Monday, May 31, 2010
Beach Snorkel
Tuesday I had a special guest at the beach! Kelly had to go into work later than usual so we went to the beach...together. That was a treat!
He decided to snorkel and I decided to take some pictures. He could only stay for about 45 minutes, but it was fun--a nice change!
He decided to snorkel and I decided to take some pictures. He could only stay for about 45 minutes, but it was fun--a nice change!
Saturday's Snorkel Trip
What better to do with a day off when you are working in Maui than to go snorkeling?
We got up early on Saturday and made our way to the Pacific Whale Foundation, where we boarded a boat that would take us to two snorkel locations, Molokini and Turtle Town.
Molokini is a sunken crater that is a “tuff cone” that was formed by an underwater explosion hundreds of years ago. It is located just a couple of miles off the south shore of Maui, and is a popular snorkeling spot because of all the coral and fish that can be found there. It is protected because of the way the crater sits.
Turtle Town is near the shore, just south of where we are staying. It is home to a big population of Green Sea Turtles, and there are lava formations with caves and arches. We were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time when a honuturtle decided to come up for air. He didn’t get scared off by us and actually hung out for a while. I couldn’t believe how close we were to him and we just stayed there till he decided he was done hanging out.
We got up early on Saturday and made our way to the Pacific Whale Foundation, where we boarded a boat that would take us to two snorkel locations, Molokini and Turtle Town.
Molokini is a sunken crater that is a “tuff cone” that was formed by an underwater explosion hundreds of years ago. It is located just a couple of miles off the south shore of Maui, and is a popular snorkeling spot because of all the coral and fish that can be found there. It is protected because of the way the crater sits.
Turtle Town is near the shore, just south of where we are staying. It is home to a big population of Green Sea Turtles, and there are lava formations with caves and arches. We were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time when a honuturtle decided to come up for air. He didn’t get scared off by us and actually hung out for a while. I couldn’t believe how close we were to him and we just stayed there till he decided he was done hanging out.
Hanging On or Letting Go
We have enjoyed attending church here in Maui. It is such a blessing to be able to go to church wherever you are in the world, and hear the truth taught and feel the spirit. Here in Hawaii, each person that stands at the microphone begins with saying “Aloooha!” and the congregation answers back with same greeting. It felt a little awkward at first, but now I find it very endearing. Even with the influx of visitors you can feel the love they have for their ward ohana, family. Yesterday we visited a ward in La Haina so that we could meet Sister Velluti’s daughter and her family. At the end of sacrament meeting the whole congregation stood and sang a Hawaiian good bye song to a sister who was moving to California. There was such a sweet, loving spirit as they sang that it brought tears to my eyes.
Last Sunday, while attending a ward here in Kihea I was touched by a simple story that was told, one that I have heard before. The story tells of a man walking on a trail on the side of a mountain when a big gust of wind blows him over the side and he is saved by clinging to a small tree. He hears a voice that asks him if he believes in God, if he believes that he created the mountain, the wind that blew him over and the tree that he is clinging to. When he answers yes to all of the questions he is asked one final question. The voice asks him if he believes that God can create a wind to place him back on the mountain. When he answers once again, that he believes God responds with “then let go”.
As the speaker told the story, it felt almost like when you dream—even though it isn’t real your mind feels like it is and so you experience the feelings you would feel if it were real. I could feel the panic of clinging to the one thing that is saving you from certain death and the thought of letting go. I felt as though my own faith was really being tested. Of course my mind raced, and I tried to analyze just what the thoughts were going through my mind. And then just like a dream, it felt as though I woke up. Instead of the all the feelings I was left with the memory of what I felt--and a desire to talk it over with Kelly after church. The meeting closed and we moved on to Sunday School and Relief Society. I was able to enjoy the lessons, keeping the experience in the back of my mind. Our closing hymn in Relief Society was “Be Still My Soul” (#124) and I cried through the whole thing. I was so embarrassed but also thankful for the message of that song and the answer it is to the questions of the story.
I know that it touched me so deeply because of recent events and the questions and prayers that I have offered. I think it is confusing sometimes to figure out how to hang on to the end, cling to the rod, working out your salvation and at the same time let go, be still and let God be in charge. It makes me think of that Kenny Rogers song, you have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em! And my experience on Sunday helped to sort out why I need to do both and when to use both more clearly. I hope I will be able to do a better job of clinging and letting go in the future.
