Fun Facts From Maui

We are doing our best to enjoying every last minute before heading back to the main land.  Today we spent the afternoon sitting outside and talking story with Darren (a dear friend and co-worker from Ryan's first trip to Hawaii).  There is still so much history to be heard and despite so many facts and tid bits that we have learned there is always more to be heard and today was no exception.  Fact #1) There are no rabies on the island of Maui! This is the truth.  The quarantine  laws have become much less severe overtime, however so much precaution is (still) taken to ensure and preserve what is sacred here.  To say this was music to my ears would be some what of an understatment.  I have come far too close for comfort to the larger than life rats that reside outside our home.  It brings me an odd sense of peace to know that although they may take a bite out of my ankle at least they will not be filled with RABIES!!!  The abundance of rats is no surprise with all the sugar cane fields and the fact that there are no natural predators for these varmints. Which brings us to Fact #2) There are no snakes on Maui.  It seems odd to think that so many of the "normal" things that are so different or even missing here.  But no snakes is just fine by me!  I knew I liked Maui.  Fact #3) There are however, mongoose present and lots of them!  Most of the mammals on Maui, and Hawaii in general, are not native. They were introduced for a variety of reasons (that is a whole other topic). The appearance of a mongoose running across the road here, is just as normal as the common squirrels back home.  As in Kipling's Jungle Book character Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the devil-eyed cunning critter is famous for taking on venomous snakes like king cobras. But that's not why the ferret-like mongooses are sometimes referred to as the most dangerous animal in the world. That illustrious title was earned when it became clear that the mongoose is unparalleled when it comes destroying native species. A fact that Hawaiians learned the hard way.  So why, you might ask, would the mongoose be purposefully introduced to the Hawaiian Islands, the endangered species capital of the world? (Hawaii has more endangered species per square mile than anywhere else on the planet!) The answer is simple. The story of how the Mongoose got to Hawaii is a familiar one of greed.  Greed and rats. Way back in 1872, some Jamaican sugar planter  named W.B. Espeut, got the idea to introduce the mongoose in order to keep his rat problem under control.  So he sailed across the ocean to Calcutta, captured four male and five female mongooses (one pregnant) and brought them back across the ocean to Jamaica. Twenty years later, in a journal article, Espeut gave the mongooses rave reviews. Besides killing rats, he wrote, "snakes, lizards, crabs, toads and the grubs of many beetles and caterpillars have been destroyed." Espeut was so successful, he created a new Jamaican export: more mongooses! When the article reached the sugar cane plantations of Hawaii, the farmers saw an answer to all their rat problems. So despite some dissent, the Hawaiian farmers ordered 72 mongooses from the Jamaicans in 1883. The mongooses were raised on the Big Island and spread amongst the islands. Little did they know what it would do the the future of there island.  Lana'i and Kaua'i (other Hawaiian islands) have remained mongoose-free, but on the other islands, the introduction of the Indian Mongoose has been a disaster of epic proportions. Mongooses do kill rats, but not the numbers needed to justify their use. Unlike the nocturnal rats, the mongoose is active during the day. So instead of ridding the islands of rats, the mongooses have found many other things to eat instead.  So, the next time you travel and are required to fill out the declaration of goods form before landing in a "foreign" land remember not all places are filled with the same diseases we carry from home.  Something as simple as the soil stuck on the bottom of our boots can be filled with bacteria and disease (ex. mad cow disease etc). Quick fixes are not always the best solution and at times are detrimental not only ourselves but our communities.  Beware of the Maui Menace!

    

Whirl Wind

Wow! The last week has been a whirl wind, and I mean this quite literally!  Kate arrived last Friday and just in time for the infamous tsunami warning.  The warnings began before the sun was here.  Family and friends called, texted, and emailed frantically warning us of the tsunami that was heading directly for Maui.  Warning sirens blared, beaches, roads and shops shut down.  The island watched and waited in an eerie somber silence.  As for us (Patrick, Scott, Ryan, Robbie, Catlin, Kate, the dogs and myself), we sat around and waited.  Needless to say, there were extensive precautions and the day came and went without any danger to the island.  Thank you for all the prayers.  Better safe than sorry seemed to be the theme of the day.  Ironically enough, the next morning we woke to rain, wind and a FULL rainbow!

