Feb.18, 2015---Maluaka Beach:

We're settling into Hawaii time.  Didn't get out of the condo until about 10 again.  Went in search of breakfast---for the first time since we got on Maui.  We had gone to Kihei Café 2 years ago with good friends, so thought we'd try them again.  It certainly is an interesting and very busy place.  It's all outside seating, but first you go in and order your food.  Then find a table outside, help yourself to water if that's what you're drinking, then in a short wait, they bring your food---which is very good.

 After eating, we headed South to a beach.  This time we decided to check out Maluaka  by the Maui Prince hotel.  It's not the easiest beach to find, no sign for the beach and the sign that is on the side street says, "Dead End", or something like that.  But we eventually found it.  It is as beautiful as I remembered.

 The water was a lot clearer then Ulua yesterday, although there was still a bunch of debris at the surface.  That didn't hinder us from spending about 2 hours snorkeling.  We only got out because the water was colder then Kapalua yesterday---or we're getting a bit wimpy.  Snorkeling was great and there coral field out a ways is amazing.

 Here are some of the fish that greeted us---a small school of ring tail surgeonfish.
Then a huge turtle started following me. 

 I kept swimming away and it followed me for awhile.

 Oval butterflyfish

 female bird wrasse

 male bird wrasse

 looking back at the beach from the reef which extends all the way out from the shore.

 the end of the reef.  Visibility out wasn't too good, so we didn't venture from the edge.

Oval butterflyfish

 Another new fellow for me!  White cheek surgeonfish. 

I know I posted a saddle wrasse yesterday, but I liked surroundings of this one better.

 male Christmas wrasse

 saddleback butterflyfish

 underwater scenic

 a pair of large yellow tangs

 male spotted boxfish

 barred filefish

 Some of the coral reef with a couple moorish idols cruising through

 more of the coral reef with the same 2 Moorish Idols

 Steindachner's eel?

 Bandtail goatfish

 After we got out, we hung around the beach for awhile.  It was another beautiful day---mid 80s and hardly any wind.  More South winds and another surge is predicted for tomorrow.  At least it's not suppose to be as bad as the last one.

 Another overview of the beach

 To the left of the beach.

 the lawn area by the overlook

 Another view of the beach.

 More pretty flowers.  I hear it's -5 at home tonight---no flowers there for awhile yet.

 We drove down to take a look at Ahihi.  I'm still anxious to go there again, but hubby doesn't like the rocky entrance.  Haleakala was looking especially pretty this afternoon.

 We went to the condo from there and lounged in the pool and Jacuzzi for another hour or so.   It was time to get a few more staples from the grocery store, so we headed to Time's on our way to picking up dinner at Coconut's.  I found this bike interesting.  Talk about well packed. 

  I had a couple tacos from there last trip and was looking forward to them again. 

  I guess I looked forward to them too long---they just didn't seem the same.  Maybe it was the huge chunks of cabbage, or how messy they are, but I wasn't as impressed this time.  The fish was good and I loved the mangos in it. 

  Ken had no complaints with his dinner, but then it was fried---you can't go wrong with that.

  We took our dinner to Kamaole Park 1 and had a picnic while we waited for sunset.

  Actually had a nice one tonight.

  a lone kayaker at sunset.

 Another great day.  Can't believe we've been here for a week already.  Can't believe we've been in the islands for almost 2 weeks.  Only one more week to go.  How depressing!