Its been a few days since my last entry so I have many things to report. First is a good, inexpensive lunch place called Da Kitchen. Da Kitchen offers a mix plate lunch that is the rage over here in HI. With locations in Kahului and Kihei on Maui, the food is fantastic, the portions huge, and the chicken...organic! I've been many times now and am sure will go many more.
Last Friday was possibly my most perfect day on Maui. I went with many family and friends to O'o Organic Farm for lunch, followed by the Ali'i Kula Lavendar Farm, and finished the night at the Feast at Lele luau (that features fresh organic produce from O'o Farm).
If Friday was my most perfect Maui Day, Saturday was my second most perfect. I spent the bulk of the day doing restoration work with Maui Cultural Lands (MCL) in the Honokowai valley. My specific tasks included removal of invasive grasses and coffee plants. It certainly wasn't an easy job but it was a great honor doing it as the valley has some of the oldest archaelogical sites in the islands. The taro patches and house sites that are several hundred years old stretch up the entire valley and are truly breathtaking. I found the project through the Pacific Whale Foundation volunteer on vacation page, but now that MCL's website is up you can find out much more on their own site.
Last but not least in this dispatch, Sunday was a great day for good finds too. I made another trip to Savers in Kahului and found some great local Maui retro t-shirts and some even cooler vintage mini vases [above]. And the last sustainable find of the day...a 'soft sculpture' nene by two local Tutus (Hawaiian for "Grandmothers")[above]. Being a conservation biologist and all, I like to support conservation projects whenever possible so the fact that this purchase goes to help out nene conservation Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is an added plus.
