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I spent my birthday on my own in Maui after the conference I attended there, and I had a brilliant time.*
My birthday treat to myself was a boat trip to Molokini crater to snorkel with the fishes, and to Turtle Town off Wailea Point to swim with the sea turtles. I got really lucky with the weather, and Cap'n Doug sailed us around the far side of Molokini so we could see the sea bird nesting sites. Then we pulled into the harbour and we were allowed to jump in the water. I don't have a waterproof camera and I also don't feel too secure snorkeling without a boogie board in hand, so I've no photos of that. But the visibility was incredible, like I remember from Hanauma Bay as a kid. I saw a tube fish and a giant parrot fish. I followed her around for a bit, listening to her chomp the coral and seeing her make sand. I saw wrasse and tangs, sea urchins and crabs, and of course the legendary Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, from whom Eldest gets her moniker. It's colourful, pugnacious, and territorial. Mmhmm.
[Approach to Molokini crater.]
[Seabird nesting sites round the back of Molokini.]
Turtle Town offered excellent fish viewing in the water as well, although to be honest it was much better watching the turtles from the boat as the view was clearer and they got quite close to the bow, where you're not allowed to snorkel.
[Sea turtle next to the tour boat.]
There were lots of older retired couples on the boat - because who else can afford $200+ plus tips for a five hour boat trip - and I could see them looking sidelong at me until finally when we were eating lunch someone sidled up to me and after some desultory introductions, asked if I was scared to travel alone. Hahaha. Nope! Very happy by myself, tyvm.
I pootled back to the hotel in the convertible Mustang** I’d hired with the top down, although “pootled” doesn’t feel like quite the right word for travelling in an absurdly ostentatious car. I had a shower to get all the sand off, liberally slathered on the after-sun, and got dressed again. I had a couple of chats with family and friends. I got myself a cold drink at the 808 market and wandered down to watch my last Maui sunset on this trip.
I got changed into a nice dress and spoke to the family before hopping in the car again to take myself to dinner: Isana in Kihei. I ingested a heroic quantity of nigiri (choice bits pictured below) and part of a silly cocktail (because driving, and that thing was strong).
[Unagi]
[Big eye tuna and Hawai’ian amberjack nigiri]
I plucked up the courage to ask my waiter a very odd question. I explained to him that I’d grown up in Hawai’i, and I had happy memories of eating something we called “stinky pickle sushi” which you obviously cannot put on a menu in a nice restaurant. After he’d finished guffawing, I explained that it was pickled daikon radish in a maki roll. He said he would go ask the chef if he knew about this.
Two minutes later, he returned, placed a small black dish in front of me, and said, “Yes, chef is from Japan, he knows this ingredient. Is this it?” I popped the bright yellow rectangle into my mouth and clapped my hands with joy. The waiter returned to place my stinky pickle nori roll order. And that, my friends, was my final brave birthday treat to myself: procuring a sushi roll I have not tasted for over twenty years.
[Behold: stinky pickle maki]
* Sorry, family! We would have had a brilliant time together, too. But this conference happens during the school year, and so I was on my own. I love you guys. I also love time to myself.
** I actually wanted to hire the Mazda Miata but they didn’t have any, and also the hire car person said my giant battered old Briggs & Riley suitcase would not have fit in the boot anyway.
THE END.
My birthday treat to myself was a boat trip to Molokini crater to snorkel with the fishes, and to Turtle Town off Wailea Point to swim with the sea turtles. I got really lucky with the weather, and Cap'n Doug sailed us around the far side of Molokini so we could see the sea bird nesting sites. Then we pulled into the harbour and we were allowed to jump in the water. I don't have a waterproof camera and I also don't feel too secure snorkeling without a boogie board in hand, so I've no photos of that. But the visibility was incredible, like I remember from Hanauma Bay as a kid. I saw a tube fish and a giant parrot fish. I followed her around for a bit, listening to her chomp the coral and seeing her make sand. I saw wrasse and tangs, sea urchins and crabs, and of course the legendary Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, from whom Eldest gets her moniker. It's colourful, pugnacious, and territorial. Mmhmm.
[Approach to Molokini crater.]
[Seabird nesting sites round the back of Molokini.]
Turtle Town offered excellent fish viewing in the water as well, although to be honest it was much better watching the turtles from the boat as the view was clearer and they got quite close to the bow, where you're not allowed to snorkel.
