Rarotonga - Avarua

February 15

Kia orana! What a gorgeous day, cooler and less humid. There were a couple of rain showers, but it was mostly sunny with clouds covering sometimes. A very pleasant day.

If you feel a couple of rain drops, look out! Get the chair pads in the house and yourself under shelter quick, because, within seconds, it begins to pour buckets. And I mean a torrential downpour. Those first few drops that spit from the clouds are a warning. Heed it. But if you happen to be in the water already, who cares?

This morning, the water was calm and clear by the house. The folks in the next villa said the snorkeling was awesome, but Karen and Jo needed to go to town (Avarua) to get their driver's licenses. They cost $10NZ and are kind of a souvenir item. But they're real driver's licenses, and you do have to have one of them to drive here. If you're planning to ride a scooter or motorcycle, they will road test your skills in a little area next to the building. Otherwise, they just accept your driver's license from home.

Just stick your camera out the window and click. You can't go wrong!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Anyway, we all went to Avarua, which is the main village on the island. The airport is there, and the large grocery store (CITC Supermarket), Pananga Nui Market (most vendors only there on Saturdays), Avatiu Harbor, and some shops and restaurants. But it's just a few blocks by a few blocks. It's at the opposite side of the island from where our house is (Titikaveka), and it takes maybe 20 minutes to get there. Seriously. What traffic there is runs smoothly, but it's weird to be on the wrong side of the road (that is to say, the left side). And the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car (that is to say, the right side). Be careful when leaving your driveway, as it's easy to end up facing the grill of someone else's car or, worse, someone on a scooter.

Black Rocks
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved. 

We ate fish (marlin) panini for lunch. We saw Muri Beach. The color of the water there is surreal, and there are little islands called “motus” (pronounced mo'tooz) inside the reef, in the lagoon. We went beachcombing for seashells at Black Rocks (which is by the airport runway). So, yes, we went all the way around the island. It was a perfect day. Not too hot, sun not too bright. Don't forget your wide-brimmed hat, good sunglasses, and plenty of SPF50. Just sayin'. You don't want to spend your wonderful tropical vacation in the hospital. At least, not this one. Again, just sayin'. Cook Islanders go to New Zealand for anything serious at all, and I was told by more than one person that there's no way they'd go to the hospital here for ANY reason. And we did notice that the tombstones don't scream out “We live long!” But I digress.

Motu at Muri Beach
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

This afternoon, the snorkeling was markedly better than yesterday's, though the water wasn't as clear as Bob says it can be. The visibility was 10 – 15 feet. Since I'm a novice-type snorkeler at this point, and not the world's strongest swimmer, it was a little disconcerting to have a coral head loom at me suddenly, what with the slight current and all. There were scads of beautiful and colorful fish, blue starfish, sea cucumbers galore, nice coral. The colors are surprising and enthralling. Such variety, and such...weird-looking creatures! I'm looking forward to truly clear water, because it's going to be spectacular.

I'm a person who needs some “down” time in order to decompress, and a walk on the beach is just the thing. Especially here! We're all still a little tired and stressed and haven't completely relaxed yet, and we're learning how to navigate living together under one roof, getting used to how we all do things. But we're doing pretty well, I think. We had burgers for dinner tonight.

The moon is almost full, and the light sparkles on the water. There are so many stars! The waves crash on the reef a couple of hundred yards offshore, and the water laps gently at the white sand of the beach.

It's scandalous how crowded the beach is.
How about some privacy, people?!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

I spent a considerable amount of time today just looking at the turquoise waters framed in coconut palm fronds from our deck. It's mesmerizingly awesome. The most beautiful beach, with nobody on it. The most enticing lagoon, with nobody in it. There just aren't words to describe it. I don't even want to go anywhere else. Just give me that feast for my eyes. And to think that heaven is even better than this. It's hard to imagine. Thank you, God!

Rarotonga - Arriving in Paradise

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

February, 2011

February 13 - 14

We started the travel day with a delicious lunch of baked tilapia, asparagus, corn on the cob, and chocolate cake with strawberries. No, not at the airport...silly you! We travelers had gathered at my niece's home in Redwood City for the “first leg” of our travel to the Cook Islands. Thank you, Robin and Hector!

Mostly because we hadn't purchased all five tickets at once, we hadn't been able to schedule a flight with all five of us (My husband; his brother, Bob; Bob's wife, Karen; my husband's sister, Jo; and me) leaving at the same time from San Francisco to Los Angeles. But, happily, once in LA, we would all board the same flight to the Cook Islands. Which is a good thing, because there's only one direct flight to the Cooks from LA each week! Wouldn't you hate to miss that connection! Yikes!

So, we were dropped off at the airport by said niece and her husband. I think it's safe to say that we were all completely thrilled and super excited at the prospect of this fabulous, two-week tropical adventure to the South Pacific. For Harry and Jo and I, it would be the first time south of the Equator. For Harry and I, it would be the first time west of the United States mainland (This was before our Hawaii trip recently chronicled in my blog).

Jo's flight was two hours before ours, and we waited at the San Francisco airport for our United Airlines flight relatively patiently, we thought. Jo would, in turn, wait patiently for us to arrive in Los Angeles. The weather in San Francisco was stellar – sunny, warm, clear – which we gladly enjoyed.

Bob and Harry, waiting patiently.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Los Angeles airport was a madhouse, with construction going on and a “do it yourself” attitude. I don't understand the horrible customer service, the surly TSA people, the confusing signage. Air travel is not what it used to be, for sure.

