Hawaii

It is with some trepidation that I write of our January trip to the island of Maui, not wishing to induce tropical beach envy in those who are shivering in the colder parts of the world.   We went with Ada and Andrew, and rented a condo near the beach.   There are few things I like more than swimming in the ocean, although I am sun-phobic, and want to be in the shade whenever possible.   We did have a wonderful time, and the non-beach part of that time was spent exploring the fascinating landscapes of the island.   The highlight, for me, was our trip to the summit of Mt. Haleakala, a 10,000 foot high volcano.   The drive up the mountain takes you through a number of different climate zones, and at the top you arrive at a beautiful and desolate lunar-like landscape.   We were above the passing clouds, and overlooking the eroded crater of the volcano.  The landscape has extraordinary colors and shapes.  Because the mountain begins at sea level, you get a real sense of elevation, as if you were flying 10,000 feet above the sea.

The clouds below us on our way up:

Overview of the eroded crater:

A view of the road, then a steep drop to the ocean, with the big island of Hawaii in the distance.

 The summit has very colorful lava formations:

These plants, called silverswords, grow nowhere else in the world.

A lot of views of the colors of the eroded crater:

Sometimes there are overhead clouds that block the sunlight, except in a few spots, creating patterns of shadow and light:

Another fascinating excursion we took was on a one lane road (backing up on cliffside roads was frequently required!) around the northern part of the island.  Here the rocky landscape featured cliffs and crashing waves; it felt like we were in Scotland or someplace like that, very far removed from the world of sunny beaches.  We stopped and climbed around the volcanic rocks.   It was very special.

A closeup of some of the colorful parts:

A lunar landscape:

A blowhole:

Amidst all the grey and black rocks, there are sometimes striking bands of color:

We also did a walk on a beach which felt more like Vancouver Island than Hawaii, with washed up logs and rainforest vegetation:

This was an area on the south coast, site of the last volcanic eruption on Maui, where there were fields of rough lava next to the sea.   It's called La Perouse Bay, after the French explorer who was the first European to arrive on Maui.  He had been commissioned to claim the land for France, but decided he had no right to do so, and sailed onwards:

Black lava with bleached coral:

Not a place to go walking...

Lava fields with more fertile land in the background:

Oh, and I almost forgot the tropical sunset!