Maui -- day four

On Saturday we noticed the crowds picking up, though overall there had been very few people. And when the people showed up, the clouds left. It was clear blue skies even though the haze and "vog" had been forecasted to remain through the weekend. We slept in a little and then left with aspirations to hike mile-long treks through the lava fields about 5 minutes south of the hotel to snorkel at places called Fishbowl and Aquarium. But when we got down to the area, there were signs saying the whole section of the coast was closed for 2 years.


I was secretly a little relieved because it's like a barren wasteland down there and I wasn't really sure that the "trail" was going to really be visible. I was a little concerned we were going to wander lost through miles of lava rock and it was really hot. So instead we drove up the road to the "park ranger recommended" snorkel site called Dumps (our guide book also recommended, but said it wasn't as good as the others). Though it was a very rocky beach and a little hard to get in (the surge beat us up a little), there were lots of fish and we even swam with a turtle!


Then we headed back to the hotel for a snack and a break. Lunch was at Pupu Seafood Lounge in Kihei where we both had the daily special of fish and chips. I don't remember what kind of fish it was (something like broad spearfish?) but it was delicious. After lunch we walked through a couple of the shopping stalls. Then we headed back down the coast to Po'olenalena Beach and did some more snorkeling. It wasn't as good as the Dumps and we had to swim a long way out. But the beach was nice and not very crowded.


There were a bunch of dogs that were playing together and jumping in the waves. Also a couple of nudists. We pondered briefly what exactly were the benefits of exposing those parts of yourself to the sun. Then we headed back to the hotel for a nap. Vacations can be so tiring. After a four hour nap we ate a disappointing dinner at the hotel, watched tv for a while, and then went back to sleep.