Last Days in Hawaii

On Sunday, after church, the tour the Banana Bungalow took was to Big Beach and Little Beach in Makena. We lounged on Big Beach for a few hours, reading, before taking a trail up and over black rocks to Little Beach. Little Beach is a clothing optional beach, so I saw a lot of parts! There was a dance party drumming circle underway. We stayed to watch the sun set.

On Monday, October 6, the Banana tour was to 'Iao Valley State Park, just inland from Wailuku. First we stopped at a garden, with different sections dedicated, designed, and maintained by the different nationalities that have blended together to make Hawaiian culture what it is today (Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, etc.)

Next we arrived at the State Park, and we could see the famous 'Iao Needle . Our group hiked up to a viewing area for the Needle, then climbed over the guard rail and kept hiking. We followed a path about 1.5 miles. It was fairly difficult-- steep and muddy and not well maintained. But we emerged at a lookout farther into the Valley with beautiful views.

Once we were back down at the park, we cooled off in a stream, then headed back to Wailuku.

UCC for World Communion Sunday

Apparently we Presbyterian-flavored Christians aren't all that ubiquitous around Maui, and definitely not in Wailuku.  The UCC (always labeled as Congregational here), however, is rockin' it, so for World Communion Sunday, we walked half a mile to the Iao Congregational Church.  Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the Pastor, who quickly asked a church member to welcome us properly.  We received leis made of pink yarn ("Pink is the color of Maui") and were encouraged to sign the guest book.  During the welcome time, we were made aware that more people usually attend, but that many members were either working at the food booth at the fair we attended on Saturday, or were recovering from having done so.  Check out Renderings (Alan's blog) in the next few days for a reflection on why pastor types feel the need to apologize for attendance on any particular day.

As the worship service proceeded, it was clear that this was a congregation that values intergenerational connection and shared leadership.  Other than the opening announcements (which was apparently assigned to an elder who slipped in a little late), the time of sharing thanksgivings and concerns, and presiding over the table, the pastor said very little.  People of many different ages served as liturgists/readers as we heard Scripture, letters/reflections written by folks serving in the mission field, and prayers from all around the globe.  God was most definitely worshipped in that sanctuary this morning.  After worship, we were warmly invited to a time of fellowship that featured some of the best "after church fellowship time" food I've ever seen.  We had a chance to meet a handful of people and explain our current journey, and everybody was supportive and encouraging.  Simply put, on a day when Christians all over the world celebrate the Eucharist and most likely sing hymns about being one world family (In Christ there is no East or West, etc.), we experienced the body of Christ to be welcoming, challenging (some of the letters were intense), supportive, inspiring, and comforting.  Thanks be to God.

Hana: ...And Back Again

We had one day in and around Hana before heading back to Wailuku. We started the day with the Haleakala National Park, about 10 miles past Hana. We were interested in an area called the "Seven Sacred Pools" (though the guide book says there are more than seven, and they were never considered sacred) that is cascading waterfalls and their swimming holes. We were able to hike a loop to the coast and past this area, though swimming was not allowed at that time due to the recent heavy rainfall.

We also hiked up to Waimoku Falls, which was 2 miles each way. About the time I was thinking that I don't really care for hiking after all, the uphill slog on a muddy trail became a boardwalk through a bamboo forest, shaded, cool, and musical when the wind blew. Waimoku Falls is 400 feet tall!

Back in Hana, we ate lunch at Nutcharee's Thai Food, which is apparently called Pranee's on the weekend. The food was excellent, and I especially enjoyed the iced, sweetened black tea with plenty of coconut milk on top. Alan ordered the spicy fried rice and I ordered the green curry. 

After lunch, equipped with directions I did *not* get from our waitress, we found our way to Kaihalulu Beach, famous for its red sand. Since some of the trail had fallen away, we decided to turn back before reaching the main beach area. After all, we were heading to a beach later on.

Next, we headed to the Hana Lava Tubes. After paying up and receiving our flashlights, it was just 30 seconds down the path from the parking lot to the tube entrance. where we could wander a 0.25 mile section. The caves had lots of interesting plaques describing the eruption circa 960 AD, types of lava, rock, stalactites, etc. Apparently before the current landowner, cow bones from a slaughterhouse had washed into the tubes, and about 17,000 lbs had to be cleared out to make it accessible to the public.

Lastly, we visited Wai'anapanapa State Park to see its famous black sand beach at Pa'iloa Bay. We checked out some of the park's other attractions-- lava caves, sea arch, and blowhole (Though it was not blowing at the time), before taking a dip in the ocean and settling in to read a bit. 

