What's The Scene?

A journal of drawings, stories, and other imaginings.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 7: Dinner Cruise

We headed back to the hotel to rest for a while. We had a long evening ahead of us. When we first arrived at Maui, we were told that there were several dinner cruises that we could go on. Being people who love to eat, and who love a good view, Caleb and I decided this would be a good thing for us to do. We booked our dinner cruise for our last day in Hawaii, sort of like a beautiful send off, an end to a perfect trip.

After resting, packing, and getting all spruced up, the both of us headed to Lahaina harbor to board our dinner cruise. We found ourselves in the middle of lively place with interesting shops and restaurants all around us. Why hadn’t we visited this place before? As we walked toward the port, we walked past a massive banyan tree. I was surprised to see one in Hawaii, since I knew that they were not native to the islands. After checking in, we found we still had about half an hour to kill. So I went back to the banyan tree.

The Lahaina banyan tree is a gigantic banyan tree in Lahaina harbor. It has sixteen trunks and covers 1.5 acres. It was a gift to the Hawaiians from indian missionaries. It’s a large park with plenty of benches underneath, protecting people from the hot sun. Fascinated by this gigantic tree, I took many pictures of it, until it was time for me to head back to the port.

We got on to the ship, on to the upper deck. By this time, we were so hungry that we could feel our stomach juices gurgle and burn the lining of our stomachs. We sat down at our table, and patiently waited for the couple across us to join us. To our surprise and delight, they didn’t turn up. Did that mean all the bread on the table was for us? We didn’t wait to answer the question. We just ate all of it.

Soon, the captain began telling us about safety instructions and our plan for the evening. We were going out into the ocean for a few hours and coming back in. Sometime during our trip we would get to see the sun set. We could enjoy this beautiful view while eating delicious food and enjoying some nice live music.

Caleb and I were there for the food and the sunset and didn’t care much about anything else. We were still hungry and wondered if they would serve all the food at once or serve each course one dish at a time. As we waited for food to be brought to us, we went over our wonderful week together. We had just explored one of the most beautiful places on earth, engaging in activities that we didn’t ever think we would do. Living in a city can make life routine and it makes your believe that there’s nothing that can excite you anymore. But being here, in a land that is so far removed from anything we see in Boston, brought back some of our excitement and spirit. We felt alive again, we felt re energised. We could see ourselves living here and enjoying everything that the island had to offer, from its large mango trees to its deep ocean waters.

Soon, our salad was served. I can eat salads all day without complaining, but Caleb doesn’t eat a salad unless he’s forced to. So he stared at his salad while I stuffed it in my mouth. It was a really good salad. Seeing my enthusiasm, Caleb took a bite, only to find that ti was delicious, and so stuffed his mouth with it too. Of course, no salad can really beat a main course. Since I’m a vegetarian, I was served two veggie patties with marinara sauce and sauteed vegetables, and Caleb was served prime rib.

Usually people in America don’t put in a lot of effort into their vegetarian dishes. They simply omit the meat and forget that vegetarian food can actually taste good. I have begun to expect sub par food when I eat out. But that veggie patty and marinara sauce was exquisite. I ate so quickly and the plate looked almost clean when I was done. It was just the right amount of tangy, and the right amount of crunchy. It didn’t miss a single thing.

And if the salad and the main wasn’t enough, they followed it up with cheesecake for dessert! A perfect end to a perfect meal.

As we finished dessert, the ship turned around, and we could see the golden orb of the run descend into the ocean. With every minute that passed, the more everyone on the ship leaned over, trying to get a good picture of the beautiful sunset. 

When I was satisfied with my pictures, I turned to see the bright golden rays falling on the mountains. It illuminated the entire coast, showing me how truly breathtaking the island of Maui really was. Caleb and I looked on, sad that we had to go back the next day, but happy that we had the opportunity to visit this place. We had many days of exploring, and of absolute bliss. We couldn’t imagine a better place. We had truly visited paradise.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 7: Pancakes

As the sun rose on our last day in Hawaii, Caleb and I slept soundly for the first time. Our bodies had finally adjusted to the clock and we slept through the wonderful morning. When we awoke, we looked wistfully outside our window, thinking about our last day in Maui. We couldn’t believe we had to leave paradise.

All week I had been suggesting that we visit the pancake place close to our hotel. Caleb was usually in a hurry and didn’t think we had the time to sit down and eat a big breakfast. But we had nothing planned that morning, so I asked one last time, and this time, we did go. 

Slappy cakes was just about a mile from where we lived, and we had seen it every day as we drove past. We hadn’t eaten pancakes in a long time, and I was beginning to crave it. So we drove down, and entered the large pancake house. Not really wanting to stay too long, we sat at the bar, and ordered our breakfast. Caleb urged me to order a morning cocktail, and I ordered a tequila sunrise.

There were a variety of tropical flavoured pancakes, from mango to pineapple, and the regular flavors like cinnamon as well. I ordered a single pancake with fruit on the side, while Caleb ordered a stack. There’s something about seeing Caleb eat a big meal that makes me happy. As I sipped on the tequila sunrise, I told Caleb that I would miss being in a place that has pleasant weather all year round, and a place that has some of the most delicious fruit. This first world western ghats was stealing my heart away.

