The HM: Hawaii Pt. 2
not Beyoncé's sort of surfboart
The focus of this post will be: surfing, tacos, sunsets, and thong bikinis. AKA: Hawaii life. AKA: why I want to quit New York life and sell tacos in Hawaii.
Ho’okipa
I'll start by referring you to a post that discussed our first time surfing. It was in Australia and it was magical. We had been a time or two since, but obviously don't get to as much as we would like. By the time we got to Hawaii, we were ITCHING to get on the water, but thought we'd brush up on our skills with a lesson. MISTAKE! Maui is set up so that there are very few spots for the intermediate (err, or just not really beginner) surfer, so naturally the lessons are in the equivalent of a lake with teeny bloops that they call "waves" - annoying. So, our next choice was to rent boards and set out on our own. On our drive to Hana we spotted what seemed to be the perfect place - Ho’okipa Beach! It is minutes from Paia Town where we rented our boards. Paia is a stop in and of itself, so write that down (good food, shops, and general hanging out-ness). When we told the kind lady who rented us our boards our plans she says "Sooooo, what is your level? Because those waves are about 10 feet tall and the ocean floor is made of coral and things that will kill you." OH, HAHA, NO NOT US, WE WERE JUST KIDDING ABOUT HO'OKIPA. TOTALLY. She points us to a beach with 3-5 foot waves down the street - Paia Bay. So, we took her advice and checked it out. MISTAKE NUMBER 2! Not only were these waves bigger than she told us, the surfers consisted of local hawaiians who are notorious for hating on the tourist surfer. Furthermore, there was no break in waves to swim out. This led to this conversation:
Ron: I think we should go for it.
Blair: NO YOU WILL DIE. I WILL BE OK; YOU WILL DIE.
Ron: What? No way.
Blair: YOU WILL SEVERELY HURT YOURSELF. THIS IS A PROBLEM.
Ron: Are you sure?
Blair: YES, DEATH IS ABSOLUTE!!! TOTALLY FOR YOU AND MAYBE FOR ME!
I won. It's not that Ron is bad at surfing... he just worries me. I'll leave it at that. Feeling totally dejected we got back in the Jeep and drove away. Finally, we happened upon a beach in Lahaina that was actually perfect. Some hobby-surfing locals, some tourists... small (but real) waves. It was actually great. The best part of this spot is that there aren't too many people in the water, so you can really take cues from the people who are out there all the time. Since Lahaina is on the south side of Maui, your view from the water are these gorgeous mountains. It was hands-down one of the most awe-inspiring moments of my life: riding a wave, plopping back down on my board, turning around and seeing this scene. Plus, one of the local chicks was kind enough to give me some pointers for the area. If you asked me 2 years ago if I would be one of those girls chilling on a surfboard having a conversation about my board with a bad ass lady surfer, I would have laughed in your face. IN YO FACE.
clearly, this is not from the water, but it gives you the idea of the gorgeousness
Naturally, the best ending to a surf day is tacos and beer. Our favorite spots were:
Paia Fish Market (Paia Town)
Horhito's Fish Tacos (Kihei - actually a truck)
Coconuts (Kihei - note, this is in a strip mall, but is really legit and different)
Plenty more, but we really dug those.
So what happens after the tacos??? Well, naptime. But then the sunset happens... which is like watching the most beautiful movie you've ever seen. Except it's real life. That's right - real life! So snap some pics, but put that iPhone down, my dear, and enjoy it.
and finallyyyyyyy: THONG BIKINIS!!! If you wear a full butt bikini in Hawaii, you just don't know what's up. Seriously, no one wears regular bikinis at all. I'll refer you to San Lorenzo and this instagram post of my booty. You're welcome!
Ok, I'm really tired of writing this absurdly long post. More to come AS ALWAYS.
xo,
b
