It's time to wonder the world with Sharon. Enjoy this big blend radio podcast featuring award-winning travel writer and photographer, Sharon Kay Kurtz. Hey, everyone. Today, Sharon is taking us for a wander around Maui. I'm so excited about this because, as we know, Maui really got damaged with wildfires a couple years ago. And Nancy, I've been through wildfires. We've been through the devastation of wildfires, hurricanes, all kinds of things. And it is a heartbreaking thing to go through. It's very difficult. And then it's always, do we go back? Do we not? And how can we help the recovery when you're on the outside? It's the same thing for all who went through Hurricane Helene and Milton this past year as well. It was really a hard time. So I encourage people to reach out to those communities that have been affected by these natural disasters. So welcome back, Sharon. How are you? Happy New Year. It's New Year. It's a new year to you. Yeah. So nice to be with you again, Lisa. This is exciting. I'm so glad you went back to Maui because I know you've been going there for years, but you had to kind of feel like, do we do we not? Right? There's that you never know when is the right time? Yes. Well, if you remember, the fires happened in August last year and 2023. 2025 has up to a million years. So there were approximately more than 2,000 acres burned in Lahaina on that day, just in an hour. It was insane. It was one of the deadliest wildfires in over a century in US history over at least 102 fatalities and it destroyed 18 almost 2,000 homes and displaced about 12,000 residents all in a flash. Wow. I know it's crazy. When you hear how some people are going in the ocean, you know, that was in the wildfires that we went through it so fast and you're lucky if you get those warnings, right? But they really didn't have that. And that was the devastating part of it is, you know, so I think a lot of lessons were learned through this. Yes, that is true. In the end, there has been a settlement that was just reached a month ago about over $4 billion with the B. And the Hawaiian Electric Company contributed about $1.99 billion of those funds. Wow. There was terrible. They have wins there that are just crazy. And these wins were so strong that day that. And they hadn't turned off the electricity. It was those wires were live. And so it was downing power. And they hadn't cleared out the debris along the roadways for years. And there was just so many factors. And as you said, there was no warning because the person in charge. I've heard him say that he was worried that they would think it was a tsunami and rush like into fires were happening up country as well. And he was worried that they would. So it was just. It's like the perfect storm of, you know, everything happening at once it's sad. But going back, how was it where people, you know, happy to have travelers, you know, return and everyone Sharon's got an article article about this. So it really does help you on how you can help in the recovery. So look in the episode notes. There's a link to that and also Sharon's website. And you can also just go to blend radio and TV comments. I've been Maui and you'll find the article, but where people glad to have visitors again. Yes, it's really important. People need to know that they wonder, should we go back? What a terrible thing. Will the whole island be burned? And so the cut to the chase. Yes, everyone needs to know that Maui is open. It is still beautiful. They need visitors because Maui's economy is based on tourism. They cannot recover the residents do not have jobs if there are no visitors. And so it is true that in the very beginning, there were the residents that were displaced needed a place to live. So they said for a very short period, do not come to mount. And that message, it's never gone away. And so very quickly within, I'd say three weeks to a month, they changed their message to please visit Maui. We need you visitors. And it really tourism has never picked up because they're mixed messages. So the answer is yes. Okay, go. I went back. I've been back twice since the fires because we have this is our family getaway. It is so beautiful and kind of poly beach where we have a vacation villa that we visit two weeks a year in November. It is just five miles from Lahaina. And we went back last year in November, just three months after the fires and we were torn. Should we, shouldn't we? Is it right? Is it not right? And we were told come back. And so we did. But the difference is now we need to be respectful. You don't go. You cannot go to Lahaina. But those workers in your resorts more than likely suffered losses. They lost their homes. They lost their family members. You have to be respectful and friendly and spend your tourism dollars. That's how you can help them. Wonderful getting helping with jobs and getting things back. And I think it's also moving forward really helps the psyche because it's it's a devastation and depressing to go through these things. There's so many emotions there. There's PTSD. And that can last for, you know, it's like grief. Can last for as