I've NOT been abducted by aliens..

Currently sitting in Honolulu airport waiting for the flight to Maui. Arranged for the lovely Dre and his adorable dog and surf buddy Lola to escort me to the airport. 

Dre has been so nice and kind and has offered that I contact his friends and family if i go back to San Diego (his home town) if I need somewhere to stay. More proof that there are good genuine people in this world. Thank you so much and I will be sure to Facebook Lola about my travel plans. Happy days xxx

So just surfing the super information highway and having a cheeky wine before I depart...

The skies have been stormy, so I've been a bit nervous about my journey. Dre assured me that even if I crash, I will live, as its only a half hour flight. Got to love eternal optimism! Regardless, the sphincter is in overdrive :-/  

Touch down

Arrived in Maui safe and well and just checked into my hostel where I was told I have a room upgrade. Trust me, this isn't the lap of luxury and an upgrade here is a private room, no aircon, no bathroom, no towels and certainly no toiletries.. All is good so far and already buddied up with a Dubliner called Emma and signed up for the tour tomorrow to Hana. Good times :-) x off to have a shower now and head to the shop for some beers. I've been living too low key while on Oahu and need to break the proverbial seal and have a few cold ones. Night folks x 

The road to Hana

Ive arrived in my new hostel and its pretty cool. Great vibe and they do one free tour every day - you just have to tip the driver. 

So 8am I'm in the van with 11 other people, 1 dressed as Fred Flintstone, 1 dressed at batman. As soon as we headed off, out came the rum and beers. To say I was unprepared is an understatement. I packed a towel, water, hiking boots and a croissant. Everyone else was cigarettes and alcohol! Ive let the side down basically.

Some photos of the Hana region In Maui:

Batman and Fred Flintstone crawling out of the sea:

Oh yeah!

Inside the sea cave. Photos don't do it justice! 

Cliff jumping with Fred and Bruce

The dark destroyer

What a funny funny day... These guys made it for me..

About a week later

I've been so caught up with hanging out at the Bungalow that I've not been keeping tabs on what I've been doing, so ill just list some of the Maui highlights:

Scary spiders

Travelling to Hana - every corner there was either a waterfall, a stunning beach, cliffs, pools, mountains covered in what looks like emerald green velvet. A 12 hour trip and a truely great memory.

Meeting some amazing people at the Bungalow. Personal faves are my little Irish friend Emma, who i hung out with most days, digressing, drinking and putting the world to rights. Our stunning hostess with the mostest Caitlyn, who put up with our drunken antics and was the BEST and bubbliest tour guide. She also said I was her favourite guest at the bungalow (did I mention she's got great taste). Santi our resident pervert and ladies man. He had me laughing almost every day and I appreciated his toilet humour and crazy finger when the other ladies would recoil (it's my dark side) ;-). Caleb for being an absolute fucking legend and kindered spirit - I love yo shit boi! And not forgetting Gemma, my fellow Scottish warrior Princess for the banter.... Too many to mention and you all have made my trip to Maui a great one. So many laughs and I was genuinely sad to leave you all behind. Maybe on my return from South America, I will stop back at the Bungalow but will stay for a month X

The beach party, drinking vodka and staring at the constellations - the night time sky was stunning on this night! I had a hangover but soon cleared the cobwebs away, thanks to Swedish vodka and tropicana. 

The hippy beach - what can I say? This place is fucking weird but in an amazingly jaw dropping way. Lots of old naked hippies dancing to tribal drums - anything goes here and may actually have been the highlight of Maui. Truly spectacular and you can even score space cakes and shrooms, if that's your thing. 

I actually have some video footage but having trouble uploading clips to my blog! I think it's because I'm on an iPad, so will try when I can get my mitts on a P.C.. 

The cheep $1 dollar drinks at Moose's - eh Caitlyn? ;-) 

So, now I'm back in Oahu, sitting in a motel drinking one of those extra large softdrinks you can only buy in the USA - the room is a bit ming, im directly under the flight path and the only thing cheaper than the bedsheets is the toilet paper! Yucky! I am flying back to Vegas in the morning to meet Mr CW and crew.. Can't wait to see this little peach of a man and looking forward to a bit of luxury. King size bed, egyptian cotton sheets, cable TV, oh how i miss you.....