Our pancakes arrived and we wolfed it down. We weren’t all that hungry, but the pancakes were soft and fluffy and delicious. Stuffed to the brim with delicious pancakes, we decided to get the rest of our souvenir shopping done. We drove to the nearby strip mall looking for reasonably priced souvenirs. We came across gold earrings, hand crafted by native hawaiians for $500 and slowly backed away into the more popular stores. We picked up magnets, postcards, and jewellery. We looked to pick up something for ourselves to remind us that our hearts truly belonged here. We did.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 6: Paia

Dizzy with happiness, we went back down to the Gene Simmons bar. We sat there, noticing for the first time, the number of rock and roll memorabilia in the bar. Band flags made up the ceiling, and posters of different concerts made up the wall. Sitting at the bar, I took the whole place in with my eyes and my phone. Then I turned to the menu.

Tired of eating pizza, I asked the bartender if there was anything vegetarian I could eat. He suggested I ask for a veggie burger, and I did. As we waited, I ordered a beer. Caleb was visibly tired and practically falling asleep at the bar. We had, after all, had many days where all we did was jump from one activity to another. Our energy was finally coming down and both of us were exhausted. 

Soon, our burgers and fries were served. I stared at the veggie burger I ordered. The patty was definitely veggie, but right there, above the patty were three strips of pink, oily, bacon. I look confused. I turned to Caleb, who reached over, picked up my bun, took off my bacon strips and put the bun back down. “Don’t ask for another one, please,” he said, looking exhausted. I didn’t. 

It may come as a surprise to many people that the smell or taste of bacon is one of the least appealing things to me. People have tried to lure me to eat meat with the promise that I will never eat anything like bacon. I’ve been told that bacon converts even the staunchest of vegetarians. But every time I smell bacon all I smell is smoke. My burger now tasted smoky and greasy, and every time I brought it to my mouth, I smelt that bacon smell that puts me off.

After the completely unsatisfactory meal, we asked for the bill. We were aware that the bar belonged to Gene Simmons, and that we were in Hawaii, a rather expensive state. But we didn’t expect that two burgers and two beers would cost us $100. We were flabbergasted, and slightly annoyed. While we love to eat food that’s out of this world, and we would pay any amount to do that, paying $100 for a substandard burger and a bottle of beer was unimaginable. We paid it, and left, angrily.

But this trip wasn’t about the experiences that made us feel like we were in Boston again. We wanted to explore something new and find new passion. We were happy with our day at Paia, and incredibly excited about our new tattoos. We were grateful for a day of relaxation and spontaneity.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 6: Paia

After having been on the go for three days straight, Caleb and I decided that we would spend the next couple of days just relaxing. After all, this was a vacation, and we deserved to destress a little. Having no strict plans for the day, we slept in. When we awoke, we looked at our phones to check the weather, and decided to take things slow.

I still wanted to visit Paia, the surfing village we had passed through on the way to Hana. We had noticed some stores on the way there, and thought it would be best to stop by for some souvenir shopping. We had our day vaguely planned and decided to head out.

After a quick round of souvenir shopping, and a pit stop at starbucks, we made our way to Paia. We were told that parking was not easy there and to grab the first spot we found. Luckily for us, we found a spot in the Paia parking lot. We walked around Paia, looking at institutions like Gene Simmons’ bar, and Mama’s Fish House. The vilage was filled with boutiques selling traditional Hawaiian ware and art. It was, what Caleb called, a tourist trap. Every little piece of jewellery or shell cost more than $50. Beautiful as they were, it was hard for Caleb to take pry his eyes away from them. Smooth talking sales people tried to talk us into buying things, but being made of stone, I easily steered Caleb away from the wood watches, stone jewellery, and shell magnets. 

As we walked out of the boutique, I saw a sign for Paia Tattoos, a tattoo parlor. I dragged Caleb up the stairs into the tiny studio. They were open to walk ins, and I had the bright idea to get polynesian style tattoos. I talked to the tattoo artist all bright eyed and excited. I had an idea of what I wanted and I improvised with him on the best way to do it. The artist then turned to Caleb who looked more uncertain. The artist told us to come back in 40 minutes and we could get our tattoos there and then.

I excitedly made my way down the stairs and into Gene Simmons’ bar. I was excited about my impulsive tattoo decision, and I was excited about commemorating this trip with something unforgettable. Caleb still looked at me uncertainly. While he wanted a tattoo he wasn’t sure that he could so easily make a decision that would affect the rest of his life. I told him he didn’t have to do it, but he said he wanted one. We went through images, looking for designs that he liked, and finally decided on one. I told him how we could alter it so it would be unique, and where it would look good.

We went back up to get our tattoos done. Being the more enthusiastic of the both of us, I decided to go first. Zach, our tattoo artist, settled down and began his process. As he tattooed me, we talked about Hawaii, its community, its economy, and the area around Paia. He slowly and skillfully tattooed the traditional shark tooth pattern around my forearm. With each line, with each patch of shading, I got more and more excited. Finally, when he was done, I jumped off the table to admire my new and beautiful tattoo that actually signified an important time in my life.

