Honu... Hawaiian Residents

Yesterday we went to the Maui Ocean Center (MOC) for our last visit on this trip. Our one-week pass has now expired. I had stopped at Barnes and Noble to use one of my gift cards and purchased a CD by Kohala. This CD was the one I heard playing at the Lavender Farm on Sunday. On the way out of the store, I discovered a cool book about Green Sea Turtles, called The Book of Honu,Enjoying and Learning about Hawaii's Sea Turtles. I was determined to discover if our Honokeana Cove Honu migrate. I wasn’t sure if my book would have the answer, but I was fairly certain that the people at the MOC would, so I read the book aloud to Paul as we drove there.

It turned out the book did answer my question. The Honu live here in the Hawaiian Islands all the time. They don’t migrate long distances, and all of them move around differently, but in general they remain here in Hawaii throughout their lives. Some of them have favorite coral reefs or coves where they like to sleep and forage; they make a personal indentation in the coral for a type of bed. There are popular areas where they mate, nest, forage, sleep, and other things that the Honu need to do to thrive. Some are skittish and some are curious and happy to swim with people. They like to bask on sandy beaches, and eat the seaweed (limu) that grows on the rocks near the coastline. They are Hawaiian residents, and yes, some people believe ancestors.

Once at the MOC, I met a brilliant blond woman named, Katie. She began working there as a volunteer, she said, “To get her foot in the door.” Now she is an employee. I was actually seeking her out after listening to her shark lecture from a week ago, and luckily, she was hanging out at the Hammerhead and touch pool area. Paul and I had decided to purchase an underwater camera, and we thought she would be just he person to ask about that. She suggested a somewhat cheap camera sold by a Hawaiian company. The brand is Snap Sights by Intova.  We are quite pleased with the quality of the photos, but especially of the videos. On our last full day on Maui, we plan to take a plethora of photos and videos with our new toy that I’m happy to report cost us about $40 at Wal-Mart in Kahului. 

Alii Kula Lavender Farm

Upcountry is cooler and the people here speak pigeon and are very kind. They definitely live at a slower pace, and the locals we came into contact with truly practice aloha. The best part of this trip was when we stopped at the Kula Farms fruit stand. We purchased some of the tastiest strawberries I have had since the ones I grew myself many years ago. They were ripe, sweet, and delicious, and to quote the man who sold them to us, "They've been kissed by God."

I have a video from the lavender farm that really shows how beautiful the place is, as well as a panoramic view from Upcountry. The scent of lavender wafts around as you meander the gardens. There is a sense of stillness and quiet reflection there. Everywhere you walk there are lovely places to sit and meditate, or take in the beauty. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to capture it's beauty with the still photos, but they are pretty just the same. 

Check out the carving on that barrel!

That's Quan Yin with a different type of flower on each side. You can also see the lavender fields off in the distance behind her. Try as I might I couldn't find one of the white flowers in full bloom, or I would have taken a close up. I really liked its strange shape and color.

What was this small reptile anyway?  I almost stepped on it thinking it was a toy.  Note the three horns on its head. It was there, and gone again, lickity-split. It crawled away on a lavender plant.

Wedding Picture Day

Yesterday we began our day with Dmitri, an island wedding photographer. We didn't want to leave this beautiful island without some sort of photo journal about our recent nuptials. Neither of us enjoy getting our photo taken, but coincidentally, we were photographed both morning and night. Our wedding photographer will create and mail a disk for us to make prints from when we get home. I can't wait to see the results. He is an excellent photographer. We finished the shoot snorkeling off into Honokeana Cove. I can't wait to see the dorky pictures of us in our fins, masks, and snorkels. I'm sure they are very attractive! Not.

The snorkeling was spectacular. I actually lost count of all the turtles we swam with. At one point I was between two turtles that were checking ME out. How cool. We also saw a plethora of tropical fish. I love to see the trumpet fish; they are always a treat. I think my favorite is what I call the rainbow fish. I've come to learn that it is called the Yellow Moon Wrasse. I think most wrasses are beautiful fish, and the cove is filled with many of them. I'm told by the people at the Ocean Center their job is to clean off the turtles 'and fishes' backs. This is the behavior I see most often. Most of the wrasses are tiny, but at least one of the Yellow Moon Wrasses in the Cove is HUGE.

At the end of the day, there was the most beautiful sunset, but when I went out to take a picture, my camera battery needed charging. I ran inside to charge the battery and grabbed the iPhone. This sunset was too beautiful to miss, and I was hoping that its beauty would be enough to carry the lousy pixel count. Then to our surprise, there was a sweet couple that had a fabulous Nikon camera, so I have a sunset photo taken of us by David Mansour. He and his wife, Lynn, are a sweet couple who came here with their young adult children, and live near Redmond, WA.  Here are twp iPhone pictures of that sunset.

