Hawaii Part II

Day 3 (Tuesday)

After an eventful first two days, we spent Tuesday morning at a resort listening to a time-share presentation in order to get a super cheap snorkeling trip later in the week.  The resort was nice and the view from the rooms was outrageous:

but luckily we are much too broke to even be able to consider a time-share.  It was easy to say "no thanks" and walk away. :) 

After another snorkeling trip on another beach, we went to a really fun Luau by the beach (and my first!)

The food and entertainment were great, and wouldn't you know, Garrett even went up on stage with me to learn how to hula!  You know Garrett is on vacation and having a good time when he'll volunteer to do something like that!! 

Day 4 (Wednesday)

Our day started bright and early at 6am to drive around the entire island sightseeing.  We took the very windy road to Hana, which was beautiful.

Stopped for some yummy fish tacos in the jungle.

Our first real "stop" was to see a rare black sand beach created by crushed lava rock.  It was so beautiful (have I used that adjective enough yet?!).

We then went swimming in the "Seven Sacred Pools" and were actually the only brave ones that attempted to climb the rocky terrain to the top pool and waterfall.  It was a little treacherous and filled with spider webs (with big nasty spiders in them, blech!), but definitely worth the short hike.  

Smooch under the falls. :)

As if that wasn't enough, Garrett decided to go on a real hike to get to a bamboo forest.  Garrett's parents stayed behind, but I went along, wearing nothing but my bathing suit, Garrett's shirt, and some cheap water shoes (combined with the belly, I'm sure I was an awesome sight).

The bridge to the bamboo forest:

which was really dark and rather creepy inside:

Again, if you go to Maui, that hike was definitely worth it.  (If you take the trail a few miles back, you reach a massive waterfall, but my wimpy water shoes couldn't quite make it all that way.)

And though the drive to Hana was curvy and nausea-inducing, it was also definitely worth the trip.

Day 5 (Thursday)

We got home late that night and woke up before 6am the next morning to go on a snorkeling excursion at Molokini and "Turtle Town".

Though it was fun, we discovered that snorkeling by yourself off the beaches of Maui is not only cheaper (free), but is also actually far superior to the tours (FYI).  

We came back from our excursion and went snorkeling at Ka'anapali Beach around Black Rock and saw (and swam with) at least half a dozen turtles and saw the neatest coral and fish.  The best beach and snorkeling hands down.  

We finished the day by spending the evening

shopping in Lahaina, and stopping at the massive Banyan Tree Park downtown (I believe it's the largest Banyan tree in the world?  

That thing was insanely huge.