Air New Zealand, however...well, it was simply awesome. The flight attendants were attentive and kind. The seats are comfortable. There's a small display screen on the back of the seat in front of you, so you can watch whichever movie you want, if you want, when you want. Don't like that one, after all? No worries. Choose a different one. Or listen to music. On the free headphones. The in-flight meal was actually delicious. I know! Go figure! Go Air New Zealand!

This particular flight to Rarotonga (which is the main island in the Cooks and is also the capital) is a red-eye. That is to say, it leaves Los Angeles late at night, and you arrive in Rarotonga early in the morning...6:30 a.m. It's a 10-hour flight, so there's plenty of time to sleep after the movie. If you can sleep. Who can sleep when there's so much excitement coursing through your veins? There's a two-hour time difference from Los Angeles.

So, we excitedly looked out the window to see Rarotonga approaching. Well, actually, we were approaching, but you know what I mean. The island is relatively round, surrounded by a lagoon, with rugged peaks in the middle. It's the top of an “inactive” volcano. At least right now.

Day breaks over Rarotonga as we approach.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It started to rain as we were landing, as it does occasionally throughout the day (at least it does during this time of year, which is summer in Raro). But it had cleared by the time we left the airport on the shuttle, and it was tropically gorgeous (which is to say, hot and sticky) for the rest of the day.

Live music welcomes us to the Rock.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The airport in Raro is fairly small, and handles the international and inter-island flights. And there aren't all that many of those each day. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a singer, playing island tunes on his ukelele to welcome us. Instantly, you decompress. It's just so nice. We got our luggage (no issues there...yay!) and exited the terminal, where we were greeted by the welcoming committee and given lovely plumeria leis along with a bottle of water. Very thoughtful and considerate. They know you're probably dehydrated from the flight, and they don't want you to get heat exhaustion on your first day in Rarotonga! No, there was no charge for the water. I mean, really, how nice is that? And welcome to Raro, because that's how everybody is. Hospitable. Kind.

The shuttle dropped us off at the house we had rented (Coral Villa, in Titikaveka), where we were greeted by our property's manager, Rongo. She showed us around the place, knowing we probably wouldn't remember half of what she said, patiently answering our questions. We would have lots of contact with Rongo over the next couple of weeks, and she was unfailingly helpful and gentle.

Fresh flowers everywhere.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

May I just say, Coral Villa was exactly as represented (except there was no blender, a shortcoming that was easily remedied). The house was, in fact, right on the beach. The deck was, in fact, overlooking the lagoon. The kitchen was, in fact, completely operational and roomy and well-equipped (except for said blender). The views were, in fact, exactly as shown in the online advertising. And it's a wonderful thing when advertising is, in fact, completely truthful. Isn't it? There were beautiful hibiscus blossoms artfully arranged on the beds and in the bathrooms (2). The entire ambiance just said, “Welcome to your home on the island.”

Rarotonga is small, just 32 km (20 miles) all the way around. There's a two-lane road, paved, that rings the island, and it takes less than an hour to circumnavigate it. It's a lovely drive, but it isn't like it's going to fill your day. It's interesting, though, that after a few days it seems like a long way to go. Go figure.

The snorkeling was not great on this day due to the timing of the tides. There were lots of fish, but the water was kind of sandy, and so not very clear.

We had really good fish and chips for lunch at a little shack by the water near Avarua, and we decided to BBQ some burgers for dinner on the outdoor grill. We were too tired from the travel to go out, and the humidity was wearing us down, as well. The house is not air conditioned except in the master bedroom, and we never turned on the a/c at all. Once the windows were all opened and the fans (fans in each room) were turned on, the house cooled off somewhat. We just needed to get used to the climate, which takes a few days. Especially when you're leaving winter and arriving in the summer heat.

The view from the deck. Come on!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We were surprised that the sliding glass doors had no screens, and we were concerned about mosquitos and all that. Jo thought that maybe it was because it gets awfully expensive to keep replacing the screen doors with all the drunk tourists walking through them. True enough? [We didn't have a mosquito problem, but it's a good idea to pack some repellant, just in case.]

First impressions: Rarotonga is stunningly beautiful, more gorgeous than I was expecting, even though I'd been looking at photographs for months. It's lush and green, with flowers everywhere. It smells wonderful. The pace is tropical. That is to say, no rush. Island time. I'm looking forward to exploring the island. Today, I just want to put my feet up, because they're swollen. Typical for a tropical trip. The rental car's trunk leaks, and there's a bunch of water in the wheel wells. Not surprisingly, it's rusty. I'm thinking the climate has a lot to do with the condition of the vehicle. Most people here seem to ride on little motorcycles and scooters (not surprising, with gasoline at a ridiculous amount per litre). It makes me wince to see the little kids dangling their flip-flop-clad feet loosely, their toes so close to the pavement. The speed limit is low, but still. Surprisingly, most people seem to keep their toes, so... What can I say?

Kauai - Anini Beach and Aloha

October 29

Our last full day in Kauai. Wahhhhhhhh! Okay. Tantrum out of the way.

By the way, thank you, Karen, for making coffee every morning. You are a peach. I had yogurt 'n granola for breakfast today. You know, it's a good “breakfast in a hurry,” and it tides me over to lunchtime really well. Can't complain!

