The timing of our day was a bit awkward. Our flight was set to depart at 2:40pm which isn’t long enough to do anything extensive, but also too much time to just idly sit. We walked along the beach a bit and hung out at Kalama park watching some surf lessons before I treated myself to a haupia pie from Foodland, our most frequented destination of the vacation.
At noon we headed out to Kahului and the airport. The TSA pre-check line moved very slowly due to people who had somehow acquired pre-check status, but have also apparently never been to an airport. They were calling boarding group six by the time we finally got to gate 39 and had a row to ourselves onboard the American A321Neo. With tailwinds aiding our progress, we were back at LAX in 4h and 40 minutes. Now to process everything.
I have spoken at length in previous posts about Waikiki and how it has been lost to tourism — transformed into what a tourist believes Hawaii should be and not how it is . . .or was. I am afraid Maui is now facing that same fate. In Hawai’i, each island has its own character and vibe. Kauai and the Big Island have a somewhat healthy mixture of old Hawai’i while catering to tourism at the same time.
Maui, on the other hand, is gone, swallowed by outside interests in the ongoing search for more money. Short-term rentals, second homes, and timeshares dominate the landscape. The kingdom of Hawai’i lost its sovereignty in the late 19th century when the U.S. government backed by wealthy business owners forced Queen Liliuokalani to resign in a coup. The Queen had wanted to draft a constitution more in line with the interests of her subjects which proved to be the last straw (for the American business owners). The government takeover supported by Marines and warships paved the way for powerful American companies like Dole to exploit the land. In 2024, the landscape looks different, but outside greed still plays a key role.
On Maui, I’m not sure a single local lives anywhere near Kihei or Wailea. From our own lanai, we observed a lot of turnover in the neighboring condo complex — most likely timeshares. From a young age, my parents (Salt, everyone’s favorite senior travel couple) were quick to tell me how timeshares are a scam. Timeshares, however, seem to appeal to a certain type of person — those with the egos and arrogance to tell strangers at Thanksgiving how they “own property on Maui.”
There were a few realty offices in Wailea and Nicole and I were a bit taken aback by the prices posted on the windows for pretty standard 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condos in the area. Guessing $2 million would seemingly be realistic, but incredibly naive. Try $3.5-6 million…for a small condo. With prices like that, you could understand how locals get priced out and have to move off island. As the ground smoldered in Lahaina, and residents were without a home, it is easy to see how they couldn’t simply find another one — even temporarily. Greedy developers are already looking to make the Lahaina coast into more high-end or at least high-priced housing. Residents are moving out, and wealthy mainlanders are taking over — viewing Maui as their island. No Marines were required this time, but the island’s takeover is more or less complete.
This level of arrogance almost blew through the air along with the trade winds. It is difficult to explain, but there seemed to be a vibe from other tourists that this island should somehow be thanking them for showing up with money. When the fires destroyed Lahaina, it is understandable how residents (the real ones, not the ones who boast about owning property during a Super Bowl party), were mad as hell and wanted a break from tourism. Hawai’i may be the land of Aloha, but they should be allowed to grieve, to process, to feel anger without the obligation to return to their jobs the next day and utter a forced “Mahalo” as they serve you a mai tai.
And I think that’s why Maui, the valley isle paradise, felt a bit strained to us. When you think of your average tourist packing for a trip to Hawai’i, you think tacky aloha shirt, flip flops, maybe some Tommy Bahama shirts with bad puns involving alcohol. So for a surprising number of people to go out of their way to pack a MAGA hat in their luggage was shocking to me. Wearing attire that supports a particular political candidate or ideology is probably ill advised at any time, but especially when traveling. It antagonizes, leads to arguments, flight diversions, maybe even violence. So to wear hats and t-shirts gloating after Election Day on an island whose people overwhelmingly did not share that candidate’s interests, is a bit of a slap in the face. It is like snorkeling in the waters off Lahaina in the days after it burned to the ground. It shows a lack of empathy, a lack of tact, and a complete lapse in judgment. I was always taught to show respect for the places and people I visit and not stand out, but perhaps that is too much work. It is so much more satisfying to gloat.
It is worth mentioning that the president-elect seems poised to not only win the electoral college, but also the popular vote. Therefore, my views and opinions are in the minority. Those with the MAGA hats and other merchandise are the victors, the majority, and more representative of America as a whole. By comparison, I am just some introvert who MAGA supporters would describe as too emotional — someone who should “Get over it, Trump won” according to a shirt a boy wore in the airport. (MAGA people win with the kind of grace and humility that one would expect from the same group of people that lost and stormed the capitol building looking to hang the vice president). It is hard to “get over” the fact that I have to live with the knowledge that there are so many terrible and selfish people in this country — a fact which will not change just because one person versus another is in the White House. I wrote an entire blog post after our East Africa trip on how we felt like outsiders in that region. That feeling remains the same, but within my own country now. We are still going to travel as long as we are able to do so. Other countries will surely have opinions of Americans as a result of this election — most of them unfavorable, which makes everything a little bit more challenging. I will not be slapping a Canadian flag pin to my camera bag in response. I just have to try and be the best version of myself and prove that while Americans may never be great again, a few of us can at least be mostly tolerable.
passports & pepto bismol 