HAWAII PART 1: KAUAI

 

We started our trip with a week on Kauai.  Kauai is the oldest of the major Hawaiian Islands, and is nicknamed the Garden Isle.  It is home to the wettest place on earth, Mount Waialeale.  All that rain provides for lush vegetation and beautiful waterfalls.  We planned to spend 3 nights at a condo on Poipu Beach, on the south side of the island.  Afterwards, we’d spend the rest of the week backpacking on the Na Pali Coast.

 

 

CHASING THE SUN

 

We had to get up at 5:30 in order to catch our plane.  This was rough, as we hadn’t made it back to the hotel until after midnight the night before.  To make matters worse, Christy wasn’t feeling well, thanks to perhaps one too many trips to the keg.  Luckily, we didn’t have to drive to the Pittsburgh airport.  Rocky’s flight was leaving at almost the same time as ours, and he had agreed to take us to the airport.  Christy slept most of the way there, but wasn’t feeling any better when we arrived.

 

We arrived 2 hours early, which should’ve been more than enough.  However, I was concerned when we saw the winding line to check in at the USAir counter.  For a moment, I thought we’d wandered into Disney World by mistake.  To make matters worse, we had 2 giant duffel bags and a pair of suitcases, plus 2 backpacks as carry-ons.  Christy wasn’t capable of carrying anything, so we gave a guy a hefty tip to haul our luggage to the front of the line.  Fortunately, the lines moved fast, thanks to the new self check-in machines.  Before long we had our boarding passes, and the friendly security personnel had lugged our baggage off to somewhere, probably to be incinerated.  I was just glad I wouldn’t have to pick those bags up again until that night.  In all, it was the easiest time I’ve ever had checking in and getting through security.

 

We had plenty of time for McBreakfast, but Christy couldn’t eat her pancakes.  Our first flight, to Chicago, went well on a mostly empty plane.  I had one moment of panic, thinking that we were running late and that we’d have to race through the terminal to catch our connecting flight.  I was afraid that Christy wouldn’t be able to run anywhere.  I couldn’t figure out how we could possibly late, when I remembered that I needed to reset my watch for central time!  We had over an hour to get to the next gate, rather than 15 minutes.  We’d be gaining 6 hours on the trip to Hawaii, so that was definitely something I’d have to get used to.

 

Our next flight, to Los Angeles on United, was also quite pleasant.  The flight was full, but it was a big plane, and it featured a free movie on a large screen.  Christy slept through most of this flight, too.  I was envious, knowing that it would feel like 2AM to us when we arrived in Hawaii.  I would have to try to sleep a little on the next flight.

We had a 3-hour layover in Los Angeles, and it was a good thing.  We were flying American to Kauai, so we had to go to another terminal.  There didn’t appear to be any sort of inter-terminal transportation, except for the old fashioned kind, so I got to hike in California for the first time.  It started badly.  We wandered through the terminal and ended up at a security checkpoint, where we got directions.  We went down some steps, past another security outpost, and onto an elevator.  We were trying to get to street level, but our only options on the elevator were “2” and “3”.  Apparently we were already on 2, so our only remaining choice was “3”.  We hit 3, and were promptly let off where we’d asked for directions to begin with.  Either this is a little practical joke that security likes to play when they aren’t inspecting footwear, or it is a new strategy in the war on terror.  Apparently the idea is to frustrate the terrorists with illogical directions to the point that they no longer care about their mission. 

 

Eventually we found ourselves out on the street.  This hardly seemed right, but at least the weather was nice.  It was 70ish, with a pleasant breeze.  Apparently, the weather is always like that in Los Angeles.  Now I understand why so many people live there.  I guess the great weather is enough to make you forget about the smog and traffic and riots and earthquakes and wildfires and mudslides and gangstas and hookers and movie producers and OJ Simpson and Kobe Bryant.  I guess.

 

We found our way back into the airport.  As punishment for flying multiple airlines, we had to check back in.  This went fairly smoothly, and at least we didn’t have to deal with our luggage.  Once again, we had no problems with security, and despite our extended tour of LAX, we had plenty of time for lunch at Chili’s before our final flight.