Well, yes, I actually can complain, but it's a very small complaint: Harry's cell phone rang the alarm at 2:55 a.m. Again. Sigh. I thought it was turned off, but NO-o-o-o.... I need to sleep. Okay. Complaint out of the way.

It was another fabulous day in paradise, and here's how it went:

We hit the road to go snorkeling at Anini Beach on the north side of the island. It's beautiful, reef-protected, relatively shallow (for good viewing), and there's hardly any current. Woohoo! It's great to actually move forward with very little effort when you kick with your fins. The water felt cooler here, but still very, very comfortable and nice.

Anini Beach. See how calm the water is?
The waves are breaking on the reef, off yonder.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It's sad that the coral at these beaches seems to be pretty much dead, but there were still some coral heads here and there that were quite nice, alive, and full of other living things. There were tons of little fishies. I was very proud of myself when I spotted an eel (one that's black with white spots) poking its head out of its hiding place. They blend so well that it's easy to miss them. 

Beautiful creature!
Photo by Bob Hampton. All rights reserved.

Visibility was so-so, and I was heading back to the beach for a rest when, suddenly, I saw a turtle! A large turtle was swimming right in front of me! I almost took in water in my excitement to tell the others, who were nearby, so they could see it, too. There I was with my face in the water, yelling, “Turtle, turtle!” Well, I'm sure it sounded more like, “Blurg! Blurg!” Then it occurred to me that I should raise my head, take out my snorkel, and then yell, “Turtle! Turtle!” So that's what I did, and Bob and Karen and Harry came over quickly to observe my “find.” We were able to observe this magnificent creature for quite some time. It swam at a very leisurely pace, surfacing for air, then diving down for a while, turning here and there, then surfacing again. It moved gently, slowly, majestically, like it had all the time in the world. I could hardly breathe, I was so overcome with emotion. It was awesome. What an amazing moment! What a beautiful world full of incredible creatures has been created for us to enjoy!

On the beach again, we were ready for a snack. There was a taco-truck-looking-vehicle in the parking lot, so we went over to investigate the roach coach. But it turned out to be an organic, raw-food vendor. It's called “Lilikoi,” which means “passion fruit.” Yes, indeed! We had a chocolate-banana-coconut milk smoothie. Oh, man! Delicious! Lilikoi is based at Anini, so be sure to check it out when you go. They also had delicious-looking salads and other food items, along with an extensive list of smoothie drinks. You can count on it being fresh, wonderfully flavorful, and good for you. Highly recommended.

Kilauea Lighthouse
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

What a view!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We hung out at Anini for a while. You'll want to, too. And then we started back. The Kilauea Lighthouse is just down the road, so we stopped to check that out. What a lovely spot! Great views, too.

See the name of the restaurant? You can't make this stuff up.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We stopped for lunch at Bubba's in Kapa'a (That's right...we'd done all of that before lunchtime!) and shopped at a craft market for souvenirs. I found a lovely batik sarong for my sarong collection. Whenever I go someplace tropical, I take the sarong from Bora Bora that was a gift from Karen, as well as the sarong purchased at my last vacation spot (in this case, Rarotonga). So, next time, it'll be Bora Bora and Kauai. Someday, when I go to Bora Bora, I'll get a new one there. A girl can dream.

Koloa Church
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

In Koloa, we returned Karen's rented mask. It really hit me that the trip was almost over, and I hate that feeling. It's so incredibly sad to be leaving each place, just when I've completely opened my heart to it. Tomorrow, it's up bright and early and away. Much, much too soon. I can see why people come to Kauai time and time again. I'd like to come back myself!

We finished the food in the refrigerator for dinner (I know. Not very exciting, but it has to be done), enjoyed one last Hawai'ian sunset, did laundry, packed our bags, and hit the sack.

One last sunset.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It was time to say good-bye to Kauai. 

Aloha mai kakou.

Ahhhhh.....
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Kauai - Na'Pali Coast

October 28

You know how it is when you're concerned about not waking up on time because you have to be somewhere important in the early morning? Well, 7 a.m. is the early morning when I'm on vacation. And, never having used the alarm on my cell phone before, I was nervous about that. So I only slept until...1:10 a.m. Come on! I dozed until 2, then 2:30, then fell into a deeper sleep. Harry's phone hadn't reset itself for the time difference. His alarm went off at 2:55 a.m. Arghhhhhh! No-o-o-o...did my phone reset itself?! Yes, it did, but I still didn't know if the alarm would actually go off, so the remainder of my “sleep” was in 15-minute increments between heavy rain showers, and my alarm went off as scheduled, no worries. And I needn't have worried. Bob and Karen were having the same problem and had actually given up on sleeping altogether after 6 a.m. Would the catamaran trip be cancelled due to weather?

All that worrying for nothing, just like most worrying. Did you know that 95% of the stuff you worry about will never happen, and the rest of it probably won't, either?

We headed out to Port Allen in a rain shower to catch “Lucky Lady,” the catamaran (Kauai Sea Tours). The weather drizzled, then mostly cleared, but you could see rain showers in the distance. By the way, don't spend a lot of time deciding on appropriate footwear for your catamaran trip. You will be asked to leave your shoes behind at the dock. (Although, if you require footwear for orthopedic reasons, the captain seems reasonable.)

The captain and me.
Photo by a terribly handsome crewmember, but all rights are reserved, anyway!

