Hawaii…..where do I start? It’s the most beautiful place I have ever been to! The Caribbean pales in comparison to these magnificent islands. The exotic flowers, the swaying palm trees, the warm hospitality of the locals, the majestic and mystical volcanoes, lush rainforests, stunning landscapes, breathtaking beaches, the easy going culture and the Aloha Spirit make this a place I will never forget. Let me put it this way, if you don’t believe in God, you just might after seeing the beauty of these islands.
It took us 5 days to sail here and we were literally in the middle of nowhere for most of it. 2 days into our voyage we lost all satellite signal and had virtually no communication with land. It was so bad that we couldn’t contact coast guard when we had a medical emergency. On the last sea day we were finally able to contact Coast Guard and arrange for a medicine drop and then later for a medical evacuation. We had to be careful with our fresh water use and our water was freezing cold for the entire time we were in Hawaii. Oh and then we had a GI outbreak and the ship had to be sanitized from top to bottom (if we reach 2% for illness, we won’t be let into any port and will have to stay at sea till it clears). Most of us were sea sick, I just consumed ginger ale and bread rolls for 5 days. I usually don’t get seasick but the Pacific Ocean isn’t forgiving when you are so far out. Anyways, it was all worth it and I’d spend another month at sea if I could return to Hawaii.
So, Hawaii has 7 major islands. The biggest is the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the youngest of the isles (and continues to grow every year due to added lava from the volcano) and big enough to fit all the other islands in it. Our first day we docked in Hilo, which is on the North side of the Big Island. We rented a car and drove to Volcanoes National Park, home of the most active volcano on the planet. The volcano last erupted in 1983 and hasn’t stopped. The sulfur levels of the volcano were 3-4 times higher then usual so it was difficult to breathe and it was burning our throats and lungs. Nevertheless, it was an amazing site. We hiked down to the bottom of a massive crater and it felt like it was the moon! Just incredible, lava rock as far as the eye could see. If you drive around to the ocean side, you can see lava spewing into the ocean. This volcano has had explosions in the past, one recently in 2008 where debris from the explosion was scattered over 74 acres. Oh and the volcano is also home to Goddess Pele, if you take any of the volcano rocks she will bestow bad luck upon you. Thus many visitors ship back the lava rocks that they’ve taken and ask the park rangers to put them back in hopes of getting rid of the bad luck.
The second day we were docked in Kahalui, Maui for 2 days (Kahalui is on the North side). A bunch of us rented a van and we went to explore the island. We drove around and visited the botanical gardens and then we drove to the south end of the island where we attended a traditional Hawaiian Luau. The Luau was incredible. It took place at sunset and it was right beside the ocean. The dancers performed their traditional Polynesian dances to the backdrop of a breathtaking sunset. The costumes were really beautiful and colourful and the dances just incredible. After the luau, we hung out at the beach where I got soaked by an unexpected tide surge lol. We spent some time at a salsa club and then made our way to Haleakala, a volcano on the southeastern side of the island. We heard that watching the sunrise from Haleakala was amazing, so we wanted to see it for ourselves. Haleakala makes up 75% of the Maui island and it’s a potentially active volcano. The drive was about 3 hours from the luau to Haleakala. As we started to climb the road, the elevation kept getting higher and the temperature lower. Our ears were popping constantly. The road was very narrow and winding. When we started climbing the road to Haleakala, it was around 70 F. When we saw the park ranger, he told us that the temperature up here could change drastically. He wasn’t kidding! It got colder and colder. At one point, within 2 minutes, the temperate dropped from 55 F to 45 F, 5 minutes later it went from 45 F to 55 F again. As we continued up the road, there were all sorts of strange road signs (watch out for ice, cow crossing, equestrian crossing, cowboy crossing, nene crossing, hiker pickup etc). With no lights and no civilization up the volcano, the stars were the brightest I have ever seen. An hour up the mountain, we saw what we thought was a fire in the distance. We later realized we weren’t seeing a fire but