Maui trip

I just got back from a fabulous 10 days in Maui! We went over to attend a wedding reception of a dear friend and had all kinds of adventures! We loved seeing sea turtles just a block from where we stayed! Gina even saw sharks there the first day. (They feed on the turtles).

We "survived" the road to Hana---an all day journey that took us into the rainforest on Maui. There were over 600 hairpin turns and 54 one-way bridges! Luckily, we were on a tour so I didn't have to drive! Ewi, our guide, was wonderful at identifying the many kinds of fruit and flowers, trees, and pointing out the numerous waterfalls along the way. He also pointed out homes of famous folks like George Harrison and Jim Neighbors . (In fact, I brought Dan home some macadamia nuts from Jim Neighbors' farm.) At the end of the road was the seven sacred pools, each one connected by waterfalls! Gina and I tried swimming there too but the rocks were so slippery and we decided to be content with sitting on the edge.
Wednesday I drove our group up to Haleakala, the volcano, at 3:30 AM to see the sunrise-incredible, but freezing! We wrapped up in blankets from the hotel because who brings coats to Maui?

We swam, body surfed and used boogie boards, and Gina learned to surf using a real surf board while we played in the waves (did I mention how warm the water is!), as well as snorkeled. It was so amazing to see all the colors on the fish and I was surprised how close to shore you could snorkel!

We had authentic islander experiences including food at the wedding reception. Everyone wa so welcoming and we felt just part of the family! They honored us with homemade leis that were so beautiful and fragrant! It was held a stones throw from the beach with a gorgeous view and sunset! Of course, all of the sunsets were gorgeous on Maui. The luau was also a lot of fun! The food was fantastic and the show very impressive and the company (the wonderful group of people we'd been sharing the week with) made the whole experience unforgetable!