We just got back from a 10-day trip to Maui. It was not our first time there, so we knew it was going to be beautiful. But this time I paid attention to more than just the sun and ocean. I came across some unexpected and random facts from Maui, Hawaii.
Before I tell you about those, the sun and ocean cannot be ignored.
The home we stayed in was amazing with gorgeous views only God could create. Sitting in the pool or hot tub looking at the ocean and watching lots of whales jumping and splashing around. The island Lanai is directly in front of us and the clouds linger over it. A cruise ship has just anchored in and the passengers are waiting to unload and enjoy some shopping and sight seeing in Lahaina. The temperature always hovers around 80 degrees. It feels like we are the only ones up here overlooking a little slice of heaven. At night the sun sets behind Lanai and the colors of the sky illuminate. We were blessed and grateful beyond measure.
Now a few random facts from Maui that you might not be aware of.
Unexpected and Random Facts from Maui, Hawaii
The roosters were definitely ruling the roost
I went for a walk up the hill behind our house and ran into a neighbor who is a native Hawaiian. It was almost sunset, and we could see and hear a few roosters running in her lawn. She told me that the roosters on the island have become like rabbits. They keep multiplying. She said one of them keeps roosting in the lime tree next to her bedroom. She hates that she is getting woken up at 4:00 am every morning, but the lime tree has been producing like crazy. Coincidence? She also told me that once in a while she will trap them and then call a local farmer to dispose of it. Some people get rid of them be other means. I like her process! But, seriously, the rooster and chickens were everywhere.
Rain in Maui can be beautiful
We had a couple rainy days. But rainy days in Northwest Maui are not like the rainy days in Minnesota. The sun seems to keep shining through the clouds. Not much stops because of the rain. Oh, and the rain brings beautiful rainbows. You can see them from one end to the other. Unfortunately, we did not find the pot of gold at the end so that we could stay there.
The ocean is beautiful and powerful
The water is so blue and clean! We went out on a whale watching tour. I was so glad to go out into the ocean. As we left the harbor, you could see the ocean floor and the water was such a brilliant blue. It was a little windy that day, so as we got out a little further from the island, the waves were crazy.
Thousands of humpback whales come to Maui each year to get pregnant and then come back to have their babies. On our tour, we saw several babies jumping and showing off. The babies weigh about 2,000 pounds and were jumping in and out of the water with ease. A few times we saw the mom jumping alongside of the baby, maybe teaching them how. Now that’s incredible. Some of them weigh 79,000 lbs. We were also lucky enough to see hundreds of spinner dolphins swim by us and a few were jumping and spinning in front of us. They can spin up to 7 times with each jump.
Out on the ocean you can see how vast and powerful it is. I came across a sign in one of the gift shops with a few fun lessons the ocean can teach us.
Advice From The Ocean
Be Shore of Yourself
Avoid Pier Pressure
Come Out of Your Shell
Take Time to Coast
Don’t Get Tide Down
Sea Life’s Beauty
Make Waves
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The bartenders take care of each other
We have a few local bars that we like to go to when we are in Lahaina. We started noticing that our bartender from one bar would be sitting at the bar the next night at another establishment. After seeing this a couple of times, I asked one of the bartenders if there was a bartender cult. She laughed and said, “how did you know?” A lot of the bartenders came to Maui to live a new life. Maybe they are surfers or just wanted to live a simpler life in warm weather.
Whatever the reason, they seem to take care of each other. It was fun to get to know them. In fact, we ran into a few people who just decided to stay in Maui after they visited. It’s not cheap, so I don’t know how long they last there, but what an amazing place to live with many service industry jobs taking care of the tourists. One big ohana (family).
There are cats everywhere
According to the Hawaii director of the Animal Humane society, “In the past, it’s been estimated that anywhere between 20,000 to half a million cats roam the 727-square-mile island.” The over population probably started years ago when cats were abandoned on the island. They have started a TNR program (trapping, neutering and returning the cat to the same place). Then then clip the end of one of the ears to tag it.
The home we stayed at came with a cat that has been caught and neutered. My friends that were with us love cats. Me not so much. The caretaker of the home said there was food in the pantry if we wanted to feed it, so of course my friend did and soon there were three cats hanging out and getting fed. As long as they didn’t jump on or near me, they were fine. But everywhere we went there were stray cats. On the golf courses, at the resorts and on the beaches.
Bob Barker would not be pleased.
I need to learn how to “hang loose”
The hand gesture originated in Hawaii and means to chill or be laid back. Not something I am used to being. Even in Maui, I felt compelled to always have a plan and know what our next move was. My husband kept telling me to just relax.
It’s also true with my blog. Always feeling like I need to be in control. Calculate my next move’s, know how to get to the next milestone. But I read something while I was in Maui that caused me to pause.
“Just because you are not busy doing, doesn’t mean things aren’t being done. You don’t have to be in control to be productive.”
Or in the case of always having a plan on vacation, “sometimes just being chill is the most fun thing you can do.”
Do you have memories or random facts from Maui, Hawaii? I’d love to hear them.
I’ll leave you with this Hawaiian proverb –
Kahuna Nui Hale Kealohalani Makua – “Love all you see, including yourself.” — Hale Makua