The captain, by the way, reminded me very much of our friend Phil. A teddy bear kind of guy, laid back, soft-spoken, kind. Funny in a natural way. And the crew was, of course, friendly and helpful and made up of handsome Polynesian guys, one of whom had very nice Polynesian tattoos, including a full-back map of the Hawai'ian Islands. Nice tat, and very well presented...but I digress. 

[Sorry, ladies. No pictures of the tats. But here's a picture of a crewmember, just to make up for that shocking and dismaying oversight.]  

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Off we went! Breakfast of coffee and scones and banana bread and orange bread and fruit was served buffet style, and the mood was genial. We could see the island of Ni'ihau clearly in the distance (17 miles away). You have to be Hawai'ian to live on Ni'ihau, a private island. The rest of us can only go there by special invitation, and we can't live there. Sorry. (And speaking of being Hawai'ian, I didn't realize that there's a move about for independence from the United States, apparently. We had seen some flyers to that effect and flags being flown in the Kekaha Beach area.)

Guess what? We got to see Barking Sands! We sailed right past there. It's a nice beach in a dry landscape, and the captain told a legend about a fisherman's barking dogs being buried in the sand. There was absolutely nobody on the beach. Then again, it was pretty early in the morning! Most vacationers would still have been asleep or eating breakfast or something. Perhaps Bob and Karen can go to Barking Sands with their son, Marc, since he's currently serving in the Army. (Thank you for your service, Marc!)

Escorted by dolphins, we had now reached the western end of the south side of the island. We went around a bend, past Miloli'i State Park, and the Na'Pali Coast (Na'Pali State Park) came into view. It is incredibly beautiful and rugged-looking from the water, too, with a number of lovely, isolated (no roads) beaches and gorgeous valleys and rippled ridges and waterfalls (and places where waterfalls would be if it was raining at that moment) and caves. The red dirt plays against the green plants and the deeply blue water and the white (or gunmetal gray) clouds and the blue of the sky. Quite breathtaking and impressive. Picturesque and movie worthy. You might see some places that you've seen before – in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” for instance. Wow!

Na'Pali Coast
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The grandeur and majesty of the place is hard to capture in a picture, and I only realized the scope and depth when noticing a tiny helicopter of airplane jutting about off in the distance. We yearned for binoculars on more than one occasion. Next time...

There are also sunset dinner cruises, with the colors of nature deep and rich in the setting sun. Next time...

Na'Pali Coast
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We stopped at a designated spot for a snorkel along the coastline with several other catamarans. If you do a zodiak tour, you'll actually land at the beach and snorkel from shore, and you'll go zipping through a water tunnel/cave (hopefully making it to the other end before a wave comes crashing through, causing the water to rise swiftly and bouncing your head against the rocks). You'll also have a back problem if you don't have one already. At least, that's the “joke.” Haha.

Amazing how they respond to fish food...
Photo by Bob Hampton. All rights reserved.

The water was a bit deep for an amateur snorkel, and it was cloudy (with sand?). The water was stirred up, and so it was not our best snorkel experience on the island, especially with so many people snorkeling in a small area, many of whom have no idea what to do...so their fins are going like motorboats, and they're not paying any attention to others, and they're swimming over you and churning their heels in your face. But I don't mean to complain. Everybody had a good time, and we did see lots of nice fishies! Snorkeling is fun. Period.

And then it was time for lunch, which was a sandwich buffet (make your own) with turkey and ham and cheeses and lettuce and tomato and fruit and...the island staple, macaroni salad! There was a cooler full of sodas and a counter groaning under the weight of too many Mai Tai's. Okay, I'm exaggerating about the weight of the drinks. Still, the counter was begging for relief, no? There was also beer, and the crew passed around a tray of really good chocolate chip cookies (But not as good as yours, Lisa. That is just not possible!).

If you look closely, you can almost see the turtle...
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

And we started back. The dolphins escorted us away – did I mention that we saw some sea turtles, too? There was a lot of glare, and I couldn't see a thing on the camera screen, so I pointed in the general direction, hoping for a photo. I'm sure you've done that on occasion, no?

The trip back didn't take as long as the trip there, but it seemed to! Everybody was pretty tired, whether from exertion, sleep deprivation, or perhaps consumption of tropical beverages. The whole tour took between 5 and 6 hours. Well worth it, and definitely a highlight of our vacation.

This is my husband. He's kind of cute, too!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Back at the ranch, Bob decided to drive to the airport to see about reporting the damage to the vehicle, and they gave him a form to complete when we return the vehicle as we're leaving the island. Initially, they misunderstood what he was trying to do, so they thought there was this massive damage, with the vehicle being unsafe. They wanted him to exchange the car. What? Spend hours and hours doing that on our last vacation day? Give me a break. He said something to the effect of, “Of course the car is drivable. I'm here, aren't I?” Anyway, the claim will go through, and we'll see what we'll see. It is what it is, or it will be what it will be, or whatever. I decided to do a load of laundry while he was gone, since Karen would also be doing laundry the next day, and it would just be a good thing to get it over with.

Bob came back with some ahi poke (some with wasabe, some with sesame-soy). We served it with sliced avocado (a free one that Bob had picked up on the ground by a tree somewhere yesterday or the day before) and sliced starfruit. It was a beautiful plate and a delicious treat!

