Jim and Kim's Travels: An Easy Day in Lahaina on Maui

What is this strange sight? A Coast Guard helicopter which plucked a passenger off our moving ship at night. When you hear a "bing bong" indicating a message is being broadcast in your cabin in the middle of the night, you know it isn't something good. While I was wondering if we were about to be given a command to abandon ship, the captain announced that he was sorry to disturb us, but a passenger was being evacuated and we were all to stay off our balconies while the operation was in effect. You could hear the helicopter circling the ship several times, before successfully dropping a line and basket to bring the person on board the helicopter. As we listened to the helicopter disappear into the darkness, the captain came back to say the successful evacuation was over. Go back to sleep? Not for a while.

It turns out the woman passenger had a stroke and could not wait until we docked in Lahaina in the morning. I hope she had a full recovery.

After that excitement, we sailed into Lahaina on a cloudy morning.

The clouds were looking a little ominous in this direction, as the tender boats were brought out to transfer passengers to shore.

They did a few runs before passengers were allowed on board. At one point they were gone so long, we were sure something was amiss, but eventually tendering got underway.

Heading ashore...

A beautiful "God sky"...

Safely ashore with no plans for the day...

We wandered toward the famous banyan tree, which had so amazed us on our last visit. We went by the courthouse...

And here is the magnificent tree. It was planted in 1873 to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Protestant mission. It has grown to a height of 60 feet and has rooted into 16 other major trunks.

Jim and Kim at the banyan tree...

Some pretty impressive trunks...

Trying to get a panoramic of it. This is all from one tree!

Boat Day! Somehow I have a feeling this sign never comes down.

We watched an artist...

And wandered down the main street past this old motorcycle...

Margaret and Mike have learned to put up with my "just one photo..."

I took a picture of this house for no reason other than it was very different from anything around it. Turns out it is Wo Hing Museum, which began as a meeting place for Chinese immigrants who were brought in to build tunnels and irrigation systems though the mountains. They needed a place to socialize and this house was built in 1912. In 1983, recognizing the need to preserve this part of its history, Lahaina restored the house and turned it into a museum.

We decided to have a snack and a drink. Pretty! Cruise ship days are crazy for the local restaurants and bars, as is evidenced by the multi-tasking bartender in the background.

After hearing so much about shave (not shaved) ice, we decided to give it a try. We were sort of disappointed as it really just seemed like a snow cone. However, in checking this place on-line afterward, he gets many great reviews, so I think we were expecting too much.

Drink it with a straw at times or eat it with a spoon. I think Jim was wondering how he got finagled into holding mine!

It was getting pretty choppy now and we decided to head back to the ship. Not a short ride in the tenders...

After a bit of a rough ride (up and down and crashing on the waves), we arrived back on board, slightly damp and happy with our little tour.

I was walking around the deck when I spotted two tour boats and was pretty sure they were watching a whale. I ran back to the cabin to get my camera and sure enough...just in time to see it.