Maui (The Wave)

Well, COVID is not over yet, and unfortunately, there are still many uncertainties as to what exactly is required to travel to other countries. Maui is the perfect choice for people from the mainland, who want to stay in the US and want to enjoy very comfortable temperatures.

I remember quite vividly last time we came here and for the exact reason, we chose to rent the same condo again. The snorkeling is a stone throw away and this time we were lucky and we saw quite a few eels, such as the Magnificent Snake Eel, besides some other permanent and more obvious inhabitants such as turtles. For the first two days, the visibility was absolutely great, but declined after that to a point where we wouldn't be able to see a turtle right in front of us.

Waking up in the morning is one of the great pleasures of this wonderful world, first because of the view from our lanai.

Second, a cup of Nespresso Palermo Kazaar that is smooth yet strong. We are so dedicated (espresso crazy) that we brought our own Nespresso machine. It filled half of the suite case, but it was worth it. The other half was occupied by fins, mask and wet suits.

Third, it's the sound of the constant surf that is almost hypnotizing. Due to the impending full moon, the beach was almost fully consumed by the high tide.

We took a coconut tour and I never knew what one can learn. It was more than educational and that is why I would highly recommend it.

Going up to Haleakala was one of our goals. This time, we got up a little earlier so that we had enough time to hike almost all the way down (and back up again) and we didn't have a dinner reservation, so we had no stress, just hiking. The day's forecast contained some rain, but up on the top it was beautiful. We made it all the way on the right side where the path disappears.

The fauna is unique and obviously protected. One of the distinctive plants are the Haleakala Silverswords and below species are not blooming yet, but they still make quite an impression.

The toy chest in front of our door contained two boogie boards and we took advantage of the good surf conditions due to the full moon and went body boarding for the first time. It was a lot of fun and it won't be the last time.

You may have been wondering why this vacation has wave in the title. Well, here is the beautiful sculpture we found at Makai Glass Maui. They have a great showroom with so many magnificent pieces of glass art.

Maui

COVID through a wrench in our plans of going to Switzerland this year in May, rather than in the fall as usual. In early spring, Swiss Airline wanted a final confirmation of whether or not we would fly to Zurich and at that time we weren't sure if we would get the shot in time. So we cancelled the trip 😥. Once we received our second shot we decided to fly for 8 hours in the other direction and booked a fantastic condo on Maui.

The condo was recently renovated and the huge fridge from Thermador still had a piece of Styrofoam protecting the drawers. The view was 180 degree of breathtaking pacific ocean and every night we were able to witness a picture perfect sunset on our private lanai. We snorkeled every day with big turtles up to 3 feet in diameter at turtle city, which was maybe one walking minute away! We also kayaked along the shore line checking out hotels that made us feel lucky to have our own private beach.

Getting up early to drive the road to Hana is essential and absolutely worth it. This would be fun with a car like a Mach-E GT (for more on that a little later) since that car is made for the never ending curves. Right after Hana we stopped by the Wallua Falls. Because it was raining in the morning, the hike up to the falls was hot and steamy. It was quite a sight and even though we got up early, we were not the only ones, but I would not call it crowded.

We continued on the same road that changes to a dirt road to explore the southern part of the island and the climate changed from rain forest and bamboo to dry and volcanic.

Speaking of volcano, a trip up to Haleakalā is highly recommended, so that you can appreciate the full extend of the different climate zones this island has to offer. Believe it or not, that mountain is over 3000 meters high (10,1023 feet). It was so high, that we drove through a cloud layer on switch backs that almost made us dizzy and the view from the observatory was just stunning. A four hour hike down from the crater and then back up again was a reminder what Mars could be like.

On the west side of the island, in Lahaina, we visited the Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate factory, which produces a variety of delicious chocolate with cacao beans that are locally grown on Maui. The tasting was being held outdoors in the middle of their farm. And I thought, only Swiss know how to make chocolate. Oh boy, was I wrong. 

The Hali'imaile Distillery uses a unique technique that makes sure the aroma of their product is preserved. They use local ingredients and even though I personally like Whiskey, I was floored by their Pau Maui Vodka.