lava oozing out in a perfect circle, what a sight! Once we made the full 2-hour trek to the mountain, we reached the top of the summit. It was about 4.30 am and only 45 F (around 7 C). Needless to say, most of us were very cold (I the clever tour guide, was in a sundress). We slept in the car for 45 minutes and then awoke to see the sun climb over the horizon. As the sky slowly started to turn green, then orange and then yellow, we realized we were actually above the clouds! We were 10 000 feet (3 km) above sea level, the highest point on the island. As the sun made it’s way up, you could truly feel the power of it and the life that it breathes into every organism on the planet. The sun was so bright and big up there, it was blinding! We watched the sun go up in the sky and then we proceeded down the mountain. We finally got to see where we were driving all night and DAMN; we were driving on the edges of the mountain the entire time! The drive down was scenic and beautiful; you could see the mountains of the Big Island! We got back to the ship around 8 am. I slept 3 hours, got up and hit the beach in North Maui to watch surfers tackle waves that would surely knock me off my feet.. Needles to say, I have been sleeping as little as possible, eating on the go and then running to work. My cabin looks like a tropical wardrobe threw up. There are just flowers and leis and sundresses everywhere and sand! lol
I met up with Rafa in Kona. Rafa is Ziggy’s uncle and I know him from Puerto Rico but he’s like my uncle. He picked my friends and me up from the port and greeted me with a beautiful and fragrant traditional Hawaiian lei. My friends hopped in the back of his pick up truck and he took us to the most amazing snorkeling spot, Honaunau Bay. It’s also where he canoes, as paddling is very big here. He will compete in a 50-mile race from Molokai to Honolulu in a couple of weeks. We got to see the canoe club and went snorkeling in the bay. I almost head butted a 4 foot long turtle so I kind of freaked out and back paddled out of there lol. Rafa then showed us the farm that he works on.. It’s an organic farm that takes volunteers from all over the world (WWOOF) and it’s main products are mangos and the world famous Kona coffee. Aside from that, they also grow cocoa, avocados, pomegranates and a few other things. Everywhere I looked there was greenery and the fruits were just the biggest I have seen of their kind. We loaded up some mangoes in my backpack and Rafa showed us the coffee mill and told us the step-by-step instructions for making coffee. The coffee from this region is the most expensive coffee one can buy and it’s one of the most sought after coffees in the world. Kona’s sunny mornings and humid rainy afternoons create this coffee that cannot be reproduced anywhere else in the world. Of course we had to get a pound of this heavenly coffee but now I am on a mission to find a coffee grinder lol. All in all, it was a perfect day with my friends and Rafa. He showed us the rural, farming side of Hawaii that so few tourists get to experience. Rafa showed us his ‘Aloha Spirit’, the warmth and friendliness that so many Hawaiian exhibit.
The next stop was in Nawiliwili, Kauai. Kauai is known as the Garden Isle and does it ever live up to its name! It’s one of the wettest spots on the earth with 460 inches of rain annually.. The high rainfall has eroded deep valleys in the mountains, carving out canyons with many scenic waterfalls. Waimea River formed Waimea Canyon, one of the most scenic canyons in the world. I took a helicopter ride across the canyon and the Na Pali coast. I couldn’t believe the amazing sights, it was breathtaking and incredible. The Na Pali coast is not accessible by road so one must hike or swim in or see it from air. There were no people anywhere, just thick and lush rainforest with ferns as big as palm trees. The waterfalls were embedded into the green walls of the mountains. It seemed like they were coming straight from the rock. 40 foot waves were hitting the sides of the mountains, as they drew back into the ocean they revealed sculptured rock walls. As we came around the corner of one particular mountain, my jaw just dropped open. I saw dozens of waterfalls, one beside the other and we came so close it felt like I could reach out and touch them. Simply put, it’s the most breathtaking, beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It felt and looked like paradise lost that has never been touched or marked by the human hand. I literally felt like I was in prehistoric times as everything was gargantuan in size. Think of the movie Jurassic Park, this is where it was filmed.
