Leaving Maui

Day Eight.
It was still windy and cloudy on our last day in Maui. There wasn't much to do in the morning with the weather being what it was. But it was still pleasant to sit on the balcony, drink coffee, read the paper, and stare out at the white caps piling up in the channel between Maui and Molokai. I could still see a few whales now and then spouting off in the distance and colorful birds chirped all morning. A rainbow appeared and shifted in the changing morning light with clouds zooming by. We packed and headed off to the airport. We stopped at a lookout spot of the highway from Lahaina and looked for more whales. Nearing the airport, the weather was windier with less clouds and more white caps jumping on top of a tempestuous and brilliantly deep blue sea. The turnoff was full off people whale spotting and genuinely amazed when a humpback breached the surface with a large white splash. I didn't know if they were just seeing for the first time, or if they were as amazed as I was that the whales continued to do this by the hundreds day after day this time of the year. We stopped at another natural food store and picked up some sandwiches to eat while waiting at the airport. Michael also wanted more coffee to go. It was still windy when it was time to take off from the airport in Kahului, but the climb was swift and quiet compared to the swaying palm trees and sugar cane fields below.
Before we knew it, the sun was going down and the smooth flight to Portland was quickly coming to an end. It was just about four hours with a strong tailwind pushing us into the Pacific Northwest and an amazingly smooth landing that greeted us on a mild winter night in Portland. Since we were staying with a friend who doesn't drink coffee, Michael was sure to have the coffee he bought ground for us and we lounged about in the morning before having lunch with his mother. Later in the day, our friends Tiffany and Giovanna were flying up from San Francisco to meet us for the weekend. We checked into the Ace Hotel in downtown Portland, met up with the girls and split a bottle of red wine that evening. They hadn't been to Portland so it we picked a great restaurant for dinner: Clyde Common. It also happened to be directly below the hotel and we didn't have to step out into the damp night. The drinks we great, the meal was wonderful. We all split just about everything. Appetizers, starters, main courses, and three delicious desserts filled up the four of us and left our stomachs full.
Day Nine.
This is really the last day of the vacation as it was now time to head back to reality and see what the rest of our real lives looked like. The four of us eventually spilled down to the hotel lobby and had a cup of coffee, lounging about and generally relaxing for awhile before heading out to get a late breakfast. And then we were headed to Washington Park to the Chocolate Festival, which was really the whole reason the girls had flown up to Portland. Its also a big reason we stayed in Portland a couple nights, too. We had been a few years ago and had a really good time. This festival was also going to showcase a truffle and wine pairing demonstration so we were sure to get a good seat for it. There were also plenty of other booths where you could sample so many different tastes and flavors that it didn't take long before I hit the ceiling and didn't want to try any more chocolate. But they had lots of great samplings, like dark chocolate martinis, homemade chocolates, spicy chocolates, and many other items that escape my memory. What I did remember was Choffey. Its somewhat similar to grinding coffee beans rather coarsely so that you could use them in a french press. The chocolate is roasted and ground and then I am guessing its somewhat freeze-dried so that it doesn't break down anymore. You add it to hot water and press the screen down just like making coffee with a press, but its now something of a hot chocolate or sipping chocolate. People were adding creams and sugar to the drink, just as you would with a regular cup of coffee. While I didn't really care for the flavor, it was an innovative idea that could create a market if the taste was refined and more palatable.
After all that we weren't much in the mood for lunch or afternoon coffee, but we knew we needed to keep walking and burn off some of the calories we had just packed on. We went to show the girls more of the city and browsed more stores and rode the light rail to another part of the city to see what was going on. In the later afternoon, we said our good-byes and went to have a quick and tasty dinner with Michael's mother and sister before heading to the airport. Our flight was loaded with the USC basketball team after they had just lost to Oregon. They looked tired and filed onto the plane past us as we sat in first class and waited to head home. The last flight was also quick and smooth and we made it back home around 11 that night.
It was a long trip, I think the longest one I had taken in awhile and definitely the longest one for Michael in a few years. I was already thinking about Hawaii the next day and missing just about everything about it. I missed the clean air, the beautiful surroundings, the chirping birds and the playful whales. We had been there six nights but I still felt that there was so much more to see and so much more to do. Maybe next time, we will get to visit another island and see what else the 50th state has to offer.