After Vegas I'm going to head to the coast for a bit and hang out for the arrival of my little sister. I swear, words cannot describe how happy I will be to spend 10 days with her. Love that kid!! Not sure how I'm going to spend my time there but seriously thinking about windsurfing? Who knows? Dream Discover Explore! 

I also read some shocking news on fish fingers. This has me worried:

Further Findus controversy as fish revealed not to have fingers

Frozen ready meal provider Findus is under further pressure today after tests showed that their Fish Finger products contained no aquatic digits whatsoever.

The research took place yesterday when someone at home looked on the Internet at photos of a fish and photos of a fish finger.

Lead researcher and Simon Williams, “I’ve looked at dozens of pictures of fish and still not seen a single finger.”

“You never see a picture of a fish waving at the camera, do you?”

“I’m beginning to panic about what I’ve been putting in my mouth all these years – I think we need to be told the truth”

“I bet there’s as much finger in this product as there is beef in one of their Lasagnas. I don’t see how the public can ever trust them again.”

Findus controversy

Many consumers have been left distraught at the news, having failed to learn anything about animal anatomy at school.

Fish finger fan Mike Walsh frantically told us, “Oh Christ, what is it I’ve been eating all these year? Is it a fish penis, is that it? Am I ‘fish gay’ now?”

Food industry experts have been warning the public to be more careful about their product choices in future.

A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency explained, “If you didn’t kill and cook the thing on your plate yourself, rest assured that somewhere an executive in a suit cut a few corners in selling it to you.”

NEWSFLASH

I've actually just started watching Breaking Bad. Quite liking it and never knew cooking meth could be so glamorous! No spoilers please as I'm only on Season 1. I've also been preoccupied with Trueblood and I'm now nuts deep in Season 6 - it's loosing its allure a bit for me and I think they are struggling for story lines I feel. So... I'm signing off tonight as Netflix is calling me. Best fiver ever spent!! 

 

Goodbye Oahu, hello Maui

It's my last night on Oahu and I'm aware that I haven't really been blogging at all. To be honest, it's been an early to bed, early to rise since moving up to the North Shore. Life is slow here and there hasn't been much to report back other than my shark dive. 

So I've been looking up on the shark dives, umming away about wether I should do it and I thought what the heck! Sign me up! What do i have to loose except a limb, which if you look at that positively, thats at LEAST 15lbs in weight. i actually managed to convince another guy at my hostel to do it as well so I wasn't alone in my moment of insanity! Off we both went the next morning to buy waterproof cases for our iPhones and almost missed our boat by fannying about in the shops, eyeing up the latest gadgets and coveting the newest technology out there. Anyway, my shark buddy for the day was a Moroccan guy called Momo, who is pretty cool, easy to get on with and pretty unfazed by the shark encounters. He is also a human beat-boxer, so we both laughed at his ability to do the theme from Jaws, which was pretty spot on (ok, you had to have been there). 

So basically you are in a boat with about 10 people and they drive 3 miles out into the Ocean, where there is a cage in the water already waiting. You don't actually have to have scuba diving abilities as the sharks are close to the surface, so they just give you some snorkelling gear and in you go. Well, what can I say but wow! These things are HUGE and very inquisitive. When we initially arrived at the cage there was a gull in the water and one of the sharks came up to have a go. Pretty cool. It's illegal

to throw food into the water, so the guys that host the dive have different ways to brings these monsters to the surface. The only downside to this little venture was trying to steady yourself while in the cage without putting your hands outside. The sea was pretty choppy and I managed to bang myself on the head and in the face while I was in there, not to mention my elbow kept popping out of the bar as I tried to lock myself onto the inner handrail. All in all, it was a pretty cool experience and other than a bump to the head and a sore lip, it was pretty awesome! 

"No, you first!... No no no, I insist!"

This is the only photo that came out half ok on my camera. The iPhone works with heat sensor technology, so i found it near on impossible to get my camera to work in the cold water. Not to mention I was being thrown around quite a bit. 

Shoot the photographer

A tiny bit better

I KNOW - my photos suck! 

