Hawaii Travelogue Part 1
Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
- that’s the name of the Hawaii's state fish that grunts like a pig! What a mouthful!
I had a lovely vacation in Maui this December. In Hawaiian folklore, Mau’i is the name of the half-mortal god who fished out the islands of Hawaii with a fish hook. He forgot to tie them all together so they spread out. The island of Maui is named after him. The Hawaii island chain is actually a volcanic seamount chain that formed as the Pacific tectonic plate moved over a magma hotspot. Islands no longer on the hotspot, reduced and stopped their volcanic activity and over time became coral reefs like Kauai in the north. Ancient Hawaiian legend says that Pele (Goddess of Fire), was chased by her sister Na-mako-o-Kaha'i (Goddess of the Sea), from Kaua'i in the north all the way to the Big Island in the south, where she now currently resides. Big Island has active volcanoes and a new underwater volcano Lo’ihi is forming further south of Big Island. Maui has a dormant volcano - Haleakala. Sunrise from its summit is supposed to be spectacular - but its also supposed to be freezing cold up there early morning (some 35 deg).
When you land in Hawai'i, the first thing you notice is its laid back, ‘take it easy,’ atmosphere. Given its warm weather, the airport itself has open air corridors. An immediate reminder that you are in Hawaii, and not just any tropical place, are the signs outside the airport restrooms. The figures on the sign for the men’s (kane) and women’s (wahine) restrooms both wear the Hawaiian lei (garland made with the plumeria flower). It sure brought a smile to the lips. It was warm after the California cold, bordering on 75-80 deg.
I got to visit Kauai and Big Island two years ago and this was my first visit to Maui. Everytime I visit Hawaii, I really don't want to come back. I would like to just live permanently by the beach.
Aloha and Mahalo Maui
.. kou moana ( your ocean)
.. kou kahakai (your beaches)
.. baby kohola jumping (whale)
... honu swimming (turtle)
.. the ua (rain) in Hana
.. and the waterfalls
Just nani !(beautiful)
I loved my visit
Mahalo Mau'i (thanks)
- Hari Srinivasan
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef 6/7
Hawaii Travelogue - Part 6
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
A ride on the glass bottomed boats, called reef dancer, provides a closer look at the coral reef environs off Maui’s coast. Maui’s coral reef is still relatively young so it does not have a barrier reef like Australia. The reef dancer essentially is a narrow boat with an underwater cabin. The cabin has glass windows so you are able to see what’s going on beneath the surface. As you travel from shore the views alternate between the sandy bottom and coral colonies. Coral is actually live - the polyp floats around looking for a place to anchor itself. It then grows in colonies which acts as a habitat for a range of other marine life. You could actually see numerous schools of fish swimming about along the way.
The boat stopped around ¼ mile offshore and divers went down to rustle up a few of the shyer inhabitants and displayed them through the windows. There is some irony to this. We go to see the marine life in their natural environment. I imagine the presence of the boat itself is somewhat disruptive to them. On top of that, divers fetch some of the animals out of their lairs to show the passengers. Having said that, it was interesting to see the creatures they displayed - for unless you scuba dived yourself, how were you going to see the shyer denizens of the ocean floor.
We got to see various shells - especially a giant tiger cowrie (leho-kiko). The one we saw was almost 4-5 inches long. They can grow to almost 6 inches. They usually hide in the crevices and cracks of coral and feed on plankton and sponges. No 2 cowries look alike - each have their own distinct markings. The mollusk inside spreads a glossy substances all over its shell to protect it, giving it the shiny look. In Hawaii, cowrie shells were/are used in lures to bait octopus. The divers also showed us some sea stars (pe’ape’a) and sea urchins (vana). Sea Stars look like a brown star shaped pillow. Sea Stars eat by ejecting their stomachs and digesting their prey. And if an arm breaks off, it simply grows into a new sea star. The variety of sea urchin the diver showed us, was the purple-black ‘collector sea urchin,’ (hawa ‘e). It is called that as it holds onto bits of seaweed and debris. It is painful to step on a sea-urchin and some varieties are poisonous too.
One of the divers brought out the day octopus (he’e mauli). It has some 1920 suction cups so can really hold onto its prey. It then inject a poisonous liquid onto its prey and kills it. The he’e immediately latched onto our glass window with all of its suction cups, so we got a good look at its underbelly. The diver was holding onto it all the while, so it was not a Happy He’e.! It then tried to confuse the diver by restoring to its it classic defense mechanism - squirting jet black ink. The octopus is actually one of the most intelligent creatures of its class. The ink is meant to confuse the predator, create a similar shaped decoy or cause temporary blindness - giving the octopus the chance to make a 'wiki wiki' (fast) getaway. So we got to see the clouds of black ink, which to the octopus’s enormous disappointment was not deterring our diver in the least. The guide infact called that diver an ‘octopus whisperer,” as she was trying to stroke the head of the octopus. When the diver finally let go, the octopus glided away - its swaying movement is like a graceful dance under the sea.
