My very own Hawaiian Experience Part 1

On many occasions I have Googled "nature, beaches, world wonders" and so on just to relax and take my mind to beautiful places.  It was of no surprise that many of the "images" that Google came up with were scenes of Hawaii. I stared in awe but always wondered if the pictures had been altered in some way; did they use filters to make the water so blue, to make the flowers look so colorful and exotic and the mountains so lush and green?" Well.... the day came when I could witness for myself the truth about the "Google images" LOL 

I arrived in Maui on a Friday afternoon in the month of August. As I walked out of the airport the freshness of the air was invigorating.  Immediately I knew I was in a special place; I wanted to dance the hula right then and there. LOL The ride from the airport to the hotel was unexpected, for some reason I didn't expect to see so many chain restaurants: McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and on and on .... NOOOO!! WHERE ARE THE PINEAPPLES?? 

Soon enough the busy road turned into walls of lush, green shrubs, some were filled with yellow flowers, others had red, white and even orange.   I could not keep my eyes off my surroundings. It had been one year since I'd lost my prescription glasses, well I made sure I got a new pair three days before I left for my trip; I was not about to miss a thing! :)

A few minutes into our ride I looked ahead and saw a deep blue lining surrounding the area where we were headed. "Could it be? was that the same Ocean I saw on Google? It sure appeared to be the same color!" We drove passed Resort after Resort one more luxurious than the next, all planted along the ocean's front. Suddenly the driver made a smooth right turn into a driveway that appeared to be headed into a palace worthy of Oprah! The Fairmont Kea Lani 5-Star resort.  The driver opened the door and extending his hand to help me out said "you have arrived at your destination" WHAT?!?! are you sure sir?? LOL JK 

I have to admit that not only was this resort luxurious, elegant and exquisite but the staff was just as amazing: courteous, professional, kind and helpful.  After returning from dinner that night, when we entered the suite, the drapes had been drawn, the room had been tidied up, the bed slightly undone/ready to sleep, night lights were on and Hawaiian music was playing in the background. That's it... by now I was sure I'd just entered the set of a romantic movie, WHERE ARE THE CAMERAS??"  haha Every day for seven days our room was serviced twice a day.  I didn't know what to do with myself!! 

My very own Hawaiian Experience Part 2

My first evening in Maui I practically ran to the beach to verify the color of the water. Indeed it was just as beautiful as Google's image but even more so because I was there to see it, touch it and experience it for myself.  The waves crashing against the rocks made for a beautiful backdrop for what I was feeling.  I was at peace, in love, with a heart filled with joy and with immense gratitude to God for this grandiose opportunity. From that moment on a smile was painted on my face and remained there for the entire seven days.... 

In the morning when I opened my eyes, I could hardly believe I was really in Maui. I put on the long white robe that was laid out for me the night before, grabbed my cup of coffee and headed towards my balcony.  Oh yessss there was no denying that I was in Hawaii. The weather was perfect, a fresh morning breeze accompanied by a warm ray of sunshine greeted me aloha.  
I spent the day sightseeing around Maui's downtown and surrounding areas.  It was extraordinary to have an incredible view of the ocean from practically anywhere in the town. 



That evening I had my first LUAU experience.  I didn't know what to expect, I'd vaguely seen a clip or two on TV about a " luau" but not enough to be prepared for all that took place.  As I arrived I was greeted by a native, he welcomed me by placing a flower lei around my neck.  A group of natives played Hawaiian music throughout the event.  The unique sound of the ukulele, nose flute, and slack-key guitar filled the air with a festive vibe.  

Having the inquisitive mind that I have, I made my way to where a small crowd was gathered.  Why, oh why ... did I do that?!!!  That's where they had buried the pig I was going to eat that night!!! Oh but once I was there, as hard as I tried to leave, I just had to see it. LOL 

The most spectacular award winning Luau exhibition took my breath way. The stage was set-up on the sea shore.  Behind the stage I could see the ocean as the beautiful sunset disappeared inside it, simply mesmerizing.  The music was playing, lighted tikis surrounded the stage as the dancers expressed their culture through beautiful displays of movement.  There was also an extraordinary fire performance .... water, fire and wind. Perfection

 

It wasn't all happy thoughts though... the woman in the yellow costume made me green with envy.  She had a beautiful body, gorgeous face and perfect hair. UGH some people have everything !!! hahaha JK she was lovely.  

