The Hawaiian Experience

Aren't these girls beautiful?  They had sweet personalities as well and were very patient teaching the spouses how to wrap a lava-lava (sarong) and do a hula dance.  Sheilah promised that as soon as we learned to tie the lava-lava properly, we'd magically have bodies like their's.  I guess I failed as I still have my old one.

Both girls were hula dancers but the one on the right taught us how to dance.  I was in the front row and at one point, caused her to giggle.  Obviously, the dancing genes are not dominant in me.  Since the demonstration was on the Hyatt's lawn, we must have given the other guests a show to remember.

We had a lot of laughs and the token male, who did a great job of tying his lava-lava, told me how in India, he had learned several ways to tie a man's sarong-like wrap.  He was learning the technique so he could teach his wife.

It was so hot on the lawn that I didn't linger.  I returned to our room to await Glen and enjoyed a beer on our lanai (balcony).  Again we returned to Whalers Village for lunch but this time at Cane & Taro.  It is on the upper deck of the village and catches the cool sea breezes.  That's the beauty of dining in Hawaii, most days you eat outside without air conditioning (or central heating).  We both indulged in a salad, mine Greek with a Hawaiian flare (ahi tuna) and Glen's was crab and avocado.

Upon our return to the Hyatt, I suggested we use the pool.  We had yet to do so.  We found two chairs which, as it turns out, were in the middle of a group of conferees.  Glen wasn't sure he wanted to swim so I left him sitting on a chair.  I had a brief paddle before bumping into my friend Sue, from Florida.  She invited me (and Glen) to go snorkeling with her husband, Henry, the next morning.

Glen eventually did swim then we headed back to our room to dress for the luau.  The Drums of the Pacific show would be the conference's banquet dinner.  As we entered the Hyatt's Sunset Terrace, we received leis and a Mai Tai cocktail.  We watched an incredible show which included resurrecting a pig from the cooking pit, hula and fire-dancing, and singing, then indulged in a sumptuous feast.  I preferred the Huli Huli chicken to the Kalua Pork but there was also mahi mahi.  I loved the sweet Maui onions served in wedges and had them for dessert while Glen indulged in bread pudding.  We ended the evening with a couple of beers on our lanai.