A few of the fish I saw were Yellow Tang (‘lau’ipala), Orange spine unicorn (lau lau), reef triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapua’a), Black Durgeon Triggerfish (humuhumu’ele’ele), parrotfish (uhu) and ornate butterflyfish (kikakapu). The butterfly fish are colorful and disk shaped; early Hawaiians thought they resembled leaves that turned yellow with age so named them after those trees. Some varieties of butterflyfish were considered taboo or kikakapu. The parrotfish is remarkable in its ability to sex-change. It starts off as a female and can change into a male if so required. The reef triggerfish makes grunt like noises when faced with predators possibly to scare them or to warn other fish. The humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua-a (reef triggerfish) is Hawaii’s state fish, and means the fish that grunts like a pig. It’s a mouthful to say but there is a species of butterflyfish with an even longer name in Hawaii - lauwiliwilinukunukuʻoiʻoi, which translates to long snouted fish shaped like a williwilli leaf. I was disappointed to not see the pufferfish anywhere. It’s defence mechanism is to swell up with water like a balloon.
In 9th grade, I had taken Oceanography as an elective and we had studied the habits of many marine creatures, so it was interesting to get to see them. This was a young coral reef and overall a decent trip. I hope I get the opportunity to see the coral life in the Great Barrier Reef one day.
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
A ride on the glass bottomed boats, called reef dancer, provides a closer look at the coral reef environs off Maui’s coast. Maui’s coral reef is still relatively young so it does not have a barrier reef like Australia. The reef dancer essentially is a narrow boat with an underwater cabin. The cabin has glass windows so you are able to see what’s going on beneath the surface. As you travel from shore the views alternate between the sandy bottom and coral colonies. Coral is actually live - the polyp floats around looking for a place to anchor itself. It then grows in colonies which acts as a habitat for a range of other marine life. You could actually see numerous schools of fish swimming about along the way.
The boat stopped around ¼ mile offshore and divers went down to rustle up a few of the shyer inhabitants and displayed them through the windows. There is some irony to this. We go to see the marine life in their natural environment. I imagine the presence of the boat itself is somewhat disruptive to them. On top of that, divers fetch some of the animals out of their lairs to show the passengers. Having said that, it was interesting to see the creatures they displayed - for unless you scuba dived yourself, how were you going to see the shyer denizens of the ocean floor.
We got to see various shells - especially a giant tiger cowrie (leho-kiko). The one we saw was almost 4-5 inches long. They can grow to almost 6 inches. They usually hide in the crevices and cracks of coral and feed on plankton and sponges. No 2 cowries look alike - each have their own distinct markings. The mollusk inside spreads a glossy substances all over its shell to protect it, giving it the shiny look. In Hawaii, cowrie shells were/are used in lures to bait octopus. The divers also showed us some sea stars (pe’ape’a) and sea urchins (vana). Sea Stars look like a brown star shaped pillow. Sea Stars eat by ejecting their stomachs and digesting their prey. And if an arm breaks off, it simply grows into a new sea star. The variety of sea urchin the diver showed us, was the purple-black ‘collector sea urchin,’ (hawa ‘e). It is called that as it holds onto bits of seaweed and debris. It is painful to step on a sea-urchin and some varieties are poisonous too.
One of the divers brought out the day octopus (he’e mauli). It has some 1920 suction cups so can really hold onto its prey. It then inject a poisonous liquid onto its prey and kills it. The he’e immediately latched onto our glass window with all of its suction cups, so we got a good look at its underbelly. The diver was holding onto it all the while, so it was not a Happy He’e.! It then tried to confuse the diver by restoring to its it classic defense mechanism - squirting jet black ink. The octopus is actually one of the most intelligent creatures of its class. The ink is meant to confuse the predator, create a similar shaped decoy or cause temporary blindness - giving the octopus the chance to make a 'wiki wiki' (fast) getaway. So we got to see the clouds of black ink, which to the octopus’s enormous disappointment was not deterring our diver in the least. The guide infact called that diver an ‘octopus whisperer,” as she was trying to stroke the head of the octopus. When the diver finally let go, the octopus glided away - its swaying movement is like a graceful dance under the sea.
A few of the fish I saw were Yellow Tang (‘lau’ipala), Orange spine unicorn (lau lau), reef triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapua’a), Black Durgeon Triggerfish (humuhumu’ele’ele), parrotfish (uhu) and ornate butterflyfish (kikakapu). The butterfly fish are colorful and disk shaped; early Hawaiians thought they resembled leaves that turned yellow with age so named them after those trees. Some varieties of butterflyfish were considered taboo or kikakapu. The parrotfish is remarkable in its ability to sex-change. It starts off as a female and can change into a male if so required. The reef triggerfish makes grunt like noises when faced with predators possibly to scare them or to warn other fish. The humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua-a (reef triggerfish) is Hawaii’s state fish, and means the fish that grunts like a pig. It’s a mouthful to say but there is a species of butterflyfish with an even longer name in Hawaii - lauwiliwilinukunukuʻoiʻoi, which translates to long snouted fish shaped like a williwilli leaf. I was disappointed to not see the pufferfish anywhere. It’s defence mechanism is to swell up with water like a balloon.
