Being back for a week, and being extremely lazy, I had a chance to think about what I might tell someone who was about to go WWOOF somewhere tropical. Before my trip, I scoured the google search pages for info on what to bring and what not to bring. I was so paranoid that I *might* forget something, I went all boyscout on my luggage; always prepared. And I was prepared...the only thing I had to buy was a new pair of flip flops, because I bought crappy ones from a sports store in Michigan...in the middle of January.
Back on topic, though. Here's what I would tell a WWOOF-er hopeful when it comes to what to bring:
- Waterproof sandals. I know they're usually ugly, and most people look like douchebags in them, but I love mine. I bought a pair of Teva's on amazon (they were 50% off!) and the first time I ever wore them, I went hiking, and didn't get a single blister. They dried fast, they clean easily...and they're comfy. I wore them in the water, in the mud, everywhere.
- Waterproof camera. A total luxury, but I got one extremely cheap, thanks to Kodak's misfortunes. But it was great to have while hiking (I didn't want to break my really nice camera) and going in the water. When I tried snorkeling (more on that later) I had the chance to take a couple pictures under water.
- Hat/Hankerchief. Anything to pull the hair out of your face. It gets windy, sweaty, sticky...it's nice to not have hair all up in your face.
- Headlamp. CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH! They're awesome. I used it outside, I used it when the bulb in my bedside lamp died and I was too lazy to find a new bulb. They don't even cost very much money.
- Windbreaker/raincoat. It was nice to have when it rained, or got a little chilly. And it did rain, quite a bit towards the end.
- Backpack. Something small, for every day. It was great to have something to throw a sweatshirt in, along with a wallet, water bottle, flash light...whatever you need. It's nice to have to go hiking with, or just running into town. If it's too big, the weight gets heavy, and your shoulders get stiff.
- An open mind. It sounds ultra cheesy, but it's true. When I got home, everyone was asking if Maui was what I expected, what was different, etc. But I made a point to not come up with any ideas in my mind...to go and see what happens. It really made for a greater experience that I could ever ask for. Would I move back? Maybe not, but I'd definitely visit again, and I hope to keep in touch with the people that I spent 6 weeks of my life with.
Now for some pics...
R and I decided to go hiking in the "bamboo forest" a few miles from our humble abode. We tried to hitch a ride with a school bus, but to no avail. We ended up in a car with another hitchiker, whom owns a farm in Oregon, and a guy who worked at our favorite pizza place. He drove quite a ways down the Hana Highway (and picked up three different hitchhikers) just to get a crepe from a fruit stand. He offered R and the other girl part of his crepe, but not me. Not that I wanted any, because he was a dirty, nasty boy. It made me not want to eat our favorite pizza, either. :(
The gist of this hike is bamboo, then a bit of a rough trail (made worse with rain - everything got really mucky) and climbing some ropes, and then this ladder. R did a miraculous job both times. I let her go first, just in case she'd fall to her death, or even just a serious injury - it'd be easier for me to carry her out (she's lighter than me!)
The Friday before I left, there was a party in Paia - not super exciting, but the Maui Mountains looked pretty!
Notice the blue thing in the bottom right picture? That's a car that smashed into a tree, and we're not quite sure how it got down there, at that angle.
We stopped to take some pictures, and that box had dried vomit in it. Some bikers stopped to take our picture, and we started talking. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what we even talked about; I was too distracted by the dried-up, steamy box of vom at my feet.
And so we moved on to Julia's best banana bread. Not the best (I personally preferred the halfway to Hana stand) but still tasty!
Even more tasty was our eye candy as we purchased out bread.
I literally pulled over, took this picture, and left.
This happened because M started talking about the whale, and all the suddenly I heard, "You really need to pull over, NOW." And so I did.
We went to the luau and were greeted with smiling faces, a lei and a mai tai. Open bar!
KALUA PIG!
One of everything on the buffet. As well as my tasty tropical drink.
Dessert! Mac nut tart, lilikoi mousse in a dark chocolate cup, a mac nut brownie and coconut jello.
And then the dancing started!!
Then we went to the blow hole. No one got sucked in while I was there. Of course, no one went near the blow hole, except for R, some other kid and I.
R has the strength of...a titan?
She's gonna blow!!!
My last day in Maui was spent whale watching...
After a while, I got more excited at the color of the water...
With great sadness, I'll leave this blog, until next time. I did spend a day in Oahu, and I might post the pics, but I'm not sure yet. Thank you ALL for reading this, and I'm so glad I could entertain you all!
