Maui! Day 3

I told myself I'd do a rest day.

One of the cool things about the hostel I was staying at was the daily tours they offered, all free but for park entrance fees whenever those applied. Originally, I was hoping to do a few different tours, but there were so many other things I wanted to do. So I ended up only doing one. That would be the Wednesday hike on the Waihe'e Ridge. I woke up early and was going back and forth about the hike until it occurred to me that it would never be this easy again. I can rest when I get home. I need to take advantage of this. So, I put my name on the tour list and climbed into the back of the hostel's van at about 10:30 that morning.

The hike was great. As warned by reviews and the guide, the worst part of the hike is the very beginning where you have to ascend a hot, steep sidewalk without any shade. From there, the hike was never too tough. Dry ground helped on the other steep sections, just have to watch for loose dirt.

The views from the ridge were great, and my legs were actually feeling good. I walked on my own for most of the trail, on the lookout for birds. I didn't see a ton but did get a pair of White-tailed Tropicbirds who were soaring down in the valley below!

I hung out with the others who made the summit for a while, took some pictures, and took part in some pictures. The air was wonderfully cool at the top, but we had to descend to make our departure time.

When we had gathered back at the van, the group discussed lunch plans and decided on a food truck which had a lot of good options. I ordered myself a sandwich and smoothie and when waiting to pick up the latter noticed a small day-gecko walking on the side of truck. I put out my hand, and after staring for a second, the gecko did an adorable 'BLEM!' lick and skittered away. The sandwich and fries were great. The dragon fruit smoothie was even better in the wake of a hot, very fun hike.

At the hostel, it was time to chill and do a little laundry. Had a great time playing ping pong with a girl from Austria and a dude from Germany whose younger brother is a competitive Pokémon player who would be competing in the Global Championships taking place in Hawaii tomorrow! I then got absolutely annihilated at ping pong by a European (German?) club player. But it was fun playing somebody actually legit.

Speaking of Europeans, Wednesday night was the only night when all six beds of my hostel room were full. I had the first two nights with a guy from LA and the rest of the week with a girl from Germany who had been in the states as an au pair. That night, the four other beds were taken by a group of Italian girls, and let's just say my German roommate and I were both glad that they ended their stay the next day!

Normally when I travel, I try and keep to myself in my free time. But I'm glad that I made the effort to talk to others staying and working at the hostel. It was refreshing to be around people from so many places, and I'm very glad I chose to stay at the Banana Bungalow.