Maui Wowie: Heard from Steph

[bellystrokes]

The goddess called! She survived the plane trip and is now having a blast. She has found an internet cafe and might try to log on one evening. If not, she will touch base upon her return. She sends her love to all of you!

[new2sceenbob]

That's so great to hear! Steph is one of the best!

Sincerely,
Bob

[Illtcklu]

Who's Steph?! heeeheee





Our little puka dog!

[milagros317]

I'm very glad to hear that Steph is enjoying herself in Hawaii.

[unclebill]

Thanks for the info, Miss Strokes. Now, lets talk a little bit about you. Do you look anything like your sig pic??? If so, then you are quite a dish.

[bellystrokes]

Thanks for the info, Miss Strokes. Now, lets talk a little bit about you. Do you look anything like your sig pic??? If so, then you are quite a dish.

Thank you. I have danced under the moonlight many times, but I am not blue and white. hehehehheeheh

[unclebill]

Thank you. I have danced under the moonlight many times, but I am not blue and white. hehehehheeheh

hmmm.... I really need to get to L.A. and meet with both you and Steph at one of the parties at Passive Arts. And thanks clearing the blue and white thing up for me, I will rest easier tonight.

[bellystrokes]

hmmm.... I really need to get to L.A. and meet with both you and Steph at one of the parties at Passive Arts. And thanks clearing the blue and white thing up for me, I will rest easier tonight.

heheh. Good! Steph and I like our lers well rested (and lees too). And please do join us for a Passive Arts party, we do have a good time!!!!!

And I have to confess, I am not black and white either, but the basic outline is indeed moi. And thank you again, you made my day.

[TicklishGrl4Lfe]

Goddess, in the words of Jack Jack Parr (from The Incredibles):

[steph]

Aloha my babes!
And how sweet of Goddess to dedicate a thread to my trip, bless you darlin'! I am home, safe and had an amazing time, I missed you all terribly. I did have internet access but I decided to spend my time getting to know the island and its incredible people. (Plus I knew all my friends would be here when I got back!)

Wow, where to start...I survived the flight and only cried a few times there and back. Once settled in, we headed over to the Maui Ocean Center. Really cool. My favorite sight there was a massive 83,000 gallon tank that basically encircles you completely in glass. Look up to see a sting ray floating right over your head waiting for you to photograph him. Look down between your feet and watch a hammerhead shark. There were baby seahorses and beautiful, mysterious jellyfish, and lots, lots more! Zagat's rates this as Hawaii's top-rated family attraction. Really highly recommended. Ever the environmentalist, I then paid a visit to the Pacific Whale Foundation and learned about its owner and their efforts. One of the things I liked about Maui is that the people of the island are VERY devoted to preserving it's natural beauty and animals, plantlife, etc.

Now the downside: The weather was hot, about 90 and really humid. Gas is a dollar more a gallon there than it is here and it was nothing to see bottled water going for 4-5$ for ONE bottle in any store there! So, keeping spending within control became major. How to have fun, without killing the budget..Hmmm..

Luckily for me, I'm one of those people for whom food is just food. A random wandering around the streets of Wailuku, revealed a little place called Main Street Bistro for lunch (located naturally on Main Street, go figure!) The owner is also the chef, so you know he really cares that you leave happy. Portions were huge and you can get a fine meal for under $10. I had the delicious fettucine, which was enough for 3 meals and only cost $7. They have a separate pricier menu for dinner. For the really casual lunch or dinner, there were Mr. Subs all over the place~it's like Togo's or Subway. At the beach where we stayed, Ka'anapali, Nikki's Pizza made a monster calzone for $7.50. We got a ton of recommendations on Hula Grill, which didn't disappoint, thanks to all for that! I ordered the fruit plate, which featured some of the island's yummiest fruits~I had to ask "What is this called" for a good 75% of my plate! We also checked out some of the "Hula" family's other restaurants, like Kimo's and Leilani's on the Beach. All were great.

Ka'anapali is home to Whalers Village Mall, LOTS of shops, everything ranging from cheesy tourist stuff like Hilo Hattie's to the nice, like art galleries, the Body Shop for scrubs, lotions etc. I of course had to pay a visit to Tropical Toes Maui/Beachy Boutiqui for custom-fitted toe rings. I couldn't help myself~I'll try and get some pics posted once I'm re-adjusted if anyone wants to see my new addictions, oops, I mean additions...