Momo just about to take the leap of faith

A day or so later, I was getting itchy feet, so convinced Momo to come to the Turtle Bay hotel with me to try out the local nightlife. We arrived at the plush resort, glad rags on and I was glad to hear that the nights entertainment was a live gig from a local band.. What a load of shit!! $10 later we are in Surf Bar to listen to Hawaii's finest, only to be greeted with the dulcet tones of a Hawaiian artisan musician. It's was all yodels, ukelele and strings. Not a fucking mosh-pit in sight.. Damn. I had a few cheeky wines and was back to the digs by just gone 11pm. Life is slow here and I have to admit, I am NOT a fan of the local music. 

So it's my last day in Oahu and I'm moving onto the next Island of Maui. I have found out that the sister hostel to the one that I was staying at in San Diego is situated there, so be rude not to give it a go. I have to admit, I've loved Hawaii. It does what it says on the tin - beauty, relaxation and a very chilled vibe. I did intend on going to The Big Island but was advised that as I don't have a car, it would be best to go to Maui. Unfortunately they don't have boats sailing inter island, so I have to get into the big metal tube in the sky. Not my favourite form of transport but the only way to island hop here. 

Lets see what adventures Maui will bring. Adios x

Some photos..

Double rainbow at Waimea valley. I found an angry leprechaun at the foot of the hills :-) 

My shark buddy Momo. 

Guess who?

A scabby cat I befriended by plying him with Parma ham.

Just been reading this story. I promise to stay out the water when in Maui Mum x. Sad story indeed:

German woman dies a week after losing arm to shark in Maui

• 

  FILE: Oct. 22, 2010: A sign warning surfers of a recent shark attack is posted at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, (AP)

HONOLULU –  A German woman who lost her arm in a shark attack died Wednesday, one week after she was bitten while snorkeling off Maui.

Jana Lutteropp, 20, who had been on life support, died at Maui Memorial Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Carol Clark said.

"Jana fought hard to stay alive," said a statement from her mother and sister, which was released by Clark. "However, we are sad to say that she lost her fight today."

Clark said the family was requesting privacy.

Lutteropp was snorkeling up to 100 yards off Palauea Beach at the resort community of Makena when the shark bit off her right arm.

A high school teacher visiting from California jumped into the water after hearing her screaming and seeing blood in the surf. Rick Moore, 57, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., said Lutteropp went in and out of consciousness and kept repeating that she was going to die.

It's not known what type of shark bit Lutteropp. State officials investigating the attack said witnesses didn't see the animal.

"Jana was a very beautiful, strong, young woman who was always laughing, and we will forever remember her that way," said the statement from her mother, Jutta Lutteropp and sister, Julia Broeske.

They asked that donations in her memory be made to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation.

"We appreciate all the support from the Maui community, as well as the prayers and thoughts from around the world and in Germany," they said. "We especially want to thank the wonderful caregivers and everyone at Maui Memorial Medical Center."

After the attack, Moore's friend Nicholas Grisaffi stood in neck-high water and took Lutteropp from Moore, carrying her limp body out of the water. They said Wednesday they've been praying for her.

"I was really hoping it would be a miracle and she would pull through," Moore said.

Grisaffi said he's been replaying the ordeal in his mind.

"Rick risked his life," said Grisaffi, 61, of Laguna Beach, Calif. "Did I do enough? Should I have grabbed my fins and swam out with him?"

The head of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the agency responsible for Hawaii's waters, said he was deeply saddened to learn of Lutterop's death and joined Hawaii's people in extending his sympathy to her family and friends.

"As an island state, we are aware that we are all visitors in the natural environment that surrounds us, and that unfortunate incidents such as this one can occur," William Aila said. "We are committed to furthering research efforts that will help guide effective management actions in the interest of safety."

Hawaii officials announced Tuesday they plan to spend the next two years studying tiger shark movements around Maui amid what they call an unprecedented spike in overall shark attacks since the start of 2012.

There have been eight attacks statewide this year and 10 in 2012. Hawaii usually sees only three to four attacks each year.

The last time someone in Hawaii died from a shark attack was in 2004, when a tiger shark bit Willis McInnis in the leg while he was surfing 100 yards off Maui. McInnis suffered severe blood loss and died on the shore despite rescue efforts by beachgoers, police and paramedics. The last fatal attack before that was in 1992.

A woman was killed last month after being attacked while swimming in Brazil during her vacation.

Worldwide, there were seven deaths resulting from unprovoked shark attacks in 2012, including one in California, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.