Maui's Mixed Plate

I am meditating at the site of an ancient heiau (Hawaiian temple). Unconsciously I begin repeating my mantra as an image of Maui comes to me. A bright flower pushes its way out from a sea of asphalt in a parking lot. More surprisingly, after my meditation, I spot a similar image—flowers growing in between the rocks in the center of the heiau's altar.

A Hybrid Culture

The result of my meditation startled me, but a more fitting image of the island of Maui, now being touted as the Wellness Island, would be that of a brilliant tropical flower growing in a thick jungle of other beautiful, but non-indigenous vegetation. This image best represents Maui's hybrid culture, with its ancient Polynesian customs impossibly mixed with those of more recent human migrations. Pineapple and sugar cane are crops indelibly linked to the island yet were introduced after contact with the first Europeans. Is it too late to recover Maui's pure, indigenous past?

One man trying to retain part of Maui's culinary past is Tom Fairbanks of the Kaanapali Mixed Plate Restaurant. Some days he offers as authentic a Hawaiian plate as you're likely to see.

Served in an inauspicious cafeteria, buffet style, you can get a sample of poi, a pudding-like paste that can accompany most any meal. Tom recommends trying poi, (made fresh daily at the restaurant from the root of the taro plant), with lau lau (steamed chicken or red snapper wrapped in ti leaves). Musubi is a favorite, more recent traditional snack; basically a sushi roll that includes Spam! Wash it down with some mamaki tea and you have a meal that's only available in Maui. Most items on the menu strictly follow the native Hawaiian diet, known as the Waianae Diet, proven to reduce diabetes and other illnesses caused by modern eating habits.

The mixed plate metaphor works when explaining the mosaic of different Maui workers who arrived from around the world to work the pineapple and sugar cane plantations, build roads and generally turn Maui into a modern state. The workers would lunch together in the fields, "talking story" (another uniquely local term) and inevitably sharing each other's homemade meals. Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Polynesian—their shared kau kau kits (tin boxed lunches) formed a diverse cuisine and culture.

FUN AND SUN: The half moon island of Molokini is the best choice for snorkeling exploration. (Photos.com)

The 'Magic Isle' Beckons

In Maui, the welcoming climate is never too hot and is graced with guaranteed sea breezes. One of the two volcanoes that dominate the island receives more rainfall than almost anywhere else on earth and this precipitation is the source of the verdant valleys, rich agricultural land and rain forests. The valleys are thought to contain "mana," or spiritual energy, as do other unexpected areas of the island and certain of its living creatures.

A must-do trip, through spiritually uplifting and gorgeous landscape, is the "Highway to Hana" also known more prosaically as 360. The Highway to Hana is more a journey than a destination and the magic and meaning are in the doing, not so much in the final destination itself. Sound like a cliché? Maybe this is where the cliché was first invented.

The winding road passes the spider-thin falls and mana—strong pools that give Maui its reputation as the Magic Isle. Rainwater that falls here, but never touches the ground, is named waihua and is considered sacred. Along the way, visit the Keanae Arboretum with its huge variety of tropical plants. Another spot not to miss is the eucalyptus-laden rain forest at Waikamoi Nature Trail.

The Hawaiian Islands—formations created by volcanoes in the sea—are quite young, geologically speaking. The lava flowing off the volcanoes into the sea formed the coral reefs that in turn eventually attracted the five hundred species of coral reef dwellers now found here. The abundant sun also made the coral reefs a fertile area—an oasis at the edge of a vast submarine desert.

Snorkeling or Hiking—Simply the Best

A good way to avoid the hundreds of thousands of visitors that annually visit this tiny island is to explore the reefs through snorkeling and diving expeditions. The best choice for exploration is the half moon island of Molokini. Even if you've never snorkeled and can barely swim, the outfitter will get you in the water.

Scuba divers can explore the walls and ledges inside the half moon and will note reef sharks, manta rays and turtles. Afterwards, go to the Aquarium at the Maui Ocean Center where you can identify coral reef dwellers such as the slate pencil urchin, black triggerfish, ornate butterfly fish and yellow tang that you've just seen in the sea.

The nearby island of Lanai offers first-rate snorkeling with the advantage of having less traffic. Manele Bay off Hulopoe Beach is the most popular spot and divers will enjoy the caves, passageways and arches at the Cathedrals.

Maui's beaches offer some of the best snorkeling in the world at places such as Black Rock, Waukea-Makena Beach and the reefs south of Lahaina, at about mile 14 on Highway 30. You can combine snorkeling with hiking at the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve at la Perouse Bay.

Hiking is best in the forests of Maui. The hiker has many paths to choose from, including Haleakala National Park, anywhere off the Hana Highway and off West Maui's Kahekili Highway. These trails allow for the observation of plants native to tropical rain forests worldwide as well as indigenous Hawaiian species.

Let's Not Forget the Local Cuisine!

Maui's fresh fish restaurants are awe-inspiring. You will, (and must!) try ahi, mahi mahi, ono, opah and okakapaka, but not necessarily in that order! The Tropica Restaurant at the Kaanapali Westin is an excellent choice for the food, ambiance and sunset dinner. With a Maitai in one hand and Sex on the Beach in another, it's the perfect Maui experience. Kimo's, in the old whaling town of Lahaina, is where the action is and Sansei Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Kapalua is also very popular. It is more fusion than Japanese, but, then, you're not in Japan. For a change of style, I would suggest trying the Thailand Cuisine in Kihei at the Kukui Mall Shopping Center. What can I say—the locals eat here and the beer list is very international to include Singha Thai beer.

No visit to Maui is likely to be complete without attending a luau, usually outside on the grounds of a big resort. A wild boar is baked in the earth for eighteen hours and is served with other Hawaiian specialties. It offers one a chance to re-experience the Hawaiian food, see ti-skirted hula dancers and marvel at shark tooth-laden fire throwers. In a way, the luau resembles the Makehiki Festival of old when warring parties would put their differences aside for a big feast complete with the abovementioned earth-baked wild pig.

Remember the Road to Hana? If pressed for time, you can follow the road in a helicopter and see wonderful waterfalls in the rain forest unseen before the invention of aircraft. If, on the other hand, you have lots of time, after reaching Hana you may decide to continue on the highway and take the back road full circle. You should stop at the Oheo Gulch to see its seven sacred pools and Charles Lindbergh's grave. Lindbergh, living in New York City when he learned he was dying, stated, "I'd rather spend two days in Maui than months anywhere else."

After seeing Maui, I understood what he meant.