I Love Torches

Mama's Fish House. I mean... The Tiki Room

I've never had a meal at Mama's Fish House. but after dining there, I can see why it is a not to miss tourist restaurant attraction. Yesterday, after a trip to the post office to drop off a few post cards, and mail to home our beautiful wedding certificate, we went for a shopping excursion around Lahaina, and then we were off to a late lunch at Mama's.

Don't let the long hours posted above fool you. This place was packed most of the time we were there. I think that might be its downfall. Paul and I are the "late lunch" pros. We like to have lunch because it's cheaper, but more than that, the atmosphere is usually more relaxed and the place is less crowded. Not so at Mama's Fish House. Almost all of the tables were filled, and they were very busy the whole time we were there. It makes it difficult to experience the aloha spirit when it's crowded like that, but still they took great care of us. It was fun to sit in the back at a quiet booth. I really liked that the women wore flowers in their hair. I was informed that it was dress code for them to wear flowers, as well as aloha or floral clothing.  I guess one should say... you can see the aloha here, more than feel it.

Kakalina Following the Dress Code at Mama's

The nicest thing about Mama's is that they bring you tiny courses of food as a free treat. After we ordered our salads and lobster sandwich (to share), we were presented with a lobster bisque that had some cream sherry in it. My mouth is watering as I think about it. Next came our mixed greens and ceasar salad, which were as good as one might expect. Then came the lobstaaaah. All I can say about this sandwich is try one if you get a chance. It was loaded with lobster and some creamy sauce, and it was warm and sitting on a toasted yummy bread. 'Nough said. Finally, they brought us a coconut pudding square (a little like flan, but firm) for dessert, along with some warm, moist washcloths that were scented with almond extract. Cool touch.

The Restaurant

One more thing worth noting was the way they keep their bath tissue stocked in the restroom stalls. There were three of them stacked like a pyramid. Each of the rolls were tied with raffia and tucked where the knot came together was a tropical red flower. I really appreciated that little bit of aloha in the ladies restroom.  That's really the nicest think about Mama's, the aloha details all around. 

Hardy wouldn't have been allowed to dine at this restaurant. It's far too fancy, and there's no outside seating. If he was with us though, he would have LOVED the bread. They brought warm bread to our table, and I didn't finish the bread on my sandwich, I ate it open faced, so he would have had some of that too. I'm sure his tail would have wagged for more. We wouldn't have given him a taste of the lobster sandwich, it wouldn't have agreed with his sensitive stomach. Hardy would have been glad that he didn't have to pay for this meal. He would have thought it was "expensitive." 

Mama's Unobstructed View

Sea Turtle Lore

Did you know that the Hawaiian people thought of the Sea Turtles as family guardians? The Hawaiian word is 'aumakua. The 'amakua were not thought of as simply family protectors, they were also believed to be family ancestors. Wouldn't that be cool if Hardy was one of my special protectors, here on Maui as a Sea Turtle?

Yesterday we had a "chill" day. We just sat around and read, swam, and relaxed. It was really nice. We sat for hours watching the snorkelers, waves, and turtles in the cove. I took several photos, but they didn't capture the turtles as they floated in the surf. It's so cute when they pop their heads out of the water, and in every picture I took, they did that. I guess they are too small, or special, to capture with a camera. Instead I uploaded a golden sculpture of one - artist unknown. Guess where from?  The Maui Ocean Center, of course.


The Maui Ocean Center is involved in a hatchery program that began in 1970 out of Oahu.  There they raise the turtles and loan them as educational ambassadors in their loan program. The Ocean Center keeps the turtles for three to four years while educating the public about Sea Turtles. At the end of their term with the people at the Center, the turtles are released into the wild. I believe that is why the turtle numbers at Honokeana Cove are increasing.

Birds of Paradise

Something special happened today. I feed a Red Crested Cardinal some tortilla. This bird has been around for several days but I haven't been able to capture a good picture of it. Here is a video instead. Short but VERY sweet...

Maui is the Best Medicine in the World!

Rainbow at Honokeana Cove

This place is powerful. I'm not sure what is more healing the power of aloha, the healing waters, the marine animals (angels), the rainbows... who knows? All I know today is that I feel wonderful. I'm not scared here. Not even a little. I thought I saw a SHARK yesterday - a baby white tipped reef shark - but I wasn't even a little bit scared.

I picked up garbage on the way out.