long as it needs to last and wants to be there. Right. And being active in fixing and moving forward for the locals is important just to make them feel hopeful and better again. And I have a personal connection in 2020. You know, we've been going for years. And they're on our resort property, the Westin and kind of poly. We I morning walks is my time to be out on the beach. I watch the sunrise. I walk on the beach. And there were these beautiful outrigger canoes huge on the property and they were getting ready, taking visitors into for a ride. And so I stopped to talk to them and their names are Jamie and Jenny Baglet. And they owned this vendor business there on the beach where they take people visitors on. So I wrote a story about Jamie because what was important was he took us out. He told us all the stories about the Polynesians, but he also told us a twist that he learned how to do outrigger canoe racing from his brother. And he worked in another outrigger canoe business for like five years in Lahaina. But he had a visitor that came back every year, and he came back, not only for a ride, but to hear James because he's a storyteller. And he never met a stranger. So Jamie told me the story that about six months after his last visit, he got a letter from Iowa. And he said, I don't know anyone in Iowa. So he opened the letter and this wonderful man had passed away. But he remembered Jamie and his will. And he gave him an outrigger canoe of his own. So, that is a huge gift because they are very expensive. But then the widow called Jamie and said, you know, Jamie, let's buy a couple more. So that was the start of his outrigger canoe business. So, I wrote about Jamie. I have that story that I can upload to your site as well. But last year when the fires happened, not only was I devastated because this is a place we love, but I was worried about Jamie. Oh my God, what happened. So, as it turns out, Jamie and his wife did get out at the last minute with their kids with fire falling all around them, and they survived and escaped, but they lost. Jamie's father perished in the fire. So they were terrible. So they were away from the island for about six months, but everything in their house, their house is gone. And all of their canoe materials, but those can news survived because they were on the beachfront and all of that. So, I met with Jay, I ride with him in November, just a couple months ago, hugged him, got to, got to grieve him and his wife. And he told me how difficult it has been more than he said we feel here in Maui that the mainland has forgotten us. You know, our problems are not gone. We don't have any place to live. It will take years. And yet, we're not in the public eye anymore. So that's one thing. But he did say the uncertainty is one of the hard things. Sure, there was this big settlement, but they don't know when they'll ever individually see any of those funds. One house has been built, but this is a year and a half later, one house has been built in only one, only one, and more are on their way now, but it's just going to be a very, very long time. Yeah, you know, the actual disaster is not anything like what happens after obviously, you know, death, that's the worst right, losing, losing people and loved ones is the worst part. And any disaster, but Hurricane Helene, I mean, that happened the very, I think it was the last day of September, very end. In fact, we were recording an interview with our friends in Asheville, the line on Rosebend breakfast, as it was hitting Florida where we were. And they were already flooding, but they didn't realize it was going to get even worse. And we were recording their podcast and then we're like, oopsie, well, we can't, well, so we had a rerecord. And they had no cell signal, and I did do like a thing. We couldn't find them four days, and then they only got water bath just before Thanksgiving. Got to think two months without clean water, electricity took forever as well. So many of our friends were displaced and for months. And there's still so much to be rebuilt. And it's the communities are coming together, but it's that same thing now the holidays the elections. Take the center stage away from those in need and you're he's really right. I think especially being out and not being part of the mainland is that feeling of your floating out there. We heard Maui once. Oh, that's devastating. You know, play a few concerts and it's over. Well, it's not a recovery takes a few years, but it is possible communities and people do come together but tourism. It's just a showing you care, coming back, it helps in the individuals. So these big funds. You know, Nancy and I've been through and lost things in fires. We've done that. And because we're not a retail store, never got any funding back. Yet we were carrying the advertising load of payments and bills and, you know, it. Anyway, that's a whole other story. But you know, you're kind of considered not a business, even though we're a business, you know, and that happened to so many people, even in Hurricane Aline in Asheville. There's all these grants and funds. Some