Post #117500 by Sabina on Fri, Oct 1, 2004 12:14 PM

Hukilau this year was really special for all of us I think- we each had our own versions of Hukilau and hearing from everyone else what theirs was like has actually been part of it for me, anyway. Each year has its own personality and comparing one year to another is impossible.

Hukilau 2003 for us was in many ways about the scheduled- Hukilau 2004 was about the 'adventure' (admittedly I can only say that because it's not my house or business that's a pile of splinters right now). It was about not knowing what was behind the next corner and not having the hard and fast schedule- so much of what this thread has been about is the off the mapness- small room get togethers, adventures in hoteling, but none-the-less finding Ohana shining at their brightest all through it.

THE example, of course, being the Mai Kai. We missed Saturday night, but I fully believe the tales of hospitality and kindness, by the Mai Kai and the rest of the TC Ohana are the stuff Tiki Tribal legends are born of. Even those of us who weren't there have some feeling for how special and unique it was thanks to the stories brought back by those who were.

Elvis afterparties are the unexpected. The Mai Kai even being open in a Huricane is the unexpected. TCers 'survival' stories post evacuation are the unexpected. This was the Hukilau of random chance- and amazingly, in the end, that off the map-ness seems to have been taken in stride and even dare I say, was part of the specialness and goodness of this year's event.

A few personal high points;

Riding the water taxi over to the Cabana Thursday night and as we pulled up, the boat captain pointed out the Tikki Beach (our ship for the evening in all its well thatched wonder) and said it was a "party boat" :)

And what a party it was! Thursday night was a blast! The music, !!!the boat!!!, the people- far too many names to even try to recall here, the drinks, the lovely waterways of 'America's Venice', the sunset, what a wonderful, relaxing way to ease in to an event.

Trust me, even if this supposedly ended up not being the Hukilau that was planned, it was wonderful EXACTLY the way it was.

Most of Friday was a wash for us-although we did get checked in and get our mugs and the VERY special Hukilau print!. We're down here on an extended road trip with Hukilau as one part of it, so we had our Truck packed with stuff for the trip which we needed to find a huricane safe place for, and we had friends flying in. So we spent much of Friday trying to line up hotel space in advance, and getting our friends on a flight back out. Mainly we were just glad we had the truck and could help those we could.

The escalating warnings led to a small lesson in Florida evacuation 101 for us out of towners. We found one hotel Friday were all set in case the evacuation came down, and then found out that the hotel was in a secondary evacuation zone that if Jeanne was a cat 3 or stronger we would settle into only to get back booted out of. So we had to find another, further inland. Which worked well for us, but not so well for the rest of the MD/DC/VA folks I wanted to try to help.

The hotel was only allowing the number of guests the bed was made for (2 in our case), and gave us a piece of paper at check-in saying 4 hours before landfall we would all be evacuated floor by floor out of our rooms and locked into a ballroom on the second floor- and kept there until a building inspector could confirm the building was safe to return to! Don't like the terms? Check out!

Well fortunately, Jeanne went north enough for us that we got to ride it out from our 12th floor hotel room- which was facinating. The building rocked a little, the gusts against the windows were pretty amazing, and the winds howled down through the vent system. We stayed up and watched transformer after transformer blow- lighting the sky green or blue like horrible fireworks gone wrong- knowing that each one that went meant missery to someone else. Our power stayed on all night, and we have no hotel horror stories at all. We were extremely lucky.

So we missed the legendary night at the Mai Kai- and felt like wusses for missing it.

But, other highlights;

We finally did make the Friday evening show- a little late, but still in time to meet many TCers, enjoy the show, pick up our fresh leis, dance along with the Billy Mure snake, and even do a little shopping- hands down, Hukilau venders are the best! All so talented, and hearts to match!

Later in the evening, a very special moment running into Billy Mure with his lovely wahine friend packing up late Friday night in the parking lot at the Mar, we were about to bug out, but we spoke briefly and I got to tell him how amazing it was to see him here. He asked how I knew about him and I explained that a friend has passed me some of her parents' albums when she found out I was into this 'whole Tiki thing'. Billy seemed genuinely pleased to know that his music was touching a whole new generation and that he was appreciated.

And finally getting to the Mai Kai on Sunday- to find a small knot of Ohana still in town. We had a lovely dinner, enjoyed the show, strolled the gardens, thanked the staff profusely!, raided the gift shop, and tried a new several drinks that we hadn't before.

By the way, the Mai Kai interpretation of a navy grog is the 'yeoman's grog'. When I tried to order a navy grog I was asked if I was from the west coast- hmmmmmmmm. Interesting!

So our Hukilau was actually wonderful. As the evening wore down, those of us left got to watch the water running down the windows in the bar turn off and we got a very good look at the Tikis ourside- Ikitnrev may even have gotten a few pictures. Then we went outside and saw a Gecko on the side of the building (so yes, Gecko was here in spirit this year!)

Finally, late Sunday evening, we were the last folks leaving the Maik Kai, as we waited for a Taxi, they turned out the lights under the outdoor canopy and for one strange moment, it was erie silence with floats overhead and the wind gently rustling the leaves. I was a very special way to say Aloha- until next year.

Again, I simply cannot say enough wonderful things about everyone who made this happen and who made it to whatever parts of the event they did. Huricane or no- it was worth it- and we appreciate everything everyone went through to make it happen.

Mahalo!