Road to Haleakala

Day Six.
I had been checking the weather reports for Haleakala Mountain to see if it would be a good day to visit the summit. Forecasts showed mid-50s and sunny with wind gusts up to 45 MPH. The wind gusts made me nervous but I figured we would drive over there and see how things were. The highway sped away from the sugar cane fields and slowly up the mountain side. We were near the town of Kula around 3000 feet and it was already brisk and chilly outside, but it was still early in the morning. We stopped at a small cafe for a cup of coffee and strolled through the garden around the back. They were growing different proteas, which are large flowers that grow wild in South Africa. They are doing well in the higher elevations on Maui, too, and seemed to be quite popular. Further up the road we could see the layer of haze wafting below us. The cool and humid are gave way to dry, warmer temperatures. The wind wasn't too strong and there was a steady stream of tourists driving up and down the mountainside with us. The peak of the mountain is not only a sight to see at 10000 feet in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is also a national park with ranger-led tours, lots of activities and amazing views all around. We stopped at the park headquarters and read a little about the park and its history. Although Haleakala is a volcano, it hasn't erupted since 1790 and the peak is fractured into strange and colorful shapes. The trees gradually disappear and the shrubs thin out the higher you go. At the top, there is little plant life except a few silversword, which are greenish small palm-looking shrubs that only grow near the summit. The dirt is a deep brown and red and everything seems very loose. The wind can gust quite strong at that elevation and its difficult for anything to grow. Plus erosion is in full swing as craggy mounds dissolve in the wind, rain and snow. I also read that the dirt is so rich in iron that it can disrupt and play tricks on a compass.
The views are amazing. We were well above the layer of haze, but you could still see the clouds and ocean below. Everything seemed so small and I really didn't feel like I was on the island anymore. The peaks of Mauna Loa and Moana Kea were visible on the big island, 80 and 100 miles away. Someone said on clear days you can even see the curvature of the earth with visibility greater than 125 miles. While I didn't see that, the view was certainly awe-inspiring and well worth the two hour drive to the summit. We walked for awhile along a trail down into the nearby caldera. It was barren with streaks of red and brown dirt. A group of horseback riders was well ahead of us and they seemed so far away but I could see them so clearly. The sun was bright and obtrusive, making me squint and ache for my sunglasses (I had broken a contact lens the night before). Taking photos all around me, they didn't look so good when I uploaded them to my computer because the light was so harsh and direct. We continued down the trail for about two miles, then stopped and ate some snacks, admiring the odd and otherworldly surroundings. It would take hours to get down to the caldera floor, and then there wouldn't be anywhere to go other than back up or off to another trail far, far away from the car, so we headed back up. I was thinking that the sunrise view at the summit wouldn't have been so good because of the vog, but I'm sure it was amazing. Maybe next trip I will go that, or at least stick around for the sunset.
Driving back down we passed a nene bird on the side of the highway. I guess it sort of looks like a goose, with brown feathers, a heavy side-to-side walk and an inquisitive nature. The drive down seemed to take longer than the drive up. Michael wanted to visit a small restaurant in the upcountry called Grandmas. They had homemade sandwiches, yummy desserts and their own coffee. The sandwiches and desserts were great, while the coffee was okay. There was a nice wooden balcony that overlooked Kihei and the countryside below. It was windier at Grandmas than up at Haleakala's peak. So we headed back as the dark clouds began to roll in. It rained off and on and when we were back at the hotel, I decided it was time to relax again for the rest of the day and do some reading. We had a nice veggie pizza and salad from the nearby restaurant.
Day Seven.
Our last full day and I didn't feel like doing much. It was a blustery day with periods of light rain, blowing wind and great views of the other islands as the vog was pushed out to sea. We went to the farmer's market across the street and perused the local goods. After lunch, we drove to Lahaina and walked around. We had been nearby for five days and hadn't visited the town yet. A cruise ship was in town so everything was crowded and the rain had parted to reveal a warm and humid afternoon with occasional gusty reliefs of cool wind. We visited the Chinese history museum in town which had a neat short movie of footage Thomas Edison had taken with his new moving picture camera in the late 1800s. We walked around more, had some shaved ice and headed out of town.
We had passed by Island Press Coffee off the main highway but hadn't stopped. I'm glad we did because it was the best cup of coffee we had had on the island. The young guy behind the counter made me a french press and then chatted us up about the best ways to drink coffee. He was clearly as big a fan of the stuff as we were. We bought a half pound of whole beans from him to take home with us. I definitely recommend stopping if you are near the cafe.
Back at the hotel, that was it for the rest of the day. Oh, I did get a little restless that late afternoon and decided to go for a jog through the neighborhood. It immediately began to sprinkle and although I could see blue sky off in the distance, the rain only began to get heavier. So I cut my job short and headed back, with my hair soaked and my glasses dripping with water. I had planned to use an old pair of hiking/walking shoes in Maui and then leave them behind to free up space in my bag. And that was the end of those shoes.