By this time, Caleb had settled into the idea of getting a tattoo and began to prepare himself for his. He discussed his idea and design with Zach and they got started on his. As Caleb got his tattoo, I walked around the tattoo parlor, perusing through a number of 1970s magazines that they had in their shelves. Soon, Caleb was done too. Now we both  had tattoos from a trip that neither of us were ever going to forget.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 5: Beach

We awoke later that afternoon. We had planned on sleeping for hours but our internal clocks had allowed us to sleep only for two. We lounged around for a while, lazily deciding what to do next. We hadn’t yet had a day where we just laid back on the beach, so we decided to do that. Tired of driving, Caleb suggested that we go to the beach across from our hotel. 

I am famously, not a beach person. The sticky sunscreen, and the sand for days have put me off a beach experience. In my head, the idea of lying on the ground while the sun shone on you and children screamed around you was the least relaxing thing in the world. I didn’t see the appeal of it, but I forced myself to try to find a silver lining.

We crossed the road to the beach and laid out our chairs. The sun was shining down on us, and we chose a quiet secluded spot. Relative to the beach we had visited in Kanapaali, this beach was quiet and not crowded. People laid out on beach towels reading, or sleeping. The few children we saw were playing in the water with their parents. We set up our chairs and I lay down a book in hand. The more I read, the more I let my mind wander, the more I could single out the sound of the crashing waves. It felt like it was just me and Caleb in the vast beach, enjoying the sun and the sound of the ocean. Finally, I understood why the beach was so relaxing.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 5: Flora and Fauna

As we drove down the forest. Billy told us about the flora and fauna of Hawaii. Hawaii, he said, has only two native mammals: horay bats, and monk seals. Every other type of mammal was brought there by other settlers. Tahitians brought pigs, missionaries brought chicken etc. One bird, called the nene goose is endemic to Hawaii. It is said to be related to the candaian goose. Billy told us that at one point they were nearly extinct, but they have been brought back due to strict conservation.

While it was easy for us to assume that nene geese were shot by humans into extinction, that isn’t the story. When the civil war broke out in America, sugar became too expensive for the northern states to buy. So many americans moved their sugarcane plantations to Hawaii. Along with sugarcane, these merchants also brought rats. Rats are often found on ships, and some of them probably made it onto the islands. Now the sugarcane merchants had a problem. The rats were eatings all their crop. So they decided to bring mongoose to deal with the rat problem. 

Once the mongoose were on the island, the merchants discovered a problem. Rats worked during the day, and mongoose were nocturnal. So the mongoose spread over the islands, looking for anything to eat. Nene geese lay their eggs on the ground, and slowly but surely, the mongoose eventually ate all the nene eggs. “So if you see a mongoose,” said Billy, “run over it with your car.”

But that’s not all the sugarcane did. The introduction of sugarcane also reduced the amount of forest land available in Hawaii. Considering that sugarcane was the main source of income, not many vegetables or other resources were planted there, creating the need to import ingredients from the mainland. However, Billy said, the islands had recently decided to stop planting sugarcane, and so they were bringing back vegetable farming as a source of food.

Billy also told us it was open season on deer. Deer was introduced to the islands for hunting, and had over populated the island. While it isn’t legal to hunt in the national parks, it was alright to hunt deer in any other place, all year round.

Billy told us about the different islands, and a little history about Hawaii. I tried to keep my eyes open and pay attention, but I slowly dozed off. When I awoke, we were outside a restaurant where we were about to have breakfast. Sleepily, I ate some eggs, toast, and coffee, and quickly made my way back into the bus. I wanted to get back to my hotel to sleep on a real bed. Fifty minutes later, I was lying on the soft bed, and drifting into a deep deep sleep.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 5: Menehune

Grudgingly, we got back into the bus and began our descent down. Hector took over driving and Billy began to give us a presentation on Hawaii. He began by telling us a story about Hawaii. In the forests of Hawaii lived tiny people called Menehune. They were 4-5 feet tall and were expert craftsmen. The polynesians, on the other hand, were large. They were almost seven feet tall and were made to work. So when the polynesians landed on the shores of the Hawaiian islands, the Menehune retreated into the dense forest. 

The polynesians were fishermen. So during the day they went out into the ocean to catch fish, and would come back with torn nets and broken boats. Exhausted, they would sit outside their huts, looking at all the damage, wondering when they would fix it. Then, after a good meal of seafood, they would retire into their huts to sleep.

At this time, the Menehune would come out of hiding and quietly walk up to the huts, fix the boats and nets, and slink back away when the sun began to come up. The polynesians were astounded by their mended nets and looked around to see who this wonderful person was who did their tidying. Night after night, the polynesians would sleep, and the Menehune would fix their nets. 

One night, some polynesians stayed awake so they could solve the mystery of the mended nets. The Menehune came out of the forest, and began mending their nets, when suddenly they noticed that they were being watched. They began to retreat into the forest not wanting to be seen. The polynesians saw the Menehune slink  back into the forest and figured out that they wanted to be left alone. So they stood at the edge of the forest and said “Mahalo,” and the Menehune replied to them from the forest.

At this point, Hector stopped the bus and Billy made us get out. We stood in a line, facing a thick forest. Billy and Hector told us that the Menehune still lived in this forest, and if we screamed Mahalo to them, they would say it back. As a crowd, we said Mahalo, and we heard it back from the forest!

