MAUI Marathon
@Sep/'02 Hawaii

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Hibiscus of Hawaii's State Flower

Last year’s my holidays in May and August, in which month most Japanese take longer vacation, were cancelled due to my oversea business trip. Instead, I took a short vacation in this September, 2002. I had a tiny plan to do in September. It is to participate in a Maui marathon that takes place in Maui Hawaii every year. Running is my favorite and only the sport I practice. An airline ticket of last year’s Honolulu Marathon is still in my hand. This airline ticket was not used because of my work schedule did not allow me to go to Hawaii at that time. Let use this ticket, because the ticket is valid only one year from the date of issue. It was issued last October and will be valid only a month ahead. Maui marathon in September is the best timing.

20th September (Friday), I took a day leave. This day happen to be the date a family of my son departing to Frankfurt Germany where they are going to live several years to come. My wife, daughter, mother in law and myself came to Narita to see them off. A family of the daughter in law was also at Narita to see them off. From my dozens of experiences of living in abroad, setting up a new life in foreign country having a little baby with them is not easy at all. A mother of my daughter in law was accompanying with them to help them to start the new life in Germany. This must be a great help for them. I felt a little guilty, because on the same day, I was going to Maui Hawaii to participate Maui Marathon to be held on 22nd September. In order to compensate this feeling, I tried to get the up-grade ticket to the business-class seat, but this attempt was failed with merciless.

After seeing off family of my son, I made an early check-in although there was plenty of time to ordinal check in, and went to a little airport tour of recently inaugurated new Terminal 1. The new terminal building is made with wide open space, and number of shops and restaurants were increased a lot. All these new shops are well in fashion style and nicely furnished. The plane, JAL407, in which Yoshiaki and his family were on board left from the runway and disappeared in white cloud far away. We had a tea at one of the newly opened restaurant, before I separated with my family and went to Terminal 2 by shuttle bus, where the craft of my flight to Honolulu was waiting the guests. Still a plenty of time is left till boarding starts, so I decided to pass the pass the immigration and go JAL Global lounge where I can use PC and take free drinks and snacks.

Due to the time difference between Japan and Hawaii, the plane arrived Honolulu airport early in the morning on the same day. Immigration is extremely crowded as usual. It took an hour to pass through it. Domestic departure counter is in next building. I have to purchase a ticket for Maui of tomorrow morning flight. I lined in the queue of Aloha Air, where written "Ticket Purchase Only". I asked a seat of tomorrow morning flight to Maui. The seat was available, I was handed a printed out E-ticket. E-ticket is printed in simple paper, where I can see the American way to simplicity.

Let take a bus to go to Waikiki. The bus ride to Waikiki cost now 1.5 dollars, a little increased from 1 dollar in last visit. It still real chap and convenient. The hotel I booked locates in Ala Moana Street in Waikiki. A few minutes later, a yellow bus I remembered from last visit came, I rode on it. Soon after, I noticed the bus is heading in the wrong direction. It came in front of Air Forces Base. A soldier rode into the bus and requesting ID to the people in the bus. I had no ID of course. I was forced to get off the bus and waited another bus of opposite direction at the bus stop. After about half an hour, yellow bus came out of the base. I paid 1.5 dollars again and back to the airport, and waited bus #20 for Waikiki. The bus travels the route of around 10km taking more than one hour stopping several dozens of places. The hotel is facing to main street Ala Moana Street and in very convenient location. At the hotel front, as I said my name, the key of room 1617 was handed. The room was suite of connected two rooms into one in top floor. This was the privilege reward from the membership of the world famous hotel.

View of Waikiki from the Hotel room

21st September, Saturday, today is the day to move to Maui from Oahu. I gave an e-ticket to the lady in Aloha Airway's check in counter. A boarding pass is handed to me. That e-ticket works to my little surprise. Gate 52 is for the plane going to Kahului Maui. The flight is only half an hour to Kahului.

On arriving to Kahului, I looked for the office of Nippon rent-a-car. It was found easily. Offices of major rent-a-car company were standing in one corner of the spacey parking area. I rented a car 24 hours, so I have to return it just after I finished my running tomorrow. I decided to rent a car at 14:30 in order to spare enough time to return from Kaanapali where I am going to stay tonight, and the main entry office of the Marathon run is located. I have to kill more than one hour there before I rent a car at Kahuluiairport. Only one candy stand is found in the airport.

