Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Oh my ar$e
Well, I wanted to see the top of the main volcano here on Maui, and I saw all the hairpin bends on the map and decided I didn't want to drive it, so I booked myself on a tour that drives you to the top and lets you bike down at your own pace. That's where I've been today. And now my ar$e is sooo sore! And I have a really big bruise on my leg where I fell off my bike about 5 seconds after I got on it! Well, everyone knows the closest I've been to a bike in the last 10 years is at the gym. Not quite the same thing.
It was worth it though, the view from the top (10,000 feet) was amazing, and as we got there, cloud settled in at about 5-7,000 feet, so when we biked down we went through the cloud - which was really cool.
Tomorrow is whale watching, much more relaxing I hope.
Sx
It was worth it though, the view from the top (10,000 feet) was amazing, and as we got there, cloud settled in at about 5-7,000 feet, so when we biked down we went through the cloud - which was really cool.
Tomorrow is whale watching, much more relaxing I hope.
Sx
Monday, February 27, 2006
Snorkelling piccies
I've attached some piccies from my snorkelling trips on the Big Island and here on Maui. The ones with the turtles in them are from the Big Island and the others are from Maui (I think).
I went on a snorkelling trip yesterday with a guy I met at the hostel I'm staying at. It was supposed to be to a tiny little crater island called Molokini and to Lanai (a nearby larger island) but the weather came in from the wrong direction and we went to Lanai (no pics from there) and a place called Coconut bay (I forget the Hawaiian name). The fish were great at both places, and we saw loads of whales along the way. I'm heading out on a whalewatching trip on Wednesday so should have some great pics from that soon.
I've been over to Hana on the eastern side of the island today. It's a 30-odd mile trip, but it's along a twisting winding road along the coast and took 2hrs plus each way. 15mph average speed! It's been a long day - driving seems to really take it out of me.
Tomorrow is my bike trip up Haleakala (10,000 ft) and I will put money down that it rains. The rain seems to be following me at the moment. It caught me big time on Kauai and has followed me here. It *will* hold off on Thursday so I can get some beach time!
Anyway, hope you enjoy the piccies,
Suz xxx
I went on a snorkelling trip yesterday with a guy I met at the hostel I'm staying at. It was supposed to be to a tiny little crater island called Molokini and to Lanai (a nearby larger island) but the weather came in from the wrong direction and we went to Lanai (no pics from there) and a place called Coconut bay (I forget the Hawaiian name). The fish were great at both places, and we saw loads of whales along the way. I'm heading out on a whalewatching trip on Wednesday so should have some great pics from that soon.
I've been over to Hana on the eastern side of the island today. It's a 30-odd mile trip, but it's along a twisting winding road along the coast and took 2hrs plus each way. 15mph average speed! It's been a long day - driving seems to really take it out of me.
Tomorrow is my bike trip up Haleakala (10,000 ft) and I will put money down that it rains. The rain seems to be following me at the moment. It caught me big time on Kauai and has followed me here. It *will* hold off on Thursday so I can get some beach time!
Anyway, hope you enjoy the piccies,
Suz xxx
Thursday, February 23, 2006
On to Maui
Thursday 23 Feb
Well the problem of figuring out what to do yesterday was solved for me. I ended up hung over a toilet for most of the night and day, having eaten something that *really* didn't agree with me. Am still feeling pretty weak, but managed to get myself to Maui today which is *much* drier and sunnier and am just planning to rest up for the next little while as I feel absolutely shattered at the moment. So I ended up seeing the airport, plus the road to Waimea in Kauai and that was about it. I rained pretty much the entire time (except, wouldn't you know it, the day I was sick) - at times I could barely see in front of me and was driving at about half the speed limit. Scary.
So I don't have anything more to add for the moment but will post something much more interesting when I do...
