_JPG.jpg)
Aloha Maui!
Part 4-Maui
This was the last island of our journey and Maui brought several new adventures and sights to take in. Upon our arrival, we were welcomed to our room at the condo to a vivid rainbow. It spanned from the front entry gate, across the roof ending up flowing into the surf at the waters edge. So stunning and what a wonderful welcome to Maui by Mother Nature. Here it is common to have light showers on and off. It will rain for 10 minutes, then the sun usually pops out. With this pattern, rainbows are a common occurrence. We were only in Maui four days, but saw several rainbows. So awesome to see so many rainbows in a short time period, not just once in a rare moment like back home.
Maui is the second largest Hawaiian Island and offers visitors to the island a huge variety of experiences. This variety can be explained, in part anyway, based on the fact there are numerous different terrains and eco systems. Of course there is an abundance of beautiful beaches and palm trees, but there are also lush valleys and other areas that are rough and dessert-like.
Maui was formed by the activity of two volcanoes, which are now dormant. Haleakala, the East Maui volcano forms more than 75% of the Island. It is the prominent feature and namesake for Haleakala National Park. The other part of the island is formed by another volcano: Mauna Kahalawai, also referred to as the West Maui Mountains. It is intriguing to think that Haleakala is classified as dormant, not extinct. In the past 1,000 years, the volcano has erupted at least 10 times. who knows, it could erupt again. Probably not in our lifetime, but sometimes one can't help but wonder if it will be in the time of man. Hmmmmm.
So there is so much to see and do on Maui, but most of our adventures were on the west side of Maui. The main airport in Maui is at Kahului. Many of the resorts, hotels and condos are in this leeward, sunny coastal region. Our condo was located in this area in the town of Lahaina.
This is a waterfront town that is bustling with activity: offering a wide variety of restaurants and shopping. I loved the shopping in Lahaina and luckily they had several park benches for weary shoppers (i.e. husbands) to enjoy the shade and beauty of the Banyan Tree.
In the center of the main shopping "district" was a lovely little park with a huge Banyan Tree that spans a 1/4 of a mile and is still growing. It was originally planted in 1873 to celebrate 50 years of Protestant Ministry in Lahaina. It obviously has been well cared for and tended. Banyan trees continually put out new aerial roots that hang from the branches.
The roots have been carefully managed to grow symmetrically over the years. There is currently one main trunk in the center and 45 additional trunks that support the canopy. It was such a unique tree and definitely not something you find growing in the lands of my Midwestern heritage.
One nifty fact I learned about the town of Lahaina, was that years ago it was not only a historic whaling village but also the original capital of Hawaii. We took several trips into this historic town. We wanted to find our way around and also locate the port where we would depart for the whale watching tour we had booked. As we discovered, the harbor is not very large and most of the tours are well organized. Even though the available boat slips were limited, it was easy to spot which place you were supposed to go to by the staff running around with clipboards and manifests. It is the kind of thing you need to book on-line...but not necessarily weeks in advance. We booked ours only 2 days in advance after arriving in Maui.
This area of Maui, and the time of year, provided "guaranteed" whale spotting. Our guide on the boat explained that this area of water is frequented by mostly Humpback Whales migrating back and forth from Alaskan waters.
February and March are ideal times to see them in this area. We did see whales, several actually, which provided many "Ooo, Ahhh!" moments!! Yet, with a tour like this it is just the luck of the draw: most of the sightings were from quite a distance. We did not experience a "National Geographic" moment by having a whale breech right by our boat. Nevertheless, we had several very cool sightings and time after time I saw (and heard) water spouts which was very neat. Albeit not as dramatic as a breech, but another cool part of the whale watching experience. I am glad that I went and also that I decided to take my son's advice: I spent more time just soaking up the experience instead of fiddling with my camera. Good advice, Dave.
So a big part of the Hawaiian islands experience is having the opportunity to try some local cuisine and favorites that may not be as readily available back home. As you can image the fresh fruits and juices were wonderful. I don't think I ever tire of mango and papaya. Then of course there are the chocolate covered macadamia nuts, very addicting! I had to buy my box to take home just before we left so it could make it home.
One local "comfort food" that both my husband and I tried was: Loco Moco. It basically consists of a bed of rice served with a hamburger (or sometimes Salisbury Steak), topped with a fried egg then smothered with a generous helping of gravy. Oh my....it was delicious. Don't know the calorie count, don't care. I was on vacation.
While shopping in Lahaina and exploring the waterfront, we found a great restaurant that we enjoyed so much we ended going two days in a row. It was called Captain Jack's, with a deep sea nautical theme and really good food. We had to wait both times, but it was worth the wait. So we tried the Loco Moco and also discovered a fantastic new way to make Pico de gallo: with pineapple! Tastes incredible on a chicken sandwich. And of course the readily availble Musubi: SPAM with rice wrapped in kelp. My husband liked it more than I, guess I'm not a big fan of SPAM...sorry.
So when planning a trip to the islands, culinary adventures are part of the experience, but you don't want any "adventures" or unpleasant experiences with your lodging. The condo we stayed in Maui was nice....however, in comparison to the other places we stayed on the islands, frankly it was a bit of a disappointment. Now I will not bad-mouthing a particular place or naming names...I just want to warn other travelers that there are different expectations depending on the type of lodging you are accustomed to. For some reason, condos on Maui are much more common than hotels and resorts. I would imagine there are some very nice condos available and some not so nice. There was nothing drastically wrong where we stayed but just several broken items that never were fixed during our 4 day stay. Sometimes it is the little annoyances that can add up. I guess our biggest complaint was how the condo was run my the "management company". The front desk seemed totally unconcerned and always stated: " Oh, so sorry...we will let them know" Well, several items never did get fixed including a broken washer handle and the garbage disposal. When we went to the front desk to inquire about extra coffee packets for use in our room (which normally are available at all hotel front desks) we were told they would put in our request to the "management company". Really? Just some extra coffee? Strange. Perhaps not all condos operate that way....I would be curious to hear other persons experience with rental properties as opposed to hotels. Yet, my husband and I are pretty sold on the idea of hotels as opposed to condo rentals....especially in Maui. Thoughts on the subject?
So I did not want to forget to highlight one of the most important things that impressed me about the Hawaiian Islands: the incredible natural beauty of the land and sea and also the Native Hawaiians pride in sharing it with visitors. Tourism to Hawaii has boomed in the last few decades, and as visitors to this enchanting land we need to remember to "leave no trace" and work to preserve the beauty here for generations to come. The Natives here say it best by emphasizing the need for malama. The concept is translated to mean take care of, tend to and cherish. It also can be extended to encourage preservation, protection and even saving both the land and the living creatures. As a visitor to Hawaii, being aware of local customs, respecting the land and the wildlife around you goes a long way for preserving these exquisite islands.
Such a wonderful place, I hope to someday return. Aloha, Maui.
Julie E. Smith