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 5: Volcanic Craters

The sun came up quickly, and we were staring right into the bright white orb in the sky. Slowly, we went back to the bus, where Hector was now serving us some much needed hot chocolate. We jumped on the bus, and Billy drove us down the volcano. At one point, the wall dipped, and we went in. Billy parked, and we stood against another railing. This time, we were looking right into the crater of the volcano. It was a valley, filled with dark rock, grass, and small mountains of red rock with depressions in the middle. Each little mountain would spew lava from them when the volcano was not dormant. 

I was standing in a volcano.

As I stared at the little mounds of red dirt that one day spewed lava out, I asked myself if this was real? Had you told me when I was a child that I would one day be inside a volcano, I wouldn’t have believed you. Not because I didn’t think I would ever have the chance, but because until I was actually there, I thought it was impossible. How could I be standing inside a volcano?

Caleb was as excited and fascinated by the inside of this volcano as I was. He stared at crater bed, that really looked just like any other mountainside. He was aware that the red mounds spewed lava. It was practically like seeing the soul of the volcano.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 5: Haleakala

Haleakala is a massive shield volcano that makes up 75% of the island of Maui. A shield volcano is usually flat and has a large circumference caused by lava flows that spreads over a wide range. Haleakala has a 30 kilometer circumference. Haleakala is translated into the house of the sun. According to Hawaiian legend, Haleakala was the grandmother of the demigod Maui. Haleakala has erupted three times in the last 900 years. Safe to say that it wasn’t a danger when we went up there, and isn’t a danger right now. The surrounding parts of Haleakala are part of a national park, ensuring that the volcano itself, craters, and the flora and fauna of the area are untouched.

I stayed awake, listening to Hector talk about the volcano, and preparing us for how cold it would be up there. Being from Boston, and being used to the winters, I knew exactly what those temperatures meant, and how cold I would feel. I braced myself, mentally, knowing that it would make no difference. 

We reached the parking lot, and Hector and Billy took us to the top. We were at the top of the volcano, at the rim that stands almost 760 meters above the base of the crater. We stood by a railing, looking into the dark in front of us. Hector told us that we would see the crater in front of us, and if we looked straight ahead, we would see the sun rising above it. I could see dark rocks out into the horizon, and I wondered where the crater was. Was the crater filled with these rocks? Where did the rocks come from? I shuddered against the railing, wrapping my poncho around me, preparing my camera for the best kind of pictures. Caleb stood behind me, phone in hand, also seeing if he could get the best angle.

Hector came around telling us that we would have to wait an hour for the sun to rise. He said he brought us up early because the area was going to get crowded. We didn’t think so. It was 4:30 and we didn’t think anyone else would be up here for another half an hour or forty five minutes at least. Five minutes later I turned around, and there were almost a hundred people behind me. People were craning their necks, and trying to find rocks to stand on to see over our heads. I was thankful for my cozy spot.

As I shivered, I kept telling myself that this sunrise would be worth it. When would I ever see a volcano again? When would I ever be up for a sun rise again? Aren’t vacations for experiencing new things? Aren’t sunrises are the most beautiful things in the world? I kept taking pictures of the dark, adjusting the ISO and the lighting. 

I checked my watch every few minutes, and finally, started to see the light in the distance. I could see the outline of a dark pit in front of me. As the sun began to come up, I saw that the dark rocks that I thought I had been looking at were thick white clouds. The clouds had descended into the crater, and the peaks stuck up above them. 

The sky began to turn blue, with a yellow-red haze at the horizon. As the sun rose, the sky turned red. I could see a red-yellow orb, peeping over the peaks, and the sun light illuminating the clouds from underneath. It was beautiful in an apocalyptic way. I watched the sun rise, finally showing me the surface of the earth and the clouds. I could see, I could feel the warmth of the sun. In the presence of the peaks and the crater, I felt insignificant. I felt like a small part of the history and the future of the world. I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of what stood before me. It took my breath away.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 5: Haleakala

Earlier that week, when we attended the tourist orientation at the hotel, we entered a raffle to win free tickets for an activity. Caleb and I had luck on our side (for once) and we won one ticket to a sunrise over a volcanic crater. We bought the other ticket at the front desk and were informed that we would be picked up at 1:50 am and would return at around 9 am. Caleb grumbled, but I had a sunny and positive attitude and said it wouldn’t harm us to do it for one day. After all, how often were we going to see volcanic craters?

So on Wednesday morning at 1:50 am, we stood by the hotel curbside, groggily waiting for our bus to arrive. We climbed on when it arrived, and immediately fell asleep. There’s something soothing about the gentle bumps of the bus ride, and the gentle hum of the engine. After picking up the rest of the people on tour, we were awoken by our tour guide, Hector, who in a merry and upbeat voice told us what to expect. He said that we would drive about an hour to a restaurant where we would be served first breakfast and coffee, and then would make our way up the mountain. He said that we could expect cold winds and a low temperature, and we could ask him for ponchos. Until then, he said finally, we could sleep.

When we woke up an hour later, we were parked outside a diner. We went in to be served coffee and some cake and pastries. It 3 in the morning and I had no appetite for an overly sweet muffin. Annoyed, I chose something that wasn’t too sweet, and picked up a large cup of hot coffee. I saw that the rest of my bus looked as annoyed as I did. All of us barely had our eyes open, and all of us expected a real breakfast. Caleb angrily said something about how much we had paid, and the whole crowd nodded in agreement. I pointed out that this was just our first breakfast, but the sleepy crowd did not care. 

