HAWAII - PART 3 - MAUI..................................

Sunday our port of call was Maui - the second largest island, also known as the "MAGIC ISLE".  Our port was Lahaina.

No bus trips today, as there was so much to see and do.  Perfect weather.  Every time I called home, it was the same - how's your weather back there - cold, snow, more snow, colder and more snow.  I would laugh, it is 80 degrees, sunny and beautiful here.  I don't miss home a bit. 

We spent most of the day walking as there was so very much to see and do.  Never enough time, but we made
the most of what we had.

Our "water taxi"



This was our water taxi from the ship to the shore.  The water was a little rough that day, in fact pretty rough, but we were o.k.

From the shore we had a great view our our cruise ship, the scenery was pretty awesome.

We saw old fort ruins, many historical buildings, vegetation as we had never seen before, and we really did get our exercise that day.

We saw the outdoor restaurant with the pink umbrellas.  And I do mean pink.



Our home away from home

 Palm trees were everywhere, making such a beautiful picture against the blue sky.


There were many areas of sandy beaches, some small, some larger, and you could usually see chunks of lava that had washed upon the beaches.  You would not want to step on them bare-foot.

We saw many "wooden hawaiians" 

Ruins of an old fort

 here and there along the sidewalks outside of restaurants, and other buildings.  I guess they compare with our southwestern "wooden indians".  That evening we attended the DRUMS OF THE PACIFIC LUAU consisting of traditional roast pig and exotic drinks.  This was served at the sunset terrace, and it was an authentic IMU ceremony.


Pink Umbrella Restaurant

 For the first time I tasted poi - never again.  It really tasted bad, was a purply-lavender color, thick like a pudding, supposedly very very healthy, but tasted like it would do away with you.

They had the MOST DELICIOUS hot rolls with the buffet, and they were the most beautiful pale lavender color.  I found out later that poi had been added to the dough.

Palm trees and sky



Lava on the beach

.  And I had already sworn to never eat poi again.  So much for that. 

The evening ended with the traditional Polynesian dances, and the view from the terrace was breath-taking towards sunset.  It looks like the picture of a painting, but was in reality very real.  Those are the colors of Hawaii.



One of the wooden Hawaiians - I loved Mai Tai's!!!




One of the luau dancers




the view from the luau

 Upon being returned to the dock, we boarded our water taxi and returned to the ship, full of great food, beautiful memories, and looking forward to the next day, which would be Monday.

I knew tonight would be filled with visions of all we had seen that day winding their way through our minds, lulling us to sleep.

Tomorrow would be another adventure.  I wonder what we will see and do.  And so I leave you today, maybe wishing you could have been with us.  Perhaps some day, who knows.  Enjoy the trip and God Bless.