I stubbed my little toe Sunday morning and cracked the toenail right down the middle.
I guess that’s the end of the story. It’s not like I’m in Hawaii or anything. Lloyd. Pick up the slack
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The trouble with being in Hawaii (which I can now spell) with Brad is that he has a real camera and takes 427% better pictures than I do and can also upload them and he knows how to spell things on Maui. What kind of chance does that give me?
We traveled the Road to Hana yesterday with Curt taking the place of Samith this time. There are 216 hair-pin turns on the Road to Hana (everyone says it in capital letters here) and 56 one lane bridges and 1,703 tourists renting cars and driving there every day. I’m not sure about the 1,703 number. There might only be 1,103 when there isn’t a cruise ship in port. Today there was a cruise ship in port. Maui must have the only airport in the world where half of the cars rented are convertibles.
We left about 2 hours earlier than last time and drove past beautiful scenic overlooks, beautiful waterfall trailheads, beautiful roadside fruit stands, beautiful botanic gardens (etc.). We were on a mission. To find the hike through the bamboo forest up to a waterfall. It turns out that there are at least three of these, but we think we picked the best. We certainly picked the one furthest away.
In fact, it was so far away that it would have been closer to drive the other way around the island to get there (except we didn’t have a 4×4 (the other way isn’t entirely paved/not sliding off a cliff).
But the hike was everything we dreamed that it would be. The bamboo forest was amazing (see Flickr photos). The banyan tree was huge. The secret fenced off way to the top of one of the dozen or so waterfalls was forbidden and exciting (we had a good guidebook). It started to rain on us part of the way up to the top, but when your goal is to stand under a 400 foot waterfall; what’s a little rain?
Actually, the rain was kind of fun too. It was more or less the same temperature as the rest of Maui (78 degrees) and didn’t really slow us down at all. In fact, inside the Bamboo forest it was hard to tell it was raining.
When you’re hiking up a trail in the rain, you tend to keep your head down to make sure your footing is sure. So when we came to a little break in the forest and saw a waterfall ahead it was, “Look, another beautiful waterfall ahead.” But then you look up.
And look up.
And look up.
Four hundred feet up (and up). It just sort of sneaks up on you. Note: if you haven’t looked at the photos on Flickr, now would be a good time to do so. After the half dozen or so bikini clad girls got out of the waterfall (we are on Maui) Curt, Brad and I went in. The water was surprisingly warm, noisy and poundy. It was great.
If you are only going to go one one hike in Maui, this is the one to do. Ahhh, what do I know? I’ve only been here two weeks, and only been on 6ish hikes and hike like things. Still, I give it 5 stars. A dozen waterfall, a banyan tree, an infinity pool, a bamboo forest, more beautiful views than you can shake a bamboo walking stick at. It was okay.
Peggy says
I guess Hawaii has become old hat for Lloyd. And frankly, that ruffles my feathers.
Lloyd says
So, I fell asleep (a) without hitting the update button, so no one will be reading any of that and (b) the upload to Flickr didn’t seem to work either.
Peggy says
You are a good man Lloyd!
And hehe….We had a mission to hike through the bamboo forest & up to the waterfall. It sounds like a Hobbit expedition …. an adventurous quest … The Fellowship of the Bikinis.
Lauren says
He is a good man. 🙂
I love to read your writing, Lloyd. It’s almost like hearing your voice! (We have spoken to each other twice since he’s been gone.)
Brad says
Hehe… Lloyd made a comment to me about that. It has been true for me the whole time I’ve lived here: a five hour time difference makes it very difficult to call people before they’re asleep.
Kris says
I love your writing too, Lloyd… makes me smile:)