To Maui...

< Rain showers off Molokai
On Saturday morning (at a criminally early hour) we headed out on the Hawaii Superferry to Maui. Definitely the way to get to Maui - a smooth 3-hour trip though the islands (Oahu, Molokai, Lanai to Maui). The photo at left shows the coast of Molokai in a rain shower, from the Superferry.

We've spent the first two nights of our 15-night stay at Maui-by-the-Sea - a cottage attached to a home near Pa'ia on the Hana Highway, on the north coast.

More later. We're heading into the Big Smoke - Kahului - for some shopping.

We've arrived!

Well, finally our blog is going online. It's been four days since we both reached Hawaii, but we've been a bit distracted, shall we say.

David arrived in Honolulu on Thursday morning from Sydney around 9am and had to wait five hours before Linda arrived from South Carolina.

The first two nights we spent at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu - clean, modern but a bit short on conveniences (no room service).

< Aubrey the Bear in Honolulu
Aubrey, our team chaperon, was a bit overwhelmed by it all (photo of Aubrey with lei, with Honolulu skyline in the background).

The two co-located restaurants we tried were, however, outstanding - Aaron's and Tsukasa.

Aaron's is on the 36th floor (at the top of the building) and the views of Honolulu and Diamond Head are spectacular. Watching the Full Moon rise over Diamond Head, in particular, was a magic moment. The steaks were superb, too. Along with a nice St. Supery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Tsukasa is a friendly Japanese restaurant. Good food, good service, good prices.