Robbie and Catlin headed back to California early Sunday after spending their (too) short weekend here in Kihei.  They were not able to ride any waves due to extreme weather warnings but it was so good to have them here!  They definitely made the most of a short, drama filled weekend.  We were some how able to hang out, go out and just chill without feeling rushed.  Thanks for the visit guys.  Always good to see old friends and make new ones....see you guys on the shoreline (or California, who knows!!!) this summer!

After tsunami warnings and abnormal winds and rain, we got to the business of showing Kate a good time.  With only a week on the island there is so much to see and do.  Without wasting anymore precious time on the above mentioned mayhem , we were off. 

#1) day of shopping in Paia (included shopping, fresh island fruit smoothies, surfer watching, talking stories with the locals and some how leaving with more names, numbers and emails then we dare mention) - CHECK!  #2) mckenna beach aka Little Beach (an adventure with nature as God intended) - CHECK!!  #3) Road to Hana(hookipa beach, garden of eden filled with flowers & peacocks, twin falls, hana, haleakala, and then some) - CHECK!!!

#4)snorkeling (first time for K and I) - CHECK!!!!  #5)maui sunsets -  well, you get the point

We still have a few adventures to be had between Kate's check list for her visit and ours but we have had a great week making it all happen.  Peace.

Cloud 9

Robbie and Cat arrived safe and sound from California.  Ryan was scheduled for his first solo serving shift at Freds last night; so Robbie, Cat and I had ourselves a nice, leasurly, healthy dinner on our lanai. 

This morning Robbie and Ryan decided to take us girls to the Iao Valley.  The ʻĪao Needle (shown in picture) is a famous landmark in the state park.  Lush vegetation covers the lava remnant and rises 1,200 feet from the valley floor.  The needle is surrounded by the green dense cliffs of the West Maui Mountains, an extinct volcano.  

There is so much history on this island. The stories begin to sound like legends; however it is simply Maui's journey. The 'Iao Valley is the site of one of the most famous battles that occurred in 1790 and changed Hawaii history forever.  King Kamehameha I destroyed the Maui army in an effort to unite the Hawaiian Islands.  The battle was said to be so bloody that dead bodies blocked ʻĪao Stream, and the battle site was named Kepaniwai ("the damming of the waters"). 

Appropriately ʻĪao in Hawaiian means "cloud supreme".  As you can see we were literally wandering in the clouds!  We had already seen the valley from our helicopter tour but once again the journey on foot was a must experience and completely different view. 

 

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!!!!!!!

Just kidding, not really, but we've got company!!! And just in the knick of time...with so much down time our minds have taken a toll and we are starting to lose it.  I think we have begun to feel the island fever kicking in! *note photo

Robbie and Catlin are arriving this afternoon from CA.   Both (you CT followers know them) grew up in Madison with Ryan.  Robbie and Ryan were roomates out here in Kihei, HI years ago and have been life long friends.  Can't wait to see those two back together on their turf.  They are only here for a weekend, but we are excited for their visit.

Friday (YES TOMORROW!!!) KATE IS COMING!!!  Kate (you MA followers know) is literrally a life long friend.  Ryan and I have been together a year and he has yet to meet the infamous K.  There are bound to be quite a few late nights with lots of stories and plenty of laughter. We are so incredibly excited to share this amazing place with her, and believe you me.... she deserves it :)

So, there you have it...last minute lots of details all worked out and we both have old and new very dear friends all together in one FULL house!  Once again we feel blessed to be surrounded by the beauty of this island and have loved one's to share in the joy.

Say a prayer for safe travels of all.  We might be MIA for a few days, but we'll do our best to keep you in the loop and I am sure by the time the house has cleared out there will be plenty of fun adventures to share.

