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Monday |
| Back before there was
a Pi'ilani
Highway, a schooner used to round the island
and stop at this rugged outcropping. You can still
see remnants of the dock where there used to be a
winch for cargo--humans, wares, livestock, and
timber. Nu'u
used to be a highly populated section of Maui,
though now it is one of the most desolate. The
reason for this is there was a sandalwood forest
here, but after contact
it was "harvested" (decimated) and sold
to China, the profits from which financed
Kamehameha's "unification" (conquest) of the
islands. Without the trees and the moisture they
trapped in cloud forest, the rains abated and soon
there wasn't enough fresh water to support a large
population so the people moved. It's a complicated
place. This section of shoreline was purchased by HILT.
It's a gorgeous stretch of coast and a fine
protected spot for snorkeling when the conditions are right. It's
pretty marvelous to swim far out and then look back
at a landscape where no
human intervention is visible--no roads,
buildings, or utility poles. The ocean is great
medicine, even if all you're suffering from is a
mild hangover. (Hoyt
and I hit the tequila a little hard sitting around
the fire last night.) Sarah stayed home and Heidi
hung out on the beach. You might think I'm joking
but the highlight of the swim was watching a
parrotfish poop. Live! In 3D! Their hard mouths
grind on coral and rock which they ingest and
granulate in the process. Nutrients are absorbed and the mineral portion gets egested. It's how local white sand beaches are formed. Thanks, uhu! [ Erase these words. ] |
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