people got some small ones to keep their doors open, but a lot of times it's the staff lost their homes, lost their family. So it's hard for the staff to even come back to work right, and not just the business staying alive for these small businesses, but sometimes depending on your business, where does the funding go like our friends with the bed and breakfast. They applied for a funding through the actual CVB over there. And after they went through all of that they were told sorry lodgings don't apply. They need not apply and they went through all of that in hope, because they had all of their personal effects were gone from the downstairs. So all these concerts and all these big things are great and people please do give because they do go. The funding does go somewhere, but these individual businesses a small bed and breakfast compared to the big resorts and hotels gets forgotten. And that is, and the individual people so sometimes I would say go on GoFundMe.com and Google Maui Google Asheville Google the towns in East Tennessee, the Georgia towns like Valdosta and also the Panhandle of Florida we drove through those areas and saw part of that is horrible. And you know trees you know just think about all those trees down and their favorite trees are gone you know. So there's ways to do it and so you're really right in your article talking about working with small businesses directly. So they they know what they need to do with their money. Jamie said the same thing he said, you know there's the Maui strong fund, but he said we came back and all these people are selling support Maui t-shirts but he said, where does that money go it doesn't go to the locals. It takes forever so when you have an opportunity, and you're working with a local tip them for their service, and support them directly. Jamie said 20 bucks, you know it would help so we, he's our friend and we support him directly. And he needs more they need more people that will come to residents and not have to wait for those organizations even though they do good work because people are hurting, no matter where the disaster happened. And also volunteering, we're learning that really it's getting hard to get enough people to build the houses and do the work. And you know it's getting the good people to do the work. So, you know, so that's another thing if you're talented in that way maybe volunteering is also another part that you can do as well. I don't know if they have that in Maui any volunteering. Yes, I thought you would like this one particular way to volunteer the Maui Humane Society. There are so many pets placed. And they have this program called take a dog for a day. So visitors and locals can go to the shelter, and they especially want you to, if you take a big dog, they need exercise, they need to get out of that kennel, and you can take them out for the day. Let them run on the beach run wherever and bring them back and that's a way that you can support locally. We love that. That is important. That's important. And that's a good reminder everyone to get your animals collared with it, you know, tagged and everything because a lot of times, displaced animals can be returned home depending on the situation. If people are still able to get, you know, get there. Now, did you go outrigging because it looked like you did from the photo? I sure did. That's the most fun. It's outrigger canoe is very big and there's room for like four in ours. We had Dave and I and another couple, and then you have the lead one and the person in the back that kind of steers. And they have a rhythm, just like they did in the pollination is like, hub, hub, and so, and the first hub, you have to get ready, and then you change size, and then on the whole you, you all together paddle. So, it's really great fun. So I'd be able to do it. Is it is it straight for the enough for someone like me to be able to do it. Yes, anyone can do it. And it's amazing. They are so sleek and they just fly through the water. That's awesome. That's awesome. Now, to me, just the beach part of it is really cool now hiking. Oh, I want to talk about the blowhole because blowholes are cool. Yeah, so there are still people worry. Well, what are we going to do with the fire? Well, the fire. Yeah, did Lahaina itself Maui is vast and there's so many wonderful. So we stay on the West side. That's a side that Lahaina was on, but we go up North and there's this Nakalele blowhole up the way and there's a really wonderful place to get homemade banana bread and like a little shack right outside of it. So you stop the car and you walk down like this rocky rocky place and the blowhole is down toward the water and it just goes off just at random when the waves come in and a huge display and you have to be very careful because it's dangerous. But I watch a ways back, but there are those daredevils that get close probably much too close because people have been sucked out to see when they're reckless around the blowhole. Wow, be careful. Yeah, we need to go to the blowhole out in La Bufadora, which is south of Antinata Baja and watch them people would dive off and