Maui Makes You Feel At Home...Come In And Share Your Story

All photographs property of Britt-Marie Montemayor

Going to the island of Maui is like visiting family. They want you to be comfortable, and want to show you the best stuff about their town. Like family, all they ask is that you pick up after yourself and take some time to relax and feel the Maika'i (goodness). The first time I visited Maui was over 10 yrs ago and it left a lasting impression on me. Last October I returned with my husband, this was his first trip to Maui. We are adventurous and Maui seemed like the perfect island for us with a mixture of recreation, relaxation, and indulgence.

I believe the best way to experience a culture and enjoy a different place is to "go local." This concept means staying where the locals live and taking the time to experience how they see their slice of the world. Since we traveled to Australia and rented apartments on our journey, we have focused on finding rooms or apartments for rent in communities where people live, as opposed to the tourist hubs. This time we found a studio apartment for rent in a home in upcountry, Makawao.

Makawao is well known for its ranching history as Spanish Cowboys were brought to Hawaii to help create a beef industry out of the cattle which had taken over the pastures and had become wild. The Ranching industry grew and the Spanish Cowboys, called "Paniolos", married and prospered leaving their cultural impression on Makawao. For me, part of the charm of Hawaii, are the native roots mixed with non-native ethnic spice. Everyone who has settled here came from somewhere else, and found Hawaii feels like home, and they have all left their contribution to the house.

Being a native of California, and growing up close to the Mexican border with an ever increasing Latino American culture, I was surprised to find Makawao has the best Mexican restaurant I have ever eaten in, Polli's Mexican Restaurant. Polli's is also a transplant though. Started by Polli Contreras-Smith from Palm Springs, CA in 1981, and then sold to Tim Ellison, a transplant from the island of St. Thomas, Polli's is warm and inviting. Just look at the sign above the door.

Polli's is the local watering hole in Makawao and a bicycle tour stopping point. Their salsa is so good I could sit and eat just salsa for a whole meal, and I think I did one day. But don't stop at the salsa, try any dish and you won't be disappointed, and if you can find a seat at the bar you will get to listen in, or start up a conversation with the locals. The staff at Polli's make you feel at home. It only took minutes to feel like we knew our server, Rochelle, for years. She gave sass right back to my husband, she genuinely cared about what we liked and brought us more of our favorite tortilla chips, hot and fresh. We struck up conversation and shared family pics; we learned she has an adult daughter with severe autism. She remembered us the next time we came in, we appreciated her sense of humor, and matter-of-fact demeanor. Behind the bar, Kat is in charge and she made us feel at home sharing stories with us and introducing us to the locals. The locals have a seat at the bar, no really, they all sit at the bar almost everyday, it's like home to them. We heard stories of all sorts of people who moved here, one that stood out was a young man who moved to Maui from northern Washington, he was a logger; on Maui he also works cutting down trees, but says he gets paid a lot more to do it.

Part of loving Maui is letting your urban guard down, treating everyone as family, and engaging in "talk story," the tradition of telling your story or others' stories as a sort of verbal history or sometimes just gossip. Another cultural aspect of Maui is hitchhiking. If someone needs a ride, give them one,  you can take them part or all the way. Kindness pays off usually in a story. On our way upcountry from Paia one day, we picked up a woman and decided to drive her all the way to her destination, which was not far off the road from where we were heading, and really, where were we rushing to that we couldn't help her out. We were rewarded with her story. She shared how she has been raising two boys who have taken different paths, one a chef, the other a coconut harvester. She shared how sometimes you just have to "get out of your children's way," let them find their way. She also told us of some fantastic places to visit and took us on a road we otherwise would not have traveled to a beautiful gulch and garden labyrinth.