After chugging our coffees, our eyes flew open and we jumped on the bus excitedly. Hector continued to be upbeat and began telling us about the volcanic crater itself. 

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 4: Snorkeling

Miah called for us to return, and we jumped back into our kayaks. He passed around some water and snacks. We were just beginning to adjust to the temperature outside, when we started to feel small drops of water fall on us. Unsure how long the rain would last, Miah decided to play it safe. He got us to paddle toward the shore, promising us one more stop before the end of the two hour trip. We came closer to the shore, and closer to some rocks. He told us to jump back in and we did. There were beautiful corals on the floor in vibrant blues, greens, and yellows. There were fewer turtles here, and more fish. We swam for twenty minutes and jumped back into the boat. Stopping your brain from panicking is exhausting, and I was tired. I waited in the kayak till everyone was down with their swims and we all got back in. We rowed to the shore, and slowly, Miah pulled us onto the rocky beach. 

Exhausted and hungry, Caleb and I found the nearest semi-cheap cafe. Being in Wailea meant that everything close by was expensive or had no vegetarian food. We drove past hotels after hotels until finally we saw a small cafe by a pool. We stopped and got ourselves a table by the pool. We watched as old women and little kids swam around and enjoyed gentle cocktails. The sun was peeking out through the clouds and my hair was beginning to dry. I ordered a pomegranate and wine cocktail and waited for my giant sandwich to be served. I was hungry and craving some french fries that I was sure would be served with the sandwich. 

As we waited, we got restless. We needed either coffee, or something else to calm our nerves. Luckily our drinks arrived and we slowly slipped on them in silence. We were both exhausted and just wanted to relax for the rest of the day. Just as we slunk back into our chairs, a cloud burst and big raindrops began to fall on our heads. We got up and retreated to a table inside. Once again, we waited in silence for our food, and devoured it when it got there. I have never been more thankful for french fries in my life.

After wolfing down our lunch, we drove back to the hotel. I made a comment about how every license plate in Hawaii had a rainbow on it, almost like it was their motto. At that very moment I looked to my right and saw a big, double rainbow across the sky. It looked like a picture from an animated show, where every color could be seen clearly as a band, and it arched perfectly. I have seen rainbows before, but seeing one in Hawaii seemed like a perfect tourist trap. I couldn’t believe my eyes, not because it was a rainbow, but because of exquisite and perfect the rainbow was. I asked Caleb to pull over and ran up a small hill to take as many pictures as I could.

We reached the hotel and I ran up to our room to retrieve my good camera. I stood taking picture after picture of the beautiful rainbow, trying my hardest to capture the magic, only to be wildly successful.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and doing our own thing. I went on a run down the road, finding big houses with overgrown mango trees, and a van painted like the Scooby Doo mystery van. Caleb took a nap. Later that evening we went to the bar across the street to enjoy a brew before we went to sleep early, anticipating the long day we had in front of us.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 4: Snorkeling

I hadn’t been kayaking since I was 10 years old, but found that I liked it just as much. I wished that we could have just kayaked around the shore for the rest of the day, taking our time with the beautiful ocean view. The clouds were rolling in, and the dark grey clouds only added to the beauty of the ocean.

Slowly we made our way toward another side of the coast, where we could see plenty of people diving. We reached the area where we were about dive, and Miah asked me if I could swim. I can swim, just not very well. He said that most Indians he met couldn’t swim, and so was going to tell me a little about snorkelling. He said that my brain would begin to panic as soon as I got into the water, but to breathe like I was Darth Vader. He said not to splash around too much and to remember that I have a life jacket on and it was almost impossible to drown.

I jumped off the kayak and into the water and almost immediately began to splash around. I tried to breathe like Darth Vader. I tried to actively remember to breathe in and out, to get my brain to stop panicking. My legs and hands were still flailing about and I could begin to feel salt water go into my mouth. I heard someone calling my name and I stuck my head up above water. Miah, who was still sitting in his kayak, asked me to hold onto his kayak. He told me that I needed to splash less. He told me that I needed to tell myself that I would not drown. He told me to kick, not to splash, and to keep my hands still. My brain was still running at the speed of light, and I couldn’t make it stop. I knew how to swim. I knew I couldn’t drown. I knew I had to breathe. I knew I had to concentrate on anything but my inability to keep it together. But why couldn’t I keep it together? Why did I have water in my mouth? 

I could feel Caleb’s comforting presence next to me. I felt guilty about hindering his experience. He flapped next to  me, while Miah tried to calm me down with his words. Finally, my heart stopped beating as fast, and I stopped splashing. I kicked off Miah’s kayak and swam away. I put my head under the water and was transported into a whole new world. Under the surface were dozens of turtles of different sizes swimming around. Yellow and green coral stuck to ocean floor. Around each coral were schools of fish, brightly colored, and diverse, swimming around. I could see turtles nestled between the rocks, looking up at me. I could see turtles swimming around, avoiding the humans who were clearly in their way. They didn’t fear us, and they didn’t care that we were there. 