Last Sunday, while attending a ward here in Kihea I was touched by a simple story that was told, one that I have heard before. The story tells of a man walking on a trail on the side of a mountain when a big gust of wind blows him over the side and he is saved by clinging to a small tree. He hears a voice that asks him if he believes in God, if he believes that he created the mountain, the wind that blew him over and the tree that he is clinging to. When he answers yes to all of the questions he is asked one final question. The voice asks him if he believes that God can create a wind to place him back on the mountain. When he answers once again, that he believes God responds with “then let go”.
As the speaker told the story, it felt almost like when you dream—even though it isn’t real your mind feels like it is and so you experience the feelings you would feel if it were real. I could feel the panic of clinging to the one thing that is saving you from certain death and the thought of letting go. I felt as though my own faith was really being tested. Of course my mind raced, and I tried to analyze just what the thoughts were going through my mind. And then just like a dream, it felt as though I woke up. Instead of the all the feelings I was left with the memory of what I felt--and a desire to talk it over with Kelly after church. The meeting closed and we moved on to Sunday School and Relief Society. I was able to enjoy the lessons, keeping the experience in the back of my mind. Our closing hymn in Relief Society was “Be Still My Soul” (#124) and I cried through the whole thing. I was so embarrassed but also thankful for the message of that song and the answer it is to the questions of the story.
I know that it touched me so deeply because of recent events and the questions and prayers that I have offered. I think it is confusing sometimes to figure out how to hang on to the end, cling to the rod, working out your salvation and at the same time let go, be still and let God be in charge. It makes me think of that Kenny Rogers song, you have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em! And my experience on Sunday helped to sort out why I need to do both and when to use both more clearly. I hope I will be able to do a better job of clinging and letting go in the future.
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Road to Hana
Saturday we took a road trip to explore some more of the island. Our friend and former resident of Hawaii--he served his mission here--told us that a must see on Maui was the Road to Hana and the Seven Sacred Pools. He did not lead us astray! We loved the drive and stopped to see different sites and walk the trails along the way.
Hana is a snall town on the southeast side of the island and is only 52 miles away from where the airport it, but it is a very curvy, very narrow road. Many times there is only space for one car and the speed limit is 10 mph. Plus, there are so many beautiful places to stop to see a beautiful view, beach, waterfall or hike a trail. With all that added together--let's just say that we are so glad we listened to the advice to start early, pack a lunch and make a day of it. We packed a cooler and rolled down our windows to take in not only the sights, but the sounds and the smells as well.
Right off the bat, we were treated to a small stand of Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. No, they are not painted. Aren't they amazing?
On one of the trails we found these beautiful flowers and a bamboo forest--close up. There was so much bamboo and it was so beautiful, especially when you could look down on it from above.
All along the way there were breathtaking views. As we rounded each new corner we found a view that was better than the last. We took so many pictures. But I tried to keep it to a minimum here on the blog!
One of our favorite stops was a lava flow that formed the coast. We had fun walking the trails and making our way down to the caves. And I have never seen a black sand beach before!
We found the Seven Sacred Pools! They are like stairs, each pool a stair leading from somewhere in the mountain down to the ocean.
The pools are found in a state park, just beyond Hana, at what used to be the "end of the road". The road has been opened back up and so we decided to complete the circle. What we found as we continued and made our way around was a dramatic change in the landscape. No more rainforest, just dry, grasslands that were home to a huge cattle ranch. We had to chase a few cows from the road.
Hana is a snall town on the southeast side of the island and is only 52 miles away from where the airport it, but it is a very curvy, very narrow road. Many times there is only space for one car and the speed limit is 10 mph. Plus, there are so many beautiful places to stop to see a beautiful view, beach, waterfall or hike a trail. With all that added together--let's just say that we are so glad we listened to the advice to start early, pack a lunch and make a day of it. We packed a cooler and rolled down our windows to take in not only the sights, but the sounds and the smells as well.
Right off the bat, we were treated to a small stand of Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. No, they are not painted. Aren't they amazing?
On one of the trails we found these beautiful flowers and a bamboo forest--close up. There was so much bamboo and it was so beautiful, especially when you could look down on it from above.
All along the way there were breathtaking views. As we rounded each new corner we found a view that was better than the last. We took so many pictures. But I tried to keep it to a minimum here on the blog!
