I was walking down front street in Lahaina for the first time today and I met these two guys who were sitting on the rocky ledge near the Ocean. The first man, Ray, had 1 leg and was joking about being a pirate. He was playing a large wooden flute and was having a good old time. The second guy, Randy, was walking around with a giant cable and said he was getting paid to fix this lady's sail boat, which was anchored out in the Ocean. He was somewhat of a firecracker, but I could tell he was a pretty nice guy. Anyways, he ended up telling me the way on how to get cheap coffee. I wasn't interested in using his trick of grabbing an old cup out of the garbage, washing it out, and getting a cheap refill, but I thanked him for his suggestion and gave him a few dollars. He offered to take me sailing in a month once he has the boat finished.
Later on, I met a beautiful girl at the Hawaiian Shaved Ice Shop across the street from the Banyan Tree. I told her that I had just moved here from Wisconsin. We laughed a few times and I told her that I'd see her around. I hope I do.
Then I got on the bus to head back to Honokowai. While riding, I met this man, Richard, who was from Santa Cruz. He told me how he used to ride dirt bikes professionally and that he he rode with Metal Mulisha for 25 years. I thought that was pretty dope. I used to watch their documentary all the time and I know that they're great friends with the band, Kottonmouth Kings--Rip Shit Up! He told me that it is illegal to skateboard in Lahaina and how this one police officer rides on a 3 wheel scooter and confiscates kids' boards when he sees them skateboarding. Anyways, this guy decided to take a picture of the cop one day and then they started making skate decks with the cop's face on the bottom as the graphic. Hilarious. It made me think. I wonder how many skateboards the cop has confiscated with his own face on the bottom.
I got off the bus at Badass Coffee Shop. There I met Rob, who was working the counter. He told me that he used to do the bike tours at Haleakala, but he doesn't anymore--was too draining. He said that the tours were beginning to get more and more dangerous because you have tourists, who haven't been on a bike in years. Think about it, they're strapping a helmet on some 65 year old person, who hasn't been on a bike in years, and then slapping them on the ass and sending them down a steep, windy 6,500 ft road. Anyway he told me that there are these teenagers who go luging down this huge hill on their skateboards and its damn near the craziest site you'll ever see--especially if you're just driving up the road and you see someone fly by at 60 mph on his or her skateboard. Gnarly. I told him that I have an interview at Duke's Beachhouse that I am pretty excited about and he let me know the following fact: the worst tippers are tourists from Canada and Australia--I have no idea why, but according to Rob and the rest of the people at the coffee shop, who I was chatting it up with, this is indeed a fact.
Well hell, I'm 23 years old, living in Maui, and I am just going to live it up baby!!!