Musings about Maui

I arrived in Maui yesterday early evening, got my rental car, and then promptly got lost. Where did I inadvertently wander off to this time? 'Iao Valley State Park, a bit of a hair-raising journey when a) you don't know where you are or where you're going, b) it's raining pretty heavily, c) it's pitch black darkness, so much so you can't see a lick behind you and the brake lights don't illuminate a thing, and d) the roads are incredibly twisty turny and it's your first time.

Yup.

And to make matters...more interesting, asking people for directions is like suddenly being able to speak in tongues, except not realizing it because what comes out of your mouth sounds like English to you. (side note: this must be what aphasia or a stroke feels like). I knew I made a wrong turn from the airport so I pulled into a grocery store, and the guy there just could not point me in the direction I needed to at all. And who ended up being the best help? The park ranger who saw me go into 'Iao Valley, waited for me to turn around at the gate, and then followed me in the truck when I inevitably made another wrong turn.

Made it to the hostel and, well, maybe I shouldn't say anything if I can't find a way to say it nicely. It's not that it was bad or dirty, just not my cup of tea. While there, though, I did something to the car that made me feel like such a blonde: I couldn't figure out how to disengage the parking brake, ended up calling Avis, and had the hostel guy come to my rescue. Geez.

Getting up early, I was on the road at about 06:30, meandered down to McDonald's (it's the free wifi, I swear), and decided—again—to pass up their breakfast of Spam, rice and eggs. Just an Egg McMuffin or breakfast burritos for me, thank you.

I couldn't resist 'Iao Valley, though, and drove back there. Parking is a very reasonable $5, and I'm happy to pay because state parks don't get a whole lot of funding. And I was also happy to pay because I had no intention of staying on the marked, paved "trail" (more like a sidewalk surround by jungle flora). It wasn't too long before I saw my exit, a signed that said in big letters "DO NOT ENTER".

I entered.

I also didn't get two feet before I had to carefully navigate around two spiderwebs woven across the trail from tree to tree. They were cool-looking spiders with six red spines, two on the sides and top, and I couldn't help but think the Hawaiian gods were trying to send me a message.

Message ignored.

The further I walked, the more I hoped that I wouldn't get lost because I figured it'd be a long time before anyone would find me, if the spiders didn't get to me first. But I walked and walked, and turned back when I came to a wall of boulders I couldn't scramble up anymore. Turning back, I like to think I surprised tree pruners on the path performing maintenance on a palm tree, but I'm sure they're used to seeing people pop out of the jungle all the time.

And today, it's off to the backcountry, driving south, and then looping around the island until I get to my black sand camping site. Hopefully, the winds won't be too strong today, although there is a surf advisory in effect until 6am tomorrow morning.