On May 1st, 2004, three ladies flew from Victoria, BC, to Maui, Hawaii for a week's worth of fun in the sun. The result? A week of squabbling, snorkeling, sunscreen, and a lifetime of memories. Go to Page 2 Go to Page 3 Go to Page 4 Go to Page 5 Go to Page 6 Go to Page 7

Highlights: Killer Spider of Doom Banyan Tree Big Fat Buddha

Kihei Ulua Beach Lahaina

On our first morning, Mum announces that there is a "spider" in the bedroom. Little were we to know that this was in fact the Killer Spider of Doom (a.k.a. Cane Spider). I went into the bedroom to check it out(having lived in a basement I was quite comfortable with large hairy spiders). In comes my sister, the biologist, who can pick up the weirdest bugs without a shudder. She freaked at the way this thing moved. He would teleport instantly from place to place. She finally found a container big enough (a glass would NOT suffice) and we let him go after his photo op, with a twoonie for size comparison. He jumped away, covering about 3 feet per hop, horizontally. This thing is DEFINITELY not from our planet.

The Killer Spider of Doom is discovered in the bedroom closet.	Annemarie adroitly catches the KSoD (Starring: Fish ID Card)	KSoD examines Canadian Two Dollar coin	KSoD decides twoonie is of little value (smart spider).

Ulua Beach (Photo courtesy of www.maui-vacation.net)

One of our first priorities was getting our snorkel gear so we headed to the Maui Dive Shop in Kihei . Our first snorkel was at Ulua Beach , near Wailea. Read more about snorkeling on the Snorkel Page.

In the afternoon we headed north to Lahaina , a popular tourist hub on Maui's north-west coast. We explored the Visitor Centre and Heritage Museum under the shade of the Banyan Tree. After getting shopped out, we decided to revisit a giant Buddha statue we'd seen on a vacation years before. With a bit of navigation, we located it at the Jodo Mission just north of the town centre. This Buddha is the largest outside of Asia, and the setting was beautiful in the afternoon sun.

A closer view of some of the weird root formations growing downwards from the branches.

Beneath the shelter of the Banyan visitors rest in the shade and browse the local vendors. Behind the trunk (which one?) lies the Visitor Centre.

Annemarie and Mum checking out a guy.

Detail of decoration on Buddha Platform.

Annemarie's experimental artistic photography.

Palm trees + Temple = Jodo Mission.

Photo of a photo...ok it's not quite Escher, but...

We stopped for a photo op on one of Maui's beautiful beaches before heading back to our fantastic condo for a home cooked meal by Annemarie. Kudos to Annette for providing such a great place to stay on our holiday! We definitely recommend her wonderful condo, equipped with all you need for a great vacation, in a great location. Check out her site.

Onwards to

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