[Sea turtle next to the tour boat.]
There were lots of older retired couples on the boat - because who else can afford $200+ plus tips for a five hour boat trip - and I could see them looking sidelong at me until finally when we were eating lunch someone sidled up to me and after some desultory introductions, asked if I was scared to travel alone. Hahaha. Nope! Very happy by myself, tyvm.
I pootled back to the hotel in the convertible Mustang** I’d hired with the top down, although “pootled” doesn’t feel like quite the right word for travelling in an absurdly ostentatious car. I had a shower to get all the sand off, liberally slathered on the after-sun, and got dressed again. I had a couple of chats with family and friends. I got myself a cold drink at the 808 market and wandered down to watch my last Maui sunset on this trip.
I got changed into a nice dress and spoke to the family before hopping in the car again to take myself to dinner: Isana in Kihei. I ingested a heroic quantity of nigiri (choice bits pictured below) and part of a silly cocktail (because driving, and that thing was strong).
[Unagi]
[Big eye tuna and Hawai’ian amberjack nigiri]
I plucked up the courage to ask my waiter a very odd question. I explained to him that I’d grown up in Hawai’i, and I had happy memories of eating something we called “stinky pickle sushi” which you obviously cannot put on a menu in a nice restaurant. After he’d finished guffawing, I explained that it was pickled daikon radish in a maki roll. He said he would go ask the chef if he knew about this.
Two minutes later, he returned, placed a small black dish in front of me, and said, “Yes, chef is from Japan, he knows this ingredient. Is this it?” I popped the bright yellow rectangle into my mouth and clapped my hands with joy. The waiter returned to place my stinky pickle nori roll order. And that, my friends, was my final brave birthday treat to myself: procuring a sushi roll I have not tasted for over twenty years.
[Behold: stinky pickle maki]
* Sorry, family! We would have had a brilliant time together, too. But this conference happens during the school year, and so I was on my own. I love you guys. I also love time to myself.
** I actually wanted to hire the Mazda Miata but they didn’t have any, and also the hire car person said my giant battered old Briggs & Riley suitcase would not have fit in the boot anyway.
THE END.
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Oh my, one of my favourite memories of my time in Hawai'i!
Stinky pickle! Love it!
I'm glad you got to make some good new memories on your birthday.
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https://youtu.be/fHDq5tUAN84?si=nFIqTficfsb6b_Lz
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When I was a kid, my parents and I won a holiday in Toremolinos (Spain). Since wine at the table was "de rigeur" there, and the drinking laws somewhat more relaxed, I was allowed to try some red table wine. I... wasn't entirely sure that I liked it as it came, so my fallback was to order a bottle of coke. And then I had an idea... and mixed the wine and coke 50/50 in a wine glass. Result: Delicious! Less annoyingly fizzy than straight coke, and less overpoweringly fruity than the wine, and very drinkable. The waiter was highly amused at this innovation, which became my regular table tipple for the entire fortnight.
Imagine my delight, a decade or three later, on hearing that "Red Wine and Coke" had since become a very popular mixture out there. =:o]
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I love the anecdote about the pickled daikon and that the chef knew it and could prepare it for you.
Also, I suspect that most of those muscle cars are mainly for people who want enough car around the engine to justify it and a seat to drive it in. Boot space is definitely not in their considerations.
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That sounds amazing, especially the sushi.
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Shame they didn't have a Miata.
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asked if I was scared to travel alone
ahahahaha - indeed! Travelling alone is such a gift :D
a giant parrot fish. I followed her around for a bit, listening to her chomp the coral and seeing her make sand
I <3 doing this! It's one of my favourite things to do when snorkeling :D
procuring a sushi roll I have not tasted for over twenty years.
It is so amazing when the taste of something today matches your *memory* of a taste - how awesome that you were able to experience that again!
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How was the stinky pickle maki? It looks delicious.
Molokini looks so beautiful. What a relaxing way to spend a birthday.
Happy belated birthday!
Mustang
Mazda Miata
I see you, too, are a woman of culture.
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Lovely photos. Looks like an excellent birthday.
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AAAAAAAH I AM SO DELIGHTED FOR YOU ABOUT THE STINKY PICKLE SUSHI <33333
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