So, it’s been kinda too awesome to spend time at the computer writing about it. 🙂 We are posting photos to our Hawaiian Vacation album on Flickr. Yes, you can be jealous. It is _that_ gorgeous. Everywhere we look, every single view, is like a postcard picture. It is soooooo beautiful.
A quick recap of the past few days. Day 3, Monday, started out early on the beach. A couple hours snorkeling, sunbathing and dozing on the beach. By late morning, we were ready for a second breakfast/early lunch. But back at the apartment, Igor wasn’t feeling well. Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was the jet lag, maybe it was lungs full of seawater. Whatever it was, thankfully it passed within the day, but we spent the rest of Monday taking it easy inside.
Tuesday, Day 4, we decided to stay off the beach for a day and instead do some driving/exploring. We set out about 6:30am for the eastern side of the island, to the beginning of the 50ish-mile drive around the south-eastern rim of the lower part of Maui. I didn’t exactly realize it was 50-ish miles just for the tour route, plus another 50 to get to the start and 90 to get back to Lahaina from the end point. 200 miles for a day trip may not sound extreme, but considering a “highway” on Maui means a 1.5 lane road squeezed between a rock and a drop, where the average speed is 25-30 mph, not to mention all the stops to take in the amazing scenery and nature, 200+ miles takes a LONG time. Like 14 hours. Let’s just say, that’s not quite what I was expecting when we set out at 6:30 in the morning. By 2ish, I was really tired, and ready to head home, no matter how awesome the next scenic spot would be. Then I looked at the map and realized we were at the furthest-most point on the island from our apartment. A quick calculation and I realized it would take at least 4 hours to get home. Yikes! So, we refueled (ourselves, not the car since there was no gas station for miles around, good thing we started the day with a near-full tank!), and debated which way to go. The GPS wanted to take us back the way we had come, which was a lovely route but I just couldn’t face that drive again. Ahead, not knowing what to expect? The printed map had a note that parts of the road were unpaved and quite desolate. That doesn’t scare us, we live in Ukraine! So forward we went. The road was as narrow, even narrower in many places, and definitely unpaved and desolate much of the way, but we got to see a completely different eco-system on the island. We went from tropical jungle to black sand beach to dry steppe with sheer cliffs – cattle land, actually. We even got stuck in a cow “traffic jam”, so much like rural Ukraine! 🙂 It was harrowing at times, but stunning views the entire time. We stopped for a quick dinner in the town of Lahaina (no one had any intention of cooking after that hell of a day), and finally got back to the apartment around 8:30pm. Wow! What a day! Waterfalls, tropical jungles, black sand beaches….
On Wednesday, the last thing I wanted to do was get in the car. We did take a quick drive to a nearby farmer’s market for fresh fruit and veggies, and discovered the awesomeness that is papaya! What a difference it makes to have a fruit in its native climate. So delish! And the pineapple! Oh, incredible. The rest of Wednesday was spent on the beach, then grilling, then relaxing on the patio. Perfect day.
Since we again got a bit too much sun on Wednesday, we decided to do some touring again on Thursday. We decided to go to the smaller, nearer volcano, Iao Valley. It was an easy drive, and not quite as exciting as we had anticipated, but lovely. We didn’t get anywhere near the volcano crater, but the Iao State Park was worth the visit. Then we just looked in the GPS for another “attraction” nearby and ended up at Maui Tropical Plantation. It’s a toursity place, but we had a nice time and got some nice gifts and souvenirs. Overpriced, but hey, it’s vacation. We went to Mama’s Fish House for a late lunch, because a friend recommended it. The food was amazing, and the mai tais even better. 🙂 Then we putzed around in Kahului for a bit at various shops. Our underwater camera up and died on Wednesday, which is super sad ’cause underwater is as stunning as above here, and we thought to get a new one. No such luck, not a single underwater camera in stock at the 3 stores where one would expect to find them! Such a bummer. Back to the apartment for a late afternoon swim with the turtles, dinner from the grill and homemade mai tais, and collapse into bed, exhausted, around 8:30. This is a great life.
Today, Friday, was again an early start. Nothing like a 13-hour time difference to make waking up at 4:30am a regular habit! The real benefit is watching the beautiful sunrise around 5/5:30 every morning. The farmer’s market opened at 7, so I made a quick trip for fresh supplies of pineapple, papaya, and veggies for the grill this weekend, then we went to the beach! Amazing snorkeling today, crystal clear water and TONS of colorful and frisky fish! Oh for an underwater camera! We even saw a sea turtle relaxing under the edge of the coral reef. So cool! Back to the apartment around 10:30 for second breakfast/early lunch, and Igor made a new variation on the mai tai theme (’cause he can’t help but “improve” on any recipe) which we dubbed Tropical Bandera (Ukrainians will get the joke). Wow, does his version of the cocktail ever pack a wallop! Not exactly a light lunchtime beverage. We had booked massages for the afternoon, which was exactly what we needed after the long flights, not to mention the 14-hour car day on Tuesday!
Now we are just chilling a bit, relaxing until we go for a luau dinner. The masseuse, a Swede who’s lived on Maui for about 6 years, said we booked at a good place, and she recommended some other good excursions, restaurants and farmers markets. I think I’d happily stay here forever!
Anka in Kyiv 