In 9th grade, I had taken Oceanography as an elective and we had studied the habits of many marine creatures, so it was interesting to get to see them. This was a young coral reef and overall a decent trip. I hope I get the opportunity to see the coral life in the Great Barrier Reef one day.
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
Maui's North Beaches and Watermen 4/7
Hawaii Travelogue Part 4 of 7
Maui's North Beaches and Watermen
Maui has some of the most breathtaking beaches. The beaches on the north shore and the Hana side are especially spectacular as the ocean is rougher there. A rough ocean means BIG waves followed by BIGGER waves. Huge waves means the Hawaiian Watermen are out and about. Those who passionately engage in water sports like surfing etc refer to themselves as Watermen.
On Ho’okapi Beach, we saw many of these Watermen plying their passion. There were sufers, wind sufers, boarders, kite surfers. A huge group of spectators watched the Watermen from shore and the lookout point on the cliff. Their play looked effortless but it must be a tough sport. You have to admire the qualities of resilience and patience that sports like surfing entails. They have to wait for the right wave, so a lot of patience is required. There are as many falls as rides on the waves, so a lot of resilience is needed to keep coming back for more. No matter how long the surfer rides a single wave by zigzagging just ahead of the curl of the wave, as some point it invariably waves all over him. Some of the waves carried the sufers almost to rocks on the shore. It almost looked like they would hit the rocks, but at the last minute he would manuever to get to the sandy part rather than the rocks. The wind surfers zipped here and there on their boards with the attached sails. They were incredibly fast.
Kanaha Beach and Baldwin Beach are 2 other beautiful beaches on the north shore. Pure white sands and nice big waves make for a great swim-shore experience. Baldwin Beach was this vast expanse of gorgeous sand and deep blue ocean that threw out deep blue waters with frothy tips. Many local kids, some maybe just 4-5 years old, were fearlessly tackling these waves on their boogie boards. The waves at Kanaha Beach would curl around your feet and even before it receded, another wave took its place. It was marvelous just standing there at the edge of the sea.
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
Maui's North Beaches and Watermen
Maui has some of the most breathtaking beaches. The beaches on the north shore and the Hana side are especially spectacular as the ocean is rougher there. A rough ocean means BIG waves followed by BIGGER waves. Huge waves means the Hawaiian Watermen are out and about. Those who passionately engage in water sports like surfing etc refer to themselves as Watermen.
On Ho’okapi Beach, we saw many of these Watermen plying their passion. There were sufers, wind sufers, boarders, kite surfers. A huge group of spectators watched the Watermen from shore and the lookout point on the cliff. Their play looked effortless but it must be a tough sport. You have to admire the qualities of resilience and patience that sports like surfing entails. They have to wait for the right wave, so a lot of patience is required. There are as many falls as rides on the waves, so a lot of resilience is needed to keep coming back for more. No matter how long the surfer rides a single wave by zigzagging just ahead of the curl of the wave, as some point it invariably waves all over him. Some of the waves carried the sufers almost to rocks on the shore. It almost looked like they would hit the rocks, but at the last minute he would manuever to get to the sandy part rather than the rocks. The wind surfers zipped here and there on their boards with the attached sails. They were incredibly fast.
Kanaha Beach and Baldwin Beach are 2 other beautiful beaches on the north shore. Pure white sands and nice big waves make for a great swim-shore experience. Baldwin Beach was this vast expanse of gorgeous sand and deep blue ocean that threw out deep blue waters with frothy tips. Many local kids, some maybe just 4-5 years old, were fearlessly tackling these waves on their boogie boards. The waves at Kanaha Beach would curl around your feet and even before it receded, another wave took its place. It was marvelous just standing there at the edge of the sea.
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
West Maui 3/7
Hawaii Travelogue - Part 3
West Maui
West Maui
Kahana Beach was right outside our hotel, the Outrigger Royal Kahana Resort. It was a long stretch of beautiful silver white sands that curved around the shore. The west coast is windy yet the waves are not too wild and the waters were warm. We could see the islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i in the distance. The first evening we walked upto the end of our beach only to see turtles (honu) swimming and frolikcking about near the rocks. We watched them as the sun set into the horizon. The west side is known for its calmer waters, turtles and snorkeling.
