Maui

Aloha

Greetings from Maui my friends.
After staying at Waikiki Beach, Honolulu (Oahu) for two nights, I flew aaaaaaaaalll the way to Maui (33min flight). Here I have stayed 5 nights and will be leaving to go back to Waikiki Beach in about 3 hours.

My days in Maui were action packed and a brilliant experience. Due to the nearly non-existent public transport on Maui, I decided to rent a car for the first time on my trip. I was a bit nervous at first because I haven't driven for over 9 months and I spent the last few months in countries that drive on the wrong side of the road.. yes you heard right my friends from japan, NZ and OZ.. the WRONG side. My worries were unfounded though. Sat in the car and instantly remembered how to do everything. I have to admit I loved having a car these last few days. The flexibility to do what I want, WHEN i want was priceless. Especially considering my photography, this was really a plus point. Finally I got to be in the great places for pictures at the right time of the day. What's the use being a great place in the midday sun? the pictures are going to suck!

So what was I up to?
My most memorable experience must be, to watch the sunrise on top of Mt. Haleakala. It was a near spiritual experience.. if it would not have been so cold and I would have gotten some gas before driving up. Since I didn't, I was constantly in worry I would run out of gas. I didn't.. yay! In order to be up there at sunrise, I had to get up at 3 am(!!). It was really really worth it though. I would do it again in a blink on the eye. Sadly I am not at all satisfied with the pictures I took. Yes they look OK but damn the lens flares and damn the noise!

The second thing that I really loved was the road trip to Hana. The drive there is on a winding and narrow road along the coast. Most bridges were one lane only. It took me all day to get there and back again and loved every minute of it. Again I really liked having my own car. I could stop whenever I wanted, to get out and take some pictures or just enjoy the scenery.

The rest of the days I spent exploring various parts of the Island. I was in national parks, I saw plenty of beaches and drove on streets wider than I would expect on such a little Island. I think 5 nights was just enough to explore Maui. Any more and I would probably get bored.

My photography plans are still in full force and I am trying to get better with every shot. Obviously this is not possible but I can try, can't I? If you have any suggestions how you would improve the pictures below.. let me know!

The pictures below have seen some post processing, some more than others. I would like to play a little game with you all. In 5 of the pictures below I have edited heavily in Photoshop. Whoever guesses correctly which 5 these are will get a post card from every country I visit till I fly back home :)...

I hope you enjoyed viewing the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

till next time,.. stay cool


biggest banyan tree in the US. Fun fact: that is one tree, those additional trunks are actually roots extending from the branches.
View from Iao Valley toward the central plains
Mt. Haleakala just before sunrise
More of Mt. Haleakala
and some more then.
The Pioneer Inn in Lahaina.
I asked for a small fuel saving car.. this is what I got.. not really my Idea of small and fuel saving but hey, this is the USA. On the way back from Hana
To road to/from Hana... you can spot it there cut into the cliffs. (ignore the localized halo please)
Sunset from Lahaina Harbour.