8 posts tagged “maui”

As the weather turns to shit outside in Calgary (the snow is piling up, and temperatures are expected to hover around the -25'C mark all week), today I stumbled upon a live webcam in Kihei, Maui that just happens to overlook Kamaole Beach Park II- the beach directly across the street from the condo complex we stayed in while in Maui earlier this month.

The webcam is a streaming live (via java applet), movable camera hosted at MauiCondoWebcam.com. The ability to move and zoom the camera is done using a queuing system- you request to take control of the camera- and you are given 3 minutes of control time. Anyone else who requests after you are put into a queue. It's not uncommon to have to wait up to 20 minutes for your turn in line to take control of the camera.

The transition back into our daily routine after getting home from Maui two weeks ago has been tough- and the weather and increase in workload doesn't help. But to be able to sit on this cam and 'virtually' sit on the beach in Kihei is a nice way to escape for a few minutes in a day to- for example, observe sunset to mark the end of your day. :)

The trip from Maui was killer. The flight left at almost midnight (Maui time- 3:00am Calgary time)- and we arrived in Vancouver almost 5 hours later at 7:00am (Vancouver time- 8:00am Calgary time). We got- at most -2 hours of sleep each. And nothing even resembling 'good' sleep either. Despite getting the 2 seats in the Emergency Door row of the plane, which gave us some extra leg room and the bonus of guaranteeing we wouldn't have some fat guy cuddling up to either of us while he slept, it didn't really matter in the end- although I'm sure the extra leg room helped some.

The 2 hour layover in Vancouver was more of a sprint than a casual transfer. We went through Canadian customs- then picked up our bags, then re-checked the bags in the domestic wing of the Vancouver airport (which, btw, is on the complete opposite side of the terminal), going back through security (thus requiring me to completely empty my carry-on laptop, digital camera, Nintendo DS and iPod- ya know, standard geek gear) and arriving at our gate with about 10 minutes to spare. We slept a little on that flight. But flying Vancouver to Calgary is nothing- an hour at most, and we were landing before we knew it.

By the time we got home it was noon on, um, Sunday... I think. We had been up since 7:00am (Maui time- 10:00am Calgary time) Saturday morning- well longer than 24 hours. On the ride home we recounted that that 'morning' we went to a market in Kihei and picked up some souvenirs, and that that evening we were on the beach for our last sunset in Maui- that seemed like days ago!

We occasionally took naps throughout the afternoon- but the lure of Guitar Hero 3 and StarTropics kept me up for most of the day. We retired early to try and catch up on as much sleep as possible.
We both took today off to try and recover- something I don't honestly feel I'll completely recover from in a few days yet. I'm going to work tomorrow- but I don't expect to be all that productive. Luckily that makes it a short week before the weekend. And while we were thinking of seeing friends this weekend- somehow I think we'll be laying low and getting back into the swing of things: ie: take the XBOX in for repairs, replace my cell phone. get my leather bag fixed (the strap broke within minutes of being in the Calgary airport when we left- damaging a corner of my laptop), and otherwise getting back into a routine at home.

Maui has definitely changed my perspective about things. There is better than the status-quo, and life doesn't have to be taken so seriously. Sometimes- shit just happens. Some of the things that happened during the past 2 weeks- like my laptop bag strap and subsequent damage, or my cell phone meeting an untimely death- anytime prior would have sent me through the roof (like they did with our plumbing and heater problems just weeks prior). But while it still sucked when it happened- it didn't ruin the vacation.

While on the island I saw a few bumper stickers that really stuck (not literally) with me- one in particular: "Live Aloha".

I certainly will.

Show us a photo of a place you love.

What a fitting hunt for our last day here. Of course it's Maui. In the two weeks we have spent here, I have absolutely fallen in love with this island. All of it- the sights, the sounds, the people, the wildlife. I feel that I have truly connected with this place on a spiritual level. This has been more than just a 'vacation'. I've gone out of my way to soak up every ounce of what this place has to offer- and I know I've missed a lot. Sometimes I find that life in the city is so demanding that we tend to lose sight of the fact that there is life beyond the city limits, or beyond our corporate schedules or personal responsibilities.