I'm like, dude, I ain't doing that, you know, there's not me. There, but there's always legends and myths around the blowholes about if it's a whale that's trapped, blowing air, things like that, which are really cool. But this coastal trail, Kapalua, am I saying it right? Okay, so hiking and going to the beach, like Black Sand Beach, all of that is still there. This is so important to say. Yes, people, the popular things to do is number one, go on the drive the road to Hannah. I've written about that several times, but that's a long drive, but you have to start, go to this surfer town called paella. And it's a laid back surfer town with the best beaches for surfing right around there and then continue driving up toward Hannah. So there is a state park where they have the most beautiful Black Sand Beach. And so that's a fun thing to do, and they have waterfalls on the way up to Road to Hannah. And we love hanging out in Pia and then taking a bike ride down Hakalea volcano. That is very cool thing to do. You did that. I saw that video Nancy and I were watching this. You were a hauling girl. I mean, didn't you? I mean, weren't you scared? Like, what did you do? I was scared. So I went with mountain riders. There's a few different vendors that will take you up some are at sunset sunrise. Everyone said, I know I'm not getting up at two in the morning to do, you know, make it an hour and more all the way up to there, but we did like mid morning. And it was just us. So you have someone in the lead, ours was Bobby Davis. So he is from Texas originally but he'd been in Maui like for 10 years. And I wanted video. So he said, give me your cell camera and this crazy man. He was in front of me. He literally was sitting like turning around side settle, shooting me while he's going down these hairpin turns. That scared me more than anything watching him. But yes, you go so fast and you told us you lean in on the curves. You just lean in and he had hand signal. He would let us know when to slow down. And he'd have another signal where this Paul, don't put on the brakes just lean over and oh, it was scary. My heart was fluttering, but it was see that's beautiful. That's how you like with motorcycles, like you're supposed to lean in and my instinct is to go the opposite way. Like a protective instinct, you know, so every time I've fallen off of motorcycles when they stop and then I just fall right off. And I don't think I've ever got off a motorbike without falling off. Just off I go, but watching that I mean because it was funny because you were going to be on a happy hour show and I think the timing didn't work and you're like I'm going down a line. I'm like, dude, do the volcano instead of coming out the pocket. That's right. And next, you know, everyone on the show I think was our, it was our holiday happy hour. Everyone's talking they're going. Yeah, well Cliff Garstang had done it. The author was on the show a few people have been down a volcano but I'm going, is she going down the dirt like what I saw you go down on the road, and all like that I'm like, dude, Sharon, what are you doing? You've got, you've got to make it, but I actually know someone a friend and she thought she did something like that and she went flying. Well, you have to be measures. I mean, she was on a moped. That's what she was doing. She went over a cliff on a moped and did something. It wasn't the same thing as you. Yeah, I remember that. She didn't listen. She thought she was she knew what she was doing. She's very headstrong. Well, there, there have been accidents and of course there's all these safety measures, you know, you wear helmets you were just everything but he, Bobby told me a funny thing he said, just look straight ahead like if there's an obstacle coming up. Don't look at it because what do you do, you naturally go right into it right toward it. And so there have been accidents with up incoming cars, because that's what people do. But we've done it years ago. That's good to learn. I mean, it's interesting with animals too like when you're driving an animals will come at the car go back and people think it'll be fine but it's they come back again. You know, it's like when they, you have to, he said, just looks straight ahead and and don't, and years no passing of course you can't like there are groups of riders we pass some on our way and don't horse around and pass one another. You know, because that can throw people off and it is dangerous so you have to, you have to be careful and then it's lots of fun, but it had to be exhilarating. It was. Now did you have to cycle back up or do they pick you up? No, we did see steinklers going up and I thought, Oh, you are a crazy man. That is for sure. But actually, when you go with mountain riders, you get to go twice. We made it all the way down to Mecca, Mecca Wow town, which is kind of like a cowboy town on the way down the mountain. And then we loaded up the van and we went right up and we did it again. It's really fun. Oh my gosh, I love this. I love this. Well, you know, but that's part of being a travel writer is jumping into the experiences, you