Aha....the infamous road to Hana, twisting and snaking through the stunning scenery of the northeast shore of Maui, was a memorable drive. The single lane bridges that appeared out of nowhere with barely a peek at the oncoming traffic and the reportedly 500 turns, required focused attention and agility on the part of the driver (that was Jim). Along with the front seat passenger whose invaluable assistance goes unappreciated (that was me and I am justifying my behaviour) over the six hours it took us to drive the 60 miles - that includes the hikes and stops. I got a few 'looks' from Jim when, periodically, I squealed, "Oh my God!" with a gasp of air as I sucked in dramatically and held it. But mostly both of us were on our best behaviour with Jack and Brenda in the car. Otherwise, it could have been messy...

Stopping at many of the sites along the way including Honomanu Bay and the Three Bears Falls, we marvelled at the valleys that drop down into the ocean and the cliffs overshadowing this windy road. Unfortunately, the numerous waterfalls weren't at their best with the dry winter Maui has had.

The Bamboo Forest hike to waterfalls and pools was magical as we felt like we were in a movie of 'Honey, I Shrank the Kids'. With giant bamboo trees surrounding us, we made our way to the first and the second waterfalls where Brenda and I floated about in the refreshing pool and sat under the falls.
Did you know bamboo is a grass not a tree and is one of the fastest growing plants in the world?

Our first outing in Hana was to the Pi'ilanihale Heiau (temple) and the Kahanu Garden as we relived the days of the Polynesians who were the early arrivals to Hawaii. Hana is in a rainforest and we were told it rains frequently there, however, we were surprised by the amount of rain - over an inch or 25 cm - that pummelled down on us from early afternoon until the following morning and then continued on and off.

We made a fast decision to cut our time short by one night, with no refund on the night paid. When I attempted to get a refund, the owner wrote:
<i>"Yes, Hana is in the rainforest, and the rains make it such a beautiful and unique experience, and sometimes it can seem like too much. You can leave early if you really want to, we don't offer discounts or refunds because it is raining."</i>

Well said and it was worth a try. With the sounds of the jungle, rain pouring down and Jack serenading us playing his new inexpensive ukulele, we settled into the beauty of the rainforest.

Dashing out in the rain the next day, resolving to enjoy our time here regardless, we drove further along the coast on the 'backside' of Hana. Little did we know that the rain we were experiencing hadn't happened just outside of town! Too late to change our plans for the following day, we made the most of our time. We hiked the Pipiwai trail on the backside of Heleakala in the National Park (the Kipahulu Area) to a 130 meter high waterfall with a trickle of water. It was a lovely walk and a beautiful. and mostly dry, Waimoku Falls.

The 'Ohe'o Gulch on the Kuloa Point Trail was our next walk, which apparently when there is water, are magnificent falls and pools. Brenda and I watched as Jim and Jack risked their lives, at least from our perspective, walking out to the edge of the gulch where it meets the sea. It's nice to have someone to commiserate over these things!

On our return to Hana, we stopped in at Hillary Harts' photo gallery as the Maui Artist Studio Tour was on. Hilary showed us her work then invited us into her house to see her views off the deck. She and her partner described their lives as he tends orchids, she does her photography and together they care for their outstandingly gorgeous land and help preserve some parts of it which are historically significant and cherished by the Hawaiians.

We packed up and hit the sack early to ensure we had the energy to finish off our exploration of Hana and area. Our last day there and with no check-out time since we'd already paid for the night, we hiked down to the hidden Kaihalulu (Red Sand) Beach. Although it was at times scary as we picked our way along the coastline cliff edge, the view of the ocean crashing with this red beach and tide pool tucked into the middle of nowhere was worth it.

Our last activity was to follow the coastline Pi'ilani Trail out of Wai'anapanapa State Park for an hour then trace our way back. The black, coarse lava rock with frothy white crashing waves against gorgeous blue-green ocean swells filled our senses with colour, wave sounds and salt smells. The afternoon drive to Haiku was uneventful, feeling much easier and faster than it did a few days ago.

Thoughts of returning home are popping into my head as we only have three days left in Maui. We get constant updates from home about the weather and between Ottawa's gripping cold and Nova Scotia's snow, rain, ice storms it has been one of the worst Februarys in a very long time. We must stay present for our last days, soaking up all the warmth and freedom we can muster in Maui to stock us up for the remaining winter!

NOTE: To see all of Jim's Maui images in higher quality, visit his Flickr page:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimneale/ sets/