Hawaii -- the flowers of Paradise

I love the flowers in Hawaii!! So many different types, and colors, and shapes... Hibiscus grow as hedges and are PRUNED to shape, since they grow so rampantly. Orchids, plumeria (LOVE that scent), antheriums, heliconia, ginger, bouganvillea, flowers I didn't even know the names of...

But these. THESE are protea and they grow in the Upcountry--on the slopes of Haleakela. There are over 40 different varieties, and I only saw a few, but they are all wildly architectural and almost abstract, as if a child had designed flowers. When the blossoms are dry, they will last for up to 30 (!) years. They were selling bouquets at Safeway and the drugstore for about $10; roadside stands had individual blooms for $3.oo. What a deal!!!!

The center of this one was larger than a softball. One of these makes a bouquet.

This one looks like an extra-fancy pin cushion.
This one was bigger than a tennis ball, and all those "petals" had fuzzy ends on them, especially in the center.
These aren't feathers; they are another variety of protea.

Hawaii -- everybody's gone surfin'....

So what is Hawaii without surfers? They were all over the place--if you saw water and waves, there were surfers. We could sit on our lanai and watch them. BUT---if you want to see Surfers, the ones who REALLY know what they are doing, you go to Ho'okipa Beach on the north shore, along the road to Hana. This is where some of the big surf rolls in, and where the windsurfers are (but weren't when we were there...the wind wasn't in the right direction).

However, there were LOTS of surfers. I could've spent the day watching them. These guys are GOOD. Thank goodness, again, for my 100-300mm zoom. I was wishing for the Sigma Bigma.

This guy was boogie boarding about 200 yards out from shore in the big surf. He had to know what he was doing, because the waves he was skating across the face of broke on black lava rocks.
One surfer coming in, one going out through the wave.
I LOVED the guys who caught air at the top of the wave. This one was so good that I have a photo of him pulling his shirt down while he skates along the crest of the way, not even bothered by the fact that he is balanced on the top of the wave.
Really like the fact that his shadow is on the wave under him.

Something I've never seen before--paddleboard surfing. This is how surfing was originally, on big long boards with no fins. The surfers stand on them the whole time, and use the paddle like a rudder. This guy consistently had much longer runs than the guys on the smaller modern boards. He started at least 100 yds. further out than the rest, and usually came in almost all the way to shore.


Of course, not every ride is perfect....

Hawaii -- on the road to Hana

We decided to "do" the Road to Hana. Years ago, when the kids were younger, we tried it, but Laura got carsick before Milepost 3, so we turned around. This time we went farther... It was hazy, so my photos weren't as clear or bright as I would've liked, but it wasn't raining!!

The Hana road isn't very long (about 39 miles from the start of Hwy. 36) but it is a wiggly, just-barely-2 lane road with (it is said) 600 turns, mostly hairpin, and 54 one-lane bridges. Two-lane road and one-lane bridges? Yep. Hana isn't a trip if you are in a hurry--Hana Road is an experience. There are so many vistas, and shades of green, and surprises around the curves--there are hardly ANY straight stretches of road. There are places where the shoulder is a bit wider, and you can pull over to let people past, especially the locals who know the road and drive like the proverbial Bats.

This was taken from the car--twisty road, lots of cars, a bridge coming up, and yes, this picture is straight! You can just barely see the "Do Not Pass" sign...what a joke! At one place on the road, you couldn't even see the road behind you in the rearview mirror because it curved so sharply, and you couldn't see the road in front of you due to the same reason, and you are on a cliff edge.
One of the bridges on the road. Some of them are nearly 100 years old. Usually there is a hairpin turn right before and right after the bridge, with a SMALL shoulder scooped out for traffic to pull over and wait to take turns crossing the bridge.
Another bridge, viewed from a trail. You can see how the road curves, and continues to curve after the stand of trees--the yellow sign warns you of yet-another curve.
It had been dry on Maui this winter, so the waterfalls were quite low. I was disappointed not to see a little more volume, but they were still really fun to hike to and see.

This one was hard to get, with the combination of shade and sun. I know the water is blown out in places, but this is the best I could do.

Looking west across Honomanu Bay. The line on the cliffs is the road... Due to the haziness, the ocean really blends into the sky, and there isn't as much definition as I would like in these. It was STILL gorgeous!

