In Maui, still...

25 is a lovely number...

Sunday February 28. Cloudy, light rain.

Tsunami Chronology February 27, 2009

5.00 am Received a phone call from Dennis [resort manager], advising of a tsunami warning for the Islands. Sirens would go off in one hour, suggested we try and get off earlier if possible. Reiterated that we are at a safe level at Maui Hill.

5.02 am. I awoke Ian and Judy and informed them.

5.03 Brief conference in pajamas and nighties.

5.04 Phoned Graham who is in Maui and advised of the situation.

5.05 Went on-line to try to contact West-Jet and U-drive outfit. West Jet advised to leave a callback number. Which I did.

5.10 We decided to pack our bags and be ready to go to higher ground, the airport or whatever.

5.12 We turned on all three TVs to different stations to gather info.

5.12 Phoned Wally and advised of the situation and asked him to try and get whatever info he could.

5.30 Wally phoned and advised that Seattle to Maui flight had been cancelled.

6.00 I went to front desk and secured our condo for another night, in case.

Continuing: Trying to get info.

7.15 Fellette decided to fix a beach umbrella to pass the time.

7.30 Decided to cook breakfast.

8.00 Lovely bacon and eggs on the deck

8.30 on

Cleaned up and communicated with various people and websites to try and determine what is happening.

9.00 Doug is getting a cold and needs Dayquil to travel. Plus we need bread for lunch. So I go to get the supplies. All shops along South Kihei road are shut. Off to Safeway up the hill. The parking lot is full, so is the store.

9.15 I get a phone call while in Safeway from Fellette at Maui Hill that South Kihei Road will be shut at 10.00. We need that road to get out.

We initiate plan K. That is to load our bags in the car and park it on a road at the top so we can walk to it and get to the airport if we need to.


We load in a hurry and take off via South Kihei Road to higher ground, just as the fire department is shutting the road.

Around this time we get the word that the water will be shut off here shortly. So, we fill everything we can. Toilets, we get one flush.

10.30. We get word that West Jet intends to fly at around 5.30. We are hopeful that everything will work out for us today.

Several communications with brother Graham regarding flights and status report.

Also heard from Wally regarding friends trying to get to Hawaii, with a delayed flight.

From then on we sat and watched TV as the drama decreased.

11.25 Tsunami was supposed to be at the Island of Hawaii, but failed to appear.

11.45 Still no Tsunami. Getting hungry.

11.50 It now appears that the Tsunami may just give Maui a real good day for surfing.

12.02 The weather people are now indicating that 'we are experiencing a Tsunami in Hawaii' as minuscule as it may be.

12.10 We believe 'it' is over, cooking lunch and hope that the roads are open to the airport that is still operating.

12.15 I walk down to the road and see that some cars are moving so I walk up and retrieve our car and bring it to the condo.

12.30 We check out of Maui Hill and make our way to the upper road and to the airport.

Approximately 1.00. We are at the airport in very light traffic. We off load our luggage finding a snorkel and fins amongst it that should have been left in the condo. Fellette repacks on the sidewalk.

1.10 to 1.45 Ian and Doug return the rental car. Chaos reigns in that area as all arrivals form about 8.00 am to now have been held in a holding area with their new cars while people like us trying to return cars from 8.00 am till now have been unable to get to the airport.

2.00 Ian and I walk to the West Jet check-in counter and meet with the girls. Slick check in.

2.10 to 2.30 through security. Many, many people have missed their planes or have tight time lines and the grumbling is intense.

2.30 to 3.00 we have coffee and a biscuit.

3.35 We are at our designated gate for the 5.30 flight out.

4.45 The West Jet from Vancouver arrives

5.25 We are told to prepare for boarding.

5.26 We are told there is a 'mechanical problem' and will get a report in 30 minutes.

6.00 The captain addresses us and advises that a small motor that is used to generate power to start the engines will not start and mechanics are working on it.

6.15 The captain announces that we will be issued food vouchers.

6.20 Till Lord knows when the food vouchers are handed out in the most inefficient and time-consuming way. It took longer to get a food voucher than it did to check in.

7.00 We have our voucher and are sitting at a 12-foot long surfboard amongst hundreds of other stranded and frustrated passengers. The meal: The Bennett's split a hot dog; Fellette and I split a hamburger. We had seven-up for beverage and I also had two wines. One was just not doing it for me.

Around 8.00 we were advised that we would be flying tomorrow at 5.00 pm. West Jet would put us up in hotels if they could find about 100 hotel rooms.

I phoned Dennis at Maui Hill and asked if he could put us up for the night. He said yes, however our unit was now occupied. [That was the only good thing that happened today, some income, maybe.]

8.15 we went to the baggage claim area and claimed our baggage. Yep, you read it right.

8.30 We joined the queue for taxis out front of the terminal.

8.55 We arrived at Maui Hill and checked in. We were in an upper floor unit and lugging the cases up 23 steps reminded us of why we bought a lower floor unit.

9.15 Some had coffee, I had water and to bed.

Did I tell you that I have a cold and am drugged on Dayquil and Nightquil, and my nose is running like Niagara?


I will end this with two different finishing paragraphs. You determine which is the better.

1. In spite of all the uncertainty today and the inconveniences that we had to endure, we are so thankful that the Tsunami did not affect us other than some minor inconveniences. Also that the motor issue was while we were on the ground and not in the air. The real victims are in Chile. We have had an absolutely wonderful time the last two months and are on the way to our homes, where we will see our loved ones and resume what many consider an idyllic life.

2. I cannot believe that we are going through this Airport Crap again. We had a nightmare getting to England two months ago because of snow and now we are going through the same crap again because of a Tsunami that never happened and a bloody little generator that is making the six-hour flight home from Maui into yet another Marathon Airport Adventure.

Your choice for the last paragraph.