We swam around the rocks, looking at this whole new world that we were exposed to. We saw fish feeding off the turtle’s shells. We saw tiny turtles swimming next to bigger turtles, and we saw bigger turtles come to a stop when they hit the ocean floor. It was beautiful. It was wonderful to see this whole new world just below the surface of the water. It was so close, but it was so different from anything we saw on land. It was vibrant, and new, and almost dream like. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 4: Kayaking

The idea that activities on a holiday need to be booked early was a foreign concept to me, until I came to the US. Weeks before we left for Hawaii, Caleb had been telling me to look up the snorkeling tours. He had decided that if it was one thing we did, we would have to snorkel and see the corals and the sea turtles. So, I did. I booked us on a kayak and snorkel tour, without really understanding the geography of Maui.

Unfortunately for us, our snorkeling tour began forty minutes away from our hotel. Luckily though, we were still jet lagged and were up early. After grabbing a quick breakfast at McDonalds (the place that was closest to us,) we made our way to Wailea. As usual we passed the scenic beaches. While the beaches closer to us had children and people all over the beach, the ones closer to Wailea were filled with surfers, and old beaten up cars that seemed to have been parked there overnight. “Imagine being able to just camp out on the beach all day like you have no responsibilities,” said Caleb, and for one fleeting moment, I thought I had a new dream.

Soon, we began to pass big mansions and luxurious lawns. We were under the shade of palm trees. The roads were suddenly wider and cleaner. We were in Wailea: the area where celebrities hide out when they’re on vacation. We reached a rock beach, to see kayaks being drawn onto the rocks. We got out of the car and found our guide, Miah (short for Jeremiah.) He spoke quickly and roughly, and told us that he was postponing having surgery on his back because he didn’t want to stop kayaking. He pointed out his son, asked us a couple of questions in jest, and had us standing around utterly confused.

Finally, he led us toward the kayaks, got us to put our life jackets on, and gave us a quick, rough introduction on kayaking and snorkeling. He slowly pushed our kayaks out into the ocean, and had us jump in. We got it, and began to paddle. I was sitting in front and Caleb behind me, which meant that I was meant to keep the pace. Miah made a few jokes about how women control everything in the marriage, and so I slowed down so I could conveniently stop listening to his jokes. The panic part of my brain, however, made me keep the pace up a little so that if we came close to drowning, he could still save us.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 3: Black Sand Beach

We made our way out of the Garden of Eden and back on the Hana highway. Suddenly, the road was peppered with orange flowers on tree tops. Look at the african tulips, I said to Caleb, as he drove past the bright orange trees. We could see clouds gathering the sky ahead of us, and we were hoping that it wouldn’t rain. Caleb was getting tired of the road and it’s constant turns. At every place we could stop, we couldn’t find any parking and we had to drive on. Finally, I pointed at a little outlook that veered off the highway. Someone was pulling out of a parking spot, and we snaked into it. We got out of the car and stretched our legs, and climbed up to the view point. Once again, the view took my breath away.

On one side, I could see hills with greenery as far as the eye could see. I could see deep green forests, and hills after hills of trees. The earth here looked untouched, and almost new. On the other side, the ocean spread out in front of us. Everyone on this little viewpoint was marveling at this sight. Once again, I was reminded of home, of the wester ghats with mountains and beaches, and deep beauty. I was reminded that beauty still existed in the world, and that there was nothing man made that could bring this feeling of peace in me.

It began to rain, so Caleb and I ran back to the car. We decided that our next stop would be to eat. We had been driving all day with a small bag of pineapples as a snack and we had hit our limit. My palate was beginning to get itchy, and my stomach wanted real food. We stopped at a little place that was selling flat bread. After devouring our delicious homemade flatbread, we took off. We were glad to see that we were only 12 miles to Hana. We were getting tired, and according to our maps and our guides, we would have to turn back at Hana. 

We had one last stop to make. We had heard about the black sand beaches that were close to Hana. We were still in love with the clean, normal sand beaches, but we did want to check out the black sand beaches. Black sand beaches are black because of volcanic activity that deposits dark colored minerals on to the beaches. We had driven all the way down to Hana and we wanted to see the black sand for ourselves.

We struggled to find parking at the black sand beach, but finally found a spot. This, to me, was a bad sign. So far I had put the tourists out of mind and had enjoyed relatively empty viewpoints and stops on Hana highway. But suddenly I was reminded that the whole world was on vacation, and a majority of the population had come to Hawaii. As I walked past the children, the loud adults, and the trash in the trash cans, I came upon the black sand beach. Under all the heads and bodies, I could see spots of black and dark grey ground. It was not as deep as I expected it to be, but it was wonderful all the same. Caleb moved toward the beach, not noticing my reluctance. We got down to the sand, and tried to marvel at it above the roaring sound of people talking. Tired from a long drive, we were both disappointed at the lack of privacy we had here. We could barely see the sand, let alone marvel at its formation. Caleb bent down, and picked up a smooth black rock. He put it in his pocket and we went back to the car.

We waited a few minutes before getting back into the car. We knew we had a long journey back. We decided against making any stops, since we wanted to get back to our hotel room. We picked up some coffee, and made our way back to the hotel. 