Looking west from the Ke'anae Peninsula, where we found absolutely scrumptious, moist, delicious banana bread, still warm from the oven. You can just barely see the road about aabout halfway up the cliffs on the other side of the bay.

This is at the end of the road down to Nahiku, which makes the Hana road look like a freeway. It is BARELY two lanes, more like one-and-a-half. However, when you get to the end of the road, there is a beautiful look-out, a couple of waterfalls, and the most spectacular black lava rocks and breakers. Well worth the drive down the road, and probably our favorite place. We didn't go any further, as Rick was having Driver Fatigue and we had to drive the same roads back, just with more traffic, so we will save the rest of the road for another visit!

Hawaii -- a whale of a tale

I have always been fascinated with whales, dolphins, orcas, and so was really excited to go on a whale watch excursion with the Pacific Whale Foundation, a nonprofit research, conservation and education organization. They have a naturalist on board during the trip who explains what you are seeing and what the behaviors mean--at least, what they THINK they mean...

Now, here are signs you don't see every day!! You MUST stay at least 100 yds. back from the whales; if they want to come closer than that, that's up to them.
This was a calf, who was such a little show-off. I managed to catch him breaching. He looks small, but is actually about the size of a truck.

The mother is rolling, waving one of her pectoral fins. They are up to 15' long--it was huge. The calf is just in front of her. The mother is never more than 45 yds. from the calf.
Another calf showing off. That tail looks little compared to an adult's flukes, but it is BIG! You can tell it is a calf because the flukes are smaller, and the tail is chunky. Adults are longer and thinner, and bigger.
More tail splashes, with mom following behind. Quite often the mother will support the calf on her rostrum (nose) as they go through the water.
Mom rolls and shows a pectoral fin, while calf dives. These 2 were close enough that we could hear them breathe as they came to the surface. Unbelievably exciting!!
Both fins up!

When it hit the water, you could hear it in your bones. Imagine something 15' long and several feet wide hitting the water at a good speed... The turquoise area just below the calf is another whale, underwater. When they are just below the surface, the water takes on a turquoise hue.
This group of 3 is a female, with the calf behind her, and an escort male. Quite often there are groups of 3, with a male "friend" accompanying, but the male is not the father.
The underside of each whale's flukes is as distinctive as fingerprints are in humans. Whales are identified by the pattern on the underside of their tail flukes.
When the whales dive, a smooth glassy "footprint" is left on the surface of the water.
I would do this again in a heartbeat. It was the fastest 2 hours I have ever spent. It was a little tricky trying to take photos with my 100-300mm zoom on a rocking boat with people jostling around, but it is not something to be missed!!

Hawaii -- the color of water

Pretend there is a soundtrack of waves rolling onto the shore as you look at these...

Being a water baby, there is nothing I like as much as watching waves roll in, fold over, and crash into shore. I love seeing the sand stirred up and added to the color and texture of the wave itself, and the way the foam and froth add to the designs. I love the way the waves in deeper water take on the turquoise hues and look like they are lit from within. I love the power and majesty of a good set of breakers. None of these have been altered, except to sharpen and crop. Most of them, except the first 3, were taken with my 100-300mm zoom, at full extension.

Hawaii -- on the beach

Warning: I am not going to be on topic this week. Cropping, shmopping--I'd rather post some of my photos from Hawaii. I'm going to try to post them in categories... Besides, some of these have been cropped!

What a great week it was!! The weather was perfect, except for the 36 degree, rainy, 40 mph wind morning we went up Haleakela and saw...the middle of a rain cloud, and froze to death. The rest of the week was ideal; sun, warm temps (mid 80s), breezes, fluffy clouds. A couple of days were a little hazy for landscape photos, but it was still as close to perfect as it comes.

Since I am a waterbaby/beach bum, I am starting out with some beach views...different beaches, all perfect.

These first three are early morning beach strolls with DH (see below--the closest I could come to getting his photo...)along Ka'anapali Beach. The sun was just coming up over the West Maui mountains. I love being out on the beach before the crowds get there, where it's just me, the waves, and the sand.


Makena/Big Beach, near Kihei
Looking across Ho'okipa Beach towards West Maui. The water really was this turquoise! This is THE beach for surfers and sailboarders. More on that later this week.
The end of another perfect day in Paradise....unbelievable sunsets, and this really isn't "the season" for spectacular ones!