E-510 12mm 1/160 f/6.3 iso 200

This is to my mind the middle of nowhere. It’s somewhere next-to-no-one ever goes, probably no one you know save for me a week and some ago ever went to, and on the leeward and parched-dry side of the massive Haleakala volcano on one of the most distant islands on the planet, it is the middle of nowhere, the navel of the planet, perhaps accumulating the lint of the souls of the world, or more accurately the verymiddle of the Pacific, yes, just there. Nobody much lives here nor anywhere near here, though St. Joseph’s, this maybe 200-some seat church built in 1862 suggests folks once did. And still do, I suppose, but of a number you can count on the fingers of one and a half hands. According to my reference services are still held here, but only on the fifth Sunday of the month, a rare occasion, almost as rare as a blue moon.

E-510 12mm 1/160 f/6.3 iso 200

Lens pressed against a dirty window, this is what I got of the inside.

I have been to many more beautiful churches; this is hands-down the most beautiful church I have ever seen. And the silence! The absolute silence.

I am not a man of faith, save for the faith I hold in my fellow humans. All the same, I’m a sucker for places of faith, be they churches or synagogues or cemeteries or telescopes or animal shelters. I am also of faith that I led myself, two cars and three doubting companions along the edgiest of roads I’ve ever encountered, and by edgy i mean dirt road cut into a mountainside in the middle of the pacific with the pacific crashing 200 or more meters beneath the cliffs, on a quest for a randomly discovered sight like this, making all of us folks of faith, I suppose. Lots of faith. I for one had lots of faith that some of those folks would warm up to talking to me again in a day or two, which after a day or two they did.

The “legendary” road to Hana, from Kahalui or more accurately from Paia, and even more accurately from Haiku is the stuff of tee-shirts and legend, but really no longer; it’s just long and slow and not for a moment more dangerous than a commute. The road from Hana to Kula, the other way back home is like, it’s like the road to Hana was maybe 50 years ago.

Mahalo and aloha, all my ‘ohana, this journey around south east Maui was my indulgence and desire of all of Hawai’I, and even though I informed each and all of you of all informations available before we pressed on, your subsequent (since we actually survived) indulgences mean the world to me.

all of us left with a tale to tell, and i think all of us are happy that this part of the voyage is not only over but that we're happy we survived. and i think we're all happy we went there, in fact i know we all are. an' if not, you're part of my 'ohana. family is tough sometimes.this was my turn.