Entrance down to Honolua Bay... Snorkel Excellence 

We went on a snorkel trip to Honolua Bay, which was magnificent, then out to eat at Mala again for those yummy Brussels Sprouts (no photo, sorry, you just can't make them look good).  We had Chocolate Souffle and the garnish was a strawberry cut like a rose, which was so pretty I just had to snap a pic of it before it was consumed.

After that we were off to learn more about what we saw that day in the Bay at the Maui Ocean Center. We finished the day at the Pupu Wednesday party out on the grass at Honokeana Cove. We even met the owner of Unit 111, where we are staying, David Atkinson. It was a magical, awe inspiring day. Lots of fun, friends, and aloha. It doesn't get much better than that, so here are some photos from our day.

Follow the Honu inside Maui Ocean Center

A Naturalist is Born

Naturalists Paulo and Kakalina

It all started when the son of the manager of the Cove, LJ, went out and caught the coolest lizard I've ever seen. It had a white and aqua blue body. LJ really liked it and decided to keep the lizard. He kept it over night in his observation catcher. The next day, I found it outside on their steps dead. I was really sad, because I had urged him to let it go so many times, and he said he would, but I guess he didn't.

In the spirit of aloha, I took it upon my self to teach him how to make a science journal and be more like a naturalist. LJ is only 5, but inquisitive, quick, and bright. We cut up an 8 and 1/2 by 11 inch piece of paper, and stapled together a small science journal. He made the cover and he became unstoppable.  He caught and brought over for me to observe a cool looking lizard, a carpenter bee, and a a honey bee. Each of these he sketched in his science journal, and then he released them so he could fill up the booklet in one day.

After he noticed that we were feeding the birds, he wanted to catch and release a bird too. I told him about how ornithologists catch and band the bird's leg, and we thought that would be cool to do. He fetched a green plastic tie, and off he went to catch his bird. I thought he would be unsuccessful, and I told him so, not wanting him to be disappointed. I knew it would be extremely difficult, having tried and failed many times myself. I soon learned it was not only possible, but after over 24 hours of trying, he actually caught a baby bird. It reminded me, once again, how we should not underestimate the power of seeing the world through the eyes of a child. That's the beautiful thing about living aloha. When you give it out in the spirit of love and understanding, it comes back to you the same way.

LJ and his Baby Bird

He decided not to band the bird, and let it go soon after making his decision...
the twig was in case it wanted to perch.

I Think I Died and Went to Turtle Heaven

Boats are being seen more often here in the cove.

Today was amazing. It began with possibly best snorkeling experience I've ever had. Paul and I went out at around 7:30 AM and swam with at least nine different turtles. What a wonderful way to begin a day. It was awe inspiring. The weather has been working to our advantage. Honokeana Cove isn't as much of a secret as it used to be, so it can get fairly crowded in the cove with everyone wanting to spot a honu (turtle). Since we can assess the crowd, and since the rain comes and goes randomly in Napilli, we are fortunate that we get to go out to swim with the honu when no one else is there. It's like a gift from the Universe. I am always in awe of these magnificent creatures. They seem to be the epitome of aloha: friendly, patient, and wise.

After a delicious muffin and a cup of steaming jasmine green tea, we got cleaned up and went for an outing to the Maui Ocean Center. The place is dedicated to teaching ocean conservation as well as educating the public about Hawaiian marine life. Every time I visit, I learn something new. This time we purchased a week pass, so that we can come and go as we please, but still, we stayed there enjoying everything for over four hours. We touched sea cucumbers and sea urchins. We viewed sand through a highly magnified microscope (an incredibly surprising and beautiful sight). We learned about the various types of sharks and we discovered that the center is involved in Green Sea Turtle release program. We watched everything get fed, and I even purchased a lovely lithograph by Joelle C. entitled, Almost Like Angels.

A Window Display at the Maui Ocean Center

Back at the Cove, people were beginning to gather. We've become close with the vacationers who witnessed us get married. They feel affectionate towards us, as we do to them. We've made some friends from quite close to home. Some even from Santa Cruz!  So we sat and watched the sunset as we ate a delicious spinach salad and sipped sparkling wine from Napa Valley. To sum it up, today I conversed with friendly and intelligent  people,experienced the aloha spirit, adventure, romance, and consumed delicious food and drink. I must be walking in the fields of gold. Yeah?

E Hoomau Maua Kealoha ~ May our love last forever

Yesterday at 5 PM on the island of Maui, while the west winds blew, Paulo and Kakalina were remarried.

