OUR FAMILY HAS TRAVELLED TO MAUI ABOUT THREE TIMES. MY MOM WAS THERE ON OUR LAST VISIT. IT IS THE MOST HIGHLY DEVELOPED OF THE ISLANDS WE HAVE BEEN ON. THE LARGEST TOWN IS LAHAINA WHICH IS AN ARTIST'S COLONY. EVERY FRIDAY THEY HAVE A GROUP OF ARTISTS WHO EXHIBIT THEIR CRAFTS AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR ART TALENTS. THEY HAVE ROCK SCULPTORS, PAINTERS, POTTERS, AND JEWELERS. WE STAYED ONCE IN A CONDO AND IN SEVERAL BED AND BREAKFASTS. WE WENT UP TO HALAKALA NATIONAL PARK ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST. THE MOUNTAIN PEAK IS 10,000 FEET HIGH. THE NAME MEANS HOUSE OF THE SUN. THE LEGEND IS THAT THE DEMIGOD MAUI LASSOED THE SUN FROM IT'S JOURNEY ACROSS THE SKY AS HE STOOD ON THE EDGE OF THE VOLCANO, TRYING TO SLOW IT'S DESCENT TO MAKE THE DESCENT LAST LONGER. THE PARK HAS 30,000 ACRES. PEOPLE COME UP TO THE PEAK TO WATCH THE SUNSET AND THE SUNRISE. EACH ONE IS VERY DIFFERENT. MY FAMILY TOOK A BIKE TOUR ALONG THE ROAD OF THIS MOUNTAIN ONE SUMMER ABOUT 12,000 YEARS AGO. THERE ARE TOUR VANS THAT BRING YOUR BIKES AND YOU UP TO THE MOUNTAIN. YOU WERE A HELMET AND COAST DOWNHILL AT YOUR OWN PACE. THERE ARE SOME UPHILL SLOPES AS WELL. WE ALL HAD FUN!
WE STOPPED AT MANY OVERLOOKS TO SEE THE DOLPHINS AND HUMPBACK WHALES THAT BREECH AND ARE POPULAR DURING FEBRUARY. MANY FOLKS HAD NOT SEEN THESE WHALES. YOU MAY ALSO SEE GIANT TURTLES THAT SWIM IN THE OCEAN. KAANAPALI BEECH WAS OUR FAVORITE BEACH TO SWIM IN. IT IS FULL OF FINE GRAINED WHITE SAND AND THE WAVES ARE USUALLY QUITE CALM WITH FEW RUGGED STONES UNDER THE WATER AND A VERY GRADUAL SLOPING BEECH. THIS BEECH WAS THE FORMER RETREAT FOR ROYALTY OF MAUI . WE STAYED AT SEVERAL OF THERE CONDOS THERE.
ON OUR SECOND VISIT TO MAUI MY FAMILY AND MY MOM WENT TO HAVE A VACATION AT THE WESTIN OCEAN RESORT. THEY HAVE FIVE POOLS. ONE HAS A SLIDE GOING INTO THE POOL. THEN YOU CAN SWIM UNDER A TUNNEL AND GO INTO ANOTHER POOL. THEY HAVE MUSEUM OF SORTS IN THEIR HALLWAYS AND ON THE SECOND FLOOR IN THE HALLS AND IN SOME ROOMS. IT IS ALL OLD CHINESE WOOD WORK SOME ARE PAINTED GOLD , SOME ARE OLD PIECES, SOME ARE DETAILED OIL PAINTINGS. THEIR IS AN ENTIRE HALL OF WOODEN STATUES OF CHINESE PEOPLE AND THERE ARE MIRRORS SURROUNDED BY DETAILED ETCHED WOODEN CARVINGS. IT IS AN UNUSUAL RESORT. THEY HAVE A BEAUTY PARLOR, SEVERAL RESTAURANTS. A ROOM THAT SHOWS OTHER WESTIN RESORTS AND MANY OTHER GIFT STORES. WE TYPICALLY BROUGHT CEREAL FOOD INTO OUR ROOM AND TOOK OUR LUNCH WHEN WE WENT OUT. WE ATE OUR DINNER AT RESTAURANTS. WE ATE A GOOD BREAKFAST AT THE RESORT. WE TOOK A MOVIE OF THIS RESORT AND SO DID MY SON. HE LOVED SHOOTING FILMS ON OUR VACATIONS.
