Day 14: Maui, Hawaii – Birthday Surprises

I knew something was up since I got to Maui, some kind of surprise. Well, I woke up this morning to Moana and Becca waking me and telling me we were going to Lahaina. I’d known that since last night, but they wouldn’t tell me what we were doing. So I just got ready as if we were going to the beach. Moana said we had to be somewhere by 9. So we drove and got there and as we parked in front of the harbor, Moana shoved a brochure in my hand and said “Here. This is what we’re doing. Happy Birthday!” It was a brochure for a Lanai Rafting Adventure Tour which included food, snorkeling, dolphin spotting, and landing on the other island to explore for a few hours. I was stoked! And I felt bad that she was doing all of that for me…helped a little when she said she got a good discount from her co-worker. We geared up to go and it was an awwwesome ride, and awesome tour. First off i’ve never been on a raft tour where they provide all different types of breads and fruits and drinks for you to snack on while you ride holding on to the sides of the raft boat. I had so much banana bread and pineapple! And tropical juices. haha. We had amazing luck that day too. We got to snorkel on the only barrier reef in Hawaii and at the best location that day, ONLY because the tradewinds were reversed and the water was calm enough to snorkel there. That happens probably only a dozen times per YEAR!    Thanks to the wind, we were able to explore the beautiful reef. The most beautiful one i’ve ever been too. There were green and blue coral…colors i’ve never gotten to see snorkeling, so many fish, sea turtles, and so many different shapes and formations of the coral below. It was beautiful. And the water temperature was perfect. We stayed around for probably an hour, and then got back on the boat and headed for Lanai. We landed at the small harbor and then got off and explored the island. We had three hours to be on the island. We ate our sack lunches they provided and then ended up going to this multi million dollar resort, Four Seasons, where Bill Gates got married, and explored and sneaked around the hotel. It was huge! We almost got lost! haha. We then went down to the beach and stayed there for a bit, and then walked up this path to some tide pools, and the cliff lookouts. By then it was time to go back. The island once again, was gorgeous. The boat ride back was a blast. We sat on the “adventurous side” and once again sat in the edge of the boat raft holding on to the ropes. …til we dared each other to hold on with no hands…. and almost all fell out. hahaha. We were entertaining alot of the older people on the tour! One of the couples thought we were going to spend all three hours at the island bar, and thought we had spent some time there! lol. On the ride back, the waves were huge making the adventure part of the tour come to life. On the way back we also spotted dolphins. A big pod of bottlenose. They had 3 babies! It was pretty neat. The chances of us seeing bottlenose dolphins, and that many, the guides said, was like the chances you have of winning the lottery. Once again…luck was on our side. Or God’s blessing! 🙂

 

Then Moana told me we had to be somewhere by 5. Again she didn’t tell me where. Til we drove up. It was a Luau! I was super excited. I’d wanted to go to one while I was here. This time we got in for free thanks once again to Moana’s connections. 🙂 It was a big event. Full course buffet, all around free drinks, and desserts. It was alot of fun and another memorable event! All three of us girls along with a bunch of other people from the front row where chosen to go up on stage and dance the hula. haha. … or learn it and try to act like you know what you’re doing rather. It was fun though … since I wasn’t in front! There were alot of laughs during that show and are alot of inside jokes between Moana and Becca and I now. 😉

 

Afterwards we met up with the rest of the Kauuwai’s at a birthday party and finished that out. And then we stopped at the beach on the way home and did a quick midnight swim in the Hawaiin ocean underneath the moonlight. A real quick one. No one wanted to risk being shark bait. lol. It was an amazing day. My whole birthday, my whole vacation surrounding my birthday, won’t ever be forgotten!