My last stop for the week is Honolulu. Rafa’s daughter Malia lives here. Although I have not seen her in six years, we picked up exactly where we left off in Puerto Rico. Hanging out with her brought so many good memories back. Within minutes we were back to joking around, sharing drinks and eating off each other’s plates lol. It felt like no time passed at all. We spend the first day at Waikiki Beach. The women canoeing competition was taking place (50 miles from Molokai to Honolulu) and we were watching her friends paddle in on outrigger canoes. They came in 10th place out of 78 canoes. There was so much energy, adrenaline and joy in the air as these women paddled in to be greeted by their family and friends and adorned with leis. It was so refreshing to see such strong and determined women who battled the open ocean, Mother Nature’s elements and fatigue to reach the end of this incredible long finish line. Meeting these women was an inspiration. Although they just raced the longest canoe race in the world, they welcomed me with open arms. None of this cold mainland handshake shiznit here, they all embraced me like they were seeing a good old friend. We hung out with them in the park next to Waikiki Beach, celebrated their accomplishment and they fed me delicious Hawaiian eats. We spent some more time hanging out at a nearby bar, sipping Mai Tais. It was a beautiful, inspirational day. The following day Malia came to pick Clair and me up and we explored all of Oahu. We visited all the famous beaches along the North Shore (pipeline, sunset etc) and we checked out all the places where movies were made. We hung out in sleepy tropical surfer towns and sipped drinks as the sun went down. The drive was amazing; ALL of the Hawaiian Islands are lush and green so you are almost always driving through a rain forest. We finished the day off by polishing off fresh shrimp. Along the North Coast, you have all these Japanese shrimp trucks parked, they literally catch the shrimp and make it for you. I’ve never tasted better shrimp in my life! We spend the rest of the night hanging out at bars and clubs along the beach and taking in the local scene. I went to bed at 6 am (again!) and woke up at 9 am (again!) to a tsunami warning announcement. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or if I was just really tired. Ship’s command made an announcement that there was an earthquake and a tsunami warning has been issued in Hawaii. We were to return all of our rentals cars as we were going to set sail in a couple of hours, just where would we sail if we were trying to outrun a tsunami? Everyone ran around in a panic for a couple of hours, the gangway was closed so no one could get out. There was a bit of panic for a couple of hours but finally the tsunami warning was called off. I honestly don’t know what we would have done if there was a tsunami. We can’t be tied up to a pier and I don’t know what we’d do in open sea and I hope I never get to find out. Once the warning was called off, Clair and I went out and went to check out a few bays and beaches.
We returned to Maui again and decided to explore the famous road to Hana. Kahalui. where we were docked is on the North side of the island. Hana is on the south east side. Although the road is only 52 miles (84 km), the trip takes about 3 hours, as the road is long, narrow and at times only made into a single lane. It passes 59 bridges and 46 of them are one lane, there are 620 curves in the road. However, the road is entirely in a lush rainforest that offers spectacular views and incredible water falls. You can park along the road and hike into the rainforest and take a dip right next to the waterfall. You are also right along the coast so on one side you have the lush rainforest and on the other you have the beautiful turquoise ocean. We made quite a few stops to explore further. Saw some really awesome waterfalls, stopped at a black sand beach and walked a lava tube that we found by accident. We stopped to take some pictures and found an old underground tube that the lava used to flow through. We walked the length of the tube, which was about 45 feet underground. It was completely pitch black so we had to use really bright flashlights to make our way around, I’m surprised that I didn’t break my ankle or that we didn’t find any dead bodies down there. Just around the corner from Hana, we found these shack like stores in the middle of the rainforest. There was some really cool fruit shack; another shack that sold all coconut and native Hawaiian remedies and a shack that sold awesome Thai food. Actually all along the route you could find the local farmers selling organic fruit, especially fresh pineapple and coconut. It was nice to see that it was all local farmers and not commercialized chains trying to scrape their way through a rainforest. All the amazing food I’ve eaten in Hawaii just blew me away, now I can’t even look at the food they serve us here. The following day (still in Maui) we went for a drive and found a random beach. Now if you’ve ever seen those pictures of massive waves in Hawaii, well they’re not an exaggeration. Even so, I attempted to go for a swim. It was all good for 15 minutes. The currents would pull me in and out without me even moving. It was all fun until a bigger wave came and it tossed my ass like a rag doll lol. I ended up skidding on my stomach all the way to the shore and bowling over a bunch of people lol. As the currents pulled me back out to sea, I was tumbling all over the place and I nearly hit another 4-foot turtle. The current pushed me back to the shore and my friend tried to grab my hand and keep me from going out back to sea but that didn’t work, I just dragged her down with me. After my fight with the surge, I had pockets of sand EVERYWHERE! I mean, 2 hours later I was back on the ship and I was emptying out handfuls of sand out of my bathing suit. I left a sandbox in my shower!