Paulo, Kakalina, and Nani Higashino

Our wedding song was: Fields of Gold composed by Sting, featuring Amy Hanaiali'i and Jeff Peterson

Here are the Lyrics...

You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold

So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so

Upon the fields of barley

Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth

Among the fields of gold

I never made promises lightly

And there have been some that I've broken

But I swear in the days still left

We'll walk in the fields of gold

We'll walk in the fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days

Among the fields of barley

See the children run as the sun goes down

Among the fields of gold

You'll remember me when the west wind moves

Upon the fields of barley

You can tell the sun in his jealous sky

When we walked in the fields of gold

When we walked in the fields of gold

When we walked in the fields of gold

Honu and Honokeana Cove

This place is truly amazing and magical. I literally swam with four honu (green sea turtles) yesterday. There were huge honu, there were medium size honu, and there were smaller honu. None of them looked under two years of age. I think they are residents. The people who live here tell me that they never leave; why would they lie about that? Maybe it’s like the Orcas at Friday Harbor. Maybe they don’t migrate either. One thing is for certain. I will discover their habitat preferences and why they stay here. They are graceful and huge and friendly, though they do seem to get a little territorial with each other. They also seem curious about humans.

The last time I was here the turtles seemed annoyed by all the humans coming and going. This year the condominium complex isn’t completely occupied. In fact, there are many vacancies right now, but I’m told there will be a “full house” come Monday. For now, it’s quiet and peaceful, and the turtles seem to be that way as well. They don’t hide. They stay afloat around the surface of the water and swim around with each other, and us. They seem intimate with the fellow resident fish, all the other sea creatures, and other turtles. They are not holding their breath as they did last year. They are not as afraid. It feels like they’ve grown, just like I have.

On land, there are a couple of memorial gardens here. One of them was particularly interesting to me. I’ve decided to post it here as a photo. I think the words say everything – although I must confess, I’ve changed the words a little.

This restaurant makes Brussels Sprouts that even I loved! Really... I ate a lot of them. Unbelievable, huh.

Here Today Gone To Maui

Seven months later... It's hard to believe. I've been working like a schnauzer chasing a squirrel, and I have not had the time to get in here to write. This place is important to me though - important enough to come back over and over again. I'm not done saying what I have to say, and I'm in the perfect place to begin again. It feels like I have a new life, like I've had a metamorphosis of sorts. I'm still the same, but outside I look a lot different, and on the inside I am changed for good. It's a year since the attack, I had a meltdown on the one-year anniversary, and I can recognize that I have that psychic scar that my psychiatrist said I would.

The meltdown came when my brother's family and I went for a walk with Roxie. We were having a great day celebrating my nephew's birthday, and went to the park for the men to throw a Frisbee around. It was relaxing and fun. I was impressed by the way the Frisbee soared like a spaceship to one another. Each of the men was working with the wind, and Roxie was enjoying chasing it from person to person. I was thinking on my way home that I couldn't remember a time when I walked in my neighborhood and didn't see a scary dog, but I thought this might be the time. And there it was: a large ugly pit mix walking with its owners - off leash. I'm proud to report that I didn't have a panic attack, but I did panic like crazy.

I picked up Roxie (as if that would help), and ran to the front door, which I discovered was locked. I pounded on the door until my son opened it up, and I ran inside practically hyperventilating. I sat down on the entry room rug and burst into tears. Both my daughter and son asked me to explain what had happened, and I found myself looking out my front window, very much like on attack day, to see that dog prancing by with its owners. All of them oblivious to the fear and panic they'd caused me. In the end, I was simply grateful that I didn't have a full-blown panic attack, and that I didn't need to take a pill for that. I was relieved that my vacation to Hawaii was coming soon because getting out of that neighborhood at this time seemed necessary for my sanity.

On a better note, now that I'm finally here at Honokeana Cove, I feel like this is an event that my subconscious needed for closure. When we first got here, I went straight for the sliding door view to see what was new. The first thing I noticed was that there weren't any snorkelers. That was probably because it was raining. Hard. I liked that. It was as if the heavens were crying with me. I was exhausted from our day of travel to get here, and I had a headache, but I felt like I was in paradise and I decided to go to bed. It was a restful sleep only to be disturbed by the sound of rain and birds, and once conscious, I had a memory of Hardy, and what happened to him a year ago. The interesting thing about this memory was that it was exactly that: a memory. It was not a flashback! I can't remember that ever happening. This memory wasn't even a little like a movie, and I could control my thought process as I recalled what happened to him. I saw an image of how cute he was, and I remembered how wonderful he was, but no movie. Closure? I'm still not sure, but maybe. I'll just have to wait and see.