Love this Island, 5/15/23

One last post of our two-week stay in Kihei, Maui (Hawaii).  I could have inserted 100 pictures in each blog post, but I kept it down to a dull roar, and you're welcome.  But the island is so full of color, it's easy to take photos.  I enjoy sharing them, too, and you're welcome again!  We were looking for lunch when we zipped down Haleakala mountain after touring the crater (see last post, click here).  Tom had spotted a restaurant on our way up and he found it on our return -- Kula lodge Terrace Garden.  It was after two when we got there and the indoor restaurant was closed, but we could be seated outdoors.  Perfect ... once we all put on light jackets.

From our house in Kihei, we had to drive north toward the airport and then southeast to Haleakala (red x in the brown area).  The Kula Lodge Terrace Garden is northwest of the crater.  This is a fun map to check out if you enlarge it.

All four of us were amazed at the profusion of flowers,

blooming in every eye-catching color.

That cement round "hut" above is one part of the outdoor seating.  Wherever you were seated, you had a view of colorful plants.  The Terrace Garden should be featured in House and Garden! 

There's Tom (waving) and Diane in our booth!

The Angel's Trumpet shrub was as tall as a tree, and strung with flowers!

Notice the bee visiting the Agapanthus flower, bottom left, and the baby red bananas below the red blossom at bottom right.  Calla Lily, top right, Red Anthurium, top left.  I don't know about the middle.

A trickling stream of water flows from the main building, cascading around and down under the booths (huts?  what would you call them?).  The birds appreciate having a drinking fountain and a bathing pool!  People have pitched coins in the final pool, wishing, no doubt, to be able to come back to Maui.

Cool pineapple on left, and green bananas at right.

Aw, heck, we four threw pennies in the pool, too.

I'm not telling what my wish was ... 😍

Paths wind throughout the property, with gorgeous trees and shrubs and flowing plants, half of which I'd never before seen.  Someone loves or someones love this place enough to keep it looking like the Garden of Eden.

I'll close with Jimmy waving and Diane and Tom (on their phones!) while we await our food, which was delicious.  I'd put this on my come-back-to list if I had one.  After eating, we wound our way down the rest of the mountain to Kihei.  And another round of Hand and Foot (girls winning).

Well, our Maui visit is complete.  We've done and seen, we've snorkeled in the ocean and swam in the pool, almost daily.  We've eaten fabulous meals, and played cards with our friends many evenings (girls won).  The sunsets are to die for and mornings on the lanai are equally fine.  Flowers (their perfume!) and foliage.  The balmy air, oh my, we could get used to this!  A huge thanks to our friends, Diane and Tom, for inviting us, it's been grand, The Best!  

Haleakala! Fri, 5/12/23

Wow -- another heckuva drive, from about zero elevation to ten thousand feet, where your ears feel like they're gonna pop out of your head, times ten.  We climbed the switchbacks, driving through luxuriant green countryside with clouds ringed 'round the mountain above our heads, into the foggy grayness and out again, to the sunny top of the world.  To the barren Haleakala Crater.  All in a short hour, plus/minus.  So amazing.

Yup, up there!

Gosh, at this point, we'd climbed a couple of thousand feet, and now could see Kihei and the ocean below.  We'd read and heard that the mountain could be capricious -- sun one minute, clouds the next, it could be chilly (we brought jackets and had long sleeved shirts with us) or it could be raining.

I zoomed wayyy in and found the crescent-shaped crater, Molokini, where we snorkeled the other day, and the island beyond ... the one called Kaho'olawe which the government bombed into smithereens for years and years, practicing, doncha know.  It's obviously off limits to the public.  Probably forever.

We snaked up the mountain, till we arrived at the national park and pulled in to the Park Headquarters V/C.  The ranger there gave us some info and we were grateful for the restrooms!  The VC is at 7,000', but it wasn't cold and the sun was shining brightly.

The route was full of twists and turns.  You can see where we began at Kihei (red check mark).  From there it looked like the mountain top was covered in clouds, we couldn't tell for sure, but we sure hoped not!

We stopped at the Leleiwi Overlook, elevation 8840', and decided to take a short hike to the crater viewpoint.  Below us is the ring of clouds we passed through.

See Jimmy above the yellow x?

On our way up to the overlook.

And, oh heck, nothing to see but water vapor.  Clouds.  Fog.  Whatever.

