Maui 2009 Sunday

Lattes and Power Bars fuelled us this morning. Actually, the Power Bars sucked. We only ate them because it was the best thing the gas station had to offer to get us through to Paia, on our way to Hana today. Probably should have started off a little earlier, but who could have predicted that we’d have trouble finding the stand where they sell the audio-guide. Highway repair camped out right in front. But we prevailed. We stopped in Paia at Mana’s and then Moana’s (I couldn’t quite read the concierge’s writing, and it turns out that yes, there’s both) for sustenance, in the form of baked goods, cheese and fruit. The perfect lunch.

The surfing just up the road from Paia is amazing. It looks like Long Beach, but sunny and warm. The drive to Hana was very pretty, as promised, but there was no snorkelling, unfortunately. The arboretum was worth stopping for and we got some great photos at Wailea falls. I wanted to see the Seven Sacred Pools at Oheo but it was getting dark and we debated (no, we did not argue) for a bit. Decided to go on and good thing. The pools were well worth it. The drive, however, is truly something else. Hair raising. The last bit is – and I’m being generous here – an executive goat path. It’s paved but only about six feet wide, sheer drop into the ocean on one side, mountain on the other. Hard curves and lots (about sixty, I think) of single-lane bridges. Although we actually had to pop in the driver’s side mirror to make more room, there was only one time when we met another vehicle and one had to back up.