I stand in West Coast Maui
Strong winds caress the coconut tree
Sway, a salute to the vast sea
Lanai and Molokai out at sea
Honu (turtle) swim by the beach
Sands greet incoming waves
a crab peeps out to play
Nature in harmony
We had an ocean front view from our room, so enjoyed the breathtaking sunset each evening from our balcony along with pineapple - What’s a trip to Hawaii without eating pineapple? On the 2nd night we were there, we watched a sliver of a moon rise up in the sky right after sunset. The sea had turned a dark grey, almost black, in the absence of sunlight. The rising moon cast its silver light that spread out like a path on that dark sea upto the horizon. It was amazing.
Sea bathed in lunar light
A sliver of heavenly satellite
Moonlight meets the waves
Amazement in its wake
Shimmering path on the dark sea
Crossing the horizon into eternity.
Near our hotel was a farmers market store which was like a mini Whole Foods. It was all organic and to our surprise, completely vegetarian. They has some lovely dishes in their salad bar and their prepared foods section. We got some yummy coconut milk soup one time and some bean burritos there as well.
Kapalua Beach is the prettiest in West Maui. The water is relatively calm and we saw several people snorkeling. It is also apparantely popular for weddings. On both our visits there, there were at least 2 weddings going on, on either side of the beach. A native islander priest dressed in a colorful floral aloha shirt, a brown ‘lava lava’ (wrap skirt or lungi) and a grass skirt of ki leaves, conducted the ceremony. It contrasted with the formal western wedding wear worn by the bride and groom - the bride wore a white wedding dress and the groom a black suit or tux. We were not near enough to hear the ceremony for obvious privacy reasons but at the end of the ceremony the priest would blow a conch shell which startled me each time I heard it. There was a couple of unnamed beaches on the west side that we visited that were really nice too. Along the way we also saw a lone canoe making its way.
Lahaina which is just south of Ka’anapali is very ‘touristy’ with its many souvenir ships, restaurants, open air Hawaiian band and crafts fair. It is also a harbor of sorts where lots of expedition boats start out - right from ferries to Lanai to deep sea fishing to whale watching to coral reef sightseeing. There was lots of parking and it was very accessible. I enjoyed some exotic fruit smoothies and ice cream (with passion fruit, guava, pineapple) in the many shops there.
The South side also has some nice beaches but again calmer ones. I watched a sinking sun as I munched a burger in a restaurant on Kihei Beach.
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
I Survived the Road to Hana 2/7
Hawaii Travelogue - Part 2 of 7
I Survived the Road to Hana
.. A narrow road
.. Hairpin bends
.. 620 curves
I survived the Road to Hana!
Highway to heaven
Is through a lush rainforest
What’s a rainforest without rain?
Rain lashes and teases in turn
Revival written in emerald green
Why would I not…
… survive the Road to Hana
Majestic cliffs upto 6000 feet
Waves crash and roar beneath
Ambrosial ocean to eternity
Cool breeze stirs the soul
Why would I not
… survive the Road to Hana
.. 54 (single lane) bridges
.. traffic backed up at each
.. five hour drive
.. for 68 miles
I survived the Road to Hana!
Trickling streams
Through the evergreen
Cascading waterfalls
.. A dozen or more
.. Right by the road
Ocean and Forest, Sapphire and Emerald
Balm to the eye
Why would I not
.. survive the Road to Hana
Aloha Oi’
Hana No Ka Oi’ (Maui is the best)
Mau Loa (forever)
The Road to Hana is an amazing experience, complete with its 54 single lane bridges and 620 curves. Many visitors simply prefer to take tourist buses rather than drive but the real fun comes in driving the rather crazy winding narrow road and stopping where you felt like. (Caveat: Dad was the one driving and watching for those blind curves.) We left at 6am itself so that we would be there and back before it got dark. There are no gas stations after the town of Pa’ia too! The route is littered with hairpin bends and blind curves and many single lane bridges. Traffic backs up one end of these bridges to allow the other side to pass. The road was build in 1926 so it’s been around for a while. Before the 1990s the road was unpaved making for some pretty nasty potholes after the rains – hence the phrase “I survived the road to Hana.” The road is still unpaved with no barrier in some parts.
Hana lies in the mountainous eastern region of Maui and gets an incredible amount of rain (almost 400 inches), making that area a veritable lush green rainforest with its multitude of flora and fauna. Epiphytes like ferns, mosses and liverworts grow on the trunks of giant trees that form an enormous canopy. Bouts of heavy rain, and sprinkles of showers alternate along the ride, but what’s a rainforest without rain? Mosses are the sponge-like water storage reservoirs of the rainforest - there some 12000 species of mosses alone in the Hana rainforest. And what’s a forest if not for the tree – lots and lots of trees like Eucalyptus and Koa trees. The Hala tree with its aerial root system really stood out in its uniqueness. There were patches of ki plants – the leaves of the ki are used in making the leaf-skirts that Hawaiian dancers wear and also used to wrap food when cooking. The green growth contrasts with the bright blooming flowers like the Anturium, Bird of Paradise, Heliconia, Awapuhi and Hibiscus.
