Monday, with my parents having just arrived, we planned a mellow day which started at the yoga studio before picking up Alan and heading down to Wailea where my parents were staying. Of course first on the list was to gather for a big lunch as meals seem to be a constant theme any time our parents are around. Following that we dragged our bloated selves down to the beach where we had a father-son snorkeling adventure at a reef just off shore. Alan looked a little petrified when we handed him his mask and snorkel and I think was ready to pull out a copy of his “contract” to point out this breach but once we got him in the water he actually showed a smile as big as any Eric could remember. My mom opted to stay by the pool with her book but my dad (aka Moe) swam like a fish out to the edge of the reef where we saw the usual array of colorful fish and coral and even a huge turtle hiding under a rock.. We capped the day with another huge meal, big surprise, this time at Mama’s Fish House where the dads duked it out over who got to pay. As the check arrived, knowing this ritual was about to occur, Eric grabbed the bill, and like a boxing ref and declared “I want a clean fight.” No blood was drawn and many thanks to Alan and to my parents for several, probably too many, fantastic meals.
The following day we piled into the Forester for a drive up and around West Maui which is a long, windy but incredibly scenic drive. Eric had the helm and along with his three back seat drivers was able to navigate the roads safely getting us to another of nature’s beauties, the Nakalele Blowhole. This is a natural hole in a cliff that was formed years ago from lava flows and hovers like a shelf over the ocean. As the swell comes in, water shoots through the hole like a whale’s spout and sprays well over fifty feet in the air for quite a spectacle. Many get close to photograph and enjoy the spray but it shoots up so suddenly and with such fury that you can get soaked if you are not on your toes. Moe learned this one the hard way getting drenched as he tried to set up his camera, a good laugh for Eric and me at his expense. The hike down to the hole was about a half mile over slippery lava stone, another clear violation of Alan’s contract but we made it safely down and back with the only casualty being Moe’s shirt.
Wednesday I celebrated my thirty-second birthday and after a couple days off from sailing I decided the best way to celebrate was to get out on the water. My parents have not seen me windsurf much other than some video clips and so they pulled up some lawn chairs to try and get a sense of the sport that consumes much of my time, money and energy. The wind was a little light but I did get out and sail on my birthday and got to demonstrate some jibes and jumps. Alan departed that afternoon completing his ten-day stay that included some treacherous hikes and snorkeling in shark infested waters and after dropping him off Eric joined me on the water for a short session before a large birthday dinner at a place up in the hills called the Haliimale General Store. Following the birthday gorge, Eric and I got up early the next morning to ride and attempt to burn at least some of the calories we’d been ingesting at a rapid pace over the days prior. We headed out the Hana highway adding a few miles to our normal route and had such a good ride that our egos had us discussing a ride all the way to Hana, 55 hilly miles each way, which we may do if we get some light wind days in the coming weeks. I spent that afternoon driving even further out the Hana highway with my folks and stopping at some stunning botanical gardens where they tried to corner me to ask about my plans for after Maui and about my career. I put on my best Bill Clinton imitation, trying to dodge their questions, but I don’t think they bought my idea of trying to take the J.E.W. public and retire – we should have launched this site three years ago.
Beginning on Friday and finishing up today, Eric and I along with my parents toured a couple of the other Hawaiian Islands, the Big Island and O’ahu. The Big Island has made national news recently as its volcanic activity has huge lava flows crashing all the way down to the sea creating an magical site for those who venture to the national park. We arrived Friday on the Big Island and spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel beach. I took a sailboat out with my dad which was his passion as a kid and while I wouldn’t say it provides me with the thrill that windsurfing does it does bring its own excitement with my dad clunking himself on the head with the boom on at least three tacks. Saturday we set out to see the volcano driving from Kona all the way to the other side of the island passing through rain forests and stopping to check out waterfalls along the way. We arrived at the volcano in the afternoon and had time to view enormous volcanic craters, natural steam from the magma below and one of the cooler things I’ve seen which was walking through an old underground lava tube. As the night set, we headed towards the current volcanic activity driving down to the far side of the volcano where you could see the lava flowing close up. It glows bright orange at night and is incredible as it pours down the mountain above ground, goes back under ground and then surfaces again before falling into the ocean where it meets the crashing surf. Once we parked we began to hike towards the lava with flashlights going from stone to stone on lava that we learned had hardened only three or four days ago. As we passed warning sign after warning sign my parents decided to turn back but Eric and I followed the crowds down to the end of the path where you had close up views of the lava meeting the ocean, which was unbelievable. To get there we passed over the underground lava flows and you could feel the heat and even see the glow through cracks in the rock. Eric’s sneaker actually melted from the heat so both he and Alan ruined a pair of shoes hiking in the last few weeks but this was well worth it. The pictures tell part of the story but as I try to describe the beauty the best word that comes to mind is indescribable.
We rapped up our island hopping tour flying to Honolulu to visit the Pearl Harbor museum and USS Arizona memorial. Alan, among others we’ve met, had suggested this visit and it was quite powerful to see the Arizona still resting where it was sunk in the harbor in 1941 with over 1,000 bodies still entombed below. Not only was the memorial powerful but also our planned visit there sparked some interesting conversation with both Alan and my parents about their memories of that day and relating those to the recent attacks on September 11th. Eric and I have been quite isolated the last few months here on Maui, with little news and this visit was a powerful reminder of what is going on elsewhere in the world.
Fortunately we arrived safely back in our isolated and near perfect world here on Maui this afternoon and got a late sail in to bring us back to our peaceful state of mind. With four weeks left on our Maui journey and no more guests planned we are both looking forward to keeping that peaceful state of mind and continuing to enjoy this paradise. We have many more goals to achieve in windsurfing, goals to become proficient in kiting and a goal to come up with some goals for our return home in September.
Trivia Contest Finalists:
Congratulations to Jim Foley, Andy McKenna and Mike Finegold who will be competing in the finals for their chance to win Maui prizes – rules to be posted next week but thanks for all the great comments and answers.
We visited the USS MO with Moe.
Part of the Pearl Harbor Memorial.
Eric wins the Tour de Waikiki.
Kiting is cool!
Gratuitous shot of the week.
Part of the Pearl Harbor Memorial.
Eric wins the Tour de Waikiki.
Kiting is cool!
Gratuitous shot of the week.
The spectacular West Maui.
The treacherous hike to the blow hole.
The blow hole.
Hiking up from the blow hole.
"Your son doesn't have a job either..."
Moe and Alan battle over who will pay for the banana bread.
Big Island...big waterfall.
The Finegold's enjoy the scenic waterfall.
Lava is hot.
Hello Diamond "Head".
Surfers at Diamond Head.
Jon and Eric play to a 6-4 6-4 draw in this years annual tennis match.