Destination Hawaii –
Maui, Pt 2
It’s Day Three of our grand Hawaiian adventure and, as
usual, we’re wide awake at Silly O’Clock. With the five-hour time difference
from Florida, we’re finding it difficult to sleep much past 6am (with our
bodies still insisting it is 11am), but at least we’re getting plenty of time
to experience both the ship and the destination!
This morning, we’ve been invited to breakfast at the Lazy J Steakhouse, which is usually
reserved for suite guests but Norwegian would like us to get the full onboard
experience, hence we are temporarily VIPs for the duration.
This breakfast option (which is also open to suite guests at
lunchtime) provides a full alternative to either the main dining room or the
Aloha Café buffet and is a wonderful idea for those who like that little
‘extra’ touch. It features a slightly more imaginative menu – including the
likes of Crab Cakes Benedict and Smoked Salmon Frittata – as well as a full
regular choice of fresh fruit, cereals and pastries, and a more relaxed vibe,
hence it adds a real deluxe feel to the regular experience.
Once fully re-stocked (it is impossible to ever go hungry on
a cruise, of course!), we are ready for the next item on our Hawaii agenda,
which is the second full day on Maui
and another chance to explore on our own with our trusty Dodge Caliber rental
car (which we were able to park overnight right next to the ship – incredibly
handy).
Our first target is to drive up the mountain of Haleakala
and view the (dormant) volcano but, thanks to talking to our good friend
Stewart Chiron (The Cruise Guy and general Hawaii expert), we know this is not
a light undertaking.
Stewart had advised us to make this a morning priority while
also being careful to stay fully hydrated and take some energy food with us to
counter the effects of the quick journey to 10,000ft (as the altitude can be a
problem if you’re not careful). We were also told it can be distinctly chilly
at the summit, hence we dressed for a colder day than the standard 82F down at
sea level.
Thankfully, we were blessed with superb weather nearly all
the way – and an absolutely stunning experience as a result.
With the near-perfect weather, we drive up through the
ever-present layer of cloud around the mountain’s ‘midriff’ and emerge into
clear, blue sunshine of the brightest and most inviting kind. It is immensely
invigorating and – thankfully – we show no signs of being worried or affected
by the big altitude difference.
It is $10/vehicle to enter Haleakala National Park and there are two separate visitor centres
to enjoy, with plenty of information to take in and park rangers to talk to. We
learn about the amazing and unique ecosystem atop the mountain, with plants
like the remarkable Silversword, which blooms only once, right at the end of
its near 50-year life cycle, and the Nene goose, Hawaii’s national bird, which
lives in this rather bleak environment. There are also massive amounts of info
on Haleakala and volcanoes in general, especially the Shield type which is
basically all of Hawaii.
The vertical rise of the mountain causes some startling
vegetation and other scenery changes, from heavy forest and lush tropical
plants to open fields and then a more scrubby plant-life that then gives way to
the rocky, arid summit.
The last 1,000ft or so is pure alien planet territory, an
extensive volcanic field of rock and scree, but even that doesn’t prepare us
for the view inside the crater itself.
Haleakala last erupted at the end of the 18th
century and it is now possible to hike down into the crater from the main
observation centre – a journey that takes you into the heart of a stunning
vista of dormant cinder cones, red, iron-rich soil changes, huge boulders,
craggy cliffs and vast stretches of volcanic scree and dust that disappear into
the distance.
When JRR Tolkien was writing about the evil wastes of
Mordor, he might very well have had the interior of Haleakala in mind. It is a
view that amazes and boggles the mind, challenging the viewer to understand the
immense forces of nature at work here, primal forces that have shaped the earth
from the very beginning.
It is also a vista that shifts and alters from every angle
(and there are numerous viewing points at the 10,023ft summit), including the
‘Science City’ of observatories and military tracking stations that live up
here as well. We spend at least two hours observing, photographing and
marvelling at this most astonishing of scenes, chatting to rangers and other
visitors and just generally revelling in the experience.
We had thought we could fit in a trip to Lahaina on the other side of the island
– the former Royal residence and whaling centre in the 19th century
– but with the fact it will take us at least an hour to make the drive down,
then another hour to get there, we decide that will be trying to cram too much
into the day, especially as we need to return the car to the airport rental
depot then be back at the ship by 5.30pm.
But we are immensely rewarded for our time on the mountain.
It is a truly remarkable experience and one we will be keen to repeat in
future, if at all possible. The weather had begun to close in as we lingered at
the top, bringing in a thick veil of cloud and dropping the temperature by a good
10 degrees, hence we opted against a short hike into the crater itself. But
this will certainly be on our ‘To Do’ list next time…!
Next up – The Big
Island.
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