I've truly learned the meaning of 'aloha'- and I intend on doing everything in my power to bring 'aloha' back to Calgary with me. Life doesn't have to be as uptight and stressful as I've found it to be in the past few years. All you gotta do is remember 'aloha', and just 'hang loose'.

Mahalo Maui! Aloha- until we meet again.

My My My what a busy trip this has been! I'm almost ready for a vacation!! ;P

It does seem as though we've been on the go pretty much non-stop since we got here. We've had a few 'relaxing' days where we haven't ventured much further than the beach or the pool- but they haven't been as often as I would have liked- and they always seem to get cut short- or at least I walk away feeling somewhat unfulfilled.

The day after our Hana trip we ran to Kahalui with our heads somewhat cut off- we all had to find something to wear... we were attending a wedding that night! Dad and Jeanette got married on Makena Beach- and they didn't tell us until 2 days before the big day. The ceremony was beautiful- simple, yet truly Hawaiian. After the ceremony, Dad, Rob and myself all walked into the water together- and we remembered the last time the three of us were

in the same waters: 10 years ago in Oregon when we spread Mom's ashes into the ocean. A lot has happened since then, and some of the most important people that have come into our lives since then waited on the shore behind us. It was an amazing experience- just another measurement of time.

The following day, Rob and Kris were scheduled to leave- but was the day of our first snorkeling trip to Molokini crater. I was still a little nervous going out after having my ass handed to me by the ocean on New Years Day. But it was all for not as the trip

was a truly breathtaking experience. Molokini is (supposedly) the top of an underwater volcano and is currently federally protected as a fish and bird sanctuary. Getting into the water, we were immediately surrounded by schools of fish- and they had no fear of us. Many would swim within arms length of us- and while it was very tempting to reach out and touch some of these beautiful creations of nature, being a federally protected area, it is illegal to do so. Going in, you really feel like you are looking in on another world- and we are merely visitors to that world. So we respect them by not intruding.
Ange and I took many pictures with underwater cameras- none of which have yet been developed. We're waiting to get back to Calgary to get them developed and put onto CD so we can post them.

We took our first visit to the westernmost point on the island of Maui: Lahaina. Lahaina used to be a whalers village and is currently home to the worlds (?) largest Banyan Tree- which literally spans an entire block and has multiple roots. It's truly a spectacle to behold. The park itself looks like almost any other tree-laden park, but it becomes very quickly apparent that there is only one actual tree in the yard.
We had lunch at 'Bubba Gumps'- yes, an restaurant inspired by the 1994 (!!!) movie, Forrest Gump. Apparently the chain is actually owned by Paramount Pictures. Regardless, the food is amazing, and the environment feels very unique, yet authentic- not 'manufactured' like you often get with other chains- like the 'Hard Rock Cafe'- where we did also stop in for drinks before leaving Lahaina.

Leaving Lahaina, we headed north towards Napili Polint for sunset. Sunset has been a very big part of the day while here. At home we tend to take sunset for granted- the sun goes down at seemingly random times throughout the year and no one ever seems to give it a second thought. In Hawaii- it's a very social, very spiritual event. People often mark sunset by blowing a conch shell. We have heard it with such regularity over the past few weeks that it just doesn't feel right when no one blows it. I've tried to blow it myself- it didn't go well. hehe.
Napili Point is north of Lahaina and is where the 'highway' begins to head eastward again towards Kahalui. The highway, however, is very much like that on the way to Hana- full of twists and turns, single-lane stretches, as well as some of the most beautiful scenes you'll ever see. We made a point of stopping periodically on the side of the road (there are occasional rest areas you can pull into) and taking as many photos as possible.

There is still plenty more I haven't covered- but will probably this evening. We are about to head out to one last trip to Lahaina to see the Jodo Buddhist Mission there and then head back to Napili Point for sunset. Today is decidedly a spiritual/zen day.

I've also posted a slew of pictures on Flickr- as usual.

Aloha!

= Dead Phone. We went to the beach the other day, and while walking out the door, being the dedicated geek I am, I decided to grab my phone. Unfortunately I had nowhere to put it except a pocket on my swim shorts- located near the bottom just above my knee.
We got to the beach, where I nearly took a layer of skin off my foot from an ill-timed step on the boardwalk path down to the sand. It hurt- a LOT, and that's all I could focus on for that brief moment in time. We quickly settled down and decided to try and soothe the pain, and the heat of the sun, by taking a dip in the ocean.

