Paradise on a Shoestring

"What! Go to Hawaii? How on earth can I do that. It’s too expensive." That was my response when friends broached the idea of a trip. That’s what I’d heard from those who had traveled to USA’s most tropical and exotic of states. I hadn’t had a lot of experience traveling, so I was inclined to believe those who had. For one thing, it was so far! Especially since I lived in Central Texas. First one would have to get to the West Coast, then head out on a 5-hour or so flight.

My friends persisted. We were going to get better rates because there was a large group going. We would be making advance payments on the trip for several months. When the time came, we would have the biggest part of it paid.

I thought and I thought. I studied my budget. I made lists. I wrote down what my part would be of the group amount, including airfare, hotel, and rental car. We would be gone for two weeks. There was gasoline to figure in for the rental car; I had a gasoline credit card so I could pay that out if needed. I estimated what would be required for meals. Surely I could find a grocery store for cereal and milk for breakfast, sandwiches and cookies for lunch. I budgeted $10 a day for the evening meal, hoping I could get by for less, even if it meant just an appetizer. I would have to forget about side-trips and souvenirs. Beach and pool came with the hotel, those would be plenty of entertainment. I was an avid photographer, so I budgeted an amount for film. I could wait to develop the film until I returned home and received a few paychecks.

So plans were made. Vacation time from work was scheduled. Advance payments were made for 6 months. Film was purchased over months when sales were spotted. Arrangements were made for pet-sitting. At last I was ready to depart on this 2-week adventure to Maui, Hawaii, with a measly $300 in my billfold.

Most of the group lived in the Kansas City area, so we Texas folks joined them at the K.C. airport on a frigid January morning. We checked our winter coats in lockers, and were on our way. Snags began to develop with a snowstorm in Denver, delaying our plane-change departure to Los Angeles. When we finally arrived in L.A., we had missed all flights to Hawaii for that day. Since there was such a large group, the airline rustled up another plane. We got loaded on, but before we could taxi out, it was discovered there was a malfunction. We got loaded off, and spent a number of hours in the terminal, anxiously watching the mechanics working on our plane. At long last it was a go and we took to the skies. The domino effect continued, however, as arrival in Honolulu was so late we had missed the last flight on to Maui.

Here’s where things started looking up. Our airline put us all up in a motel, gratis, and provided coupons for the evening meal. We could choose which flight we wanted to take to Maui on the following day. We had discussed the idea of flying back to Oahu for one day, during our two weeks, to see Honolulu, but most of us had decided it would be too expensive. So, here was a free day in Honolulu! We scheduled ourselves on the last flight of the day to Maui, rented a van, and had a wonderful time sightseeing and touring Pearl Harbor, before at last heading on to Maui.

Unbelievably, our luggage had reached our villas on Maui before we did. The group was scattered around in various accommodations on the North Shore of Maui, but we all had rental cars, so we had no trouble getting together for shopping, dining, and sightseeing excursions. Compared to Honolulu, it was deliciously cool under cloudy skies with frequent showers. However, we were soon anxious for some beach time, and disappointed that it stayed so rainy. On about day 3 someone discovered all we had to do was tootle a few miles around to the South Shore of the island, where sunshine was king. Subsequent trips to the Hawaiian Islands revealed this to be the norm--the north side of all the islands caught the rain storms, creating lush tropical growth and incredible waterfalls everywhere, while the south side would be sunny with the best beaches.

To my amazement, we discovered a much-ignored truth of Hawaii. Find an elegant restaurant with sit-down service, waiters with towels over their arms, and menu prices to give one a heart attack, and most of the time, right beside it, would be a “rustic” place where one ordered from the counter, pulled your own soda from a fountain, with prices a quarter of the other place. And they would be on the same beach, looking at the same spectacular sunset in the Pacific, with similar, excellent-tasting food, including grilled fish, shrimp, and steak. I didn’t have to settle for an appetizer for dinner. It was an epiphany.

One side-trip that was included in our package was an evening dinner cruise on a sailing ship. Talk about thinking, “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” Love for the sea got only stronger.

And so it went. I fell in love with Maui in particular and Hawaii in general. For a photographer, it was paradise in an unexpected way. One could drop the camera and it would result in a fantastic shot. Rural roads around the island would be lined with a riot of multi-colored bougainvilla. Along small roads on the rainy side, wild orchids would dot the edges of the rainforest.

Far too quickly it was time to pack up and head home. We had a quantity of fresh pineapple and papaya we hadn’t gotten eaten, so thought we’d take it with us. At the airport, however, we discovered only packed and inspected fruit prepared for shipping could go on the plane. We couldn’t bear to throw it away, so, with a couple of hours before take-off, we sat on the benches outside the terminal and ate as much of it as we could, juice dripping off our elbows. It was very nearly the highlight of the entire trip.

Everyone arrived home renewed in spirit and ready to tackle their jobs once again. I stepped off the plane with $25 remaining in my pocket, and it only took a few weeks to get all the photos developed. And in my head was whirling where can I go next . . .

Story ID:	464
Written by:	Carol J Garriott (bio, link, contact, other stories)
Organization:	home/retired
Story type:	Travel
Location:	Maui Hawaii USA
Year:	1984
Person:	Myself