees.  And sadly, these are all phone pictures because I didn't have room for my big camera.

This guy was completely exhausted and sleeping up a storm.  Not many people know this location, so we had him all to ourselves.

The next 30 minutes of the drive was in a BIG car on a LITTLE narrow road where the beachside was caving in.  We went almost to the Fishbowl, if anyone knows where that is.  Sadly, it has been closed to humans.  Coming back, we found another beach access where two weddings were being performed.  We fit right in wearing our bathing suits!!!!

That was it ... the end of a VERY long 19 hour day before we got back to the apartment.  There is one bad thing about the sun going down .... it's DARK ... and you can't see when the car lights don't really work well.  I was driving narrow barely visible roads, all unfamiliar to me since new bypasses have been created.  The traffic here is the worst I've ever seen in my entire life.

We made it back and went to bed at 11:00 our time.  I think today is going to be filled with REST!!  

The roosters are crowing as I sit on the patio at 4 am.

See you tomorrow!!