Find the handprint.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The sunset was a sight to behold again, and we helped Bob to make his traditional vacation “sign” for a photograph, in this case, “Kauai 2011.” It's something he usually scrolls out in the sand and decorates with flowers, nuts, twigs, coconut fronds, seashells, or whatever is handy. Incidentally, seashells are not something we found a lot of on the beaches in Kauai. I don't know why that would be. It was a lot of fun, especially the part where I leaned across to put a flower down in a good spot, lost my balance a little because of the far reach, and planted my handprint in the sand right on the “K” and the “A.” Yikes. But I was able to repair the damage. You can't even tell, see? Whew.

Another gorgeous sunset.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Just outside the condo, we saw some eagle rays in the water, doing what looked like it must have been a mating dance, and there was a little Jack Russell terrier on the rocks who was going bananas! He wanted to “get 'em,” I guess.

His owner is a very pretty, slim, suntanned, young woman who is from Colorado but now lives in Poipu. I mentioned to her how beautiful the island is, then I asked, “But what do you do for a living here?” She answered, and I quote, “Ah.... Uh.....” Hmmmm.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Kauai. The time has gone by stupendously quickly. As I sit here at the table, listening to the surf roaring over the lava rocks, I am convinced that one week here is just not enough. Rats!

Notes:  Bring binoculars next time. Apparently, ladies don't just slap on a pareo (sarong) here, except at the beach (and not even then). Shorts or capris, tank tops, a gauzy shirt and skirt, a sundress/bathing suit cover. A windbreaker. Two swimsuits, a swim shirt, and swim shorts. Keens and flip-flops. A sunhat and a ballcap (for on the boat). And your snorkel gear, if you're not renting it. (Personally, I'd rather not use a snorkel that's been in someone else's mouth, no matter how “disinfected”...just sayin') You're good to go, ladies. Gents, you can take your cue from the above.

Oh – and don't forget the sunblock, folks, though you won't have any trouble finding that...or anything else you may have left behind. You're not going someplace “remote” if you go to Kauai. But you are going someplace gorgeous and fun.

Kauai - Waterfalls and Psycho Bird

October 27

After a breakfast of eggs, toast, and papaya, off we went to explore the back country! There were some waterfalls we wanted to see, and those were each located on a different side road off the main drag (which, as you no doubt remember, is Highway 56). We were excited!

But there was a lot of road construction going on, and traffic was backed up. We were busy making sure we didn't rear-end anybody, so we missed the first two side roads (out of three). Not a bad start to our day, right? We decided to see the sights in reverse order. No problem. Still excited!

In Kapa'a, we drove up 581 and went the wrong way in the roundabout, which was okay. So, instead of being on Olohena Road, we were on Ka'apuni. Oh, sure. I can rattle off those Hawai'ian names like it's second nature now, but it was pretty confusing at the time. Anyway, nice vistas! Beautiful homes! Dead end. Backtrack. Then, instead of being on 581 and taking 580, we somehow were on the Kapa'a Bypass and ended up right back on 56! Sigh.

We were in Wailua, where...yay!...we found 580 and made our way up to Opaeka'a Falls. So pretty, with a nice view upriver from the overlook, as well. There's an authentic Hawai'ian village you can visit way down below, on the riverbank. There were a bunch of people kayaking on the Wailua River towards Fern Grotto, and there's also a boat cruise you can take up the river. But we didn't. Next time!

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Oh! I should mention that on the way back down (or maybe it was on the way up?), there were ruins of an ancient Hawai'ian worship area, where the Kohuna studied the skies and made sacrifices and advised the chief. All of that was apparently abolished in the early 1800's, but the area is still considered sacred. Kohuna, by the way, means “priest.” Who knew? I thought it meant “head dude” or “chief.” But maybe the priest was the head dude, and not the chief?

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Instead of turning back to the main road, we decided to keep driving past the waterfall to the forest preserve (as opposed to the arboretum we'd been told it was), where we decided, what the heck, let's go up one of these trails (on foot)! 

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We were rewarded with grand vistas of jungle interior with flowers and wild fruit and lots of red dirt. I have to say, it was definitely worth the hike! I see where they get the “garden isle” thing. You would not want to be lost in there, with or without a machete. Seriously. But so, so wild and beautiful. This was at the end of Kuamo'o Road, Route 580.

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We drove back to the main road, headed towards Lihue, and then we found the first side road we had intended to take that morning, Route 583, in Hanamaulu! We were so happy to find everything we were looking for, even if it was in reverse order. Anyway, at the end of this particular road, you will find the waterfall from Fantasy Island...or, at least, one very much like it. Wailua Falls. This is on Ma'alo Road.

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

But I got ahead of myself again. On Kuhio Highway, across from McDonald's, a couple of blocks from Wal-Mart, we made the mistake of eating at a Chinese place instead of getting sandwiches at Subway. Harry and I ordered the seafood platter, which sounded delicious: Mahi, shrimp, scallops. I know, right? You might have ordered the same thing, and who could blame you?

Everything turned out to be breaded and fried to death. It was hard to find any actual seafood in the breading, which was tough as cardboard and just about as flavorful. I will say this, though: The rice and the macaroni salad were very good, and the Mahi was edible. Or, at least, comparatively so. Harry's sweet tea was sweetened with plain granulated sugar instead of syrup. Granulated sugar in cold liquid doesn't dissolve, so it was like drinking sand. Although, it was made with quite delicious oolong tea. Anyway, I'm sorry to say that I cannot recommend this place to you (and we subsequently discovered, to our horror, that there are several locations on the island). KCL. Three initials. In the same strip mall as Subway. Across from Mickey D's. Down the street from KFC. Any of which would probably have been better choices! I was going to post a picture of the place, but I just can't bring myself to look at it again. 