 

The flight to Kauai was cramped, but bearable.  We found ourselves sitting next to the first “character” of the trip – a bead salesman that had moved from southern California to Kauai some years ago.  He babbled on about the corruption of the government on Kauai and shared various conspiracy theories.  This went on for some time, before I extracted myself from the conversation by pretending to fall asleep.  This is a technique I recommend whenever you find yourself in an awkward conversation, especially if you are at work or on a date.  At some point, pretending turned into reality and I dozed for a couple of hours. 

 

When I woke, it was almost sunset, so to speak.  Twilight seemed to last forever as we raced the sun across the Pacific.  Sol eventually won the battle, and we landed in Lihue, on Kauai, after dark.  Through some miracle, we got all of our luggage, despite the fact that it was passed between three different airlines.  As we left the airport, we were treated with a colorful fireworks display a short distance away.  I thought we might get a lei upon our arrival, but fireworks exceeded my expectations.  I know it was our honeymoon, but I never expected such royal treatment.

 

We picked up our Jeep Wrangler from Dollar Rent-A-Car.  I had gotten the Jeep as a surprise for Christy, and she was thrilled.  I hated it immediately.  We could barely get our luggage in it, and the ride was horrible. 

 

We headed for the condo we had rented at Poipu Beach.  Unfortunately, so did everyone else that was leaving the fireworks display.  So there we were, in paradise, stuck in a traffic jam.  At least the weather was nice.

 

We eventually made it to the condo, which was situated right on the beach.  We had a nice 1-bedroom condo on the 4^th floor, looking out over the ocean.  Unfortunately, it didn’t have air conditioning, and the windows had been closed all day.  We opened everything up and turned on all the fans, but it was still stifling.  If you ever travel to Hawaii, make sure you have air conditioning.

 

SHHHHHH!  IT’S A SECRET!

 

We went to bed at 11, which felt like 5AM to us.  We were exhausted enough that we slept well despite the heat.  I woke up at 6AM, but it felt like noon, and I was wide-awake.  Somehow, we felt well rested and ready to explore the island.  Deep down inside, I knew we’d pay for this later, and I was right.

 

We went out for breakfast and got some groceries.  We returned to the condo, where I attempted to obtain a parking pass.  The office was still closed, and the sign on the front door wasn’t encouraging.  It suggested that it might open at 8, but it could be 9 or 10 depending on how many Mai Tai’s the manager had the night before.  It further suggested that arriving before noon was advised, because the office would be closed during lunch.  Early afternoon looked somewhat promising, but it would be unlikely to find anyone around after 3 or so.  Needless to say, we never got a parking pass.  I wasn’t too worried about it.  By the time the tow truck driver got around to coming over, we’d be back in North Carolina for sure.

 

We headed up to Kapaa to pick up our kayaks from Wailua Kayak Adventures.  For only $25 each, we got a pair of one-person kayaks for the day.  The owners were very friendly, and provided a map and directions to the most interesting sights, despite the fact that we weren’t going on one of the more expensive guided tours.  We loaded the kayaks on top of the jeep and headed to the Wailua River State Park to put in.

 

The Wailua is often described as Hawaii’s only navigable river.  This isn’t true, but it is certainly the most popular river to paddle.  At the put-in a ¼ mile from the beach, the river is wide but lazy.  Here we had to share the water with powerboats as well as large ferries heading up to the Fern Grotto.  The paddling grew more pleasant as we headed further upstream.  The river narrowed and the powerboats turned back, though we still had to dodge the occasional ferry.  We passed a recreated Hawaiian village, but decided to stop on the way back if we had time.

 

The river forked, and we paddled up the right branch through a narrow tunnel of blooming yellow hibiscus.  The river forked again, and a dozen parked kayaks on the right indicated that it was time to hike.  We tied up our kayaks and hiked through the woods.  A few minutes later, we reached the main branch of the right fork.  More kayaks were parked here, as either place is an option for starting the hike to Secret Falls. 

 

We forded the river below a series of rapids and eventually found a place to climb up the slippery bank.  Once out of the river, we joined a heavily traveled path as it followed the river upstream.  The vegetation was that of a rain forest, and the trail was muddy, but sunny skies promised a pleasant afternoon at the falls. 

