Letter from Maui

Hotel Inter-Continental, Maui, PO Box 779, Maui, Hawaii, 96753

By Robert Darnell  [Date Unknown]

Aloha there from the Makani Koffee Shop on Maui. We just imbibed our first cup of java since breakfast and that's a long time for two old coffee heads like me and Jerre.

All we did today was get up at seven -- Houston which is two here. Walked over the grounds and beaches till six here, when the coffee shop opened. We hit the beach about nine, sunned, swam, and jogged down to the lava point at the other end.

The NBA is having a convention at the hotel, and, we never saw so many tall people in our lives. Becky only comes to their knee-caps. They are having a luau out on the lawn tonight and Jerre is going out there and steal some pork and poi.

After we left the beach this morning Becky and Robert played tennis for a little while over at the tennis club. It was hot and pooped us out pretty quick. Becky is improving as a player.

Our United plane landed at Honolulu Thursday night and we had to change to Hawaiian Airlines for the hop over to Maui. At first we got bumped and they left us standing with our bags out in the lobby. We screamed and yelled real loud, so they came back and told us if we sprint one-half mile in five minutes we could catch the plane. We made the sprint okay, but when Robert went through the concealed weapons check-point the alarm sounded, so he had to go through again after emptying his pockets. The alarm went off again, so they made him take off his belt. The plane was beginning to move, and he was running as best he could with his pants down around his ankles.

Becky and Jerre were sprinting out the gate with the cosmetic kit, two purses, two tennis rackets, books and magazines, and papers waving in the wind. They all finally grabbed onto the steps just as they were moving away and, with a last mad dash, got in the plane.

There were just three seats left scattered throughout the plane and they plopped in them completely out of breath. As soon as Robert could breath again and get his pants back up with the belt on, he started checking all their loose stuff. He yelled back at Jerre if she had the camera and she said "No."

He started cursing and yelling, "Stop the damn plane."

We left our camera back at the check point and that camera has more sentimental value than this whole plane.

It took the pilot, tour guide, and two stewards males to quieten him and they told him that would get the camera and bring it over to Maui the next morning. He quieted down.

When we got to the hotel which is really beautiful, fine, plush, neat, and cool, the baggage did not arrive. This got Jerre upset because her hair rollers were in a suitcase and she damn well is not going to do without those rollers. However, the baggage did come on in shortly, so everything was okay then.

Friday we rented a neat Jeep and went to Lahaina Whaling Village. It is a fine old town with shops and restaurants and art galleries. We saw the biggest tree we've ever seen -- a Banyan tree about the size of a city block.

They have an old whaling boat museum, and a mission built about 1790. Then we drove up in the mountains where it is very green and cool with water falls.

We at lunch at a very quaint restaurant sticking out over the beach with sail boats anchored all around.

It's now midnight Saturday night -- Houston -- and all our legs are so tired we walk stiff. We are going to eat at the Tennis Club and tomorrow morning hop over to Waikiki.


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