Aloha Summer 2014: Sunday, Fun Day!

Today (approximately 6:30pm) marked my first full week in Maui - and it's been absolutely amazing. I've done way more than I ever expected to at this point, and have had the best time doing it! Not wanting to belittle Monday through Saturday, but today was probably my favorite so far...

Up and at'em for some Stand Up Paddleboard
Today I had planned to give my first try at stand up paddleboarding (SUP) and E suggested that we head out early to make sure we beat the mid-afternoon trade winds. We decided to start at Keawakapu Beach and then head down to Ulua Beach. SUPs are way bigger than I imagined, and now I know, bigger than surfboards. I had a heck of a time carrying mine from the rental place (where the people were really nice) even though the location was right next to the beach. Thankfully, our new friend A'm, who we had met the day before - joined us, and carried mine down for me. Otherwise, I still might have been awkwardly making my way to the water...

I was nervous of how I would do, knowing that my balance isn't the greatest, but it wasn't bad. I was able to get on the board and stand up relatively easily and paddling went okay to after E gave us a few pointers. I did try to adjust one time to move my stance back a little and fell off the board - but I didn't lose my sunglasses or crash into reef, so it was okay. After I got back on, I just made sure my feet were where I wanted them to be before I stood up. My biggest issue I had through it was that my feet cramped up - I guess maybe from my attempt to turn them into Spiderman-grips by sheer will. When they did (cramp, not turn into grippy-feet), I would either kneel or sit Indian-style on the board and paddle from there. The water was just as amazing from the distance we were to the beach - so clear we could see everything below us - and we caught glimpse of a couple of sea turtles on the trip.

Ulua Beach was about a mile down and we ran into a friend of E's who was on the boat with us for 4th of July. B'y was giving SUP lessons for a local hotel and I heard him talk to E about the trade winds and such, but it was okay because we were planning on turning around at that point anyhow, so we tailed him and his student for a short distance until they stopped to do a bit of stretching and yoga stances. E joined them, but I took the opportunity to sit back and admire the view from my board, basking in the sun and just enjoying the serenity. Once they were done with their stretches, I got back up and tried to kick it into gear to catch up with A'm who had gone ahead of us. E had given me direction on how to bring my board in, but I didn't really figure it out, so I just started paddling in at a point. A'm had already taken his board in, so he met me at the ocean line and collected mine to carry back up to the rental place, making the whole experience definitely easier than it might have been at this point :)

We relaxed at the beach for a little while, and I spent some time sitting in the sand while the waves came over me. In retrospect, not the best idea as I had sand EVERYWHERE! There are showers to rinse off at most places, but there is only a certain amount you can rinse off in a public area before you're giving a show.

The Surf Shack
http://www.surfshackmaui.com/
2960 S Kihei Rd. #3, Kihei, HI 96753

The Bean and grub...
E loves coffee. Whenever we're at that part of Kihei, she likes to stop at a place called The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (she just calls it "the Bean"), so we did after SUP. E got coffee, A'm let me buy him a drink as thanks for carrying my SUP, and I got a Lychee Iced tea, which was tropically yummy.

By this time it was early afternoon and we were all starving after no breakfast and a good workout on the SUPs. E took us to a place called the 808 Deli, where A'm treated us to lunch. I had the Toasted Italian - mmmm, love Italian sammy's! - which hit the spot.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
http://coffeebeanhawaii.com/menu
3750 Wailea Alanui Dr, Unit B-30, Kihei, HI 96753

808 Deli
www.808deli.com/
2511 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753

Lava Fields and Night Marchers...
After lunch, E asked us what we wanted to do - and gave us options. A'm was only going to be in town for a couple more days, so I let him pick - and he chose a scenic drive to La Perouse Bay, which is covered in rough lava from the last eruption of Haleakala in 1790. On the way, E pointed out a couple of celeb homes - Clint Eastwood's and Steven Tyler's. But we didn't stop by and visit.

Before we went exploring, I had to change and so I got crafty in the back seat of E's car without giving a show. Feeling much more comfortable, we pressed on to explore the lava fields, which were really breathtaking against the ocean waves. E told us a ghost story about the restless Night Marchers who are said to roam along the hardened lava landscape in search of mischief.

Note: La Perouse has to have the cleanest port-o-potties I have ever seen.

Trauma Island
E had mentioned to me (among others at home) that there is a place called Little Beach, where clothing is optional. She told me about her experience there, and it didn't sound great. There are just some things you can never unsee. She brought it up again as she pulled into a busy parking lot, mentioning that on Sunday nights, there is somewhat of a "hippy fest" where people go and play drums and make it more of a party than usual. I said it seemed a bit busy, and I could do without the experience. A'm didn't seem to disagree as we drove out of the parking lot to the next beach we would visit, called Big Beach.

Big Beach is... Big. And really pretty. There is plenty of room for you to place your beach chairs and towels without having to sit right next to another group. I'm told it's great for sunbathing, but the tide can be a bit crazy - so maybe not the best place to play in the water. We walked briskly north towards the end of the beach, and I suppose I should have asked what the rush was - but I thought I was just walking slow because I was trying to make sure I didn't walk into any waves coming up, trip into a fishing line, or lose my hat in the light wind. When we came to the end, I noticed that there was a natural rock and sand stairway that was being used by a number of people. And here I figured out, we had simply passed over the Little Beach parking lot and used Big Beach as an access.

I reluctantly climbed the rock - surprisingly without injury - to end up on the other side of the natural separator to Big Beach. My first view was a man - a sandy man - on his knees, crouched forward with his naked bumm in the air and face planted down in the sand, doing yoga-like poses. As we continued on, I kept my eyes ahead of me, happy for my large rimmed floppy hat. Although many would like to believe and imagine, a beach like this covered with vacationing super models and off duty fireman, that is not the reality. And as E and A'm both noted, there are some things you just can't unsee.

We didn't stay long.

Later that evening, as I was updating my list of items to-do and crossing off things we'd done - I added "Trauma Island". It wasn't really an island, but E laughed and said it was something that had to be done. And I suppose a few others had told me that as well, but I was still going to tell on her - so here you go! E made me do it!

BEST dessert ever!
So, total redemption came on the way home when E stopped at Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice for the most amazing treat. She had described shave ice as fluffy and an art and by comparison, a snow cone was simply an ice cube in a cup of over-sweetened koolaid syrup. I ordered a micro-size (which was still gigantic) with Pickled Mango, Lychee and Lilikoi with Haupia (Coconut Pudding) Ice Cream on the bottom. OMG! It was so good. I found out there is a location in Kahului, which is not far from the airport, so I suggest, if you land at OGG and can make it before 6:30pm, that should be your first stop!

Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice
http://www.ululanisshaveice.com/
61 S Kihei Rd Kihei, HI 96753