Valley Isle : The Road To Hana

Our bodies were not yet adjusted to the time difference hence, we woke up really early on Day 2. It was almost unheard of when I woke up at 5.30 am in the morning as I normally do not wake before 10.30 am on the weekends let alone on a vacation day. Since I was up, I perused some brochures that I grabbed from the airport. From the activities listed on the brochure, I decided that J and I should take the road to Hana stopping for breakfast before.

An hour later, we were on our way to a breakfast joint recommended by a contributor of the brochure. When we got there, we had to wait as the line was long. Long line gestures good food worth waiting for and ½ hour we waited before we were seated. Fortunately, our order came 15 minutes later.

The Restaurant - Breakfast


Long line












Pog Juice

While we were excited about how the food looked, we were all too quickly disappointed by how the food tasted. Everyone raved about it but we beg to differ. I have had better pancakes and omelette from the mainland. Sprinkling macademia nuts on the pancakes does not make it a Macademia Nut Pancake. Put some in the batter when cooking it on the griddle! Judging from J’s face, I knew he had better fried rice on the mainland too. The only consolation from the meal was the coconut syrup, pog juice and the view just outside the restaurant.

This bell will be very popular in December - Whale season

After a somewhat disappointing breakfast, we made our way to Hana. We were going to have a stress free vacation by taking a leisurely drive to Hana stopping along away to enjoy the view. The beginning of the drive was definitely easy. We made our first stop along the highway to visit the Twin Falls. It was a fun hike until nature called. What bad timing but one has got to do what she has to do. J

Walking/Hiking to get to the falls


Crossing the stream to get to the other side


Responding to the call of nature...hehehe


Tiny crawfish peeking through

Once we were done with this waterfall, we continued our journey on this highway. It was no longer stress free. In fact the drive was stressful. The road was so narrow it could barely fit two cars. Some stretches required drivers taking their turns. Otherwise, it could either be a deadlock or worst, a collision. The other unfortunate consequence of this journey was feeling green around the gills especially the passenger. Coincidentally, I drove the first part of the journey hence I was spared from this unpleasant side effect. I cannot say the same on the way back as J took the wheel.

The Beatles may not be literal but this is definitely a long and winding road.....


Vehicles to take turns on this one lane bridge


The view was spectacular however




Stopped here for some snacks and the infamous banana bread - it was delicious

Maui is paradise when it comes to its natural beauty. It puts you at ease, relaxes you and can even sometimes challenge you. Regardless of what this breathtaking place can do to you or for you, one should always remain sensible, all the more so when travelling on this highway to Hana. A couple decided to go against the grain by travelling to Hana on race bikes. It was raining, wet and the road was narrow and busy with vehicles. Theirs was an ill-fated decision to begin with. As we passed them, we had to carefully avoid clipping them and the oncoming vehicle. We saw them alive when we passed them. Hopefully it stayed that way. That very spot does not need anymore crosses or furry soft toys.

Another reckless episode that we witnessed was when a teenage boy foolishly sat in the middle of the bridge holding his head in frustration because he dropped his iPod in the falls. Since the falls was off limits, there was no way he could retrieve it. Again, I had to avoid him on this narrow bridge while keeping an eye for oncoming vehicles. As if the drive was not stressful enough and it was further exacerbated by dimwitted tourists.

J pretending that this plot of land is his....big dreams




Going towards the pools at 'Ohe'o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)


Warning says no jumping into the pools but some decided to do it anyways


At Waimoku Falls


The outer pool






Mountain view just outside the Haleakalā National Park

Nonetheless, we were more than happy to leave Hana. It was sunset when we left and the narrow, steep road was ours. There were no cars at all. After a long day, J and I were more than happy to chow down, rest and relax. Making the journey to and from Hana is no small feat. J and I were wiped out.

For those planning on going to Maui, I would recommend Hana even though I personally would think twice before making this harrowing drive again. For first timers, this will definitely be an adventure, experience and a memorable journey.

To be continued.........

Valley Isle : To Paradise and Relaxation

The last time I went to the State of Hawaii was 2008 and the first island we visited was O’ahu (Gathering Place). The trip was fun, food was great and the weather was even better. After my first visit, I vowed to return to this state and a different island each time. Hence, after 4 years J and I made our way to Maui. Just like the previous visit, some of our activities were planned out while some were impromptu.

Nonetheless, we took off from the Newark Liberty International Airport on an early Tuesday morning and transited at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport before finally reaching Kahului Airport in the early afternoon. We were welcomed by the cool breeze when we deplaned walking towards the baggage area. It was very peaceful so much so it reminded me once again why we wanted to come back to these islands. Once we gathered our luggage, we made our way to Hertz and secured a swanky ride.

Swanky ride

Swanky ride - interior

Now, the time difference between the East Coast and the State of Hawaii is 6 hours. J and I had not eaten proper food since we boarded the plane. To put it rather candidly, airline food is atrocious. Is it free? No. Must one pay for it? Yes. Is the food decent? No. Hence, we stuck with our snacks from home. By the time we drove out of Hertz’s parking lot, J and I were famished.

Thus, we punch in restaurants as our point of interest on our GPS and made a quick decision to go to a Thai restaurant. The restaurant was located in a strip mall. Walking towards the strip mall, we located Whole Foods and Genki Sushi; both of them my favorite place to go to. When we reached the Thai restaurant, we realized that it was closed in the afternoon. Hence, we ended up at a local joint called Maui Mixed Plate. If you are looking for nice ambience, this is not the place to go to. From past experience good food are normally found in simple joints. Past experience proved to be accurate when we finally ate our food. It may be simple but J and I were gratified.

After the nourishing ourselves, we walked around the mall for a short while and stock up on water before making our way to the hotel.

Genki - yums!

Whole Foods!

Once we checked into the hotel, that was pretty much our first day. We were tired and sleepy so much so we slept like a log until the following morning.

To be continued.....

**These days we pay for everything on the plane i.e. from luggage, food, drinks to movies. We were rather surprised when we were not charged for water, soda or tea. One would think that when you pay for something, service would at least be better. If you think that this is the case, you thought wrong..hah! In a nutshell, airlines in the United States is inferior bar none.