A Little Sunset Cruise

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A Dinner Cruise in Paradise

Cruise the coast of Maui at Sunset. Dine on prime rib and baby carrots. Drinks flow freely. Live entertainment as if the views aren’t enough. What could be better. How about an escort of humpback whales?

Maui Princess

The Maui Princess

I’d taken the Maui Princess Dinner Cruise before. The previous year my sister, my cousin and I had enjoyed the relaxing sunset cruise along the Maui Coast. It was a beautiful evening and I think its safe to say a good time was had by all. It wasn’t exciting but it was relaxing. So as I considered my options for my last two days in Hawaii, taking the cruise again seemed like a nice idea. My goal this trip was to relax and unwind. Not go on an adrenaline kick.

The Old Lady and the Newly Weds

west Maui Mountains

I had to laugh when I was taken to my table. Single travelers must be a real headache to tour operators. Most of the tables were set for 4 people. What to do with a lone senior citizen? In my case they seated me with a young newly wed couple. The newly weds were on their honeymoon. They were good sports about sharing their table with me. The woman entertainer was quite good but it wasn’t long before she was upstaged.

The Humpback Escorts

This time of year is whale season. We’d just left the harbor when a pair of whales surfaced right next to us. One was clearly a mama humpback and the other was her baby. According to our captain the baby was probably only 2-3 weeks old. Next to Mama it looked tiny. The mama whale was teaching her baby to breach. It’s the way the baby gets in shape for the long journey back to Alaska. The pair stayed close all evening putting on quite the show. The baby never seemed to tire of his breaching acrobatics.

Breaching baby Humpback

A Magical Night

The whale pair stayed with us the whole evening. At times the antics were so much fun even the crew stopped serving to watch. We were all seated on the top deck so there were no bad seats. I didn’t bring the camera so I had the freedom to just sit back and enjoy. Yes, I felt a pang to not be capturing the action but sometimes its nice to just be immersed in the experience.

 

Luaus in Hawaii

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imu

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Luau’s are everywhere in Hawaii

Luaus are to Hawaii as barbecue is to the South. I’ve been to Luaus on Oahu, The big Island and Maui. I’ve lost count of the number I’ve attended. They all have certain elements. You’ll have Kalua Pig. Its usually the center prices of the celebration. A whole pig is cooked in an underground oven called an imu. You’ll also get to taste poi, a paste made from the taro plant. Some of the other traditional foods are Lomilomi salmon, chicken and long rice. You’ll probably be served Haupia, a coconut milk based treat that’s been popular since the 1940’s for dessert.

The Luau Shows

Princess Dance

There’s a lot of pomp and tradition to the Luau shows. Some start with a procession of Hawaiian Royalty others begin with the opening of the imu. Many just begin as a stage show. No matter what the  format, all of the shows tell a story of the Islands. Different types of native dance and song are showcased. Most have a fire dancers which is always a crowd pleaser.

The Feast at Lele

I was told this Luau was different from any I’d been to before and it shouldn’t be missed. It was a sales pitch and I fell for it but  I was getting a nice discount so why not. Usually tickets are $110/head. I paid $49.00. At most luaus you are seated at long family style tables and go through a buffet line for food. Not so at the Feast of Lele. You’ll have your own table and server.

Our Band

The Band played popular ballads but they all sounded like Hawaiian music. As they started another familiar song I commented ” Here’s another traditional Hawaiian  favorite for your listening pleasure.” My tablemates thought that was quite funny.

Feast of lele dancersJourney across Polynesia

The Feast of Lele differs from other Luaus because you don’t go through a buffet line. You’ll enjoy a 5 course meal themed  by island  and delivered to your table by your server. The entertainment features the dances of the island to match your meal, Hawaii, Aotearoa – New Zealand, Tahiti, Samoa and dessert.

 

Let me tell you how I really feel

I fully agree that everyone should attend at least one Luau but by now my luau experiences were approaching double digits.  I love Hawaii but I am not a fan of Hawaiian food. Give me a good steak anytime.  I like the shows but after seeing as many as I’ve seen I don’t need another one. Even the fire dancer has lost it’s exotic feel. Disney includes a fire dancer in it’s Festival of the Lion King.

Fire Dance

Iao State Park

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Iao Valley State Monument

Before I tell you about Iao Valley I want to say I am sorry this post is a little late.  Here on the East Coast we’re getting hammered with high winds, power outages and coastal flooding. But if my internet manages to stay on I’m going to get this post out to you tonight. 

Maui Mountains

The beautiful rain forest valley of Iao was designated a National Natural Monument in 1972.  The area is steeped in Sacred Traditions and Hawaiian History. I’ve wanted to visit the “Needle” ever since I saw a photo of the unique landscape. But thanks to the rainforest environment the roads were closed due to mud slides on my last 3 visits.

