Lifestyle of the rich and famous…

I played soccer with Owen Wilson today and gave him a big bag of passion fruit!

Iao Valley – site of the bloodiest battle in Maui history

Iao Valley, located up past Kahului and Wailuku, is considered to be the second wettest place on earth, second only to Mount Waialeale in Kauai. A stream cut valley, it is also the home of the bloodiest battle on the island of Maui. In 1790 Chief Kamehameha, unifier of all Hawaiian islands, defeated Maui chief King Kalanikupule in the Battle of Kepaniwai. The battle was said to be so bloody that dead bodies blocked Iao Stream, earning the battles’ name Kepaniwai, or “damming of the waters”.

I left around 10:30, biking west on Hana Highway and continuing up to Wailuku and finally to Iao Valley Road. It wasn’t a steep ride, but it felt more difficult than it should have been. Tall jagged mountains, cloaked in jungly vegetation and shrouded in misty clouds rose to each side. I continued on up until I saw the parking lot filled with shiny rental cars and tourists milling about. I prided myself on not being like them… I was soaked in sweat, my calves were muddy and most of them had seen me bike up and knew I wasn’t a typical tourist. The park was small, but well kept and the State Monument – the Iao Needle – rose up amongst tall crags and dark, narrow valleys. There was a short trail leading down to the stream and one going up to a lookout that scanned the lower valley and provided an excellent view of the Needle.

In all, the Iao Valley wasn’t the most beautiful, nor the most exciting place I have visited in Maui, but it was definitely worth the trip. I didn’t feel any of the ’supernatural power’ that supposedly courses through the valley, but it was interesting to be in a place that has such a powerful history.

Always on the move

So it looks like I’ll only be on Maui for another two and a half months (poor me). I received a call yesterday from Lindblad expeditions, an eco-cruise company that sails all over the world, saying that they would love to welcome me aboard as a steward. Of course I said yes. I had filled out an application online and had an interview with one of their reps a few weeks ago and was crossing my fingers that I’d be hired. The route I’ll be doing is from Alaska, down the Colorado River and around Baja Mexico. The contract is for six months, but if I really like (which I have a feeling I will) I might sign on as a full time employee. You can check out the website at www.expeditions.com. Can’t wait to start!

Hana and Beyond

We left early yesterday morning, hoping to get a head start on the parade of tourists that slowly make their way along the twisty-turney course of Hana Highway. By 7:45 Doug and I were rolling out of the driveway with hiking shoes, bathing suits and camera. I had initially planned on visiting the Seven Sacred Pools in Kapahulu, a small town several miles outside of Hana, by myself, but Doug had nothing to do that day, so he decided to be my personal tour guide. And I’m glad he did. We stopped several times along the way so I could jump out and snap some photos and we visited an arboretum, which was rather disappointing because the government ceased the little funding it had, so the area was overgrown and wild. There were still a lot of neat trees and flowers though.

In Hana we grabbed a quick bite to eat before hiking down to secret beach, which I would never have found by myself. It was a short walk along the coast and over lava flows, maybe five minutes, then around a corner I saw and sheltered bay with tall striated red walls and a horseshoe shaped lagoon filled with turquoise water. The beach was comprised of black sand and the waves crashed into jagged pillars of lava rock that separated the ocean from the bay, forming a calm pool perfect for swimming. There were several other people there: three girls basking in the sun, a rastafarian playing a wood flute, and a happy naked man. Anything goes in Maui. The secret beach is probably my favorite place I’ve visited yet. It was so beautiful and peaceful: I wish I could go every day!

Back on the road, we continued toward Kapahulu and the Seven Sacred Pools. The East Coast is much more rural and remote than the West and even though it’s beautiful, I’m not sure I could live there. There’s not enough going on! At the entrance, we parked the car and laced up our hiking boots. It’s not a long hike, only two miles, but it felt a lot longer because we stopped a lot to take pictures and look at the waterfalls. There are two main falls on the trail. The first one is about 200 feet and has a small pool at the top with a nice view of the O’heo Gulch and the ocean, but since it water was high, swimming was off limits. Continuing on, we passed through a thick bamboo forest with a narrow boardwalk running between the towering stalks. When the wind blew, they knocked together, creating an eerie feeling to the already dark and mysterious forest. I felt like I was in a fairytale of some sort. Finally, we reached the end of the trail where a tall waterfall cascaded down a mossy cliff. It was beautiful, but not as incredible as other falls I’ve seen. There was no real pool at the bottom and the surrounding area was rocky without my vegetation. It was definitely worth the hike though, and I’d go back in a second.

On the way down, we loaded up on guava, filling my pack with the small yellow fruit and eating them until we got stomachaches.

Three days in the land of Dinosaurs

I’m sure you have all seen the movie Jurassic Park, so you are familiar with the awesome landscapes and beautiful views shown in the film. That’s Kauai. That’s where I spent the last three days. It was rainy and cloudy for the first two days so most of the trip was spent touring the island by car, but we saw some amazing sites that just whetted my appetite to return and explore the mountains, valleys and canyons by trail.

Luau

The first night we were on the island, Randy and Sharon (Karen’s brother and sister in law) took us to a unique Luau typically reserved for only cruise ship travelers. We ate a great buffet dinner of salads, blue sweet potatoes, fruit, poi (mashed taro which was quite revolting), fish, rice, and of course, Kalua pig, cooked for hours in a pit oven. During dinner, hula dancers and shirtless men performed on the center stage, and the live band serenaded us with violins and guitars. When everyone was finished eating, the real entertainment began. The story of the Polynesian’s arrival to Hawaii sometime between 300 and 1000 AD. It was mesmerizing. The theatrical dance included hula girls, warrior men, chieftons, mythical creatures, and my favorite, fire dancers. Other luaus are supposedly not as amazing, so even though I wasn’t too enthused to spend an evening among cruise shippers, I was glad the performance was a good one.

Rain and the North Shore

Our first full day in Kauai dawned overcast and rainy. Nonetheless we piled into the car and went in search of sun. Unfortunately we never found it. We did visit Randy and Sharon’s coffee roasting business and walked around the small town of Kapaa (which has not one, not two, but THREE vegan restaurants!) and stopped at a few shops. Nothing too exciting though. The next day, however, Randy assumed the roll of tour guide and drove us to the north shore where we met the sunshine and saw magnificent craggy mountains and picture perfect beaches. The main highway in Kauai is shaped like a horseshoe. The two ends don’t actually meet. We ended up at the dead end of the northern part in late afternoon and spent several hours walking along the beach, hiking into the jungle (the trail is actually 11 miles and is supposedly spectacular… I hope I can return to Kauai and do the whole thing) and watching the surf come and go. It was beautiful and I didn’t even mind all the other tourists milling about.

Waimea Canyon

Our final morning, before we flew back to Maui, Randy brought Karen, Doug and I up to Waimea Canyon, coined “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” by Mark Twain. I have never seen the Grand Canyon, but this was spectacular. The red dirt contrasted with the bright green vegetation and waterfalls cascaded down into the valley in every direction. At the top, we stopped at an overlook where the mountain ran right into the sea. I can’t imagine how beautiful it would be to see the coastline by boat.