Sort of made it a priority to keep a yen and yang feel to activities. (Some of the touristy stuff mixed with some of the truly unique hidden gems.) There was so much to do just in the area of the hotel and downtown Lahaina. Downtown, there were a ton of galleries. We checked out some of my personal favorite artists, even if they are a bit cliche': Christian Lassen, Peter Max, Wyland... Also stumbled upon an interesting find, a gallery called Celebrite'. It featured photos, paintings of and by celebrities like John Lennon, Ronnie Wood and some real surprises, like the poetry of Michael Madsen! The beautiful Wo Hing Museum on Front Street features a collection of rare Chinese artifacts and memorabilia of Laihaina and the Wo Hing Society of the early 1900s. Entrance fee is a donation of $1!

We took a snorkel tour on a boat called Scottish Mist, which was not only a beautiful way to spend 4 hours, but a really fun trip with a great crew who kept us in stitches with their hilarious tales of tours with celebrities. (Sylvester Stallone is afraid of the water! Lenny Kravitz is this totally cool dude...) One of the young apprentices on the boat spent some time partying in a local bar with Robert Zimmerman (his real name and the one he gave to him apparently) AKA Bob Dylan~the kid honestly had NO clue who he was talking to! I bonded instantly with an amazing two-time cancer survivor from Newport Beach named Lenore. 23 years ago, she beat breast cancer. Five months ago, she kicked lung cancer's butt. Never had a cigarette in her life! Her baby-fine peach fuzz head prompted me to bite the bullet, swim up to her with a big smile and say, "Survivor, yes? How long?" I got the feeling she was used to people tip-toeing around her and them not wanting to talk about it, she asked me what I did for a living and I told her. "That's why," she said with a happy sigh, she seemed relieved. "You spend your life around us--the living walking amongst the dying and you know we don't want you to treat us with kid gloves." "Exactly!" I said, lowering my eyes in a rare moment of self-consciousness. I learned she was there with her husband, a second marriage for both of them, together they had nine kids. One of her sons, a twin, just finished filming a documentary following some local surfers for MTV! It will be called, "Living Lahaina" and will debut either this Christmas or next spring. Talk about a proud Mama! I found her energy so inspiring. "I just decided it wasn't my time," she told me. "Not fighting never entered my head."

One last highlight before I go. I was surprised how many locals and frequent visitors to the island never checked out Maui Theatre's production of 'Ulalena. The state spent 9.5 million dollars to build a 700-seat auditorium just for this production. There isn't a bad seat in the house. Part Cirque De Soleil, part history lesson, this amazing musical production gives homage to the island's rich history, its gods and goddesses, how our (the Europeans) visit brought disease, rifles, riches and tragedy to this once peaceful island and how they re-built after the fact. Fiercely emotional and stirring, it's much like attending the opera. Although the story is told in songs of the native language and you can't understand a word of it, the faces and movements of the performers tell the story for you. Performances are amazing as are the special effects...You really get a sense why the people fight so hard to protect this beautiful area.

All in all, I had an amazing time. I hope to re-visit again (maybe with some of you?) and hope it won't take me another 7 years! Love to all, mahalo and aloha!
XOXO

[new2sceenbob]

Dear Steph,

Wow, it all really does sound so amazing! I'm so happy that you had such a wonderful time!

Sincerely,
Bob

[bellystrokes]

Welcome back, goddess and I am so happy you had such a fabulous vacation. Thank you for sharing your adventures. And of course, we will all pick out what we want from it. And me: custom fitted toes: I wanna see, I wanna see. And scrubs (I mean body scubs,guys, not the medical kind, or the TV show), were there any unique Hawaiian flavors? Nasty minds wanna know. Well, I will let you get settled. Take care baby.

[unclebill]

Thanks for sharing your vacation highlights with us, Steph. So, when can we expect the limited edition swimsuit pics to hit the news stands???

[bellystrokes]

Thanks for sharing your vacation highlights with us, Steph. So, when can we expect the limited edition swimsuit pics to hit the news stands???

I think you and I deserve a first edition autograph copy.

[steph]

OMG~I love you all so much~how hilarious are you!

One final story~when I got to the car rental place at the start of the trip, I noticed someone had left behind an entertainment book, card included and all! I helped myself and used it when I could. On our last day, I met a gorgeous little girl, maybe 7 or 8. She smiled up at me with her lovely blue eyes and said "Daddy and I are going to Kauai." "You're a lucky lady then, " I told her, attempting my most serious face. On Maui, much is made of "the spirit of aloha." I handed her my book. "You might find this useful~the card is still inside and everything." "Wow" said Dad, "You're amazing, thank you so much! Can't I give you anything for it?" "No" I shook my head and smiled. "Not so amazing. The book expires in 2 weeks. Use it, have fun, and give it to someone else on your way out. Spirit of aloha and all that..."
"I love that idea" he said. "Pay it forward..."
And what else is life all about, hmm?

XOXO