We spotted a group of Hawaiian native geese (Nene) as we continued toward the Haleakala V/C at 9,740', but the only pic I got was this one from the car.  Two geese looking for all the world like snorkels or periscopes!

Lookee here, we've arrived, and it's warm and sunny!  Behind Jimmy and higher up is Haleakala High Altitude Observatory Site, Hawaii's first astronomical research observatory.

What's the first thing we see?  That greets us?  A "singing" Chukar (partridge).  Really!

And then we peered down into the caldera.  I wish I could convey how deep, how sweeping the landscape!  The clouds didn't interfere, they just added more drama.  We stood and stared.  Mesmerized.

And then we walked around to get different views of the caldera.  What did we see?  Two more Chukars, stooging around the rocks right in front of us!  I love the top left picture.  "Do what?"

Haleakala crater looms 10,023' above the ocean, and it takes up a whopping three-quarters of Maui's 727 square miles.  This crater looks other worldly, or maybe like Mars would.  Ethereal with the wispy, drifting clouds.  If you could enlarge this pic enough, you'd see people (tiny ants!) on the trail that goes down into the crater bowl.  Not only did we not do this, we didn't even consider it!

I was surprised to see a snowy-capped mountain way off in the distance.  Look closely, you'll see it dead center, Mauna Kea on the Big Island, 13,796 ft.  How incredible is that?

The observatory isn't open to the public.

Tom and Diane at the summit.

Thin air up here!

On the drive up, we'd pass the occasional biker, also on the way up.  Dude!  How can you?  All the guys above rode their bikes (not electric, either) to the 10,023' VC.  We spoke with one single rider, a young woman, who rode her bike up in five hours (that included stops to breathe and intake energy bars or drinks).  You'd have to be in really good shape to do this!  More power to them, but no, thanks.

Here's the endemic 'Āhinahina -- Silversword, a gorgeous silver-leafed plant that grows here and nowhere else on earth!  The brochure says this plant can grow for several decades before sending up an enormous stalk of purple flowers, signaling the end of its life cycle. 

Crazy!  On our way down the mountain (which took a lot less time), we came across this pheasant!  Never expected to see this guy in Hawaii, or the Chukars, either.  Both are nonnative species, and they're the only two birds we saw!  Before returning home, we stopped at Kula Lodge Garden Terrace for lunch, but that's for another post.  Yowza, what a day!

A day on Maui 2023

 

You simply can't beat getting up and having morning coffee on the lanai, a light trade wind swaying the palms, watching two Myna birds as they fly back and forth to the near palm tree with nesting material, the gaudy purple Bougainvillea, and always the vast Pacific in view.  Can I tell you, this is paradise? 

Lizards abound, frequently showing their money penny, entertaining us.

A Cattle Egret showed up this afternoon and perched atop the bougainvillea, which we four thought was curious.  At the moment, we were all inside.

We'd wanted to play dominoes at poolside, but the trades had picked up and it was too windy.  So, we watched from the sliding glass door to see why it was here.  My camera was ready, as you see.

Suddenly it lunged into the flowers!

And when it emerged, it had lunch in its beak!

One less lizard in the yard!  One?  Heck, this Egret had a big lunch, 'cause it picked off four or five lizards in a short span of time.  Watching birds:  free entertainment!

Close to sunset, Jimmy and I went for a walk through the perfectly-maintained and stellar complex where we're staying.  I say that because its been beautifully landscaped.  I'm guessing in Hawaii, that's not too difficult.  Above, you see Jimmy standing before a wall of Bougainvillea.

Wow!

Check out this lovely path.

Wherever we walked, we were immersed in beautiful growth.

OMGosh, the Hibiscus!

And so many other bright flowers, including the Passion Flower.

Clouds had spilled over from Haleakala,

but we were comfortable walking in shorts.

Plenty of Lobster Claw Heliconia, too.

The edge of the golf course is lined by these fantastic palms.

Change of pace!  Dinner at Monkeypod Kitchen on Diane's birthday was super-special.  A local fresh fish (Monchong) with lobster mashed taters (yum!), sauteed kale and mushrooms, with a lemony Beurre Blanc overall.  We cleaned our plates and even had room for banana cream pie for dessert!  Good grief, it was all so good.

Still working on the pies.  We went home happy!