On the way back to Poipu, we stopped at the market in Koloa to pick up juices, salad fixings, and so on. But nobody was hungry for dinner. Please refer to the above for an explanation...

The sunset tonight looked as though it was gonna be a “dud” because the clouds were thick. But, just at the last minute, splendiferous, amazingly gorgeous, vibrant-color-spilling-across-the-sky beauty. I hope one of my 25? 30? 50? pictures captures the moment!

And it does!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Tomorrow, we are going on the catamaran to our Na'Pali Coast snorkeling adventure! We have to get up very early, and there's no alarm clock in the condo. What's up with that? There's also no phone or wake-up service. It's amazing the things you don't notice until you really need them! So, though I've not done this before, I've attempted to set the alarm on my cell phone (Yes, thank goodness, there is good cell phone coverage). Harry has done the same. I hope my alarm works. If it doesn't, I hope Harry's alarm works. We've already paid for this trip, so we cannot be late! And if you can sleep under these stressful circumstances, more power to you.

And speaking of sleeping, by the way, have I mentioned “psycho bird”? For the past two nights, this good-sized black bird with a white underside has been throwing itself against our window louvers from about 1:30 in the morning until about 4:30 in the morning, every 15 minutes or so. Just when you drift back to sleep, BAM! Flutter, flutter, flutter. Peck, peck, peck. Flutter. Peck. Flutter. Peck. BAM! Well, you get the picture. Today, we found the bird. It was hiding in the corner of the little lanai area outside our bedroom's sliding glass door, behind some greenery. Poor thing. It must be sick. There's no escaping from there for a sick bird, as there's a wall around it for privacy. It would have broken your heart to see it, and I repented of all the bad thoughts I'd had about it (Hey, when something disturbs your sleep in a meaningful way for two nights, you do have a tendency to have a negative reaction. Don't pretend otherwise). Karen and Harry have put it someplace where it can get away, get water, hide better, and so on. I hope it fares well.

I've heard so much about the Na'Pali Coast, and the drive to the overlook at the end of the canyon the other day was such a teaser. I am all expectation about tomorrow's adventure!

Kauai - Barking Sands and Red Dirt Shirts

October 26

This morning, Bob cooked up a really nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast with guava jam, papaya, and avocado slices. Super yummy! Thank you, Bob. Bob, if I didn't mention before, was so super to make the arrangements for the travel and accommodations for this trip, and he's also been the one doing all the driving on the island.

After breakfast, we drove to a part of Poipu called Beach House Beach, which, not coincidentally, is next to the Beach House Restaurant, where we did not eat.

We went snorkeling! It's a very nice spot with a grassy area to put your stuff if you don't want to be in the sand. Or if you don't want a wave to carry your things out to sea. There was plenty of parking, which is always a plus. Bob takes lots of underwater photos, and this was a good place to snap some shots of good-sized reef fish. The weather was a little gray and sprinkling, but who cares? You're all wet, anyway. Did I mention that most of the beaches (so far) have bathrooms and outdoor showers for getting the salt water off? That's a very convenient thing!

Fishies!
Photo by Bob Hampton. All rights reserved.

So far, snorkeling in Kauai is a bit harder than snorkeling in Rarotonga, which is pretty much surrounded by a lagoon. Here at Beach House, there are currents to battle, and the water is a lot more active, with some pretty good swells – even though it's kind of reef protected. That basically seems to mean that the reef slows the waves down and makes them smaller, but they still curl and break on the beach. That makes it a little tricky to get your flippers on. Again, though, lots of nice fish to see, and well worth the exercise. There are lots of surfers farther out, just to give you some idea. The surfing seems pretty decent (and here I speak as a complete amateur, since I am not a surfer). And, did I mention, the water temperature is PERFECT. Don't forget the sunblock. Always wear sunblock. You don't want to be miserable with a sunburn during your wonderful vacation.

Karen's trade-in mask from Snorkel Bob's works much better than the first one did, and so she's a much happier camper. Who wants to battle a leaky mask while trying to admire colorful fishies? Not I. And not Karen, either. If your mask is leaking, take it back and exchange it for another. You'll be glad you did.

Spouting Horn
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Oops. Forgot to mention that before we went snorkeling, we went to Spouting Horn, which was kind of like Old Faithful, but made by waves crashing through lava tubes, building pressure, and...spouting. We watched it for quite a while, because it's fascinating. Sorry the video is sideways. Sheesh.

So, after snorkeling, we got some food (mahi burgers, fries, guava juice drinks) at a little market in Koloa, the birthplace of the sugar cane industry in Kauai. There's a little park across the street where some ruins remain and a monument has been raised.

And then we decided that it would be interesting to see if the sands at Barking Sands Beach actually bark. So, we drove west past Hanapepe and Waimea (You remember those names from the Waimea Canyon post, right?) and Kekaha...all the way to the end of the road on the south side of the island. Only to discover that Barking Sands is on a missile base, and you can't go there unless you are active military, retired military, or...a congressman on a boondoggle. Just sayin'. We are none of the above, as being former military but not a lifer apparently doesn't count, so we turned around and drove back with our tails between our legs (so to speak). So disappointing!