Getting an eyeful of the scenery, especially the many waterfalls along the way is what makes the journey so great. A waterfall seemed to pop up every few mile-markers - quite delightful in the way it merrily cascades over the hill and rock. The Waikuni falls (around mile marker 19) were like 3 parallel waterfalls all packed in one place. There was quite the parking jam as cars and buses alike scrambled to park on the already narrow road. The road divided one of the waterfalls just after mile marker 21, so from one side of the bridge you were viewing the top of the waterfall as it fell down. That was quite a sight. The waterfall just after Pua’a Ka’a Park (23) fell in two levels with a wide mossy pool between. At some places, water tricked down green vines that clung to the rock wall on the sides of the road– it looked like a shimmering green curtain as the sunrays refracted through the water drops. All these variations in the way falling water display itself to the human eye is quite astounding.
The views seem to get better the deeper you go. The views of the forest on one side was more than matched by the magnificence of the ocean on the other side. Emerald on one side and sapphire on the other – Wow! Green, vegetation covered cliffs swept down to patches of white sands and waves that frothed and danced about, like that seen at the Kaumahina Park lookout point (12). We drove down to get a closer look at the Ke’anae peninsula (which we had seen from above) What a color contrast there was at the coast– a blue ocean leading to white waves crashing on the black rocky coastline – all against the green of the vegetation covered shore. The rocks were pretty slippery though. Dad and I tried to climb down to of the rocky planes along the shore, it was a little slippery so we got off. Good thing, cuz a few seconds later a big wave crashed and just swept over that area – had we been on it, we could have gotten swept away. The Ke’anae Peninsula appeared to be a popular fishing site as there were a number of fishing poles securely anchored to the rocks just waiting for the poor unsuspecting fish to take the bait. Can’t help but feel sorry for the carefree fish that will end up on someone’s plate. There were a few fishermen around but most of the fishing poles were unmanned. There was supposed to be taro fields in that area but some local Hawaiians told us there they were no longer there (later on TV we found that there is some water issue going on for the small farmers). Fortunately I got to see taro fields during my trip to Kaua’i 2 years ago and got to even eat a taro burger. At Ka’anae we got to munch on some banana bread. They were freshly baked at a small local store near the peninsula and the warm banana bread was just ono ono (absolutely delicious).
Sometime after Pua’a Ka’a Park, the rainforest starts thinning out and we started to see more of the shrub type of plants and flowers. The road also get narrower!! There were a few unmanned few fruits stands along the way – totally based on honor system. The price was listed – for example 6 bananas were $1. You simply put the money in a box next to the stand and take the fruits. At one place Dad bought Passion Fruit (lillikoi in Hawaiian), which I tasted for the first time. This variety is yellow on the outside and has a hard gourd like shell. Inside is a yellow-orange like jelly with lots of black seeds. The jelly, which you scoop up with a spoon, is what you eat. It has a tart but tangy taste – a very pleasant and interesting taste, which I enjoyed enormously. Passion fruit is used extensively in drinks and desserts (like ice cream) which I got to enjoy too while I was in Hawaii.
The town of Hana is significant for Hawaiians as it is the birthplace of Queen Ka’ahumanu, who was largely responsible for converting Hawaiians to Christianity (around 1820s). Just last week, we had studied the annexation of Hawaii in our US History. By 1892, Hawaii had already become important for the settlers in terms of its potential for sugar cane and as a trading port for trade with China. Almost two-thirds of the land was owned by non-Hawaiians. The Hawaiian King was persuaded to let the US build a naval base on Oahu (Pearl Harbor) in 1887. When Queen Liluokalani tried to reassert Hawaiian sovereignty with a new constitution in 1893, the marines were brought in. The queen surrendered and the US officially annexed Hawaii in 1898.
The small town of Hana is very scenic on all sides, nestled amongst all that greenery. We had some delicious Thai soup in a roadside restuarant near the Hana School. Hana itself is a quiet and peaceful place and very laid-back. The entire Hana Hwy region, including Hana felt more ‘island-like,’ than the over-commercialized parts of west-Maui. Hana once was the sugar-capital of Maui and has its small one lane airport and port. My Raghavan Thatha (grandfather) had spent 4 days in Maui almost 30 years ago. He loved his visit there. It must have been even less developed then and even more beautiful. I got my “I survived the Road to Hana,” T-shirt at a local gift shop.
Beyond Hana on the Hana Hwy is Hamoa with its Koki and Hamoa Beach. Homoa Beach is said to be the most picturesque beach on Maui and it did not fail to live upto that name. The waves were so high that you could not see the line of horizon when standing on the beach. It was just one magnificent wave after wave on the shore. There were barely a handful of people so it was like being on your very private beach. Sea cliffs (pali) surrounded the bay like beach and you could see the small island of Ala'u. All these islands are delightful with their coconut tree topping. Vaguely in the far distance is supposed to be the Big Island of Hawaii (which we visited 2 years back). The edges of the beach were lined with Plumeria flowers and there were dozens of the fallen Plumeria.