We started by getting our feet wet- then went in a little deeper, then deeper- then up to our knees. Then a good-sized wave came and swallowed us up to our stomachs. Already wet, we waded in further, enjoying the cool ocean water.

It was at that moment that I thought I should grab my phone and snap a picture to upload to Facebook so show where we were at that moment. Then I clued in... my phone was still in my pocket, by my knee, underwater.

Oh shit.

I darted out of the ocean hoping it wasn't too late- but it was. I left it in the sun to dry off- but to no avail. The screens began fogging up from the evaporating water trapped inside, and refused to power on. We got home and I decided to try plugging it in, thinking that maybe just the battery shorted out and wasn't supplying power. After a few horrible-sounding snarls, I knew it was the end.

Last week was a busy week here in Maui- with a few curveballs thrown in for good measure (none of which I can talk about... yet).

New Years was pretty subtle. We attended a luau at one of the hotels south of us- in the Wailea area of the island. Unfortunately the event was moved indoors because of weather. New Years Eve we received a good dumping of rain. It literally was coming down in sheets at one point, but was so warm out it was a pleasure to sit outside on the lanai and take it all in just like I do at home in Calgary (except that I didn't have to put on a sweater and long pants to enjoy it).

The luau was a lot of fun- the food was amazing, and the entertainment was authentically Hawaiian. THe fact that we were indoors at one of the hotels' ballrooms did take away a little of the 'awe' of the whole experience, but it was still a wonderful way to bring 2007 to an end.
Returning home, however, things fell apart quickly. The countdown to midnight quickly became our own game of 'New Years Survivor' as we all struggled to stay awake! I even knocked back an energy drink to try and keep me afloat for the few hours- but it was all for not. I ended up lasting until just after 11:00 before I couldn't fight to keep my eyes open any longer. In the end, I'm told, my brother was the only one that actually made it to midnight- but he himself passed out shortly thereafter.

New Years Day would be our beach day. We woke to a beautiful sunrise, blue sky and singing birds- the complete opposite of the day before. We packed up (some of us reluctantly) and headed out to the beach across the street. Ange brought our horde of snorkel gear in order to give us a chance to practice before our first snorkel outing later in the week. Ange and Kris jumped in almost immediately, whereas I was content to float on a boogie board for a w hile before coming back to sit in the sun or begin snapping photos along the beach. While out, they made their way over towards a 'point' where they were able to find schools of fish, an octopus, and even had a close-encounter with a green sea turtle!! Excited, we decided we had to go and rent some final pieces of gear (we didn't have a complete set of gear- so we knew we'd have to rent additional pieces before our snorkel trip) and the three of us would head out again.

But things- notably the tide -had changed in the few hours since the girls went out in the morning- and so my first impromptu snorkeling outing greeted me with a force that quite literally knocked me flat on my ass. In order to get back to the area the girls had gone previously, we had to swim a good 50+ yards- but fighting off the in-and-out force of the tide, which was hitting me perpendicular to my direction, quickly drained me of energy, and before long I found myself turning back, gasping for air and trying to force through the pain of my cramping leg and arm muscles just to get back to shore. I never claimed to be in great shape- but I didn't think I was that out of it.
After some rest I resumed my photography tour up and down the beach instead, and that evening, was able to capture some beautiful shots of the setting sun from our lanai.