WE FOUND SOME VERY SMALL OUT OF THE WAY BEACHES AND DECIDED TO SWIM AND SNORKEL IN A SOUTHERN BEACH. WE ALSO WENT TO A BEACH JUST SOUTH OF KAANAPALI. THAT HAD DEEPER WATER AND REEFS TO SNORKEL WITH THE FISH AND OCTOPUS. WE ALSO WENT UP TO THE MOUNTAINSIDE AND FOUND SOME NURSERIES WITH NONNATIVE PLANTS LIKE BIRD OF PARADISE, ORCHIDS, ANTHURIUMS, GINGER, HELICONIA, AND PLUMERIA.
WE SPENT ABOUT 1/2 DAY AT MAUI'S OCEAN CENTER. THEY HAVE AN INTERACTIVE ACQUARIUM WHERE YOU CAN SEE VARIOUS REEFS. ONLY MY HUSBAND AND SON TOOK A BOAT TRIP TO SEE THE HUMPBACK WHALES AND SOME GIANT TURTLES.
THE CENTER HAS AN AQUARIUM WITH 20 SHARKS. THEY ACTUALLY LET PEOPLE SWIM WITH THE SHARKS IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. HAWAIIAN FISH IN TANKS INCLUDE A HUGE VARIETY SUCH AS FROG FISH, BUTTERFLY FISH, HAWAIIAN DASCOGLLUS, DEVIL SCORPION FISH, HAWK FISH, FILLFISHES, FLAME ANGELS, HAMMERHEAD SHARKS, PUFFERFISH,MOI, SNAPPERS, AND UNICORN FISH, THEY HAVE THREE TYPES OF SEA TURTLES, STINGRAYS; AND A POOL FOR CHILDREN TO TOUCH SHELL FISH, AND SEA URCHINS, ETC. WE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH.
LATER WE WENT ON A LARGE CATAMARAN TO GO SNORKELING AND THE WHALES WERE FOLLOWING OUR BOAT. WE SPOTTED SEVERAL LARGE TURTLES UNDERWATER AND THEY FED THE FISH SO WE COULD SEE SCHOOLS OF THE MULTICOLORED FISH. IT WAS VERY FUN. HOWEVER, I DON'T LIKE TO GO IN THE DEEP WATER.
WE ALSO TRAVELED TO THE LAHAINA SUGAR CANE TRAIN WHEN OUR SON WAS A YOUNG KID. THIS IS AN OPEN COACH TRAIN THAT IS BUILT LIKE THE HISTORIC STEAM TRAINS FOR LOADING SUGAR CANE . YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OTHER ISLANDS FROM THE TRAIN. AT ONE TIME THE ISLAND HAD OVER 200 MILES OF RAILROAD TO CONNECT THE SUGAR PLANTATIONS TO THE MILLS. BY THE MID 1950'S TRUCKS REPLACED TRAINS. BY THE MID 1950'S TRUCKS REPLACED THE TRAINS. THIS AREA HAS A GOOD VIEW OF THE WEST MAUI MOUNTAINS.
WE VISITED SEVERAL EVENTS NEAR THE WESTIN HOTEL TO WATCH SOME HULA DANCERS THAT DID NOT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL COSTUMES OF THE POLYNESIANS. HOWEVER, THE DRUMMING AND DANCING ARE SIMILAR TO THE OLD TIME DANCES. HULA IS THE SOUL OF HAWAII AND MOST AGREE THAT IT WAS PERFORMED BY A GOD OR GODDESS THAT MAKES THE DANCE SACRED. IT WAS ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY MEN AS FAR AS A FORM OF WORSHIP DURING CERMONIES. BUT TODAY IT IS INVOLVED INTO AN ENTERTAINING DANCER. EVERY MOVEMENT HAS A SPECIFIC MEANING AND EVERY EXPRESSION OF THEIR HANDS HAS A GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. THEIR BODY MIGHT REPRESENT PLANTS ANIMALS AND EVEN WAR. TRADITIONALLY IT WA THE WORDS NOT THE DANCE THAT COUNTED THE MOST TODAY FEW UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE. THE TRADITIONAL DANCERS WORE A LEI FOR THEIR HEAD AND SHOULDERS, A PAW OR SKIRT OF TAPA. AND ANKLETS FASHIONED OUT OF WHALE BONE. EACH ISLAND TRAINED DANCERS AT A HULA SCHOOL. THEY COULD NOT CUT THEIR HAIR OR NAILS OR EAT CERTAIN FOODS. SEX WAS FORBIDDEN. TODAY THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED SCHOOLS ON EVERY ISLAND AND THEY TEACH IT TO STUDENTS AND KEEP IT ALIVE. HULA IS HISTORY PORTRAYED IN THE PERFORMING ARTS.
WIKIPEDIA.COM
ALTERNATIVE-HAWAII
GOHAWAII.COM
No comments:
Post a Comment