Rainforest/waterfall hike

While everyone else in the group went shopping today, I took a hike into the mountains on West Maui. I didn't exactly get to hike in the area I would have liked to. I researched places on the internet that lead hikes on the island. I was hoping to hike near Haleakela National Park but no one had hikes going out this week. Evidently this is the slow season for tourists.

I met up with the Hawaiian Hiking Company at a commuter parking lot in the middle of Hawaii. I met the other people in our group - four women from Denver, CO. It was a group of 3 sisters and their adopted aunt. We drove to the lee side of the western part of Maui. We were going to hike on some private land, not open to the general public. It was part of a Boy Scout camp that was only used by the Boy Scouts for part of the year.

We were given special shoes made in Japan that were specifically made so that they didn't slip on wet rocks. They had a felt like bottom and split toes. Our guide Rich said that they called them Ninja Turtle shoes. I decided not to wear mine because I didn't like the way they rubbed my big toe. I brought them with me to use if I decided to wade in the pool beneath the waterfall.

We hike up the mountain back and forth across the stream many times towards a bamboo forest. Rich said that the stream was lower than he had seen it in a long time. The area was known for flash floods. Within 10 minutes of it raining the whole area could turn into a torrent. He said that 3 to 4 times a year they had to have a helicopter get them out of the valley because they would get trapped due to the rising water.

We reached a bamboo forest. Rich explained that bamboo can grow from 1 - 4 feet a day. He said that it wouldn't take long for bamboo to take over all other growth. He also explained about other invasive plant species that were taking over native species.

After reaching the bamboo forest and taking picture of the "bamboo jail", we turned around and headed back to where we started. We then walked to another area and headed down a valley towards the waterfall. We walked beside another stream with pools and small waterfalls.

We finally reached a large banyon tree, took more pictures and headed down a steep bank to the bottom of a large waterfall. The other girls in the group hadn't done much hiking and were scared to scale down to the bottom. They cheered each other on and felt very proud of themselves that they were able to do it.

We ate a lunch of sandwiches and locally grown tropical fruit. Rich put part of his sandwich in a net and told us to keep an eye on it. Within about 5 minutes, jumbo sized prawns came crawling out of nowhere and started munching on the bread.

We were given the opportunity to swim beneath the waterfall but because the temps were cool (low 70s) and the water itself was cool no one took advantage of the opportunity. We headed back over a high ridge back to the van.

It wasn't the most exciting hike I've ever been on but it gave me the opportunity to see what the Hawaiian countryside looks like. I learned about some of the plant species and the wildlife. I did not see a single bird on the whole hike but did hear one singing in the treetops.

The day ended with one of the more colorful sunsets we've had so far. Tomorrow - sailing to Lanai.

Louisiana - New Orleans!

Herta, Erhard & I drove to the Crescent City today to see how the French Quarter and a few other areas had recovered from Katrina. We started the journey at Jackson Square, and then walked over to Cafe DuMonde. Since we had already breakfasted, we didn't sample the beignets, but did manage to sample some great fingerstyle blues and a "permanent" mime! Oh, and we are ready for Mardi Gras!

The most obvious changes since "pre-Katrina" were the meticulously clean streets and the lack of crowds. I guess the storm has brought some benefits, and some disappointments.

My German friends were anxious to see Bourbon St, so we cut across to Jean Lafitte's to start with one of the oldest buildings in the Quarter then worked our way to Canal, still amazed at the clean surroundings and lack of people.

//www.atneworleans.com/body/blacksmith.htm

t's always fun to hop on the Streetcar to Uptown, where we walked St Charles, then strolled down Washington to see the #1 cemetary. I didn't remember, but as luck would have it, Erhard & Herta were surprised to see the German ancestry prevalent here. They were also fascinated by the above ground tombs since they had never seem anything like them in Europe.

We had lunch at Commander's Palace (excellent!) returned to walk Royal, then headed back to Fountainbleau, where their big MAN RV awaited. Erhard treated me to a German beer and some great music!

Beautiful Maui

We arrived in Maui on Sunday evening. The time difference between Hawaii and CST is 4 hours. It makes it confusing trying to contact Sam back in LA. As a result, we didn't get to "see" Maui till the next morning.