The following day, we got up earlier than usual to catch a waiting bus for a day trip on the road to Hana. Still exhausted from the day before, I was in a considerable amount of pain- particularly with my neck and back- which was causing me a good degree of lightheadedness/dizziness- and my tight throat muscles were causing an unpleasant gag reflex (my upset stomach wasn't helping matters much either). Feeling terrible, I sat at the very front of the bus, literally overlooking our tour guides' shoulder. In many ways this was the best seat in the bus as it gave me a drivers-eye-view of the crazy road on the North East corner of Maui. After an hour or so I started feeling better, and so, the tidal wave of photos commenced.
The road to Hana is certainly not for the faint of heart. I thought Highway 93 south, back home towards Radium was bad. That's a cakewalk compared to this 'highway'- which featured single-lane bridges and hairpin turns. But despite the crazy roadway, we were treated to some of the most beautiful sights nature has to offer- including 'rainbow trees' and harbors filled with lava rocks that force the incoming tide up and over them in way I have only ever seen in movies.
As the road continued towards- and through -Hana, we had a few close calls being run off the road by other vehicles- including other tour buses. Our bus even took some damage in a cliff-side faceoff on a single-lane stretch of road versus another bus. People gasped, children cried, sparks flew! Oh the humanity!!!
During our outing, we did come across a small church with an attached cemetery which is the final resting place of Charles Lindburgh- the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, solo. It was a serene experience, and I quickly found myself completely alone surrounded by this yard of old souls. And despite being bright, sunny, and warm, it began to gently rain with such a gentleness it can only be described as a 'heavy mist'. It felt like a cleansing blessing.
Heading back, we came across the '7 Sacred Pools'- which we're told by our Maui-native tour guide- is not 'sacred' at all. There is nothing in the history of the Hawaiian people that references these pools being 'sacred'- and it's more likely you'll end up being killed in those waters from a flash flood than you would being healed or otherwise find divine peace.
Because of an Earthquake last year, the road ahead was closed off, forcing us to turn back and return home along the same crazy, winding road we had taken to get to Hana in the first place. Unlike the trip out- there wasn't much commentary, and people generally just enjoyed the ride.
Upon arriving back in Kihei, our tour guide told us that he himself has been to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan- and to our pleasured shock, he even threw out a joke that I have only ever heard Ange say about the province- that he and his buddies "watched a dog run away from home for 4 days" (because it's so flat). What a great end to a great day.

There's still more to come. We've been staying very busy, yet still very relaxed. Photos are being taken in the hundreds every day. It's been difficult to keep up posting and uploading them to Flickr, but I'm still plugging away. But I'm being called out to the beach so I'll have to continue later....

As always, you can find a LOT more photos on Flickr.

Aloha!

We are into Day 2 of our time here in Maui. The flight from Calgary-Vancouver-Maui was very good- better than I think either of us ever expected. Unlike my brother and my (officially soon-to-be) sister (in-law), we had no problems with canceled or oversold flights. In fact, the plane to Maui itself wasn't even close to being sold-out! There were entire rows on the plane that were completely empty!

Comfort-wise, Ange really cashed in for us by picking (online, the day before) seats near the Emergency Exits near the middle of the plane. As a result, there was no seat in front of me- allowing me to stretch my legs and otherwise spread out. As it was, our row itself had more leg room than usual anyways. It certainly made the 6+ hour flight from Vancouver that much more comfortable.
I initially planned on getting a serious gaming session in to plow through Final Fantasy III on Nintendo DS- but I underestimated the difficulty of the game- and without a strategy guide, I quickly met my fate numerous times onto the frustrate me enough to turn it off not even half-way across the Pacific. I passed time with Contra 4 and Clubhouse Games- and a healthy dose of DJ Vision on my phone MP3 player (who needs a stinkin' iPod?).

Yesterday we did a little shopping at one of the malls (which is completely outdoors!) and then spent an hour or so exploring the rainforest-like state park, the Ioa Valley. The valley was truly breathtaking, and was also home to a group of wild cats and a few of their rooster friends. Naturally I used the hike as a photographic opportunity- and I usually ended up being the straggler of the family because of my persistence to get the 'right shot'- which of course set me up to be teased and the centre of everyone's entertainment during the hike. Oh well. :P

Heading home, we stopped to grab some groceries- but not before stopping in at a Hawaiian store which I can only describe as a 'tourist chain store'. We were greeted with seashell leys and a very enthusiastic girl giving us each a key to open a 'treasure chest'. Upon opening the chest (which almost everyone was able to open with their key) we 'won' a certificate for a certain percentage off at their jewelery area- specifically for fresh pearls. What was somewhat disturbing was that upon opening the chest, the girls rang a bell repeatedly and (very unenthusiastically) chimed in together... "Aloooooooha". Ange

and I, looking like deer in the headlights, were immediately escorted over to a bucket of fresh oysters where Ange was told to pick the 'ugliest' oyster for the pearl inside. The girl opened the oyster the dug out a silver pearl- making sure to tell us how extremely rare a silver pearl is (is it really??)- and even offered to let us eat the oyster! We politely declined. That's when the sales pitch started. The girl promptly began showing us settings for the pearl that we could buy- ranging from "$50-200"! We opted to pay for the pearl itself and take it without any settings, but ended up walking away more disturbed than anything. It wasn't all that bad in reality- but the word 'Aloha' is dead to us now.