Mama's Fish House, Paia, Maui

Adding to the feeling of family on Maui, we have family history there as well. My grandparents, and parents have also spent time on Maui (and the other islands). A favorite spot, starting with my grandparents, is Mama's Fish House. We had to follow in the tradition and become 3rd generation patrons. Eating at Mama's was everything I imagined: seductive cocktails, delectable food, impeccable service...and then a tsunami warning. I've been on Maui during the regular testing of the tsunami system, but never during an actual warning. The waiter assured us that we had plenty of time to finish our meal and have dessert, since the actual wave was a few hours away and we were only staying about 10 minutes upcountry and out of the danger zone. This situation brought us a whole new experience of the Hawaiian family spirit.

When a tsunami is threatening, people in the evacuation zone pack up their cars and trucks with food, family, pets, and essentials (which could mean anything, including tv's). They head for higher ground, line the highways, and wait. What happens next is more like tailgating at an NFL game than an evacuation. A party atmosphere ensues, food gets grilled and shared, kids play, and like any good barbecue people start telling stories.

If you happen to live up-county, where we were staying, you don't evacuate, you host the evacuees. We headed back to our rental and like the locals, rushed the Makawao market for snacks and drinks. The homeowner we were renting from has an interesting story and some interesting friends, including some of the islands more famous residents from Makena. A bonus of this tsunami warning was the spirited chess game of these friends and their occasional a capella singing. We also listened to their stories of other tsunami warnings, and how it's more of a reason to party then to really worry. Adding to the uniqueness of our situation, part of the "charm" of this rental is the house (including our studio) does not have television, no cable, no satellite, just spotty internet. So instead of staying glued to the TV screen watching every update as the wave was approaching, we spent time listening and talking to each other. Definitely time well spent.

One of the greatest American Story-tellers, Mark Twain, spent time in Hawaii, and experienced first hand the talk story culture. His party rode horse-back around the island of Oahu. He was troubled that the trip took so long. The horses would not continuously ride, but required stopping at each house or hut. When he asked why, he was told, "the natives are such thorough-going gossips that they never pass a house without stopping to swap news," (Mark Twain, Roughing It, 1872, Chapter 77, Para. 1). Their horses had learned that this was part of the trip and simply did not know how to walk this route without the constant stopping. I highly recommend, Roughing It, Mark Twain's account of the sunrise at Haleakala on Maui is inspiring and amusing.

A large part of our Maui story involved snorkeling. All you need is snorkel, mask, and fins to enjoy the miles and miles of coastline, free of charge each day. On the west side of the island we snorkeled almost every beach from Napili in the north, to La Perouse Bay in the south. If you can find a place to park and access to the water you can snorkel there. La Perouse Bay was the most magical place. We parked at the end of a long road, as far as you can drive south on the western coast. Then we hiked about a mile through a lava field and historical village site. Standing at the walls of the dwellings, you can imagine what the ancient inhabitants story would have been. Then we walked further into a ticket of trees and found ourselves in a herd of goats, no doubt they belonged to the ranch property up above, and probably served as weed control. As we walked further we found a perfect path cut in between rocks that led to an easy entry to the crystal blue water. We were the only people around. It was our private paradise. We donned our equipment and slipped into the ocean. Together, my husband and I, were alone far from anyone else, no cell signal, no one else to bother or to help. As we swam out exploring, I saw some of the biggest fish I've ever encountered in the open ocean. At that moment in the blue water that spread far into darkness, I realized just how vulnerable I was. I also realized how fortunate I am to have a husband that will swim out with me to see the big fish and find ourselves so small.

The entry to our private aquarium, south of La Perouse Bay, Maui, Hawaii

I know why so many people who visit Maui stay there. We left there knowing we made new friends and family that would welcome us back anytime.
 
Everyone has a story, but part of the Hawaiian spirit is to listen to each others stories and don't judge each other by their history.  Like any family there is diversity: the crazy uncle, the loving grandmother, the nosy sister, but they all mean well. In all, the Hawaiian family provides a warm house, decadent food, lots of activities for every passion, and someone to listen and "talk story" with.

Visit Maui, but treat it as your home: don't break things, clean up after yourself, and bring your story to the table.

Sunset at Ulua Beach, Maui, Hawaii