I was wide awake at 5 a.m. the next morning. Our first day was a day of exploring the area around the resort. On a walk along the beach I saw a Hawaiian cemetary, the Maui canoe club,

Hawaiian birds and the beautiful landscape.

Today (Monday) we sailed via a catamaran to watch whales. Maui is the wintering grounds for humpback whales. They spend 4-5 months here breeding and having babies before heading back to cooler waters. The whole time they are here they do not eat. We saw quite a few whales spouting or diving into the water. We were also able to hear their calls when the captain of the boat lowered a mic into the water.

Tomorrow I'm off on a waterfall/rainforest hike. Report to come....

Louisiana - Cane Bayou with Erhard & Herta

Kim and I had met Erhard & Herta in Washington DC a couple of months ago, and were taken by their adventurous spirit. They shipped their beautiful MAN RV from Germany earlier this year to fulfill a lifetime dream of visiting and traveling across the US. Thanks to the modern miracle of the Internet and email, we have been in touch with our new friends over the weeks, as we both made our way down the East Coast, through Florida, and eventually here to Louisiana.

As avid paddlers, I couldn't pass up the opportunity of showing them the beauty of our bayous and marsh. We met at Fountainbleau State Park earlier today, and spent a few hours exploring Cane Bayou, just east of the Park.

Erhard insisted on paddling my narrow & twitchy "Impulse", and after a few moments of uncertainty, mastered the craft like a professional!

Although the Bayou is still recovering from the ravages of Katrina, we were able to enjoy some of the beauty, helped along the way by egrets, herons and an occaisional hawk or osprey.

The day was delightful, cool temps and a crystal blue sky heped us celebrate the recovery of this precious State resource.

Kim on her way to Hawai...

I left the sunny but cool south only to land in Minneapolis on a cold, gray, snowy day. How quickly I've forgotten what winter is like in the northland! I'm off this morning for a sunnier, warmer place........more after I get there.

Louisiana - Cat Island Hike

I was invited by Al Troy of the Louisiana Hiking Club, to join a small group to GPS map the Bayou Black trail in the Cat Island NWR. It was a crisp, slightly overcast day, which added to the mystic, almost vodoo-like feeling of the barren swamp in the stark of winter.

Rambling amoungst immense cypress remnents of the past logging era, reminded one of the respect we must all have for the hundreds of years that Mother Nature has nourished the giant wooden treasures of our land, from the deep South of Louisiana to the far reaches of Alaska! If only our ancestors had left more of the giants standing for us to enjoy.

The Bayou was a treat, due to the unusually low levels of the water. A haunting feeling came over me as we ambled to and fro and it's banks, disturbed only by an occaisional robin or flicker flying across the still waters.

One couldn't help but feel like a child, discovering the "elephant's trunks" then peering happily through the "open mouths" of the trees, playing hide & seek with the others.

As the morning faded, and the hike ended, I realized what a treat it was to be back in the swamps of Louisiana, my Cajun home!

Mattamuskeet and the Outer Banks or "Are we in LA yet?"

Our drive from the mountains of western Virginia to eastern North Carolina brought many changes. We left behind the vistas, the mountain side farms and cabins, the cold and drove through flatter and flatter land. Both Sam and I remarked as we drove along how if we didn't know it, we would think we're back in Louisiana. Flat land farms, cotton fields, cotton remnants on the side of the road, live oak trees dripping in moss, marshy waterways, plenty of people in boats fishing, and cypress trees.

We were headed for a campground on the Lake Mattamuskeet. The area is known for it's populations of winter birds - mainly ducks, snow geese and tundra swans.

The view from the campground was so beautiful at sunset and sunrise I totally forgot to get pictures of the campground itself. The campground was nothing much to speak of but was run by the nicest couple. We didn't have to pay till we left. The payment on the laundromat was on the honor basis, just leave your money in the tupperware container. We were given a handful of local tourist info when we arrived.

The next two days were spent birding. One day at Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge in the rain and the other on Pea Island on the Outer Banks. We racked up 63 different species of birds in the 2 days we were there without trying too hard.

The sunrises and sunsets in this area were spectacular. More pictures of birds to come...