Of all the places I’ve wanted to travel to, Hawaii is the one destination about which it has been hard not to form preconceived notions. So many people have traveled there and then come back with great reviews, that it’s been hard keeping expectations low. Still, when we started looking around for one last, quick vacation to take before baby #2 arrives, Hawai’i was at the top of our list.
Given the limited vacation time that we both get, we decided to stick to Maui for the four days we would be here. Arrival and getting the rental car was uneventful – what struck me was the tropical heat, and how similar it was to the heat and humidity of Pakistan. It then also struck me that Maui and Karachi could not possibly be more dissimilar in just about everything else.
For example, you are unlikely to find a Costco right beside the Karachi airport. Here, it seemed natural. Visitors from out of state often come to stay for weeks in rented condos on the various islands of Hawaii, and it makes sense to stock up on food and sundry items immediately upon arrival. Although we were staying at a hotel, it was still hard for me not to pull our rental car right up to the megastore. Why pass up an opportunity to buy that 400-pack of AA batteries? Or 200 rolls of toilet paper? Or 20-pack of Calvin Klein underwear? I might need any of those items at a moment's notice!
The Sheraton Maui, which was to be our home, was a pleasant enough property located in Kaanapali, in the northwest of the island and a 45 min. drive on a winding ocean highway. Surrounding the Sheraton were the Westin, Hyatt, and Marriott properties, so we were definitely in resort central. Despite the concentration, I didn’t feel that the place was overrun with tourists
Our first afternoon was spent eating a lazy lunch by the beach, getting some ice cream, and doing some grocery shopping. By this point we had only been in Maui a few hours, but already we could tell prices were exorbitantly high here. Eight slices of Kraft’s American cheese? $4. Gas? Over $4.50 a gallon. Being thrifty here would not be easy.
Dinner that night was an interesting experience. We drove into Lahaina town, a short 10 minutes from all the resorts and a pleasant oceanfront area with lots of shopping and dining options. However, service at Lahaina Prime Rib and Seafood was … interesting. Our server kept forgetting to bring out things that we had ordered, and every time we reminded him, he would say, “Oh, sure – are you ready for that now?” Of course we were ready – we ordered it, right? I would understand if we had a 5 course meal that we were gently savoring at a leisurely pace, but that was not the case.Shouldn't we be provided with things like water and silverware right away?
“O sure – are you ready for that now?” Yes, please, I’ve decided against eating my fish with my fingers, and will instead use a knife and fork. “O sure – are you ready for that now?” Yes please, I’d actually like to try the food that I ordered. I’m ready for that now.
Weird. Just weird.