Aloha Spirit

These may sound like the ramblings of  a mad man, but I assure you that there is no madness in my mind as I type these words to whomever's eyes they may grace.  This morning while going to get the newspaper and a little fresh air, while at the stop sign, a purple minivan with a large samoan drivin it was waiting to take a left as I was awaitin a right turn onto S Kihei Rd.  I looked at him, he looked at me, not in the way that the the streets were gonna clear like back in the old west because a gun fight was a brewin, but in the "Hey wait a minute, I may not remember a name, but that smilin face is one I won't forget".  So it took a bit for the traffic to clear and the dumbfounded gazes to pass, but as it did my friend who  I have not seen in three or so years, passed by me shootin the Shaka, yellin "What up bruddah" and smiled with the most genuine smile a person can posess.  I knew it was my friend when the "Grin went from cheek to cheek", and his gold tooth glistened off the sun.  I have been awake for about an hour or so, but as I have always been bad with names, to start my day seeing an old familiar, friendly face does wonders for the soul and the mind.  Every person i have seen  today since then has shown me the same smile, patience and appreciation for life.  The Aloha Spirit!
Aloha Friends-Ryan

I heart Pa'ia!!!

Took a fun little jaunt to Pa'ia (pronounced: pie-E-a).  Pai'ia is an awesome hippie town on the north coast of the island.  The atmosphere reminded me so much of North Hampton with all the fun shops, great cafes, chill atmosphere and free spirits! 

Neither Ryan nor I are big shoppers at heart but we found plenty of fun, earthy, crunchy boutiques that tickled our fancy and so we moseyed  in and out of tons of fun shops. We filled our bellies at Cafe Mambo.  The food was fresh and delicious, the mood chill and comfy and the service great. (Note to self: return to Cafe Mambo some Thursday night for their projection screen movie theater night). 

On the way out of town we stopped at the Maui Dharma Center.  The center is open during specific hours for prayer and meditation; however, we were here to tour today not to worship.  The Lha Bab Stupa (shown in picture) signifies and tells the story of the historical Buddha's return to Earth after teaching his mother the dharma in the celestial heavens, (thus liberating her from cyclic existence) as a way to repay her kindness.  Buddha used celestial stars to descend back to Earth.  For this reason, there are stairs on the Stupa in each of the four directions.  The walls are covered in colorful hand painted pictures and there is a copper Mani Pray Wheel in the center of the structure.  There was a plaque out side that explained the story, significance and directions.  It said to enter, grab onto the wheel, start walking clockwise and start praying, and so we walked and prayed!  There's a lot more history and religious information on this center as you can imagine but this pretty much sums it up for the "tourist" need to know portion. 

So, "right on" (as they say around here) you get a 10 in my book Pa'ia and I am defiantly looking forward to lots more visits and memories in this fabulous little town!

Big Beach VS Little Beach

Heads up...lots of pictures with this entry.  Not that any of you mind, the views are truly breath taking.  Ok, so the photo above is Big Beach.  It is too far for a bike ride (maybe not for you Jason Atwater but definitely  for us), so Patrick let us borrow the car for the day and we grabbed out blanket, spf, sunglasses and hit the road.  The water here is by far the bluest I have seen. The shore break was brutal (water looks calm, then suddenly large wave forms and breaks hard on shallow beach) so we decided to head right next door to Little Beach.

Now if you walk down the beach and towards what looks like piles of reef and lava you will notice a steep and narrow pathway that leads up to the top of a cliff. This picture does not make it easy to grasp the concept of the climb, however if you are looking for it you can see people, or parts of people making their way around the rocks to the top.

The climb is worth it!

Now to my favorite part…the descent into Little Beach. I had a warning going in so I feel you the reader/viewer deserve the same. Little Beach is a respectful, friendly, fun loving, NUDIST beach.    Although growing up in a house with 4 girls is probably as close to a nudist colony as you can get, this was my first experience with public nudity.  The thought of men, women, young, and old just chillin', sun bathing, swimming, playing, picnics, bongo drums, etc.... did not sound like a comfortable scenario.  Needless to say, I was not there 3 minutes til I felt freedom!  Talk about liberating. So many people walk around so insecure all day about their bodies.  But while I was catching the waves, snacking, doing my crossword or just watching the group with there frisbee I was not critiquing their bodies or mine. I saw it all, and the first and only thought I had was "we (REALLY) are fearfully and wonderfully made"!

***side note: as we were packing up our things and getting ready to head home to fully clothed civilization, 3 hawaiian women (hawaiian's are NOT SMALL) were being pulled into a rip tide and Ryan and 3 other brave men ran from the beach, jumped in the ocean and saved them.  You would have thought this would have been a large part of this blog but turns out I am my fathers daughter and would much prefer to blog on the controversial happenings instead of the heroic acts of my selfless boyfriend :)