One of our favorite stops was a lava flow that formed the coast. We had fun walking the trails and making our way down to the caves. And I have never seen a black sand beach before!
We found the Seven Sacred Pools! They are like stairs, each pool a stair leading from somewhere in the mountain down to the ocean.
The pools are found in a state park, just beyond Hana, at what used to be the "end of the road". The road has been opened back up and so we decided to complete the circle. What we found as we continued and made our way around was a dramatic change in the landscape. No more rainforest, just dry, grasslands that were home to a huge cattle ranch. We had to chase a few cows from the road.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Top of the World
Thursday morning we got up really early and I do mean REALLY early. We had to drive about 40 minutes to a town named Haiku and be there by three o'clock in the morning. We then caught a ride up to the top of Haleakala, to watch the sun rise over the volcano's crater. My friend Linda suggested the trip and I am so glad she did. It was a blast!
Up on top of the volcano was very windy and really cold. We talked to a ranger who was measuring the wind at 37 mph. But the sunrise was gorgeous, the view spectacular and the crater was amazing. We took many pictures but I will just share a few.
When we were ready to come down off the mountain, we got on mountain bikes and pedaled our way down. To tell the truth, there wasn't that much pedaling going on since it was all downhill! There were just a few spots where you had to go under your own muscle power. I was so nervous at first, but it was so worth it. As we traveled down the mountain, we saw some beautiful country. At the top, it was pretty barren, but as we got closer to the ocean the vegetation changed to trees, beautiful flowers and meadows and now and then it smelled like heaven. We were on back roads so it was so fun to pass through all the small communities and their fruit and flower stands.
We arrived back at the bike shop just after nine and found a fun local spot to have some breakfast.
Up on top of the volcano was very windy and really cold. We talked to a ranger who was measuring the wind at 37 mph. But the sunrise was gorgeous, the view spectacular and the crater was amazing. We took many pictures but I will just share a few.
When we were ready to come down off the mountain, we got on mountain bikes and pedaled our way down. To tell the truth, there wasn't that much pedaling going on since it was all downhill! There were just a few spots where you had to go under your own muscle power. I was so nervous at first, but it was so worth it. As we traveled down the mountain, we saw some beautiful country. At the top, it was pretty barren, but as we got closer to the ocean the vegetation changed to trees, beautiful flowers and meadows and now and then it smelled like heaven. We were on back roads so it was so fun to pass through all the small communities and their fruit and flower stands.
We arrived back at the bike shop just after nine and found a fun local spot to have some breakfast.
Have Bike Will Travel
Our hotel provides bikes! Isn't that awesome? I just go to the front desk and ask for a bike with a basket, they hand me a key and off I go! I have been visiting different beaches hunting for sea glass, but without much success. I have made it through half of my book thanks to the beach chair and the lounge chair at the pool.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Exploring
Kelly really is here to work, so I get to do some exploring on my own during the day. This is the beach right across the street from our hotel. The beach along here is not one continuous beach, but they are close together so there many to choose from, all within walking distance. Here are some of my favorite pictures from my first day.
Slow Start
Our trip to Maui got off to a slow start. We were scheduled to arrive late afternoon, but finally arrived at our hotel exactly eleven hours later! That made for a long day of waiting around in the airport and then the long flight on top of that. We tried to keep ourselves entertained and keep our cool as we heard excuse after excuse for delays. At first, it all seemed part of the adventure but as the hours drug on that began to wear off. The list of the reasons started out with the announcement that the plane didn’t pass the mechanical testing…fine, we don’t want to fly on that plane then anyway. Next came the announcement of a plane being brought from Cancun and as soon as it gets here we will get you on your way. (That was the closest plane that was equipped to fly over water.) After that the list gets less and less exciting from there: 1. As soon as we get it through the mechanical tests; 2. Because the plane came from Mexico there are more security and immigration sweeps it has to pass; 3. Standoff with the old crew who won’t release the plane by doing their paper work because if they do they won’t have enough hours; 4. We have to wait for a new crew because by the time this crew gets to Maui they will be past the hours they are allowed to fly; 5. All the crew is here except for the captain…Needless to say there were plenty of angry passengers and embarrassed employees by the time we finally took off.
We tried to pass some of the time away by watching Netflix
Our first look at Maui
We tried to pass some of the time away by watching Netflix
Our first look at Maui
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