Each day, we enjoyed a wonderful buffet in the Swan Court restaurant, so named for its swans (3 white and one black) that float on a pond outside the floor-to-ceiling openings (not really windows as there is no glass). A waterfall tumbles down from a lava escarpment and it is under this the birds had their morning shower. A delight to watch.
The breakfast spread had the usual American fare of omelets, cereal, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and pancakes but the Hyatt added a heart-smart egg-white frittata that was delicious. There was also sliced tomatoes drizzled in balsamic vinegar, chicken mango and Portuguese sausages, cheese, and miso soup. The tofu one added to this soup base was pillowy soft. They even had some of my favourite Japanese pickles. We thought we were enjoying Kona coffee but apparently it is cheaper to ship coffee from the mainland (Seattle) than from The Big Island.
After packing our bags and negotiating an extra hour onto our check-out time, we decided to walk along the beach since Glen hadn't yet done so. We made our way to the Marriott before returning to the sidewalk as walking the dunes was exhausting. I tried to keep to the lawns which bordered the path as my prickly heat had flared on Saturday and I suffered from swollen calfs and an angry rash. We walked all the way to the Sheraton to watch the divers leap of the cliffs.
After checking out, we returned to the Leilani's in Whalers Village for lunch on their patio. We saw whales cavorting off the beach while we ate. I had a grilled ahi sandwich and Glen enjoyed a grilled cheese (three types) one. They didn't have our usual Longboard Lager so we tried Duke's Blonde Ale made by the same Kona Brewing Company.
After relaxing by the Hyatt pool, in the shade, we collected our luggage and dressed in clothes more appropriate for cold weather. Our shuttle bus was to pick us up at 5:00 pm for our 8:00 flight. The Hyatt allows you to print your boarding passes which is when we learned our flight was delayed by 30 minutes. As we sat waiting for the bus which was 20 minutes late, we were glad we knew this. Turns out there was an accident on the only road to the airport and it was backing up traffic all the way to Lahaina.
Once we boarded the shuttle, our trip to the airport was worry-free. We had been told security was slow in Maui so were surprised when we waltzed through in under an hour. This left us plenty of time to have supper which we did in Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill. As we settled into our booth (the usual, "I had a nasty turn in a booth once" quote being said), we were asked to produce ID if we wanted an alcoholic drink. Our waitress then disappeared as she served three tables where grandparents (1 set), parents (2 sets), and kids (5, all under 5) sat. There was much screaming from one baby and Glen prayed they wouldn't be on our plane.
When the waitress finally arrived, she checked our ID and wished Glen a happy birthday then did the same for me. Glen had their Kalua Pork sandwich while I had a grilled chicken one. They were huge and very filling which meant we didn't need to eat the pathetic wraps one must buy on Air Canada.
At the gate, we discovered the families in the restaurant were going to Calgary along with about four others with small children. Glen's heart sank when he realized they all sat in our section of the plane. Fortunately, there were enough empty seats to allow them to spread out and the kids were soon asleep. As were we.
What was an 8 hour flight going to Maui became a 5.5 hour flight coming home. We slept on the plane for 3 hours, arrived back in the house then went to bed for another 3. Glen left for work while I began unpacking. It was back to reality.
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