Aloha! Mihir and I just returned from our much-anticipated vacation on Maui, Hawaii. What a wonderful place! Because I have so much to say, and so many photos to post, I'll probably post the details of this vacation in a few installments.
Days one and two: The trip didn't get off to a great start. Our flight from DFW to Maui boarded right on time...but took off five hours late. We were forced to sit on the runway for a very long time waiting for some stormy weather to leave the area. As a result, we didn't land on Maui until 8:30 PM Hawaiian time, which felt like 1:30 AM to our bodies. Needless to say, we were exhausted. We checked into our hotel (the stunning Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa) and were pleasantly surprised to find that we had been upgraded to an ocean view suite! But it was dark outside, so we couldn't see the views. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and went to bed. That was the first time in my life, I think, I actually fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. So much for Day 1!
The alarm clock went off all too early the next morning. One of the first excursions we planned upon booking this trip was a sunrise bicycle ride down Haleakala, one of Maui's two volcanoes. We booked this adventure through Maui Downhill and they arranged to pick us up at the hotel at 3:30 AM (it was a bit of a drive to the launching point of the tour). We were still quite fatigued, but knew this was a rare opportunity to see Maui's true beauty, so we dragged ourselves out of bed and got on the van. Just as we expected, it was a worthwhile endeavor. We drove to a scenic spot on the side of Haleakala and watched the sun rise over the Hawaiian coastline. It was cloudy and misty, so the sunrise wasn't the splendid display of colors we were hoping for, but it was still lovely. There is never an ugly sunrise in Hawaii. After that, our tour guides distributed bicycles and helmets and we cruised 22 miles downhill, taking in some stunning views along the way. Don't be too impressed with the fact that we rode our bikes 22 miles. It was all downhill, and required only about 100 feet of peddling. But it was fun! Here are some pictures:
When we got back to the hotel we were finally able to take in the view from our suite. It was, to be brief, very nice. We showered, went to breakfast, and then headed to the beach to relax and play in the ocean. I was surprised to find that saltwater stings the skin. Here are some pictures of our view. You can see the beach in the picture on the top:
Dinner that evening was a Hawaiian luau on the hotel lawn. The food was delicious! We indulged in pulled pork, mahi mahi, poi (a traditional Hawaiian dish made from taro leaves), fresh tropical fruits, and many other wonderful dishes. The meal was followed by an hour of Hawaiian entertainment. It was a truly wonderful event. We went back to our room happy and, still on Texas time, went to bed quite early. Below are pictures of the luau entertainment.
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