In the morning, we got an early start, taking the Road to Hana back to Wailuku. Once there, we decided to visit the 2014 Maui Fair, which was similar to any county or state fair, with food, rides, games to win prizes, flower and art exhibits, and livestock competitions. We walked around all the fair grounds, which was fun, but I think we were mostly there for the food. Alan had a funnel cake and I had the deep fried oreos!

Hana: There...

Early on Thursday morning, October 2, Alan took advantage of the Maui bus system to get back to the airport, where he picked up our rental car for the next 3 days, then returned to Banana Bungalow for me and the rest of the luggage. After a stop at the Safeway for groceries (apparently everything is more expensive in Hana), we were underway, piecing our itinerary together from Lonely Planet, Fodor's, and recommendations from friends. Our first stop, some 10 miles outside of Wailuku/Kahului, was Paia Town. This small town seems to be a favorite of the locals, due to an excellent organic foods store as well as plenty of restaurants and shops. We located the organic foods store, duly appreciated it, then continued onward.

Next we stopped a Ho'okipa to watch the surfers, as well as the spectacular view back towards Kahului and out towards the ocean.

Once on the Hana Highway, we stopped at Waikamoi Nature Trail for a 0.8 mile loop  with "fragrant trees" and "views of the dramatic road ahead", to sardonically quote the guide books. I didn't see views of the road ahead; perhaps the trail has become overgrown. We did see these trees with interesting roots, and Alan liked this pink flower. Since we brought sandwiches for lunch, we followed a trail farther up the mountain indicating "Upper Picnic Area", which ended up being totally worthless except for a view out over a lush bamboo forest. We ate our sandwiches while we walked back to the car.

Next we stopped at Kaumahina State Wayside Park for a view out over the upcoming road. Definitely a good view.

Halfway along the Hana Highway, we drove a short distance off of the main road to the village of Ke'anae, formed by a late eruption of Haleakala. It is a flat and fertile area. We glimpsed the Ke'anae Congregational Church, built in 1860. And just across the way is Ke'anae Beach Park, which sports pounding waves and jagged black lava rock.

Next we pulled off the highway into the small parking area for the Wailua Valley State Wayside. Just walk up about 30 stairs for views of the coast and views inland.

After that, we made our final stop before Hana at the Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park to take a look at a pair of waterfalls and their swimming holes. This area had picnic tables, and we came upon a couple eating with two cats close by. Turns out these cats were feral, though healthy, and they were probably looking for a snack in the form of sandwich tidbits or the ferret scampering into the bushes. Anyways, Alan and I waded into the upper pool, got nibbled on by the tadpoles and minnows, and headed back to the car.

We checked into our hostel, Joe's Place, then cruised around the village to get the lay of the land. We settled at the Hana Beach Park to read for a while then grab delicious plates of kaimin and tempura at the Barefoot Cafe, one of the few places open for dinner. We searched out some Maui Brewing Co. beer (Coconut Porter) at the Hasegawa General Store to enjoy while watching the sun set and The Lord of the Rings, in that order.

Day One in Hawaii: The Black Rock (Not a Ship)

Alan and I arrived at Banana Bungalow in Wailuku, Maui, late on September 30... or so it felt after 6 time zone changes. On our first full day in Hawaii, and coincidentally our third wedding anniversary, we signed up for the tour that The Bungalow was taking. It happened to be a tour of Lahaina and Black Rock Beach. At noon we loaded into the vans, each with 10 hostel guests. The first stop was the grocery store for lunch/snacks/etc. Then we stopped for snorkel gear, which Alan and I passed on (though apparently turtles were seen). We arrived at Black Rock Beach, where we enjoyed swimming, sitting in the sun, chatting a bit with other travelers, and (my favorite, though not Alan's) jumping off of the black rock into the ocean. Sorry, mom, and here are some pictures on the beach:

When we headed out later in the afternoon, we stopped to see a very large Buddha and temple, presumably part of the Asian influence on the island. Our van of folks from the hostel is in the second picture.

Lastly we stopped in Lahaina for dinner. While cruising down the main drag, our tour guide pointed out lots of different restaurant choices, and totally neglected to mention the fact that Maui Brewing Company has a brew pub in Lahaina. So we missed it, though we have since been able to sample MBC beers (More on this in the next post.) So we shared a burger at Cheeseburger in Paradise, watched the sunset, and saw the biggest banyan tree outside of Asia. That's all one tree, and it doesn't even fit in the frame! So the day was not a total loss after all :)