My very own Hawaiian Experience Part 3

I do this every time I'm going to travel; I don't even tell my husband I do it. I look up the five "must do things" everywhere we travel. I don't always get to see or do all of them, but in this trip I did.  woo hoo! 
                                                     Next on that list was a Sunrise tour!! 

I was picked up at the resort at 2:30 am at which time I TRULY second guessed myself to whether or not this would be worth leaving my warm cozy bed for. It took about one hour to drive up the volcano. When we reached the top and stepped out of the tour bus I was brutally assaulted by the coldest air and aggressive wind known to mankind. I'm not kidding, the weather ranges from 20 to 40 degrees. But I'd be willing to bet the morning I went, it was 20 below zero. hahaha
The lunar landscape of Haleakala Crater is the world’s largest

Google Images

dormant volcano. It rises over 10,000 feet from sea level. You literally find yourself completely surrounded by clouds. When the sun begins to exhibit its glare, a native begins to sing. That was an experience in itself.

But nothing could have prepared me for the splendor of the

rising of the sun above the clouds. I felt as if I was flying high, for one minute everything seemed insignificant compared to the magnificence of this occurrence. The sky became slowly illuminated with a soft gentle glow above the clouds. A few rays of sunshine sneaked passed the clouds, then a few more until half of the sun was visible. At that point my eyes were tearing up. Only an all mighty God could create something so magical. Within moments the sun rose showing off its complete resplendence. It was as if it was saying "you are alive! enjoy life to the fullest" oh yeah and ALOHA! l

My very own Hawaiian Experience Part 4

The Road to Hana is one of the most recommended tours in Hawaii.  I didn't understand why until I toured it.  This is about a 12 hour tour, so a good tour guide is a must. Thankfully ours was great! He is a native Hawaiian who is knowledgeable, proud and jealous about his Island.  This was a great adventure, I'd say it was a Dora the Explorer and Diego combo. haha

Strawberry Guava

We saw exotic flowers, fragrant plants, and unique trees. We even tasted a fruit called strawberry guava it was delicious. One of the most impressive things we saw was the Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree.  The many colors on the trunk of the tree  looked painted on. 

The road was narrow, curvy and a little scary, to the right side you had mountains and to the left ocean.   We made frequent stops on scenic areas, waterfalls and cafes. 

One of my favorite stops was the black sand beach. The sand color was caused by lava rocks.  A few minutes later a red sand beach, its red color caused by Iron. We also hiked to see caves and an amazing swimming hole with freezing water!  

Red Sand Beach(google image)

Black Sand Beach

Road to Hana (google image)

Cave swimming hole

 A true wonder that we experience during this tour was to palpably witness the land go from exquisite green forest and waterfalls to complete dry land, desert like.

   

In the middle of the day we were given lunch by the beach shore.  I don't even remember what it tasted like! and if you know me, that is a miracle because I am a self-proclaimed foodie. But in this case I was entirely intoxicated by my surroundings, the sights and the sounds. Beautiful waves crashing against rocks, gentle breeze dancing around the palm trees. WHO NEEDS FOOD??? LOL

Honestly, I feel guilty trying to write about Hawaii's beauty, because no matter what I say, I will never be able to come close to the magnificence of the actual experience.

My very own Hawaiian Experience Part 5

I'm suffering from terrible jet-lag; Hawaii is 6 hours behind so when I wake up at 6:00 am my body is telling me its midnight.  I should just go live there.... LOL

After seeing tons of Hawaiian sunset images I couldn't wait to see one for myself.  We booked an amazing tour on a sailing catamaran.  I gathered from the description on their site that this would be a semi-formal event.  Being such the "girl" that I am, I wore a sexy black dress, strappy gold sandals, curled my hair and glued my eyelashes! what was I thinking?? LOL