Iao ValleyThe Hawaiian Gods of the Valley

The Hawaiian God Kane is considered to be the procreator and the provider of life. Kāne is one of the four main gods in ka hoʻomana kahiko, traditional Hawaiian religion. The Iao Valley is one of the wettest locations on Maui so it is a perfect home for Kane. Native Hawaiian’s associate Kane with rain, fresh water, streams and springs. As early as the 15th century the valley was a royal burial ground.

The Great BattleIao Stream

The Battle of Kepaniwai took place there, in which Kamehameha the Great defeated Kalanikūpule and the Maui army during his campaign to unify the islands. . The battle was so bloody that dead bodies blocked Iao Stream. That must have been very distressing to the God Kane.

 

 

The Needle

The Nedle

The landmark “Needle” at the mouth of the valley is a volcanic core. In ancient times the Needle was used as an altar to worship the ocean god, Kanaloa.  The Iao Needle is actually the end of a ridge that leads to the West Maui Mountains. It only looks like a like free standing point because of the angle that you see the stone.

If You Go

The park is easy to find. There’s limited parking and a $5.00 entrance fee. there’s a well marked pedestrian path. Rest Rooms are available.

Iao Valley

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Maui flowersA Lush Valley in the Middle of Maui

Time to find Iao Valley. I’ve had it on my bucket list for at least 3 visits. Each time the roads were under repair. The valley is located in the center of Maui. It’s one of the wettest sections of Maui. Its a real bonafide rainforest. The concierge told me she hadn’t been there lately but that the roads are open. I was looking forward to some tropical beauty after my negative experience the day before. I only have 2 more days of my vacation and tomorrow I have a whale watch booked.

Getting to Iao Valleywalkway bridge

It turns out it was really easy to locate the valley. It’s actually a State Park. The area is sacred to native Hawaiian’s as well as having great historical significance. The park consists of 4000 acres and is 10 miles long. I was on the main road on the Island, RT 30. It wasn’t long before I saw a sign pointing to the left. Immediately after the left the road split. To get to the park you keep right. The road dips down through a little neighborhood before it starts a twisting upward climb. Now homes are left behind. You go through a falling rock zone and then there you are. There’s a ranger kiosk where you pay a $5.00 entrance fee. Parking was scarce when I was there. It had been cloudy and rainy so with a clear day everyone turned out.

What to expectexhibit area

The trails are paved and easy walking. The climb to view the landmark Iao Needle is made up of paved steps for easy climbing. You enter the park over a little bridge. You can head on up toward the needle or take a side path down to an exhibition area that models the way the Valley used to look. Unless you are a serious hiker there isn’t a lot to do here but it is pretty. I think the history of the area is the most interesting thing about the valley. I’ll share more of that next time.

Iao Needle

 

What Happened to the Stress Free Zone

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Even Paradise can encounter Stress

Dealing with an owner update shouldn’t be filled with stress. They aren’t supposed to be trying to sell you anything. Its supposed to be educational. That’s why when my owner update came due at 8 AM Sunday morning I was eager to get it over with. Not that I didn’t want to know what changes had been made to my program. I just didn’t want to spend the whole day with the reps from Diamond Resorts. Nice people but my time on the island was limited. I had better ways to spend my time than locked in a meeting.

Changes are Coming

I enjoyed a nice breakfast while I watched several whales cavorting  just offshore. What a way to spend a morning. The rep assigned to me was originally from Chicago and he was very upbeat and fun. We finally wrapped up breakfast and settled down to the nitty gritty. A lot of his presentation had my eyes crossing. There was some interesting stuff but he sure liked to talk! Once he got into the part about maximizing my return and making my timeshare work for me I perked up. Now he had my attention. It all sounded great. Then he pulled my file and the sales pitch began. Oh too bad, you don’t have enough points to qualify for these perks. You have to be at 70,000 points not the 50,000 you’ve worked so hard to reach.  Now I was mad. I’ve scrimped and struggled to reach this level and now he’s telling me within 2 years it won’t be enough to let me vacation when I want. 

It was a Long, Long Morning

That peaceful breakfast with the whales seemed a long time ago. It was only at 8 am but now it was 1 pm. I had an appointment at 2 pm for a massage. I was led upstairs where I was supposed to sign off on the update. It was not to be. First they had a legal question on my last upgrade. Then I still had to wait for someone else to give me my incentives (gifts). I called the spa and moved my massage to 3 pm. No time for lunch. Finally the last person came out and again tried to sell me the upgrade. I was seeing red at that point and stood up to walk out. That’s when they finally let me go. I’d have to come back to see the concierge for my gifts.

Puamana Day Spa

 

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I arrived at my appointment at 3:15. My stomach was growling but I really wanted to try a massage for my hip problem. I knew a deep tissue massage would hurt and it did, especially on that left hip but at the end I was like rubber. I had to really concentrate just to walk. The ladies at the Spa are mother and daughter and have a very peaceful way about them. Just what I needed after that wasted morning!