Day 23- Ohana in Pie Town

Since we washed our hiking clothes yesterday, I decided to sleep in them. I can see why some hikers don’t bother with changing into sleep clothes every night - it was so much easier to just wake up and be ready. Still, since I can’t imagine sleeping in dirty hiking clothes, I will continue to go through the motions of swapping my sleep clothes for my hiking clothes every morning, even when it’s so cold it’s difficult to do.

It was only a short 14 miles to Pie Town, so we took our time this morning. I even drank my coffee and ate my breakfast at a table like a civilized person! I also took the time to backflush my filter and the brown gunk that came out was unpleasant to see (I blame the cattle pond).

The road walk into Pie Town was ok. It was a dirt road and only a few trucks drove by so it wasn’t bad at all. A little boring, maybe, but I’ll take it.

Once we got to Pie Town, we made a quick stop at the Toaster House (the hiker-friendly house we are staying at tonight). We found our resupply box, we set up the tent, and we immediately walked to the only restaurant that was open today, the Ohana Cafe. (There are only two restaurants in this small town.)

As soon as I saw the Hawaiian word ohana I smiled even though it made me miss Maui a little

It was utter chaos inside the restaurant. My heart went out to the workers because it was obvious they were overwhelmed. Because it was the only restaurant open, EVERYONE was there. Hikers, people driving through town, and more hikers. We attempted to order but it was so busy that they were running out of food and the guy at the register, Brad, wasn’t sure what they still had to offer. When Nick found out that some people had been waiting over an hour for their food, he left and walked back to the Toaster House to scrounge for something to eat.

I stayed. For one thing, they had good WiFi so I could send in blog posts. For another, I felt at home there. Despite the chaos, the harried workers were pleasant - you could tell they truly saw themselves as an ohana and it was fascinating to see how well they pulled together.

I calmly waited at a table near the front door until things calmed down enough for Brad to take my order. I decided to make it easy and just order some pie to go. Unfortunately, my pie order was more complicated than I thought because Brad didn’t know what kinds they had left. And then he got distracted when he went to investigate, so I waited a while for the pie. Poor guy! It was obviously a rough day for everyone.

The longer I sat there the more the place cleared out. I finally got my two slices of pie, but they weren’t in to-go containers (and they weren’t the flavors I ordered but of course I didn’t say anything). I waited until there was another lull before asking for some containers. I had absolutely nowhere else to be and I constantly assured them all was well (they kept apologizing).

When Ngaire (she’s the one who makes the amazing pies) brought me to-go containers, we started to chat. I mentioned that I had been living in Maui for the past 5 years and she told me she was born on Oahu. She said she had something special for me, rummaged in one of the display cases, and handed me a bottle of Hawaiian volcanic water to enjoy. What a treat!

A few more customers walked in as I was enjoying the water. I overheard the cook, Nyte, tell them she had more kalua pork ready. My ears perked up. At this point they weren’t busy, so I felt it was safe to ask if I could have some, too. Nyte was happy to oblige. While I ate my delicious pork and rice and pineapple, I chatted with everyone there. I couldn’t get over how at home I felt - they were all so nice and down to earth! I even met the woman who owns the Toaster House, Nita. She’s originally from Oahu, too! I can see why the aloha spirit is so strong in this small town. Both Ngaire and Nita sat with me for a bit while I ate my meal - they made me feel like family.

Just as I was finishing my meal, another customer came in, asking what kind of pie they had. Brad didn’t know but Ngaire did (of course she knows, she makes them). She listed off lilikoi and, again, my ears perked up. The customer had no idea what lilikoi was, so I told her, full of excitement, that lilikoi is passion fruit. Ngaire noticed my excitement and said she also had a guava pineapple pie. Even though I already had two slices of pie ready to take back to Nick, I was tempted. I just wasn’t sure which one I wanted.

You guys. Ngaire went in the back and made me a special mini pie, half with the lilikoi filling and half with the guava pineapple!!

Ngaire with the figure I gave her for being so kind

When I finally went to pay for my meal and all the pie, Ngaire refused to charge me for the lilikoi/guava pie. Considering I had spent the better part of my afternoon in that restaurant, and considering how amazing everyone was despite being completely overwhelmed, I made sure to cover the cost of the pie in my tip (and then some).

Brad, Ngaire’s husband. Such a nice man!

While I had been enjoying my afternoon in the restaurant, Nick had eaten some snacks, taken a shower, and figured out what route we’re going to take to Grants. He was pretty hangry when I bumped into him at the RV park next to the Toaster House (where he showered) but I think the pie helped.

Next step: sort the food. I was excited to see that in addition to food, our custom food bags were also in the box. They look awesome. Thanks again, Nate!

After sorting out the food (always a pain), I showered at the RV park (I gave them a donation for the use of their facilities). Then I went back to the Toaster House where I charged my devices, scored some fun snacks from the hiker box, and chatted with other hikers. At one point Nita gathered everyone staying here to the front of the house for a picture. I was stunned to see so many people - I had no idea so many hikers were here! I’m not sure where they were all hiding