Janauary 8, 2007

Part One

“Aloha” and “Mahalo” — these are the two words you will get to hear the most during your visit to the Hawaiian islands. The former can mean “hello” and “goodbye” while the latter means “thank you”. The state of Hawaii consists of six major islands – Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai. Seeing all these islands and experiencing the various attractions that each one has would take weeks, even months. So, most visitors choose to visit one  island or two islands at a time.

That is what we decided to do as well. Our choice was Maui, the Valley Isle, the second largest island in the group. The island is approximately 48 miles (76.8 km) long and 26 miles (41.6 km) wide. Known for its long stretches of beautiful beaches, pristine waters, and Haleakala Crater, Maui has been voted the best island in the world by many travel magazines over the past ten years.

Maui coast seen from Hana Highway

Maui landscape

Black Bay Beach

Hana Bay

While our flight circled the Pacific Ocean, awaiting our turn to land, I could not but help compare the surrounding landscape to the one in good ol’ Mangalore. The lush green fields, the cloudy skies, and the lolling waves all made it seem as if we were back home! As we stepped out of the terminal and headed towards the rental car office, a strong breeze blew making the weather warm but pleasant. What a relief it was to leave the cold, dreary winter of the Bay Area far behind !!

Rejuvenated we set out for our rented condominium in Kihei which is on the south side of Maui. One look at the view from the “lanai” or balcony and we were sorely tempted to just sit there looking out at the shimmering sea and the mountains beyond. However, we did manage to spend the rest of the day familiarizing ourselves with the island and planning out activities for the rest of the vacation.

View of Hana at sunset

Lahaina Harbor seen from the Pacific Ocean

The valley which gives Maui the sobriquet "The Valley Isle"

The Atlantis submarine surfacing

First on our list was the picturesque drive to Hana, on the eastern coast of Maui. This 60-mile drive is known for its spectacular ocean views, numerous waterfalls and 56 narrow one-way bridges. Visitors to Maui are warned that this particular stretch of road, being narrow and winding with a couple of hairpin curves thrown in, can be stressful for the driver. We set out on the drive not knowing what to expect.

Soon it was evident that none of the authors of  those numerous travel guides had ever been on the notorious road connecting Mangalore to Bangalore!! Though much narrower than the roads on the US mainland, often without the dividing center lines, the route to Hana was a pretty decent one. Frequent stops to take in the views and have a picnic lunch made it a three-hour drive one way.

A school of fish - 125 feet under the sea

The ancient banyan tree in Lahaina