Just another day in paradise. 😊

Into the water! 5/10/23

 

It was time!  Tuesday morning, Tom took me and Jimmy the short distance to Kamaole III Beach Park (really, right down the hill) where we could step from the sandy beach into the water.  Other families were splayed out on the sand or in the water -- snorkels up!  But it wasn't crowded.  Just off the sand was a spacious grassy area with people playing or laying on towels in the sun.

Kamaole III is located between jagged rock (lava) formations where the fishies like to be, but with waves, we had to be careful not to get too close.  The water was the perfect temp, neither hot nor cold.  We tried the full face snorkel masks that our friends loaned to us, but they didn't work as well as we thought, 'cause they didn't fit our faces and continually let water in.  No matter, we enjoyed being in the ocean.  The highlight was when a big 'ol sea turtle swam up next to me while I was standing in the shallows.  No camera, darn it.

I'd booked a snorkel trip to Molokini and Turtle Town for Wednesday.  Oh boy, we were excited about this!  Be at the Kihei beach landing at 6:30am, boat leaves promptly at 7am.

The Getaway, 18 passengers (three young girls), plus two crew.

Molokini is a small, crescent-moon-shaped island located 3 miles offshore from Kihei.  Now a marine sanctuary, it stretches over 18 acres and rises 160 feet above reef-filled waters.  Scientists believe Molokini Crater formed about 150 thousand years ago.  And it's a "flourishing coral reef" filled with colorful fishies.

Away we go!

I brought my late brother, Rob's, Olympus Tough underwater camera, which I haven't used in years.  Charged overnight, I hoped it worked!  Above, we're entering the caldera, where we'd be for an hour-and-a-half.

We were using our own dive "shirts," and the tour provided masks, fins, and snorkels (which all fit to a T).  Jimmy is ready to hop in.

Entering water world, we were enchanted!

The water was clear.

We saw lots of different fishies.  I took plenty of photos, but between wave action and swimming fish, many were blurry.  I would identify the fish above, but I can't find half of them in the book!

We could get so close to the black triggerfish, almost touching them.

I liked this guy with its feathery tail.

Smile, you're on camera!  Can you tell Jimmy is at left, and I'm on the right?  I used the blue "noodle" to hold me up in the water while I photographed.  Easier.

Molokini is also federally owned and protected as a Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary.  We spotted Great Frigatebirds circling over the island, and, in the grassy areas above, it appears birds are nesting.

We frolicked in the water for over an hour, and then we came aboard the zodiac.  Most everyone was already aboard.  The crew offered sandwiches and juices, which we ate with relish (haha, no relish).  When the group was ready, we motored off toward Turtle Town.  On the way, we saw this Bottlenose Dolphin gamboling thru the waves.  The breeze on our wet suits felt chilly, so when the boat slowed at our approach, we were grateful.

Two groups of kayaks were already there, preparing to snorkel.  Surprisingly to us, Turtle Town's location is not far from Makena Landing where we were last Saturday.  Or maybe a little further south.

We jumped in the water from the boat and immediately confronted a sea turtle.  Not really confronted, but there it was directly in front of us!  I don't know which kind of turtles we saw (I forgot to ask), but Green Sea Turtles are most likely to hang out in Turtle Town.  It was truly wonderful to swim with them.

Coral and Hawaii's Red Pencil Urchins.

Imagine swimming with these beauties!

In the above photo, you see a (black) Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse cleaning the turtle's shell.  The fish pick off algae and dead skin; apparently this is why the turtles stop by this coral reef.  Removing algae from their shells makes the turtles lighter, and it's food for the Wrasse -- win-win!

Ornate Butterflyfish, too.

Jimmy snorkeling close to, but never touching or crowding, a turtle who's come up to the surface to breathe.

Dunno exactly, but I kinda liked this needle fish.

We must have seen six or seven different turtles, including a little guy.  Again, we were in the water for close to an hour before I started to get cold.  Jimmy and I kept losing each other.  I'd pop my head up and look around for him, but all I could see was snorkels!  And they all look alike!  He'd do the same.  Eventually we'd find each other.

Man, what a great morning.  One we'll remember forever.  The camera did fairly well for being in a constantly moving ocean, I think.  The boat returned twenty minutes early, because the passengers were ready to get back, including us.  A person expends a lot of energy swimming around for a couple of hours.  Tom picked us up 11/ish.  Well, it didn't take either Jimmy or me very long to fall onto the bed for a needed and nice afternoon nap.