After Kauai we boarded the "Ford Escort express" one more time for our short flight to Maui. Thankfully, there were no handbrake turns this time and a cheery "Aloha" replaced "Yee Hah".
About the same size as Northern Ireland, there is so much to do on Maui that it's just like one giant water park with an adventure playground in the middle. Boasting some of the best beaches in Hawaii, you can frolick with dolphins and sea turtles in crystal blue waters, spot whales playing with their calves while driving along the coast roads, go horseriding in upcountry ranches and explore the Mars like volcano at Haleakala.
We stayed in a beautiful old plantation house in upcountry Maui. It was miles from anywhere and so quiet that the silence was almost noisey. Situated on a protea farm as soon as you got out of the car it smelled as though you had arrived at an open air flower market, if only I could have bottled that sweet smell and taken it home with me. At night the stars were so clear it was like a planetarium.
I am never happier than when I'm reading and drinking a good cup of coffee and every morning I did just that on the adirondacks with a book and a cup of Kona coffee.
When Martin finally dragged me off the adirondack we clocked up lots of miles around the island, some by car, foot, bicycle and horseback.
On Christmas Eve we went horseriding at a nearby ranch and a merry ride it was. My horse, "Abba", was certainly a bit of a dancing queen so don't be fooled by the gentle exterior. She refused to move when I wanted her to and then unannounced she would set off into a high speed gallup. In one particular incident she took off at great speed through some woods and I thought I was going to get my head chopped off by a large branch. Up on the hill the rest of the group could see a small blue dot whizzing by atop a horse and screaming "stop" very loudly. Then when she did stop all she wanted to do was eat, apparently she had been sent to the ranch on fat camp. Despite this it was a wonderful afternoon and Martin had a very relaxing time aboard his horse "Pegasus".
On Christmas morning we had a 6am start for a spot of whale watching with the Pacific Whale foundation. The weather was beautiful and the sea so calm that whenever the boat's engine was turned off you could have heard a pin drop - the silence only being broken by the splashing of baby calves and the blow of the whales.
In the afternoon we packed a picnic and headed to the beach for some fun, sun and snorkelling. It was just like "Finding Nemo" and Martin was so excited by the whole experience that he lay face down in the water for a bit too long without reapplying sun cream and now adorns some comical sunburn marks on his back.
I must go as last night's chilli with cornbread topping is being reheated for lunch and the smell is wafting through the house making me very hungry. I think if I were on death row my last meal would definitely include cornbread, ribs and coleslaw - I'd probably have a cup of tea and a traybake too! Anyway, I'll be back soon with the sunrises and star gazing (of the human form) so stay tuned.
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