There I was walking the plank, strutting my stuff when the captain says "Attention everyone, there

is a storage cube on the deck where everyone will need to leave their shoes." What?? so why don't you just call it "The Barefoot Cruise??"  I couldn't argue with the captain... he is a man, what does he know about the law of "dress and shoes" they stay together sir!!   LOL As you can imagine by the time the tour was over not only was I a barefoot peasant but my hair was a bird's nest from the breeze and my eye lashes were holding on for dear life! In the end it was all worth it... The view, the food and the ambiance were so perfect that I would've had an amazing time even if I was wearing a sack cloth... hmmmm maybe if it had some sequence. hahaha


Off we went into the sunset... the ocean was serene and steadily cradling us with a calmness that oozed romance.  The captain anchored behind a mountain which gave us the illusion that the sunset that evening was especially ordered just for us.  Everyone made their way up to the top deck to witness a Maui sunset; no one was disappointed.  Since I wasn't able to get a good picture, I will use the one the tour uses on their web-site, it is the closest I could get to describing what I saw.  
The dinner was an exquisite spread of everything from sushi, mahi mahi, jumbo shrimp, ribs with guava BBQ sauce, and many sides with a Hawaiian flair.  For dessert I tried chocolate tiramisu for the very first time. WHY oh WHY did I commit such an atrocity?? Now I dream about the crazy thing!! hahaha 

My very own Hawaiian Experience Part 6

It has been one week since I returned from my vacation in Maui ... and I'm still smiling.  If you are a lover of nature you must put Hawaii on your bucket list.  The beaches are like none I have ever seen. The combination of the rocks among crystal clear water and the closeness of all its surrounding Islands makes Hawaii stand out from all of the places I have visited.   Some mornings when I'd see the sun rays peaking through my sliding door I would step out to the balcony, listen to the roaring sounds of the waves and feel the gentle breeze making its way from the ocean. Sacred moment, meditation, reflection, but most importantly intimacy with my creator.

As if its beauty wasn't impressive enough Hawaii also has a sweet fragrance in the air. The many beautiful flowers growing wild around the Island cause an subtle but attention getting scent to linger throughout.   One of the most fragrant flowers, which you might see in leis, is the tuberose. At first I thought it was just me, maybe I was so in the moment that I was imagining an aroma to go along with the sights that made me feel in paradise. But no, there truly is a lovely smell in the air, you may notice it as soon as you arrive at the airport.  

MadBetty Image

I will now attempt to share the Black Rock Beach experience with you without ruining it LOL.  For this we rented a car and went on our own because we wanted to spend the day at this much recommended snorkeling beach.  It is called the Black Rock Beach because there is a huge rock from which people jump into the water.  I couldn't wait to put on my snorkel gear, so off I went. Literally I could see the bottom of the ocean with absolutely no effort.  As soon as I looked underwater I could not believe my eyes, it was as if I was standing in my tub, completely clear.  It was overwhelming at first, it scared me! There were schools of fishes swimming along side me: yellow, red, orange, all colors! OMG was I the Little Mermaid?? How come they are not afraid of me?? duh maybe because they see hundreds of tourist a day....Its just another day of showing off for them. Lol

Google Image

 As much as I was amazed by all of the coral and the fishes there was one thing that I wanted to see more than anything. I swam further into the ocean but there was no sign of them.  Then suddenly, there it was... swimming among side me and then making its way to the bottom of the ocean to tease me, TWO SEA TURTLES !!!! It was MAGICAL!! I took a few pictures with my phone but they didn't do justice to what was before my eyes. I found this google image that gives you an exact idea of what was before me. These turtles are HUGE! but so sweet, I was truly in awe of them.
After that we saw a few more and then my husband decided to take the climb of death to the Black Rock, to jump down. I was so afraid for him but when he did it three times, I was just jealous. haha I was too much of a chicken to jump myself.  :/ However there was something I did by myself that I feel very proud of.  I went deep sea canoeing. Yaaaay me! lol

This concludes My Very Own Hawaiian Experience. I hope you have enjoyed it and that it births within you a desire to go out and try something new and to live life to the fullest.

Love you ! ALOHA

Slide show ;) 

http://flipagram.com/f/HndVIo5pOZ