Time was getting on, and we needed to get back before dark. The forest turned a darker green in the fading light. Hana was pure delight overall.
- Hari Srinivasan
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
I Survived the Road to Hana
.. A narrow road
.. Hairpin bends
.. 620 curves
I survived the Road to Hana!
Highway to heaven
Is through a lush rainforest
What’s a rainforest without rain?
Rain lashes and teases in turn
Revival written in emerald green
Why would I not…
… survive the Road to Hana
Majestic cliffs upto 6000 feet
Waves crash and roar beneath
Ambrosial ocean to eternity
Cool breeze stirs the soul
Why would I not
… survive the Road to Hana
.. 54 (single lane) bridges
.. traffic backed up at each
.. five hour drive
.. for 68 miles
I survived the Road to Hana!
Trickling streams
Through the evergreen
Cascading waterfalls
.. A dozen or more
.. Right by the road
Ocean and Forest, Sapphire and Emerald
Balm to the eye
Why would I not
.. survive the Road to Hana
Aloha Oi’
Hana No Ka Oi’ (Maui is the best)
Mau Loa (forever)
The Road to Hana is an amazing experience, complete with its 54 single lane bridges and 620 curves. Many visitors simply prefer to take tourist buses rather than drive but the real fun comes in driving the rather crazy winding narrow road and stopping where you felt like. (Caveat: Dad was the one driving and watching for those blind curves.) We left at 6am itself so that we would be there and back before it got dark. There are no gas stations after the town of Pa’ia too! The route is littered with hairpin bends and blind curves and many single lane bridges. Traffic backs up one end of these bridges to allow the other side to pass. The road was build in 1926 so it’s been around for a while. Before the 1990s the road was unpaved making for some pretty nasty potholes after the rains – hence the phrase “I survived the road to Hana.” The road is still unpaved with no barrier in some parts.
Hana lies in the mountainous eastern region of Maui and gets an incredible amount of rain (almost 400 inches), making that area a veritable lush green rainforest with its multitude of flora and fauna. Epiphytes like ferns, mosses and liverworts grow on the trunks of giant trees that form an enormous canopy. Bouts of heavy rain, and sprinkles of showers alternate along the ride, but what’s a rainforest without rain? Mosses are the sponge-like water storage reservoirs of the rainforest - there some 12000 species of mosses alone in the Hana rainforest. And what’s a forest if not for the tree – lots and lots of trees like Eucalyptus and Koa trees. The Hala tree with its aerial root system really stood out in its uniqueness. There were patches of ki plants – the leaves of the ki are used in making the leaf-skirts that Hawaiian dancers wear and also used to wrap food when cooking. The green growth contrasts with the bright blooming flowers like the Anturium, Bird of Paradise, Heliconia, Awapuhi and Hibiscus.
Getting an eyeful of the scenery, especially the many waterfalls along the way is what makes the journey so great. A waterfall seemed to pop up every few mile-markers - quite delightful in the way it merrily cascades over the hill and rock. The Waikuni falls (around mile marker 19) were like 3 parallel waterfalls all packed in one place. There was quite the parking jam as cars and buses alike scrambled to park on the already narrow road. The road divided one of the waterfalls just after mile marker 21, so from one side of the bridge you were viewing the top of the waterfall as it fell down. That was quite a sight. The waterfall just after Pua’a Ka’a Park (23) fell in two levels with a wide mossy pool between. At some places, water tricked down green vines that clung to the rock wall on the sides of the road– it looked like a shimmering green curtain as the sunrays refracted through the water drops. All these variations in the way falling water display itself to the human eye is quite astounding.
The views seem to get better the deeper you go. The views of the forest on one side was more than matched by the magnificence of the ocean on the other side. Emerald on one side and sapphire on the other – Wow! Green, vegetation covered cliffs swept down to patches of white sands and waves that frothed and danced about, like that seen at the Kaumahina Park lookout point (12). We drove down to get a closer look at the Ke’anae peninsula (which we had seen from above) What a color contrast there was at the coast– a blue ocean leading to white waves crashing on the black rocky coastline – all against the green of the vegetation covered shore. The rocks were pretty slippery though. Dad and I tried to climb down to of the rocky planes along the shore, it was a little slippery so we got off. Good thing, cuz a few seconds later a big wave crashed and just swept over that area – had we been on it, we could have gotten swept away. The Ke’anae Peninsula appeared to be a popular fishing site as there were a number of fishing poles securely anchored to the rocks just waiting for the poor unsuspecting fish to take the bait. Can’t help but feel sorry for the carefree fish that will end up on someone’s plate. There were a few fishermen around but most of the fishing poles were unmanned. There was supposed to be taro fields in that area but some local Hawaiians told us there they were no longer there (later on TV we found that there is some water issue going on for the small farmers). Fortunately I got to see taro fields during my trip to Kaua’i 2 years ago and got to even eat a taro burger. At Ka’anae we got to munch on some banana bread. They were freshly baked at a small local store near the peninsula and the warm banana bread was just ono ono (absolutely delicious).
