Mother Earth Father Sky

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Blog 35



Lahaina, Hawai’i, April 29, 2018 – Weather forecast: partly sunny; humidity 71%!,(MISSING) temperature 23°C, wind 8kts (3 Beaufort) – on crater’s edge experienced heavy fog, 30kts wind and rain/sleet



Overnight the ship moved from the island of Oahu eastward to the island of Maui where we anchored off shore adjacent to Lahaina. This is our last time on this voyage that we have to use the tenders to get ashore as there is no pier large enough for ships.



Lahaina’s history is tied to the whaling industry of the 19^th century, early Christian missionaries, sugar plantations, and now tourists. The stunning scenery, crystal clear calm waters and the myriad of animals, fish and turtles all blend together to attract tourists to the area. Once ashore we waited for our minibus near Banyan Tree Square, the location of a massive banyan tree that was planted more than 150 years ago in 1873.



Our destination today was Haleakala Crater located within Haleakala National Park, a recognized UNESCO Man & the Biosphere Site. The crater sits at an altitude of 10,032 feet above sea level and is large enough that the island of Manhattan could fit inside it. The volcano that crated this caldera last erupted in 1790. Our journey to the crater rim required our bus to navigate a series of switchback roads and if there was a bump to be hit on the way up, and later down, our driver seemed to make a special effort to hit. Our minibus held 25 and the five of us, B & I included, on the bench seat at the back felt every bump. When we finally arrived at the top we found that the building provided by the Park Service overlooking the crater was about to close at noon.



The reported marvelous viewing of the crater’s interior, which the tour description indicated was weather permitting, was a bust. The mountain top was shrouded in heavy clouds obscuring the view. Occasionally the cloud would dissipate enough for a quick photo and almost as fast sweep in again to hide everything. Adding more to our discomfort were the heavy wind gusts that carried rain and a bit of sleet. Following the brief viewing period, we descended the mountain and went to a local golf resort for a late lunch. One of the buildings at the resort was constructed using plans created by Frank Lloyd Wright.



After being dropped off near the dock for the tenders we took the opportunity to locate a store that sold cough drops in the hope that we could finally suppress the nagging coughs from which we have both been suffering. Success – mission accomplished.

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Photos

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Cloudy sky

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Mountain shroud

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Switchback trail

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Inside of crater

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Some colour visible

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Rocky formations

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Flowers, fog, mountains

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Golf greens

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Frank Lloyd Wright house