Suz x
Well the problem of figuring out what to do yesterday was solved for me. I ended up hung over a toilet for most of the night and day, having eaten something that *really* didn't agree with me. Am still feeling pretty weak, but managed to get myself to Maui today which is *much* drier and sunnier and am just planning to rest up for the next little while as I feel absolutely shattered at the moment. So I ended up seeing the airport, plus the road to Waimea in Kauai and that was about it. I rained pretty much the entire time (except, wouldn't you know it, the day I was sick) - at times I could barely see in front of me and was driving at about half the speed limit. Scary.
So I don't have anything more to add for the moment but will post something much more interesting when I do...
Suz x
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Kaua'i downpour and update
Tuesday 21 Feb
Well I've been here in Hawaii for about 12 days now. I started on Oahu which was great but could have been any beach destination in Europe - there was nothing uniquely Hawaiian about it.
Then I spent the last week on the Big Island of Hawaii which was better. I went snorkelling at the Captain Cook monument and the Place of Refuge and hopefully got some great photos - I'll post those when I get them developed. Then I went on to the volcano, Kilauea, where I spent a couple of nights, driving and walking around the caldera, and also going down the Chain of Craters road to see the lava going into the sea - it looked great but I don't think my photos are going to come out very well - my flash just doesn't work over a mile and it was really difficult to pick up the orange glow. I then spent a couple of days in Hilo, another town on the east coast which was nice and quaint but completely dead - Volcano wasn't exactly the most happening place, but it had a good vibe to it - Hilo just felt so slow. If I went back to the Big Island (and I fully hope to do so sometime), Volcano would be the place I would go back to.
Yesterday I flew in to Kauai - where it has been raining non-stop since I got here. I was supposed to go out on a helicopter tour this morning but that was cancelled. This afternoon I'm going on a boat ride up the Na Pali Coast, which should be spectacular, except I really don't think it's going to stop raining...
The hostel I'm staying at on Kauai is pretty open air. One side of the room has no windows in the window spaces, and half my bedding is damp! Ah well, how often do I get to sleep like this? It's actually pretty cool though and the people are nice. Actually, I haven't met a horrible or rude person the entire time I've been out here.
I'm not actually sure what I'm going to do tomorrow if I can't get an alternative slot with a helicopter company... and it's raining so hard that it's difficult to see to drive sometimes...
Thursday I'm off to Maui which will hopefully be rather drier.
Suz xx
Well I've been here in Hawaii for about 12 days now. I started on Oahu which was great but could have been any beach destination in Europe - there was nothing uniquely Hawaiian about it.
Then I spent the last week on the Big Island of Hawaii which was better. I went snorkelling at the Captain Cook monument and the Place of Refuge and hopefully got some great photos - I'll post those when I get them developed. Then I went on to the volcano, Kilauea, where I spent a couple of nights, driving and walking around the caldera, and also going down the Chain of Craters road to see the lava going into the sea - it looked great but I don't think my photos are going to come out very well - my flash just doesn't work over a mile and it was really difficult to pick up the orange glow. I then spent a couple of days in Hilo, another town on the east coast which was nice and quaint but completely dead - Volcano wasn't exactly the most happening place, but it had a good vibe to it - Hilo just felt so slow. If I went back to the Big Island (and I fully hope to do so sometime), Volcano would be the place I would go back to.
Yesterday I flew in to Kauai - where it has been raining non-stop since I got here. I was supposed to go out on a helicopter tour this morning but that was cancelled. This afternoon I'm going on a boat ride up the Na Pali Coast, which should be spectacular, except I really don't think it's going to stop raining...
The hostel I'm staying at on Kauai is pretty open air. One side of the room has no windows in the window spaces, and half my bedding is damp! Ah well, how often do I get to sleep like this? It's actually pretty cool though and the people are nice. Actually, I haven't met a horrible or rude person the entire time I've been out here.
I'm not actually sure what I'm going to do tomorrow if I can't get an alternative slot with a helicopter company... and it's raining so hard that it's difficult to see to drive sometimes...
Thursday I'm off to Maui which will hopefully be rather drier.
Suz xx
