index maui

1996 MAUI Hawaii

This was the very first time that we went to Maui. It is the 4th of November 1996. It is cold back home in Chico, CA. So cold, that I am still wearing a heavy black leather coat and long legged pants.




That is Maui down there, and soon we hope, to shed the sweaters and coats.




Hard bank to Final into the Maui airport...
As soon as you get off the plane, you will smell wonderful flowers, and feel the pleasant warm humid air.I love the people here. They are so "laid back", curteous, and pleasant. What more could you ask for?After you arrive here, there must be a reason that your senses immediatly fill with paradise "stuff".That is because it IS paradise!


As soon as we got off the plane, we could smell the aroma of banian flowers.And also to our surprise, pretty Hawaiian girls came to us, and put lays around us.Wow! This can not be happening.This is our first time in Maui, and I have to pinch myself.And then, one of the girls very politely, took my camera, and took this picture.To say the least, we are smiling.

I can not express it enough: This is a totally different kind of place, and this is absolutely Paradise.








Wow! Harleys and scooters are for rent all over the island. I found and picked up this FatBoy for a little money that I did not want. Fantastic trade!



The left blinker did not work. The guy said "Do not worry about it, just stick out your hand."
There was no keys for the ignition. Not even a key slot. I asked who is liable for this thing? The guy said "Dont worry about it. This is an island. Where are they going to take it?!" I was thinking my Paradise is also a Fantasy land.

No one uses a helmet here.Perhaps I can deel with it. Speeds are low. Max speed limit, anywhere on the island is 45MPH.

I told Linda to stay put, as I took the bike around the block. I took it through some aggressive moves left and right, as well as a hard stop.Expectedly it seemed sluggish, cause I am used to responsive Super Bikes.

Because I have Linda I have to be seriously informed about my Ride.There are no helmets here, and lots of care free people with alcohol.Although I have a lot of experience with bikes,I will take few chances with her.

So, hot damn...
We be on our way.



Girls are easy here. This girl said she would ride with me.
(Actually, the hot chick is my wife.)


And actually, I can not say enough good about her. She is very tolerant of my fantasies, and playful attitude.Actually, I have incredible immaturity.

You can find these bikes all over the island. All run over $100 for all-day.
You can also find Superbikes, but I would not recommend them: you want a slow cruiser with high exposure to the air.You do not want to miss a thing.You will want to reach out your hand and touch the leaves.I can not do this at home, because being a non Paradise place, you can get your arm ripped off.You will want to set comfortably, so that you can see, smell, and feel leaves along the curves.Also, the Harley is a high torque, low RPM machine; And you can lope along at 1 or 2 MPH. No way your bike can trump, with bike merits, this island's paradise. But a bike sure adds to the experience.

And hot chicks add to the experience too.


Continually lost?
Not really, its all good.
Have to stop the bike all the time to read the map.
The map is full of strange names as if in a foreign language.

Always, before getting anywhere, there are other places in between that are just as good as destinations.
It is so fun being lost.




We do not need to know what these places are; just take a picture. Everything is pretty.

This picture may be at the Plantation.









Well...
Almost everything.




This is Iao Valley.
We hopped off the bike and went up a trail.
Crossed a bridge with a stream of crystal clear "sweet" water. People carried bottles to fill from a most sought after water source. Unpolluted water is free here, cold and pure.




Legends are all over the island. And there is a legend here:
Legend goes; If one stands nude in front of the Needle, one is given Notoriety.




Yes, I became a star in 1996 and decided to live here. I think I'll buy the island.


This is our first trip to the island. This is the Plantation.


Ya, I want to live here too. But I have not heard about buying the island.








Gary Conklin is a good friend. Linda worked with his mom back on the mainland.

Gary invited us to the Grand Wailea for breakfast.He showed us around and we were in ah. Gary is a famous artist, with paintings all over the island.




One of the pools at the Grand Wailea.
Can you tell that we are tourists?




Grand Wailea
Blue fresh water, blue ocean water in the distance.Dark Navy Blue shirt, and blue pants.
And Linda says that I never care how I look...




We came back to the Grand Wailea, several times, to play and pretend.We pretend that we were married here...







We decide to head over to the volcano: Haleakala.

We stuff my black leather coat, that I had wore on the plane, into the bags.




Haleakala




Haleakala









We came down out of the clouds, or fog, to where it was warm again.

You can still see some of the fog behind Linda.




But turning around and facing north toward the Valley, is Kihei on the left, and the Kahului airport on the right.



As you can see, my wife is A+ on a boat.
Well, she is an A no matter where she is.
I am just saying...









I love Maui this much!









Linda was slammed by this wave. With face in the sand, she could not recover fast enough to get slammed again by the next wave.We laughed till we cried because three or four more waves in a row kept us down.




I am out there searching for a big one. Don't judge. Looks lame. But sure is fun.

Kihei town can be seen directly across on the distant shore.

We are swimming in front of our Condo at the Ma'alaea Banyans Resort.





At the Sugar Plantation and Museum. Donations.







Have to go back home. Put on my black leather jacket.Linda put her white sweater back on.We felt stupid; Why would we want to put all these stupid clothes back on, and go home?

All the way home, all Linda could talk about was coming back.
Maybe, I will have to buy the island.