Maui

First off, I have to say this is an amazing place to go. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been with so many unbelievable things to see and do. It was nothing like I expected it to be, instead it was 20 times better. I didn't get to go surfing but I know for a fact I will be back to Hawaii soon enough and will get to try it then. And sorry Sue but I didn't get to drink out of a coconut either so that's 2 out of 3 pictures that I know I don't have for you... and I'm not sure if I have one with a flower in my hair!! I tried though - really I did! Here are some highlights from my trip. If I talked about everything it would take me forever to finish this blog! And it's already taken me this long to get around to doing it. First off, snorkling is amazing. You never know what you'll find underneath you if you poke your head into the ocean. We went snorkling almost every day and one time we even got to go out to Molokini to go snorkling. My mom and aunt even tried it and they're afraid of swimming pools! The most memorable part of that was of course seeing my mom get into the ocean with 30 feet of water underneath her, and actually relaxing enough to enjoy it! And then of course there was the day where Chad and I went in off a beach and in 10 seconds of snorkling saw a HUGE manta ray. We're guessing 6 or 7 feet wide but it was hard to say since we were too chicken to get closer than a couple metres to him. He was so graceful though... I'll never forget how he glided through the water. And then we turn around and spot 3 big sea turtles! They were great to watch, they were so graceful in the water as well and would come right up and look us in the eyes and go back to eating. It was amazing!!

Another key part of the trip was they Hana highway. It's a 37 mile long drive with 600 curves and 200 bridges. It was so incredibly beautiful though. We got to hike through a bamboo forest, I got to fall into a river and injure myself, got to see part of the island few get to see (we went to a black sand beach and a red sand beach), got to see Maui for all of its beauty - the vegetation, the flowers, the very very blue water and perfect beaches. But still, the one part of the trip that stands out most in my mind was getting up at 3:00 in the morning, cramming 6 people into a mid-sized car, and doing a 2 hour drive to the top of a volcano in the dark and increasing cold (it was maybe 5 degrees at the top of the volcano and very windy), hiking and falling on jagged rock to find the very top, fingertips frozen and body shivering, legs aching, mind still half asleep... to witness the most beautiful sunrise imaginable. It was INCREDIBLE. Since we were above the clouds, the sunrise was a very new experience and the colors that it created on the fluffy edges are unmatched. If you ever go to Maui, you HAVE to do the sunrise. Fabulous.

I really wanted to add photos to this blog. Maybe when I get home I'll be able to, it doesn't seem to be working here. It's true what they say though - a picture is a thousand words... so soon you'll be able to see them :)