On the way back to Poipu, we decided to stop in Port Allen to make sure we knew where to meet the catamaran on Friday (and found out that we overpaid $20 per couple by booking through Snorkel Bob's rather than direct. Live and learn, but we didn't mind too much, as we are sure the trip will be worth it). We also wanted to time the drive, because we were told to be present at 7 a.m. Sharp. We'd been told the drive would take 15 minutes. Hah! It took exactly 30 minutes to get to Poipu Makai. I guess they must have meant 15 minutes of highway time, not counting getting to and from the highway. Anyhow, we were glad that we took the time and trouble to find this out. And now, you don't have to. Isn't that superb?

Recognize that guy with Harry? Dirty jobs!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

And, loh! Right across the street from Kauai Sea Tours, what did we see? The “original red dirt shirt” factory and outlet store! Everywhere you shop, you will see “original red dirt shirts” for sale. According to the tag, “On September 11, 1992, the flooding from hurricane Iniki damaged so many shirts at Paradise Sportswear, a small island screenprinting company, that we were on the verge of bankruptcy. To save the shirts and company, we developed a unique dirt dyeing process that grew into a worldwide brand.” It's a story of ingenuity, creativity, and survival. The shirts are rough and grainy feeling when you buy them (Yes, Harry got one. And so did Bob), and they need to be washed in cold water and a mild detergent a couple of times before you can wear them. Unless, of course, you'd like to dye your skin with this red dirt. They turn nice and soft and have a slightly faded look. Harry's has a picture of the Kauai Bird of Paradise, (not an) Endangered Species. You know, a rooster. I was sorely tempted to purchase a “dirt bag,” just because. But I resisted the urge. I'm kind of sorry I did. As a matter of interest if you're shopping, the factory outlet had the widest selection of shirts that we saw; however, they were the same price as everywhere else. Franchises are available!

Just another sunset in paradise...
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We arrived home in time to see the most gorgeous sunset (yay!), and we had steak and salad for dinner at the condo. Karen BBQ'd the steaks out by the pool after I had applied the dry rub, and I prepared the salad while she was doing that. We are “pitching in.” So far, we seem to vacation exceedingly well together.

Now, if Harry will stop thinking it's a race when we get in the water to snorkel, that'll be a huge improvement. It about wore me out having to chase him down today, as he's a much stronger swimmer than I. Please note: You do not have to be a great swimmer to enjoy snorkeling. You just have to be able to float in salt water and propel yourself with your fins. And not very well, at that. You can wear a flotation vest if you are nervous about getting tired. Take your time. Linger here and there. When you're still and not splashing around, all kinds of little sea creatures will come out of their hiding places, and your reward will be great fun!

Tomorrow, we might go to Fern Grotto. Or Anini Beach. Or wherever we feel like going. We'll see what the day brings. It's been a good day today, and I'm sad to say that our vacation is half over...

Kauai - Bali Hai

October 25

Bali Hai

Wow. For a day that started out AMAZING, it sure turned south in the late afternoon. But let's start at the beginning.

We got up to a beautiful day in Poipu, which, may I say, is usual and customary (so far) in Poipu. We grabbed a quick breakfast of Kashi bars and juice, and off we went (9 a.m.) to the north side of the island.

Hanalei Valley from the Overlook. Stop there!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

What a gorgeous drive! Sharp-ridged, steep, green mountains inland; blue water, palm trees, expansive beaches at the shore. The farther north we went, the thicker the vegetation and the more flowery the shrubs and trees. And the more coconut palms and vines like Tarzan would have used to get from Point A to Point B. I was a happy camper, traveling through a tropical paradise.

We decided to go snorkeling at Tunnels Beach at Hanalei Bay (by Hanalei, off Highway 560 – Kuhio Highway). No, we did not see Puff, the Magic Dragon. But we did see the cave where he lives. Supposedly.

Back to the snorkeling. Tunnels is a beautiful stretch of beach that's reef protected so that the waves don't crash hugely on the shore; however, the current is pretty strong. But that could have just been the day we were there, to give it the benefit of the doubt. There were lots of families with small children, and everyone seemed to be having a marvelous day playing in the sand and surf. And there's a lifeguard, which is always a comforting sight.

Tunnels Beach. Mount Makana (Bali Ha'i) in background.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We checked with the lifeguard to see where the best snorkel spot was that morning, and he indicated an area quite a ways down the right-hand side of the beach where there were two orange cones in the sand. The two cones marked the beginning and end of the sweet spot. So, we hauled our gear down the beach. Gear gets heavy when you're also sinking in the sand and trying not to lose your sandals. I found it interesting that the sand didn't pack down for easy walking, even in the wet parts. This was not the case at all the beaches. Different sand, different texture, different properties.

So, we got to the first cone, arranged our stuff (chairs, mats, etc.) on the beach, got our gear on, and battled the current all the way up to where the second cone was on the beach. I thought it was just me having a time of it propelling myself, but it turned out that the others were working hard, too. Silly us! If we'd started at the second cone, we could have just drifted along enjoying the fish instead of working so hard. Note to self: Pay attention to which way the current is flowing and work with it instead of against it.

There were lots of fishes of all colors and sizes. Interestingly, they don't seem to have any problem figuring out which is the easiest way to go. Hmmm. The water was the perfect temperature, and the clarity was medium. All in all, not a bad snorkel at all, and I'd recommend the beach whether you're getting in with a mask and find or whether you must want to splash around with the kids. There was plenty of shade, too, which is a plus if you're trying to not turn into a lobster.

