Hawai’i : Maui...

So here Stuart and I are in Hawai’i for a couple of weeks - on the island of Maui to be exact.  Hawai’i is made up of lots of islands; Maui being the second largest of them, and it’s the first of four we are visiting on this trip. Island-hopping if you like. 

So far Hawai’i has shown us lots of things that we expected to see and hear; hula hula music, hula hula skirts, people wearing lei, Mai Tai by the bucket, high surf, golden sands, and beautiful scenery. 

But we have also experienced a lot of things we didn’t expect: dozen of whales jumping and splashing outside our bedroom window, magnificent waterfalls, near death-defying winding roads, tropical jungles, 10,000 foot high volcanoes (some trek up!), Mars-like lava landscapes, four seasons in one day, great sunsets, even greater sunrises, and clear skies at night with millions of twinkling stars. But most of all I think what surprised us was the cheeriness, the happiness of the people. Everybody here seems to be genuinely happy, so welcoming, and I don’t think it’s an act. I can see why so many people come here for honeymoons, for holidays, or just to relax.