know, do that kind of fun stuff. I love this Sharon that you did this. Okay. So now let's talk about the catamaran sailing, because this was an Oh, wait a minute, Nancy and I first thing Nancy, you know, publishing your article. Sharon saw double rainbow. Oh, I did. These are really rare. So one morning, it's one of my favorite photos from my trip. One morning, I, you know, when you're at a resort, you have to go down. You don't. It's not really polite to save your beach chair for the whole day, lounger, but I was down there reading my book and there was showers in Maui happened, you know, and it doesn't last long. I was under an umbrella reading my book at eight o'clock in the morning. And I heard a little talking commotion out toward the beach and I looked up and there were some people taking photos up in the sky and I gazed. There was the most gorgeous double rainbow perfect right over the beach. And so I snapped it and that's one of my favorite photos. But, you know, rainbows mean good fortune, good luck. To the royalty of Hawaii, it was a very special symbol. That's awesome. So double rainbow sunrises and then sunset sailing on the catamaran. Yes. So if you've been to Maui, you know that there's a place. There's there's lahina that was burned. And then there is kind of Poly beach where we like to go only five miles up the road, but there's whalers village in between and whalers village was not harmed in any way. And that's where you catch the catamaran. So it's a really fun place to go and hang out and we like the sunset sales. And it's beautiful. You go just as you see behind you there. I don't know that that was one of them, but that's Molokai in your picture. So off of the beach in Kanepali, you have Molokai. The right and you have Lanai on the left. So the wonderful sunset sales go all along the coast and it's gorgeous. Molokai, that area is really special too. And there's, isn't there another national park unit out that way too that was once a leper colony. Right. Yes. Then the King Kamehameha kind of move them into their own area because at that point, nobody knew what leprosy was about. Right. Well, it doesn't from the beach. You can't tell how big it is, but it's a huge island. And the other interesting thing was, I'd like to go there, but you know, you can only fly. I can see it almost. I could almost feel like I can touch it, but no, you can only fly there. And it's the most. It is the most authentic of all the remaining islands. There's not big luxury hotels, local experiences. And that's where the leper colony was. When the missionaries came, they helped those, that population. So that is no more, but it's a very special place to visit, but you can only fly there. Ah, so tell us about the food. Come on, food and drinks like, oh, it just feels like when you have those sunny beaches and, I don't know, it feels like it's like a heat healthy, but really, you know, refreshing, delicious. Yes. Well, there is, they, there's food trucks everywhere. That's another way how on Maui, you can support the local population. Go to a food truck park. Go to, go to a restaurant. Okay. They make. There's a Polynesian food. There's Thai. There's Vietnamese. There's all kinds of Asian influences, but they're known for a Hawaii plate might be. Like rice and. Tarot and spam, they love spam. You know what, and it's good. It's back from the days of the military, being based in Hawaii and all it is is, you know, can spam it again. Yeah, but they, they dice it and then they fry it and it's crispy and it's salty and pineapple. Everything has pineapple and coconut in it as well. Well, you know, while you were in Maui, we made an upside down pineapple cake or pineapple upside down cake from a fresh pineapple cake. I didn't do the baking, Eva did, Eva Eldridge. I think you've been on shows with her before, but we got this beautiful pink glow pineapple from Melissa's produce. And it has got no acid, like it's in for those who aren't in like an alkaline diet can have this. And it's beautifully sweet. It was delicious. And we had a pineapple upside down cake and we paired it with the Grinache from LTV winery. That was part of our thing. It was. It was wonderful. I have to send you a picture. I still need to post it everywhere, but it was, it was a fun, but none of us can get our hands out of that pineapple and South Africa. We used to, well, we had pineapple farms where we were we lived and in the Eastern Cape. There was a lot of pineapple in fact there's a giant pineapple you can go and hang out in, but we, that was kind of the backyard. So pineapple, pineapple drinks and spam. I remember spam was actually part of growing up. So I don't know if that's just a thing in Africa, but Hawaii having it. I was just like, oh yeah, but you don't find it on the mainland. But I used to, we used to have it on sandwiches with mustard. It was part of daily food, but not here. They even you can get sushi rolls with spam. Yeah. And the fruits, the papayas and the mangoes. Oh, the fruits are sad. So one of the first things we do is we land and we go to Costco because we have to stock our