Log 70: Perfect Storm
“Wow, huge waves today!” I exclaimed to Andrea, watching the swell on Kaanapali Beach from my post at the shaved ice stand.
“Yeah,” she said, casually. “Probably because of Hurricane Darby.” I must have looked alarmed, because she continued. “It’s just passing through. I mean, it is hurricane season.” As if that would calm my nerves.
The entire time I’ve been on Maui, I’ve never seen waves like these. They were so loud, I could hear them crashing on the beach all the way from inside the Hyatt’s kitchen. When the clock hit 6:30 and we were done for the day, Lucas and I stopped for a while to stare at the massive waves, and spectate those crazy enough to try and surf them. On the ride home, multiple portions of the road had become waterlogged, and traffic was moving slow. Just before our exit into Lahaina, a car drove by me, soaking me with dirty, highway ocean water. “Sorry!” The driver called as she drove by, looking apologetic. I waved her off: “It’s all good!”
In fact, it was not “all good”. Evidently, mopeds are not meant to get wet. And when I got drenched with water, so did my bike. Almost immediately, my engine started to sputter, before shutting off altogether. I pushed the moped to the side of the road to assess the damage. After trying to start up the engine multiple times, it was clear that I would be walking home.
I didn’t need a map to know how far from the hostel I was - the road was a part of my running route. I was 2.3 miles out, give or take. I looked at my moped, then at the road stretching endlessly before me. I sighed. Finally, I grit my teeth, put my bike in neutral, and started pushing.
By the 1 mile mark, I was drenched in sweat. And don’t forget, I was already drenched in highway ocean water. Not a good combination. Slow and steady, I repeated to myself. And stinky. Eventually, I arrived back at the hostel, exhausted.
Pushing my moped along the road, I felt keenly aware of the many privileges I have in life. Along my route, no less than five different people stopped their cars and asked if they could help me. They offered me gas, a ride - one guy even offered to load my moped into his truck and take us both back to the hostel (I would’ve taken him up on this offer, but when I encountered him, I had less than a block left to go). I couldn’t help but wonder how many people would have come to my aid if I had been dressed a little more raggedly, or if I wasn’t a pretty, young girl, or even if my moped’s condition was a little rougher?
Highlight: The morning that all of this transpired, Lucas and I woke up at 4:30AM. We drove to the trailhead of the Lahaina Pali trail, which used to be the main road to get around the island. Today, it’s a grueling five mile hike with a 1600 foot elevation gain. We made it to the top by 6:30AM, and watched the sun rise over the mountains. It was beautiful.
So now, imagine pushing that moped after the grueling five mile hike with a 1600 foot elevation gain, followed by a 7 hour work day. I could barely get out of bed the next morning.
