From here I consider "Day 1" the first full day of my time spent on this magical island. I arrived on Wednesday at 4:00 PM local time, grabbed my rental car, and drove to my bamboo cottage. My first reaction to Hawaii was "Damn, it's humid here! I don't think I can get used to this." After an hour, I was won over, and now I don't think I can go back to the dry California air. Anyway, the drive along the way allowed me to really seep in the bounty of sensual pleasures all around me- the teal blue color of the ocean, the acres of sugar cane on the south side of the "highway," the unique Hawaiian architecture, the exotic looking birds and mammals scurrying about on the dirt roads, and the breathtaking flora that abounds the Haiku area where I am staying. The pinks and violets and bright reds of the flowers and plants are everything I thought the native habitat would be- and more. The property I am staying at is a real tropical Eden- passion fruits, guava, papaya, oranges, and star fruits growing in all directions and ripe for the picking, as they say. This place is a true paradise in the essence of the word. The host family is also a "sophisticated hippie" type of people- people of the earth. Beautiful!
Day 1
Thursday
The jet lag is allowing me to wake up very early, even before the sun rises here. I woke up, got in the car, and browsed the GPS for Hawaiian attractions. I decided to drive to Halekula volcano and the trip up the mountain was well worth it. I could see miles of the coast line and Maui cascades looking north from the 8,000 ft. summit. On the way back, I stopped at a local market and purchased some Hawaiian jams as gifts for friends and family. I kept one for myself, a mango jam, which I spread on some local made banana bread, and it is a tropical delicacy! On the way back I stopped at Mana Foods in Paia to pick up groceries for my stay here. You can't go wrong with a local store that stocks only organic produce and free range meats.
Day 2
Friday
This day has been the anchor of my trip so far. I woke up at 4:00 am local time to head to Halekula and catch the sunrise. I arrived just in time to witness one of the most moving experiences I have ever seen. I am so grateful for this.
After the sunrise I drove to a Lahaina beach to meet with an energy healer. She was everything I expected her to be, which is a good thing, and, all I can say is, upon seeing her, my energy was quite depleted, but after our session, I had energy to do everything I mention after this and did not feel one bit tired!
After my healing session I drove into Lahaina and let the spirits guide me. I came across a beach gear shop that sells Hawaiian ice. I bought a coconut/ mango/ lemon lime with cream topping and it was dee-lish! I bought a few gifts and a pair of surfing/ running shorts. I spoke with the guy at the counter for a while and mentioned I wanted to take surf lessons, so he recommended a place nearby called Goofy Foot.
My surfing lesson was well worth the $60. I was grouped with some very nice people from all across the world. The water was the temperature of tepid bath water and I felt right at home in it. I picked up the techniques almost instantly and, because of my abilities of balancing, was a natural surfer. I am very excited to get back home and start surfing on my new board!
After the surf lesson I decided to drive up the coast line around the north and west side. What a great idea to "take the long way home." I encountered beautiful undeveloped cliffs, fresh fruit and banana bread stands, and the Maui blowhole, something that I did not expect to be so cool. As the water shot up out of the ocean, it created a rainbow hologram in the mist. WOW! The road soon after that turned into a one lane very narrow and treacherous path only for the brave at heart (so obviously I proceeded). I came across a cute little native town with a very welcoming but very assertive Hawaiian salesmen who stopped in front of my car to sell dried fruit. I was in the mood for Mango so handed him $5 for a small bag. A few yards up the road I came across a bright green stand with a woman selling banana bread. It was the most delicious and moist I have ever had and I'm glad I bought two loaves! The remaining trip was meditative, healing, and peaceful. I came across a sculpture garden with large artwork spread across a landscaped area overlooking the Pacific. Walking up a less familiar type of path I encountered faces carved into driftwood, a one of a kind island adventure.
Day 3
Saturday
Today was my day of rest. I woke up and it was still dark out, so I laid back down and woke up again a few hours later. I hiked up to the treehouse lookout on the property that I am staying at and brought my book, "The 12th Planet," with me to welcome in the purifying high vibrational energy of the Haiku jungle. I watched a movie, read some more, and rested in the hammock. At night time I drove up to Haleakula again (my third journey so far) to star gaze. I made it all the way up to the summit and admired the pitch blackness of the sky. The stars were so illuminated and they appeared to spin in a vortex motion as I stared up at them. I caught a shooting star on my drive down the mountain.
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