Sometime after Pua’a Ka’a Park, the rainforest starts thinning out and we started to see more of the shrub type of plants and flowers. The road also get narrower!! There were a few unmanned few fruits stands along the way – totally based on honor system. The price was listed – for example 6 bananas were $1. You simply put the money in a box next to the stand and take the fruits. At one place Dad bought Passion Fruit (lillikoi in Hawaiian), which I tasted for the first time. This variety is yellow on the outside and has a hard gourd like shell. Inside is a yellow-orange like jelly with lots of black seeds. The jelly, which you scoop up with a spoon, is what you eat. It has a tart but tangy taste – a very pleasant and interesting taste, which I enjoyed enormously. Passion fruit is used extensively in drinks and desserts (like ice cream) which I got to enjoy too while I was in Hawaii.
The town of Hana is significant for Hawaiians as it is the birthplace of Queen Ka’ahumanu, who was largely responsible for converting Hawaiians to Christianity (around 1820s). Just last week, we had studied the annexation of Hawaii in our US History. By 1892, Hawaii had already become important for the settlers in terms of its potential for sugar cane and as a trading port for trade with China. Almost two-thirds of the land was owned by non-Hawaiians. The Hawaiian King was persuaded to let the US build a naval base on Oahu (Pearl Harbor) in 1887. When Queen Liluokalani tried to reassert Hawaiian sovereignty with a new constitution in 1893, the marines were brought in. The queen surrendered and the US officially annexed Hawaii in 1898.
The small town of Hana is very scenic on all sides, nestled amongst all that greenery. We had some delicious Thai soup in a roadside restuarant near the Hana School. Hana itself is a quiet and peaceful place and very laid-back. The entire Hana Hwy region, including Hana felt more ‘island-like,’ than the over-commercialized parts of west-Maui. Hana once was the sugar-capital of Maui and has its small one lane airport and port. My Raghavan Thatha (grandfather) had spent 4 days in Maui almost 30 years ago. He loved his visit there. It must have been even less developed then and even more beautiful. I got my “I survived the Road to Hana,” T-shirt at a local gift shop.
Beyond Hana on the Hana Hwy is Hamoa with its Koki and Hamoa Beach. Homoa Beach is said to be the most picturesque beach on Maui and it did not fail to live upto that name. The waves were so high that you could not see the line of horizon when standing on the beach. It was just one magnificent wave after wave on the shore. There were barely a handful of people so it was like being on your very private beach. Sea cliffs (pali) surrounded the bay like beach and you could see the small island of Ala'u. All these islands are delightful with their coconut tree topping. Vaguely in the far distance is supposed to be the Big Island of Hawaii (which we visited 2 years back). The edges of the beach were lined with Plumeria flowers and there were dozens of the fallen Plumeria.
Time was getting on, and we needed to get back before dark. The forest turned a darker green in the fading light. Hana was pure delight overall.
- Hari Srinivasan
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
Living Aloha 7/7
Hawaii Travelogue Part 7 of 7
Living Aloha
Aloha is this all-encompassing word in Hawaii - it can be used for a simple hello type of greeting to symbolizing a way of life itself. In the evenings, we watched various programs on TV where the discussion was focussed on 'Living Aloha.' - which is kind of like a cultural identity. Progress means rapid westernization and commercialization, and this leaves many kamaaina (long time residents or locals) feeling like they have lost their Hawaiian/ Polynesian identity. Now there is an effort to revive this identity. (This is actually a common trend across the US, for are we all not hyphenated americans.) Realizing that the movement requires the active participation of the younger generation, there was a show with 2 teen girls taking the issue head on. They outlined a 3 step plan with Hawaiian titles which was both interesting and based on common sense.
Shaka or the hang-loose hand gesture, originally popularized by the surfers, seems to appear on a great many T-shirts in addition to almost every guide mentioning it. (This hand gesture is where you stick your pinky and thumb out, while closing the remaining 3 fingers.) Perhaps it is reflective of the laid-back island attitude. On TV we also saw some local dances - Hawaii has more than just the basic Hula dance, which the mainland knows of. It was interesting to watch. I also saw how they make the tapa cloth. Leaves of the pandanus tree are dried and beaten with a wooden club and these are then dyed and painted. We have tapa cloth at home from Tonga where Mom lived as a child. Each polynesian island has it own set of designs that they paint on.
