One would think that I’d have more energy since we were able to get more than a full night’s rest before our excursions of day 2. On the contrary, a mere twelve hours later I am completely fatigued and ready to pass out a gain. This is okay as Maui (and especially our current location, Hana) is sleepy kind of place where people, local and tourist, embrace the phrase, “early to bed, early to rise.” There is very little, if any kind of nightlife here but both Dave and I enjoy it that way. In fact, I know I’d be pretty bummed. Maui had some kind of life after sunset because I don’t have the energy to enjoy it.
I must say, I love that about vacations. The days are filled with walking around and physical activity so that by the time we come back home, we are ready for bed and sleep soundly. At least, that’s how I tend to do vacations. I wish that’s how it was at home as well. I want to occupy my days with more engaging activities and have less tedious “busy-ness.” I always feel so busy and yet seem to experience very little unlike today having spent it driving the Road to Hana; a “must do” here in Maui. Thankfully, we decided to spend more than one day here in Hana instead of trying to do it as a day trip like many visitors. There is just way too much to see and do on the way; I like to take my time and fully experience a place before leaving. Who knows when I may get the opportunity to come back?
The Road to Hana excursion epitomizes the saying, “it’s about the journey, not the destination. Actually, this tiny town of Hana has very little to offer except a glance into a Maui from the past. It’s all the stops along this winding and curvy road that makes this memorable. Having read about it, I was nervous as the drive is considered “not for the faint of heart.” I must have forgotten how much I love driving and found very little of it particularly scary. Sure, some of the road is only wide enough for one car which can make things interesting and it does require a much slower pace than I’m used to but it wasn’t scary. We began our journey in the town of Pa’ia. Since we weren’t pressed for time, we lingered for a couple of hours shopping, eating, and walking around. I bought a beautiful glass necklace and a pair of flip flops and we ate the most delicious fish and chips plate. For dessert, we delighted in some gelato.
Technically, however, the Road to Hana doesn’t begin until after this small town so our first actual stop on the road was a place called Twin Falls. Before beginning our adventure to the falls we stopped at a fruit stand (a small, decorated bus) and ordered fresh sugarcane juice and a banana/pineapple smoothie. These sweet and tasty beverages provided us all the refreshment needed for our walk which took far longer than necessary as we somehow managed to take the longest trail possible. Luckily for us the trail was beautiful and worth the extra time and exercise. Because we disregarded the advice of our guidebook, we did not wear our swimsuits and were unable to swim near the falls. However, I personally found it just as enjoyable wading in the cool water near it.
Garden of Eden was our second stop. This lovely arboretum and botanical garden filled with not only exotic plants and breathtaking views really did leave me wondering if the real Garden of Eden was this beautiful. Of all the places we’ve been thus far, this was the most romantic. The sights, sounds, and smells were captivating and we had complete privacy; something we’ve yet to feel anywhere else aside from our hotel room. It was such a great escape that we spent more than an hour here ourselves.
We continued making small stops along the way taking pictures of everything we could. Our final stop for the day was at the prodigious Ke’anae Peninsula where large black rocks jutted out of the ocean near the shoreline continuously being bombarded by the waves. We would have eaten our picnic lunch from Hana Bay Picnic Co. but it was already 5pm and we were hardly halfway done. With the sun setting at approximately 6:15 here, I wanted to get to our hotel sooner since driving on that kind of a road in the pitch black was not something I was ready to try. I have no idea how anyone manages to do all of this in one day. I’m so incredibly glad we have three.
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