Cam in Maui

We woke up long before the crack of dawn this morning and drove to Haleakala to watch the sunrise! We entered the park around 5:30 AM and drove up 10,000 feet in altitude then hiked up a short hill to the viewpoint. It was absolutely stunning! Pictures cannot capture the colors and glow of the sun as it rose over the fluffy clouds. As the sun rose, there was a beautiful spiritual song that a man I could not see sang. It was a very special moment especially considering we rarely get to watch the sun rise. Afterward we got acai bowls and picnicked/napped on the beach in Paia! It is an adorable town on the water and I loved poking in the many boutiques. We drove back in the afternoon and arrived home just in time to see Duke win against UNC! Wonderful day all around!!

Alexa’s dad manages a chocolate company that has a cacao farm and a chocolate factory under construction. We went to the construction site where the chocolate will be processed and made, sold, and there will be a chef’s kitchen for events! They are hoping to open this summer. Then we went to the farm where there are rows of cacao trees. It is a large fruit that has slimy seeds on the inside. The seed coating has a lychee consistency and is sweet, and the cocoa part is bitter on the inside. It was fascinating! We got to taste test some incredible chocolate… it is all dark chocolate and they have mint, blood orange, lemongrass, and coffee flavors. Yum!!

We woke up (dark) and early this morning to hit the road from Lahaina to Hana! It was a beautiful morning and we made our first stop at a yummy banana bread and general store hut. Then we went to Black Sand Beach where the sand was black and gritty. We swam and explored… it was stunning! Our next stop was at another beach where we went for a walk and hung out. Then we went to an estuary that was so beautiful! It was my favorite location. We had to go through a “no trespassing” gate and walk along a long trail to get there, but it was certainly populated when we arrived. The water was so blue and calm and the view was beautiful! We left around 4pm and drove for two hours around the backside of the island. It was windy and one-way at some points, but once we got around the corner it was so gorgeous. I saw the biggest rainbow I have ever seen, lots of cattle, and very luscious rolling hills. We drove to the top of a lavender farm to watch the sunset… unfortunately it got very cloudy but I still loved hanging out in a special, peaceful location with all of my friends. We stopped in Paia for flatbread on our way home after an unforgettable day!

We went cliff jumping yesterday afternoon and just got back from a tide pool. It wasn’t too high up and was thrilling jumping in. The water was beautiful! The tide pool was also stunning… we took a nice walk to it and then saw a whale there too!

Exploring Maui has been wonderful! We have been on walks along the coast, a hike into the mountains to a pond, and hopping from beach to beach! It is sunny and warm but breezy and drizzles often. We have been busy but very relaxed as well.

After a beautiful 11 hour plane flight and a connection through Honolulu, we are in Maui! The water is very blue, and it is comfortably warm. It drizzles for a minute here and there but feels nice. Alexa’s family had us over for dinner and hanging in the hot tub when we arrived. We have been awake for 24 hours and are finally heading to bed! Goodnight!

We departed campus at 4:15AM this morning and flew from RDU to Washington Dulles! Now we are gearing up for an 11 hour flight to Honolulu!