villa and you can get local Maui pineapples at Costco. So look for the ripest one you can, but yes, that's, that's the history of Maui, the pineapple farms. No more, but they do have patches that they sell there on the island. And you cannot bring them home unless they're special. They've been cleared because you can't bring agriculture products back unless they're in a special box. They've been cleared. Did you do it? Actually, we were bringing them to our kids and we go to the airport. They have a duty free shop. And of all things, they did not have any. And once you're at the airport, you can't leave the airport and go try to find a shop again. So this year I did not get to bring any home. You know, the last time we talked about what you could bring on an airplane was when you visited Oakland and went on the cannabis trail. I'm not going to tell you if any made in my suitcase, but you know you were going to come visit me and I had a few for you. Well, you know, we'll have to come see you soon. Well, listen, you know, be pineapple flavored. You never know. You never know. You never know. Well, I love that you had such a good time and relaxing time right is that's part of the other thing. You feel like when you go there that you can, because, you know, as a travel writer, you're always going somewhere you're going bing, bong, bing, bong, being all around the world. And you did just go to Fiji as well. You went from Maui to Fiji, you know. So Fiji is next. Can't wait for that. I have to tell you. It is tiring. Well, I do write about Maui because we love it. And this is our family. It's our family place. But it is. We go there to relax. That's my Dave's favorite thing to do. Read books on the beach and my favorite is walking on the beach. And we have these favorite haunts that we go. We look for sea, we snorkel right out front of our place. There's beautiful, huge. I saw a sea turtle. I swear it was as big as a V W. Oh, my gosh, I love that. See, I love that part and then surfing. Now, have you learned, I know your kids did, right? Learn not to surf. Did you? Yeah, I tried and I managed to get up like for, I don't know, maybe five seconds. It's hard. And I did manage to learn how to get up. But I certainly didn't wave any rays. Maybe they were this big. Yeah, I made it for a little ways. I ended up. A friend tried to teach me this in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. And we're by the pier. I got up and then got all wonky. Next thing you know I'm hugging the board. My butt is in the air. And I'm going right ended up right at the pier and people are fishing, you know, and here I come here and says, but on a board, going by. And I thought, you know, that and windsurfing and paddleboarding when people do the stand up paddleboarding. And I'm like, y'all go for it. Like, I, you know, power to you. I respect it. But heck, no, it's not happening. I'm down. I don't know what it is. It's just like the motorcycle boom, I'm off. So other people can do it, but it's fun. I love watching surfers. I really do love watching that. So that's awesome, Sharon. It's good to have a place to that you know, and just relax and not have to be anywhere at a specific time. Isn't that cool? I like that. Very cool. Well, next, so next month, everyone will be moving into February. Can you believe this? No, I cannot. Yep. Yep. So Fiji for February. Sounds good to me. Really good time. As, oh, that is the most amazing place. Now, I know that Maui is gorgeous, and we all know that, but Fiji is a whole nother animal. It is. In fact, when I got invited to go to Fiji, I immediately said, well, yes, but then I had to quickly look up and I said, where is Fiji? I didn't know. It's way out. Almost to Australia. And the South Pacific, and it's a, it's like a archipelago and there are 300 islands and there are three couple major ones, but you feel like you're in Hawaii only 100 years ago. It's regional and it's hospitality and the local people work in the resorts and bring their culture and it was just incredible. So you flew out of Dallas, right? Yes. Fiji Airways. That's what I'll talk about. They fly direct to Fiji. And it was an unknown flight. It was the first night of the first flight and on board with us were two different ambassadors. Two Fiji, one worked in United Nations and New York, the other in Washington, D.C. And we had champagne. Yes. And a big take that was very special. And so that was an incredible experience just getting to fly Fiji. So they're opening us now. It's more convenient to fly to Fiji from Dallas and the East Coast. Do you stop there in Dallas and then go on. Wow, fantastic. Everyone stay tuned. Keep up with Sharon at Sharon K Kurtz dot com. And again, her article on Maui is on blend radio and TV dot com all links on the episode notes as always. Happy New Year. Everyone. Thank you for joining us. Happy New Year. Thank you, Lisa. Thanks for joining us here on Big Blend Radio's Wonder the World with Sharon podcast. You can keep up with Sharon's adventures at Sharon K Kurtz dot com. Follow Big Blend Radio at Big Blend Radio dot com. Happy Travels. (upbeat music)