Mai Tai: Sunset in a glass
“Sometimes, the best therapy is a Mai Tai and a sunset view. Let's drink to the colors of life.”
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Let’s talk Mai Tai’s! Did you know that the Mai Tai was created as a special cocktail for a couple of friends? As the story goes Victor Jules Bergeron, the owner of a Tiki Restaurant called Trader Vic was serving two friends Eastham and Carrie Guild from Tahiti at his restaurant in Oakland. In his book, Trader Vic’s Bartender Guide Bergeron tells the story of how he created the first Mai Tai. He writes that he served the drink to his friend Carrie, who took a sip and said “Mai Tai-Roa Aé,” which means out of this world-the best” in Tahitian. Bergeron decided that he would call this new cocktail Mai Tai.
I absolutely love the fact that this beautiful, powerful and tasty little libation happened as a result of someone making a special cocktail for his friends. If you have been following my blogs you may have realized that relationships and connections are what I treasure most.
So, I have a close core group of friends, who I have had since Jr. High. We have remained close for more than 40 year. We have been through a lot together. We have been to or in each others weddings, celebrated the births, graduations, marriages of our own children and now we are welcoming grandbabies together. We have loved longingly, laughed endlessly, and mourned deeply. I can not imagine my life without these people. Because we met in Jr. High and remain just as close 40 years later, we call ourselves “The Puberty to Menopause and Beyond Group. P2MB for short.
A couple of years ago we took what we hope to be the first of an annual vacation together. We are an odd group, 5 women and one man. We are very lucky that our spouses are all very understanding because thus far they have not been included in the vacations. This year we went to Hawaii. I am not sure the Island of Kauai was ready for us. Tom (our token guy) brought his GoPro and recorded many of our finest moments both in the car and at the condo. I can’t wait to see the edited version!
We celebrated Angie’s birthday, we ate at some amazing restaurants, and we sang to our favorite 80’s songs while floating in the pool. I am certain that we made quite the spectacle a couple of times throughout that week. I sincerely hope we did not disrupt anyone’s vacation.
The highlight of the trip was the sunset dinner cruise to Na Pali. The weather was stellar, the water was calm like glass (which is highly unusual for Kauai). The skies were so clear you could see the highest peaks of the Na Pali coast- peaks that are only visible about 10 times a year, we were told. The crew of Holo-Holo Charters made our trip something for the ages. The Mai Tai’s were flowing and the Holo-Holo crew (Haans in particular) took incredible care of us. The Captain managed to maneuver the boat directly under a waterfall, where our friend Diane proceeded to bask in the glory of being showered by the crystal clear water that flowed down from the towering cliffs.
As the sunset behind us on our cruise home each of us recited how truly blessed we felt to be there and to be experiencing this magic together. These memories are the fabric of our lives, stitched together with a common thread of love and respect. I will always remember how the Mai Tai’s of Kauai resemble the vibrant colors of the sunsets that are Kauai.
Mahalo
Na Pali Coast Sunset Dinner Cruise Kauai 2024