We got back to the hotel and relaxed into our bed. Caleb brought the fresh coconut out the car and laid it on the counter in our tiny kitchen. He sat down and I asked him how he planned to drink the water. “It can’t be that hard,” he said, and shuffled through the drawers for a knife. Finally, he pulled out a steak knife. He held the coconut over the sink and began hacking away at it. A crack formed down the center of the coconut. He held onto both sides and tired to pry it open with his hands. I watched in amusement, not giving him any advice. He realized that the coconut was stronger than he initially thought, so began laboriously hacking away at it with the steak knife. After about ten minutes, he got a small hole open, and he emptied the water into a glass. I asked him to take a sip of it, and he did. He made a face and handed it to me, and I drank the cold and fresh coconut water as fast as I could. How good it felt to have real coconut water.

We ate a quick, uninspiring dinner and laid back in bed. We were exhausted from the drive and our heads were full of picturesque memories. We talked about how we had never seen anything like it, nothing so pristine and perfect. So pristine and perfect that it almost felt unreal. They tell you that perfection doesn’t exist, but hadn’t we just seen all of it?

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 3

As I munched on the pineapples, Caleb began our long and winding descent down the hill toward Hana. The further we got from Paia, the thicker the trees got. We could see the ocean to our left, and mountains of shrubbery on our right. Every few kilometers, we would stop behind some cars to watch a trickling waterfall. We had driven straight into heaven. 

We drove along the winding roads slowly, and steadily, making way for the heavy traffic in front of, and behind us. We would come to spot high up in the mountains and see ten cars parked on either side of a viewpoint. If we were lucky, we found a spot and parked and stared into the soft green slopes that slowly made its way toward the crystal clear ocean. As high up as I was, I could see the different colors mingling in the waters. I could see the light glimmer of the ocean, making the whole expanse look like one big gem.

From the mountains, we would see people emerging, wet from head to toe. People were going in search of waterfalls. We knew that we would see plenty of them, since we had been told about them before. But we weren’t prepared for the number. But the sun was getting higher in the sky, and the road narrower and more crowded. We stopped less, and would crane our necks at the beautiful spots.

When Caleb finally mentioned that he was tired, I asked him to pull up at an arboretum ahead. He grimaced. He didn’t think it would be particularly interesting to see a garden. But I was excited and I needed to stretch my legs. So we pulled in.

  The Garden of Eden Arboretum is Alan Bradbury’s personal garden. The garden was begun to create a climate in which native Hawaiian plants could grow naturally. But the whole arboretum was carefully curated, and holds species from all over the world.

We drove to the parking lot, and got out of the car. Almost immediately a peahen came trotting towards us, cawing. A few meters away was a peacock with its tail fanned out in all its glory. I lost my fascination for these birds a long time ago, when their constant cawing made me want to rip my hair out. But to Caleb, the peacock was beautiful. We stood around, took a few pictures and made our way.

We walked down the natural path that led us through a bamboo grove. The arboretum had beautifully planted different types of bamboo along the path. We could see the difference in each species, and could see the beautiful shades of green and yellow intermingling. We walked down the path, and into a courtyard with vibrant flowers and stone sculptures. Before going any further, we stopped to buy some mango bread, and coffee. 

We decided to walk toward the waterfall. We had seen plenty along the way but didn’t have the time to stop and look. We walked past different species of palm, and all kinds of flowers. We swatted at the mosquitoes that were buzzing around our legs and finally got to a little gazebo. On one side of the gazebo was a railing. 

I stood at the railing taking in the view before me. Bright green leaves sloped downward towards the center. On one side, a small trickle of water erupted from through the canopy, making its way downward to a small pool of green water. It looked like it had never been touched. 

There were plenty of moments during our trip where my breath was taken away by the beauty of nature. I stood staring at views after views wondering if I would ever have the words or the skills to recreate this outstanding beauty that stood in front of me. I felt my body relax and I could suddenly feel how much bigger the world was compared to me. 

After taking a couple of pictures, we walked around the rest of the garden. Caleb had never seen Banana trees up close so we made our way toward the banana grove. We stopped to marvel at the 100 year old mango tree. The tree was tall and expansive, and gave us some respite from the heat while we stared at the banana trees growing magnificently in the sun. I pointed out the young bananas that were just beginning to form on the tree to Caleb, who stared at the tree, fascinated. I explained to him how every part of the tree could be used, and how, being from the southern part of india, I had seen this happen a lot.

As we walked back to the car, I told Caleb stories about mango trees, banana trees, and bamboo trees. I pointed out the eucalyptus, told him about their medicinal value. Suddenly I felt like I was back in India. A much cleaner, more manicured India. I knew everything about these plants, and I could even feel the familiar feeling of mosquitoes on my shins.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 3: Road to Hana

Caleb and I were brought together by our mutual love for sleep. We’re happiest when we have no alarm to set. When we rest our heads on the pillow knowing that there’s no responsibility, no task, nothing, that awaits us the next day, we sleep blissfully. So when we laid down that night, we rested happily. Our bodies sunk into the soft mattress, and I wrapped myself in the many clean, white blankets. I closed my eyes, with a smile on my face, knowing that nothing would wake me up the next morning.