We visited Kona once again. Malia flew to the Big Island and stayed there until we came. She came to pick us up, picked up her family and we headed to a spectacular black sand beach. Malia’s brother, his family and Rafa joined us as well. The sand was black and the hottest sand I have ever stepped on. You literally had to wear your flip-flops right into the water cause the sand felt like hot lava. The water was totally different then anything I’ve ever seen, it was almost an emerald in colour. We put up a tent on the beach, got some grub and beers, kicked back and relaxed. There were no tourists there, no crewmembers and none of the Spirit’s guests. It was just amazing. For the day, we all forgot that we work 70 hours a week. For that day, we were on vacation, just lying back and enjoying the beautiful landscape with amazing people. What a beautiful day! As we were kicking back, we saw a school of dolphins swimming not too far off shore. I’ve never seen anything like that so close! One of Malia’s friends was making a drink out of Kava root; something native Hawaiian’s have been doing for ages. It makes you relaxed and apparently it aids in mental clarity, patience and acceptance. Yeah, after that we were like SCREW THE SHIP, WE’RE NOT GOING BACK lol. Our Hawaiian adventure was almost over and what a beautiful day to bring it to a close. Hesitantly we packed everything up and headed back to the ship. We said our sad good byes at the pier with Malia and her family. Her kids were already calling me “Auntie Natalia” and they treated me like I’ve been a part of their family my entire life. It was a sad good bye and none of us wanted to leave. My heart cannot express my gratitude.
Our last and final day in Hawaii was in Hilo (also on the Big Island). The Kilauea volcano spills lava into the ocean at 2200 F and creates an abundant amount of smoke. The amount of erupted material from this volcano could pave a road across the world 3 times! It just spews lava and crazy sulfur smoke. I wanted to take a boat over to the lava to see it. However, when I got up in the morning all the boat excursions were cancelled due to 80 foot swells so I took a helicopter ride over the volcano, I was determined to see lava flow before I leave Hawaii. We flew over the volcano; close enough that we could see the red-hot lava bubbling at the surface. We also flew to the point where the lava was spewing into the ocean. There was so much plume it was hard to see but the wind would blow the smoke away at times and you could see the hot lava flowing into the ocean. It was an incredible sight. It’s difficult to describe but these volcanoes are just something so mystical, powerful and supernatural. Watching lava flow is like watching a spell; you just can’t believe your eyes. That same night I managed to see lava flow from sea anyways as our ship passed by it at 10 pm at night. It’s pretty intense at night as you can’t see even a few feet in front of you, but you can see the lava sliding down the side of the volcano.
I have to say that the Hawaiians’ Aloha Spirit, their hospitality and friendliness, overwhelms me. Everyone is so easy going and laid back here. The streets are filled with reggae music, smiles and tropical flowers. The dress code is flip-flops, shorts and bikini tops. There are no snobs, no sidewalk fashion shows and no attitudes. The air is sweet and the green mountains are the backdrop for what has been an experience of a lifetime. I cannot imagine returning to Mexico or the Caribbean at this point, nothing is going to look beautiful after Hawai’i. Anyhow, the islands of Hawaii have worked their magic on me. I feel that I need to come back and live the Aloha Spirit some more. Life is just so beautiful and simple out here. I wish I could show these islands to everyone I love so they too can be moved as much as I have been. I’ve managed to do so many incredible things while I was here, definitely checked off a few items off the bucket list! If there’s one thing you do before you die, let it be seeing Hawai’i!
Thank you Malia and Rafa for once again welcoming me with open arms and treating me like family. Mahalo and Aloha nui loa Ohana!
Check out some of my pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150468&id=501759934&l=4cdd889c0d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150450&id=501759934&l=9793ac6469
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=149478&id=501759934&l=620364e576
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