At 14:30, I went to Nippon Rent-a-car office. Young American couple with small kid was in front of me. Their conversation, young man, "What car do we take?" Young wife replied, "The biggest one" I was entirely agreed that this is the American family conversation. After check in the car rental, we move to the car park located outside the airport by mini-bus. I got a car and started driving heading to Kaanapali. Recalling my memory of two years ago, I drove a car on the main street strait ahead. Soon, there was a sign post directing Lahaina, I turned the wheel to left, now you can drive on this road till Kaanapali. I drove down the road that crossed the Island, reaching to the south coast. From this point, you drive the czar along the sea coast in west direction. After passing Lahaina, in about few minutes, you will see a sign post of Kaanapali. On the sign post, you can turn the wheel to left, so you will reach just in front of Hotel Westin Maui.

Westin Hotel is one of the luxurious hotel chains locating over the world. Westin Maui was one of those fashionable style hotels. Luxurious settings you could find in the lobby. I parked the car in the car park in front of the hotel, and went to the lobby to ask the vacancy. I was little worried because I did not make a reservation of that night on that particular date. Most of the runners were taking their lodging of the day at this hotel. A young lady in the front with her full smile replied me that she still had vacancies. I selected single, no smoking room. To my last expectation, she asked me, "How many key do you need?" I replied, "Ah,,, one,, just one please." The room was garden view, but beyond the garden, I could see the Turkoise blue Hawaiian sea embraced in the tropical trees.

View form the Hotel room

After check in the Hotel, I drove the winding road up the Haleakala volcanic mountain, through the rich rain forest. It looks just in front of me, but is really high, reaching over 10,000 feet. The summit was covered by white cloud. It took me full two hours to reach to the car park near the outer rim of the crater. At that time, the sun already set below the horizon, white-orange shining clouds were far below my foot. I suddenly felt hungry and realized that I did not take lunch. The sky quickly lost it light in a short time. I drove down the winding road back to Kaanapali. When I came to Lahaina, I parked the car in the community's parking lot near the shopping mall paying one buck. I should take a little better meal for tomorrow, but instead, had supper at KFC. Confessing my being poor grown up. I took a walk behind the mall. It was already after 9 o’clock at night. The bright and busy street with a large number of people came into my eye. It must be the seaside street that my son said to me one day. Two years ago, We were here to celebrate their wedding and had a party in this island. He told me that there was a very nice seaside street in Lahaina. I didn't notice this street at that day. There were many elegant, nicely decorated interior shops and restaurants along the beach. There were full of lives and open air in cool and free Hawaiian mood. I delighted this unexpected finding very much and enjoyed the strolling for a while.

At 2:30 next morning, I woke up by the ugly beep sound of the alarm clock. It was really a bad wake-up in the gorgeous settings of Hawaiian resort Hotel. I took a breakfast of biscuits and yogurt that I bought the day before at the Walmart. At the hotel lobby, already runners were crowded everywhere. In the drive way, there were countless school buses in line. It seemed as if all school buses in the island gathered in this place. I got into one of the bus that was almost full of runners old and young, women and men. They were speaking in good loud voice and joking of nothing. I could have to admire that fussy loudness which would well be competitive to what the school kids would make.

The bus arrived to the start area at Queen KaahumaruCenter in Kahului. The 26 miles course starts from this point in Kahului and ends at Kaanapali. Participants to this event were 2,299 runners, from 17 countries around the world. Some 640 runners among them were Japanese. Japanese seems one of the races who loves distant running.

The race started at 5:30 still dark before dawn. All runners departed Queen Kaahumaru Center at the same time. My body conditions were not fitted at all this time and therefore I walked approx. two third of the total distance. But it was not a matter, because my aim was not competing the race time, but fun run with pleasure. Probably, one thing I made big mistake in participation of the Hawaiian event was that, I was wearing no sleeve running shirt. My shoulders started burning and I felt a sharp pain on them. I should have worn at least half sleeved shirt.

At the point I entered into Lahaina, I almost exhausted, and stopped even walking. An aged Japanese lady, she looked elder than me, approached to me and asked, "Are you OK?", she askedme in Japanese of course. I replied, "I am OK, I am just resting. I will be back to the race soon after." But I was not sure if I can continue the race any further or not. She takes something out from her waist porch and said to me, "This is muscle cooler. Please put it to your legs." I followed her instruction. She took out another from the porch, "Do you need this. This is dried Umeboshi (Japanese plum)." She prepared so well. She must have been participating in some other races in and out Japan.

15km point: MacGregor View Point

After a while she left me, I started walking again with my power remained. I really felt it was a big thing to walk 42km at a time. At an aide station in Lahaina town center, three school girls asked me, "Shower?" I replied, "Yes, please." bending over in front of school girls. "Wahoo!!" It was real cool shower. Three girls squeezed wet sponge soaked cold water upon my head at same time. In addition to the cold shower, many other events and attractions were along the street of Lahaina. Black ukulele payer, young hula dancers, water sprinklers, loud music speakers and etc. All these are just same as what we see at Honolulu Marathon.