We stopped in at the grocery store to pick up a collection of American munchies- including many things we either can't get in Canada, or just have a different taste here than they do at home- including Apple Jacks, Oreo cookies, and even Kit-Kat bars! I've also been sipping on Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi for the last day now. Oh what a treat!!

Last night we checked out the beach that is across the road from our apartment (and it is an apartment), and I think that's where Ange and I are heading today while the rest of the family goes golfing this afternoon.
After dinner, we setup my Dad with his own Flickr account (I'm sure he'll be on Facebook and maybe actually use his Vox account by the end of the trip) and both Kristin and I sat around uploading our photos all evening while Rob and Dad sat drinking and chatting about everything from prison history (Alcatraz) to politics and current events. What a great night!

So far the trip has been absolutely wonderful- and having free Wi-Fi Internet access is definitely a plus- even if it is a little flaky from time to time. As I write this I'm sitting outside on our 'Lenai' (sp?) looking westward towards the Pacific Ocean. It's not too hot, but not too cool either.
It's still hard to wrap my head around the idea that we're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the furthest I've ever been from home, and that we're here for 2 solid weeks!

It's been a blast thus far!

24 Hours from now we'll be landing in Maui. Our first real 'vacation' since our trip to Mexico almost 5 years ago. The last 'major trip' was last December when we went to Montreal for a weekend. To be honest- I'm a little nervous. This will be my first time ever off of the North American continent- and most certainly the furthest west I've ever been. This will be my first time flying over an ocean. I've been to the Pacific many times before- but have never flown over it. I expect my perspective of the sheer massiveness of our planet to radically change.

We don't travel much- partially because we are comfortable in our little corner of the world, partially because a trip typically costs a whole freakin' lot of money. We tend to stay near home- maybe a long weekend to Edmonton, or a more typical trip to the valley. Maui will be the furthest I've ever been from home. This will also be my first trip to the United States under the Bush administration- in fact, it's my first time on U.S. soil in almost 10 years. A lot of firsts come with this trip.

As with any trip (long or short distance), the days prior to departure have been hectic and filled with chaos and anxiety. Did we remember everything? Is there something we haven't dealt with here? I spent all afternoon and evening running around town doing last minute errands- and out of my list of 'things to do'... *checks list*... there are still 3 tasks that I don't think I'll end up getting around to doing. Nothing critical- but something I would have liked to have done before leaving for a while- like getting my webcam working so I can keep an eye on the place remotely (though we do have people coming in daily to look after Albie- which has been another source of anxiety: this is our longest time away from Albiecat).

*gasp* I'm taking technology on vacation!? I must be some kind of nutjob right?
It's not like I'm taking it to work- though I'm sure I'll put a few hours into some of my programming 'puzzles'- but I do intend on blogging and photoblogging throughout our tripas well- not to mention stay in touch via Facebook. Ange and I spend a lot of our time at home geeking out- whether it's online, or gaming, blogging, coding, whatever- our laptops have become more of a focalpoint in our daily lives than our television is. So expecting us to leave our gadgets at home is quite literally the equivalent of asking anyone else to disconnect their TV while away- and somehow I just don't see that happening all that much. I'm sure there are readers who can certainly identify with the 'online lifestyle' in that sense.

As I write this the temperature outside is being reported at a chilly -17'C (about 1'F)- and yesterday is snowed. Needless to say I'm quite happy to be leaving the forthcoming chill for some tropical warmth for a few weeks.
Ange and I have a slew of 'activities' planned- though much of our time will be lying on the beach or on the balcony. Id' like to get some hiking trips in- we have two snorkeling trips scheduled, a luau on New Years Eve- among others, so I expect to fully get my money's worth out of Flickr this trip.

I also have high expectations to attempt to complete Final Fantasy III on the 6+ hour flight to the island itself. *sigh*

Until tomorrow...