A year has passed since our last posting (and somehow I'll learn to change the introductory paragraph above!) This year, Darleen and I (along with friends Marilyn and Neal Wells) left the snowy Cariboo behind, heading for the warmer climes of the Hawaiian Islands. After a wonderful month of visiting friends and family in and around Vancouver we left January 15th for our first stopover...10 days on Kauai, the "Garden Isle".
The 6-hour flight brought us in to Honolulu at 2:30 that afternoon BUT it was another 7 hours before we reached our destination at Nihi Kai Village in the resort area of Po'ipu on the southern coast of Kauai. The reason? We didn't book our inter-island flight (some 40 minutes in duration) before leaving home and all flights leaving Honolulu over the next 5 hours were previously reserved. Not only that, we had to pay MUCH more for booking later and through the airport agent!!
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| Na Pali Coastline from Kalalau Lookout |
Between early morning garbage collection (much the same noise as that made by 'dumpster divers' in the west end), the morning call of the hundreds of roosters running free on the island, AND the lovelorn call of mating doves, none of us were able to sleep in, despite our ordeal the night before. We were determined to 'hang loose' on this island paradise, so spent most of Sunday becoming more familiar with our 'condo' and where it was located. Our townhouse of the 70s had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and private 'lanais' on the bottom floor and full kitchen, dining area, living room and lanai on the top. All was comfortably furnished in 'tropical' theme that made us feel right at home. Most of the afternoon was spent retracing the route we'd made in the dark of night to Lihue, the capital, to stock up on some provisions for our stay.
We were advised to head out early Monday morning to investigate the western side of the island, before the 'sea mists' shrouded the Na Pali coastline. We climbed some 5000 feet along the edge of the Waimea Canyon, reaching the last lookout on the road just before noon. We were in time to catch this view of the Na Pali coastline, an almost impenetrable landscape on Kauai's northwest coast.
We had 'pulled out all the stops' and booked supper at the 'Hanapepe Bakery and Cafe', taking advantage of the seafood specialty prepared by a guest chef from the Caribbean....freshly caught and grilled tuna, prawns and crab made up the entree. Sixteen of the local shops stayed open for a 'main street market', a feature every Friday night from 6 till 9. Music, lights, smells of roadside food stalls, and happy faces filled the night!
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| Marilyn and Darleen, willing learners of the hula. |
Tuesday morning was again spent wandering the nearby roads and beach trails before the rest of the crew were up. Checked out the drug store at Kaola, up the road, to learn that it, too, was right out of the 30s and 40s, like the rest of the community. Quaint shops in old buildings.
That afternoon we set out for the Kilohana Plantation, once a prosperous producer of sugar. We had booked the 'luau' online, knowing we could only catch in on Tuesdays and Fridays. We spent several hours before the event browsing through the many shops in the original homestead and those scattered around its grounds. We decided to forego the train ride, but took in the offerings of the rum sampling room (well, Neal and I did!).
We were greeted at the site of the luau by a young couple bearing leis and were delighted to learn that drinks were free for the next two hours until supper was served! The 'warm up' to the luau included dancing exhibitions, craft displays, and an opportunity to learn the 'hula'...you can imagine who was game to 'jump right in'! We enjoyed a huge buffet and an evening stage show telling of the plight of the first people to arrive in Hawaii. We returned home completely enthralled!
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| The 'Nene' huddle down. |
Wednesday was spent in the Po' ipu area again. The girls took a few hours to shop and have lunch at a nearby resort 'mall' while Neal and I went a little further afield to preview places that might be of interest. The warm afternoon found us all at 'The Tomcat', a pub comprised of a collection of buildings and walkways enclosing a tiny courtyard of trees, shrubs and floors...the perfect site for 'happy hour'.
By Thursday morning, we were ready to venture out on a longer journey. We left fairly early, hoping to avoid some of the traffic around Lihue of which even our guidebooks warned us. We knew we couldn't 'do it all' in one day, so travelled as far as Lumaha'i Beach on the North Shore, made famous by Mary Martin 'washing that man right out of her hair' in "South Pacific"...Marilyn giving us her own interpretation! Some 45 sites around the island were shown to be spots where scenes from many movies had been shot...films like "Hook", "Lord of the Flies", "Jurassic Park", and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to name but a few.
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| Kilauea Lighthouse |
We backtracked in time to make our one o'clock date for a tour of the Na 'Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, the private passion of a couple, originally from California, who had the means to design their own 'Bali Hai'. Before leaving the North Shore, we ventured out to the Kilauea Lighthouse where we spotted this pair of "Nene" (Hawaiian geese) which were once close to extinction. Heavy seas and an incoming tide made for spectacular waves, whose force continue to shape this amazing coastline.
Friday was another 'closer to home' day. Spent the morning wandering through nearby resorts as though their guest, enjoying the novelty of their landscaped pools and water features. Beyond the Hyatt was a long shelf of rock forming a cliffside of interesting caves worn by the pounding surf.
After an hour at the pool and a light lunch, we headed east, back towards Hanapepe, at the foot of Waimea Canyon. Enroute we stopped at the Kaua'i Coffee Plantation for a video and tour explaining the history and process involved in producing a coffee on par with the famed 'Kona' variety!
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| On the 'Na Pali' trail, above Ke'e Beach |
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| 'Beach Bunnies' |
On Saturday, we again headed to the North Coast. This time we were determined to drive to the end of the road (which became even narrower and windier as we travelled). After crossing 10 one-way bridges, seaside homes built on stilts, and two large caves, we came to the end of the road at Ke'e Beach. Parking was at a premium as it was already mid-morning and we were not the only ones wanting to hike some part of the Na Pali trail. It was billed as 'strenuous'. Much of it followed the wash of run off water which had created a bit of a channel amidst the volcanic boulders and twisted roots. Parts of the trail were almost straight up. We decided the view from the lookout at the 1/2 mile lookout suited us just fine. We would leave the last 10 1/2 miles for the younger set who whizzed past us, carrying their overnight camping gear with zeal.
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| Kamokila Tiki |
Sunday was another 'slow go'. Perhaps we've learned how to relax after ticking off most of the items on our list of things to do. I followed the 'beach bunnies' to their favourite spot on the sandy beach where (they insisted) they were interested only in the lounging monk seals and children playing at the ocean's shore. (But I noticed that a lot of strapping young 'kane' carrying surfboards were also in the area!) The afternoon was spent up the east side of the island following the Wailua River past the fern grotto made famous by Elvis and the twin falls familiar in the opening credits of "Fantasy Island". Close by was Kamokila, a recreated folk village also used as a movie set at one time.
Monday was spent washing, repacking, and getting things ready for our Tuesday morning departure. Neal and I made one last trip west past Hanapepe to get the photos we'd missed...sugar cane fields, a replica of Capt. Cook's statue in Waimea where he first landed...oh, and the fruits of a mini brewery at Waimea Plantation Cottages, and a last meal of succulent beer-battered prawns at the Shrimp Shack.
In the afternoon, Dar and I headed for the beach. It didn't seem right not to take a dip in the ocean. Most beaches warned of heavy seas and we had decided to put off snorkelling till another island...but not to take a dip seemed a sin.
