Humph!

We are waiting out the last couple of hours before we have to head out to the airport at Stella Blues. Newspapers in hand, (The Maui News, Maui Time, Maui Weekly) looking for rentals, having a final island drink. We gave found some websites to check out when we are back home, some places allow pets. One, a 1000SF ohana, w/d, a/c, private parking for $1000.00 a month. We are both cranky, maybe it's the intense heat in Kihei, maybe it's all the running around in the heat, maybe it's Maui itself. We really like Kauai. Helen says Maui is the most expensive island because it's the most desired island. The drinks sure aren't as good or as cheap as Kauai! It's kinda crazy but every time we have an island drink here, our tummies get upset. It stinks in Kihei, like Vail, something has got to be up with the sewage system. There seems to be someting disconcerting going on with the races here. Natives have for the most part (there was a really great young lady at Beach Bums this morning who was clearly a native) have been subtley hostile. There are a lot of white tourists (tourist season is winding down) and the locals (if a person of color) seem to be having a hard go of it. The cheese counter lady, from France, is a manager, and got her job from craigslist. She told us how the locals work 3 jobs and are falling asleep in the breakroom. Helen was giving us a tour and frustratedly told us yhea, there are kama'aina deals but it's still really expensive here. But our waitress this morning and our waiter yesterday afternoon, both white, are totally happy to be here. Dan says it's missing the aloha spirit. I said imagine you are a local, working 3 jobs to pay your rent. You see these tourists coming in, by the butt load, spending all kinds of money and you're not getting a piece of it, how much aloha spirit are you going to have? We think its probably a great place to vacation. Dan concludes; "Maui is a sad downtrodden island that has this beautiful fascade masking its unpleasent nature. Using it's reputation as a tropical paradise to hide it's tendancy to over charge and under deliver. There are the occasional nice moments, nice places, nice people but the majority of the people and the places seem artificial and pretentious. Kind of like Vail or Aspen where the attitued is we hate you but we need you. We need your tourism dollars now go away, you're not one of us." He has decided that if the choice were to move to Maui or stay in Parker, he chooses Parker. I have to agree.
Looks like it's Kauai or bust!

-- Post From My iPhone