At 12:55, by the help of great many volunteers who assisted the race, I was encouraged and finally could have walked all the way to the goal point in Kaanapali. A voice from the loud speaker called my name upon footing the goal line. I walked most of the total distance of 42.195km, but it remind me that even by walking it is really a tough job to make it. There was free cold drink service at the goal point. There must have free Starbucks coffee stand somewhere in that area, but to my regret, I could not locate it.

At 13:05, I checked out the hotel, it was just the limit of one hour extension I had made last night. Now, I had to drive back to Kahului airport to return the car by 14:30. Fifty percent surcharge would be applied if I did not return the car by the time. I drive the car in 40 miles per hour flat heading for Kahului. Rather light traffic condition of the road made me happy and comfortable during I was behind the wheel. The car could be returned to the car park of the rent a car firm by the time. When I came to the check in counter of the flight back to Honolulu, a lady officer asked me whether I would take the flight one ahead I reserved the day before yesterday. It was little early to my flight reserved. I had no objection at all to take earlier flight.

The next day, I rode the bus #52 that would bring me to the north shore, carrying two pieces of Onigiri (Rice ball, typical Japanese picnic lunch) that I bought at Seven-Eleven at Waikiki and a mug of coffee I made at the hotel room. The Sunset Beach in north shore is one of my favorite in Hawaii. Onigiri (Rice ball, typical Japanese picnic lunch) in Hawaii? It would be better than Mac Burger for Japanese. At Ala Moana bus center, when I was waiting the bus #52, a young couple, obviously Japanese, asked me in English, "Excuse me, is the bus #40 will come to this stop?" In Hawaii, there a lot of mixed people, especially who has Asian look. I, of course, replied in Japanese, "Yes, the bus #40 will sure come to this stop." In a short while, the bus #40 came, a young Japanese couple rode onto it greeting me a thanks. I still waited bus #52 enjoying watching people pass by.

Two hours bus drive that crosses the whole island is only 1.5 bucks. On the middle of the Kalawauwa Highway, a huge pine apple plantation came into your eye. This is the Dole pine apple plantation. The bus stops just in front of Dole pine apple plant. You can make a free plant tour. My interest is not the free plant tour but go to the north shore. The bus reached to the north shore. From this point, the bus travel along the north shore in clock wise. Beaches in north shore are so different than Waikiki’s. You can enjoy calm and serene time in simple setting out, white beach, big wave and palm trees. Years ago, when I visited here first time, there was a restaurant written in Japanese, “Sunset Restaurant”. It was not looked nice at all. I always like something real genuine thing. This restaurant written in poor Japanese letter was not genuine at all. But, to my glad, that restaurant was no more running, instead a simple American snack bar was there. I like this kind of local scene very much. Simple, it is more natural. The coffee in the mug was empty by that time. I asked to the man in the booth, "Do you have a diet Coke?" He replied, "No, but we have diet Pepsi." I ordered a diet Pepsi. He poured diet Pepsi full into my mug.

Big wave and sandy beach of "Sunset Beach" in North Shore

I took the bus after spending several hours at Sunset Beach, circling the same direction that I came this morning. Turtle Bay Hilton is the turning point of the bus. The go into the drive way of the hotel slowly, since there are many bumps to slow down the vehicle drives in. The bus stops at Turtle Bay Hilton for few minutes. The started its journey again with the same passengers in the car. On each stops, the local people get on and off the bus. In about an hour later, an elderly lady who was already in the bus when I rode the bus at Sunset Beach, pulled the rope to sign the stop. At the bus stop, the driver unbuckled his seat and helped the elder lady with her small luggage first, and took her hand to get off. She bowed deeply and repeatedly after she got off the bus. This style of saying thanks to the people is Japanese. She had to be one of the immigrant came to this island long ago.

Being back to Waikiki, I strolled around Kuhio and Kalakaua, just putting myself in warm breeze from the ocean. This was the time my mind became free and ready to create something new. I like walking the street at night as well as daytime, since it changes almost completely than what looks like at day time. There were full of people day and night at International Market Place, where you would find all sorts of souvenirs and adornments. A small Chinese restaurant is in the corner of Market Place facing to Kuhio Street. There are always people waiting outside the shop. This must be one of the local restaurant serving tasty dishes. Every-time I pass this corner, I try this restaurant. But I still have to try to get into the shop yet.

Aloha Air's check in counter to Maui

22/Sep/'02 Rinzo@Maui Hawaii (Updated on 28/Aug/'05)

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