At 5 in the morning, my eyelids flew up, and I stared into the dark room. Back in Boston, it was 10 in the morning. I shut my eyes, forcing my brain to slow down, and to go to sleep. I tossed and turned and told myself stories until finally I drifted back to sleep only to wake up an hour later. My body refused to rest. I turned a small light on and reached for my book, hoping that Caleb would have better luck sleeping in. An hour later, he was up, making coffee for the both of us. So much for sleeping in.

We decided that this would be the day that we attempted the road to Hana. The road to Hana, or the Hana Highway, is a 52 mile long winding highway, with some of the most beautiful sights. The 52 miles has 620 curves and 59 bridges, many of which are one lane bridges. It begins in Paia, in the north of maui, and continues through the east edge to the south.

We were told that the unpaved parts of the Hana Highway were dangerous to drive on. We were told to go down until Hana and turn back, instead of driving the entire perimeter of the island. After all, we were told, most of the sights to see are on the way from Paia to Hana. We had grabbed pamphlets that told us to download an audio file from a link, or to stop and find a CD that detailed the road to Hana. But we were certain that we would know what to do and where to stop on a  largely one lane highway.

We drove down toward Paia, only stopping to pick up juices and snacks for what seemed to be a long road ahead. We drove past the beach resorts, and the shopping areas, and past the second airport. We had been driving for nearly an hour when we reached a narrow two lane road with shops on either side. We looked around at the boutiques, the tattoo parlors and the restaurants. The place was packed with people. We could hear the waves hitting the shore to our left. As we crawled through the sudden traffic, I kept my eyes peeled for any indication of where we were. Finally, on a two storey building that looked like a saloon from an old western, I saw a sign hanging down that said “Paia Tattoo Parlor.”

We were told that Paia was a surfing village, and home to many different fantastic places to eat. I could see the local art thriving in the area, with many tiny boutiques selling everything from wooden watches to abstract art. I could see signs for tattoo parlors, shaved ice spots, pizza places, and bars all over. We were passing through, but I had decided that we would come back.

Just as we struggled out of Paia, we saw a board that said “Hana Highway begins.” Caleb was stunned. Hadn’t we driven for over an hour? Were we just starting the real journey? I pulled out my physical map to double check, and sure enough, we were just beginning our real journey. He sighed. He hadn’t expected this. He needed a break from all the driving. Luckily for him, we saw a small wooden structure on the side of the road that was selling coconuts. Caleb’s eyes lit up and he pulled up to the side of the road.

For a boy who has never been out of mainland USA, the idea of a coconut, or any other tropical fruit is fascinating. Caleb had seen the trees lined with tall coconut trees and he asked me question after question on how to climb them, what the green ones where, and how they got brown. So he pulled over at the coconut stand, and walked right in and bought a coconut for $7. My heart stopped when I heard the price (imagine all those tenginkayi uncles at home selling their coconuts for 30 rupees while this dude was just raking in the money,) but I didn’t want to rain on Caleb’s parade. The man picked up the coconut and asked if Caleb wanted it cut and with a straw. Caleb said no. I stared at him, again, bewildered. “Do you know how difficult it is to cut a coconut?” I asked him. “I think I can swing it,” he said. I looked over at the seller, and we both shrugged. He handed Caleb the coconut, sold us a bag of freshly cut pineapple and we returned to the car.

[harinirajagopalan]

Day 2: Mountains

As we drove on we began to see a large mountain on the horizon. It looked like it was cut in half right from the summit downward. One edge moved straight down into a cliff, and eventually an ocean, while the other side curved like a large looming bell. Caleb’s eyes lit up and he drove faster toward it. The roads were getting narrower and the cars more scarce. We were certain that we had crossed Kapalua and that we were driving northward. We knew that eventually we would get to road that was dangerous to drive on. We had been warned just earlier that day. As I stuck to the back of my seat, gripping the sides of my seat, Caleb drove on. “I want to see what that is!” he said. He was determined to get there. Time and again I warned him about the narrowing roads, and the scarcity of both people and cars. He brushed aside my fears, and went head on. “I want to get there.”

I tried to relax. I looked at the scenery around me. The scattering of coconut trees, and banana trees. I saw agave plants and other shrub. Each hill folded into each other creating an almost seamless transition. The flora was so untouched, so wild. I rested easy, laying my eyes on the beauty of the hills rathe than the treachery of the road. 

The closer we got to the mountain, the narrower the roads got. The sky above us shone blue as the sun dipped slightly. Suddenly we came to a narrow bridge, a one lane bridge. Caleb sighed. Looking at the mountain one last time, he turned around and we began to drive back. “She told us not to go that way,” he said, disappointed.

That mountain was the head of the village called Kahakuloa. It’s a picturesque village with a nice quiet bay and a lot of local shops. Looking it up on instagram and pinterest tells me that it’s one of the more authentic places in Maui.

Which brings me to my final thought. I spent an entire day in Maui, looking at the local jewellery, and art. I drove past hours of paradise. But I didn’t feel like I knew Hawaii. I didn’t feel like I know what the people were like, or what life was like. Everything I encountered was perfectly tailored to tourists. I felt like a tourist and saw people cater to the tourist. Why wasn’t I ever told about the history of the area? Why didn’t I see any sign of everyday life? As I laid back in bed that night I was grateful for all the beauty I had inhaled, but I had a longing to understand the land that I was in.