Next, we continued on to Ke'e Beach (very end of the Kuhio Highway, Haena State Park, near Kilauea) to see what that was like, and it was also a reef-protected, relatively calm area. Parking there was a nightmare, though, and we had to park down the road and hoof it for our look-see. So, if you choose Ke'e, get there really early or really late. Here, you can put on your fins without having to park your backside in the sand, which is a definite plus.

Behaving like the tourists we are...at Ke'e Beach
Photo from Chris's camera. All rights reserved.,

Obviously, this cave is wet.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

There's sightseeing to be done, too, besides the beaches (which are worth the trip just by themselves). You can see a large dry cave and a large wet cave right off the road, nicely set off by vines and flowers and bird nests. It all looks very exotic and movie worthy. Oh, wait. It's been in the movies...lots of them. South Pacific, the Thornbirds, etc. You can walk into the dry cave, but you cannot swim in the wet cave, though you'll be sorely tempted to do so!

By now, the weather had turned cloudy and breezy and kind of cool (relatively), and it was threatening to rain, a few drops falling down on us here and there. There is more rain on the north side of the island.

End of the path. Ah, well.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

From Ke'e, there's a trail you can take all the way down the Na'Pali Coast, if you're into rugged hiking and backpacking. We found a path that looked as though someone with a machete had cleared the jungle a bit. We followed it, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Na'Pali Coast from that vantage point, but no dice. It dead-ended in an area that was the thickest vegetation yet. Ah, well. I guess you gotta either be a jungle explorer or else do a catamaran or helicopter adventure to see this elusive coastline.

We started back down the highway (By the way, when I say “highway,” I mean only that the road has been designated and numbered as such. We are not talking about freeways with four lanes on each side. Or even two.) at a leisurely pace, stopping to check out Anini Beach on our way. The road to Anini takes you through an area of incredibly beautiful homes with hibiscus hedges, gates, and lovely grounds. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. International House Hunters. That kind of thing. Upscale neighborhood, for sure. And, yet, they allowed us to drive through. Isn't that nice? And the beach itself looks like a good snorkel spot. More on that later.

By the way, many of the homes on the north end are up on very tall pilings. Reaching the top requires climbing a flight or two of stairs. We surmised that this was to prevent damage from high water during storms, but it could also have been to improve the view or to catch a breeze. Or all three.

So, we left Anini to make our way back to Poipu, thinking we would stop at Coconut Marketplace (on the main road in Kapa'a) for a bite to eat. We had stopped there for a farmer's market earlier in the day and had noticed some interesting small shops and food kiosks.

We got on the road, feeling awesome because we were having such an excellent day. And then the other shoe dropped. Or, for those of you who don't speak American, a terrible thing happened.

We're driving along on the highway, minding our own business, following traffic. Suddenly, we hear a very loud “BAM” that sounded just like the time when someone shot (a gun) at our car when Harry and I were leaving the Cow Palace (Daly City, south of San Francisco) after an event there. We had gone down a side street in order to avoid a traffic jam. Big mistake. But I digress. Back to Kauai.

It was a really loud noise like that, like someone had thrown something heavy at the side of the car. But we didn't see anything bouncing around behind or beside us, which was puzzling. As we weren't someplace where the vehicle could easily stop, we continued on our way.

When we arrived at the Coconut Marketplace, we saw what we really didn't want to see. Someone must have thrown a large rock or something at us (an “unidentified missile”), a nd there was a (surprisingly small, considering the loudness of the impact) dent in the door. And the paint was scratched up. And the clear coat was scuffed. What a definite downer!

Though we'd all pretty much lost our appetites, we managed to eat something at one of the kiosks (I had ono with rice, and a salad with papaya seed dressing. And a guava juice drink. It was all quite good!)

Harry's glasses had come apart at the beach. The screw loosened, which loosened the frame, which made the lens come out. He kind of needs those in order to see well. No, he did not bring an extra pair. Happily, we had both of the lenses as well as the loose screw. Come to think of it, that's the first thing that went wrong as we were leaving Tunnels. If you don't count the fact that Karen's mask (rented from Snorkel Bob's in Koloa) was leaking like a sieve, her own excellent dive mask having unfortunately been left behind at home by accident.

In case you thought I was kidding about Costco. Here it is.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

So, we stopped at Costco to get some supplies and to get the glasses fixed at the optical shop. The good news is that the prices were all exactly the same as back home! The bad news is that the glass lens was not in the baggie with the screw. I could have sworn they were both in there when I zipped up the bag. Sigh. We (figuratively) tore the car apart, emptied all the bags, and so forth. Nothing.

It was pretty quiet in the car for the rest of the way back to Poipu, partly because we were trying to find our way in the dark. And partly just because. The street signs are not reflective, and there are no street lights when you need them. So, you slow way, way down as you approach intersections to check the signs, and somebody honks long and loud while swerving around you. I'm sure it's other tourists or residents from the mainland behaving so inhospitably, though, rather than natives. That's not the aloha way.

Once at the condo, we emptied everything again. There it was, the lens, hiding in one of the snorkel vests. How it got there, nobody knows. Bad, bad lens!

And here we are. A margarita and a diary entry have greatly improved my mood, especially since Harry was able to fix the glasses himself (once all the parts were retrieved). And so ends another day in paradise. Whatever adventures await us tomorrow, let's hope they are wonderful ones!