The other overriding issue that Hawaiians are grappling with is the impact of commercialization of their island environment. Even a malihini (newcomer) like myself, notices its effects. West Maui is the most developed part of Maui which is an irony in itself. It is littered with resorts who have sectioned off beaches along the shoreline. All beaches in Maui are technically public beaches and open to the public. But the way the resorts have been built with their elaborate roads and limiting parking only for residents, makes these beaches almost private beaches in practice. Napili and Ka’ahaina were 2 of the beaches where you go crazy trying to figure out the parking situation. Somehow the charm of an island is lost if you are surrounded by tall resorts, artificially lit palm trees and rows of expensive neon-lit shops. You may as well be in Las Vegas. Not to mention the number of golf courses that are needed for one small island. If a tourist who is there for just a couple of days can feel frustrated, it is no wonder that many native Polynesians are even more frustrated as seen in many of their local TV programs. There were many complaints from them about the run-off from golf courses that are negatively impacting the coastline ecosystem. Native plants and creatures important to them are dying out. Various groups were petitioning to stop developers from leveling the shoreline areas and building resorts and golf course in various places on different islands.
The eastern parts like Hana seem more untouched - for now. Rain from the Hana area is channelized via an irrigation system known as EMI in Maui. This is the water for the rest of Maui and for farming. But from the TV programs it appeared that it was the pineapple farms (run by large corporations) who were getting most, if not all of this EMI water. This meant that the small farmers was losing out and thus the decline of taro farms and other small farms. It’s unfortunate to hear of this situation in a place that appears to have such a great water source. Hawaii is actually in the dry zone in terms of latitude but gets rain due to the trade winds and the tall mountains. So the windward side of the mountains gets a considerable amount of rain. Incidentally all the pineapple fields are cordoned off - you have to pay to get a peek at them! What was visible freely in numerous places were the wind-swept sugarcane fields.
Man vs Nature - the eternal dilemma !
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
Living Aloha
Aloha is this all-encompassing word in Hawaii - it can be used for a simple hello type of greeting to symbolizing a way of life itself. In the evenings, we watched various programs on TV where the discussion was focussed on 'Living Aloha.' - which is kind of like a cultural identity. Progress means rapid westernization and commercialization, and this leaves many kamaaina (long time residents or locals) feeling like they have lost their Hawaiian/ Polynesian identity. Now there is an effort to revive this identity. (This is actually a common trend across the US, for are we all not hyphenated americans.) Realizing that the movement requires the active participation of the younger generation, there was a show with 2 teen girls taking the issue head on. They outlined a 3 step plan with Hawaiian titles which was both interesting and based on common sense.
Shaka or the hang-loose hand gesture, originally popularized by the surfers, seems to appear on a great many T-shirts in addition to almost every guide mentioning it. (This hand gesture is where you stick your pinky and thumb out, while closing the remaining 3 fingers.) Perhaps it is reflective of the laid-back island attitude. On TV we also saw some local dances - Hawaii has more than just the basic Hula dance, which the mainland knows of. It was interesting to watch. I also saw how they make the tapa cloth. Leaves of the pandanus tree are dried and beaten with a wooden club and these are then dyed and painted. We have tapa cloth at home from Tonga where Mom lived as a child. Each polynesian island has it own set of designs that they paint on.
The other overriding issue that Hawaiians are grappling with is the impact of commercialization of their island environment. Even a malihini (newcomer) like myself, notices its effects. West Maui is the most developed part of Maui which is an irony in itself. It is littered with resorts who have sectioned off beaches along the shoreline. All beaches in Maui are technically public beaches and open to the public. But the way the resorts have been built with their elaborate roads and limiting parking only for residents, makes these beaches almost private beaches in practice. Napili and Ka’ahaina were 2 of the beaches where you go crazy trying to figure out the parking situation. Somehow the charm of an island is lost if you are surrounded by tall resorts, artificially lit palm trees and rows of expensive neon-lit shops. You may as well be in Las Vegas. Not to mention the number of golf courses that are needed for one small island. If a tourist who is there for just a couple of days can feel frustrated, it is no wonder that many native Polynesians are even more frustrated as seen in many of their local TV programs. There were many complaints from them about the run-off from golf courses that are negatively impacting the coastline ecosystem. Native plants and creatures important to them are dying out. Various groups were petitioning to stop developers from leveling the shoreline areas and building resorts and golf course in various places on different islands.
The eastern parts like Hana seem more untouched - for now. Rain from the Hana area is channelized via an irrigation system known as EMI in Maui. This is the water for the rest of Maui and for farming. But from the TV programs it appeared that it was the pineapple farms (run by large corporations) who were getting most, if not all of this EMI water. This meant that the small farmers was losing out and thus the decline of taro farms and other small farms. It’s unfortunate to hear of this situation in a place that appears to have such a great water source. Hawaii is actually in the dry zone in terms of latitude but gets rain due to the trade winds and the tall mountains. So the windward side of the mountains gets a considerable amount of rain. Incidentally all the pineapple fields are cordoned off - you have to pay to get a peek at them! What was visible freely in numerous places were the wind-swept sugarcane fields.
Man vs Nature - the eternal dilemma !
Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha
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