 

The trail eventually climbed up and away from the river, contradicting what the map and directions told us.  We decided to stay on the obvious trail, which was a good choice.  In a flat area, we reached some stones that may have been ruins from some old buildings.  There wasn’t much left though, and the map didn’t indicate what might’ve been here.

 

We hiked on, descending quickly towards the roar of the falls.  After 45 minutes of hiking, we reached the deep pool at the base of spectacular “Secret Falls”.  The waterfall spills over a high cliff into a deep amphitheatre.  The pool is surrounded on virtually all sides by cliffs and dense vegetation, adding to the beauty.  However, it’s not much of a secret.  Dozens of people paddle the Wailua River each day, and most find their way to Secret Falls.  Our timing was good though.  We passed a steady stream of people on the way in, but there were only 10 or 15 at the falls when we arrived. 

 

We enjoyed a light lunch, and I ventured into the pool for a swim.  That didn’t last long.  The water was ice cold!  A strong breeze from up the valley and deep shade made swimming even less appealing.  Christy waded in too, but didn’t make a serious attempt at actually swimming.  Instead, we contented ourselves with relaxing for a while before hiking back to the kayaks.

 

We returned to the boats and spooked a pair of wild roosters.  Chickens were brought to the Hawaiian Islands by the original Polynesian settlers, and since then they’ve gone wild.  Kauai is especially known for it’s thriving population of feral chickens.  I couldn’t resist a photo of one before heading back downstream.

 

We went back down to the river, but headed upstream on the Left Fork.  We passed the dock where the ferries unload tourists for the short walk to the fern grotto.  Beyond the dock, we reached a small cliff overlooking a deep pool.  We took out there, and went for our second hike of the day.

 

This time, we hiked through dense forest without the benefit of a trail.  We got lost once, but Christy found the right way through.  A few minutes later, we found ourselves on a sidewalk.  We waited as a huge horde of people came by on their way back to the ferries.  Once they cleared out, we had the fern grotto to ourselves.  We hiked around the grotto, enjoying the small waterfalls and tropical vegetation.  The grotto is a natural amphitheatre, with delicate ferns growing from the sides of the cliffs.  We enjoyed our visit, but it was brief.  Footsteps and conversation warned us that the next boatload of tourists had just arrived, so we headed back to the kayaks.

 

We enjoyed a quick swim before we paddled back.  The water was a little warmer than at Secret Falls, and the 15’ cliff provided an exciting place to jump into the river.

 

We paddled back quickly, as the afternoon was getting late and we still needed to shower and change before the Luau started that evening.  We reached the Jeep in 45 minutes, before returning the kayaks and driving all the way back to Poipu to get ready.  This was an error in planning on my part.  Judging from the map, it looked like an easy drive.  Actually, the traffic around Kapaa and Lihue is a mess, and it took 45 minutes to get the condo. 

 

We got ready quickly and drove back over to the Wailua River to Smith’s Tropical Paradise.  The gates opened at 5, but we didn’t arrive until 6.  We didn’t really get a chance to tour the grounds, though we did see several peacocks, including one displaying it’s full colors.  We did make it in time for the Imu Ceremony, where the natives pulled the Barbequed pig out of the ground. 

 

The pork was excellent, as was the teriyaki beef, fried rice, and papaya dressing on the salads.  Less appealing was the Poi.  Poi is a purplish, pasty looking substance that is made from the Hawaiian staple crop of Taro.  I tried it, but it didn’t have any real taste and just didn’t do anything for me.  However, unlimited Mai Tai’s were included, which added to the enjoyment of the evening. 

 

Dinner was great, but so was the show.  The performance lasted about an hour, and featured dancers from numerous cultures that have influenced Hawaii over the years.  The highlight may have been Pele, the Goddess of Fire, and her “volcano”.  Or it may have been the final dancer, who performed with a rod of fire.  Either way, it was a fascinating show, and the perfect ending to our first full day in Hawaii.

 

PUFF, THE MAGIC DRAGON

 

The plan for Tuesday was to visit Waimea Canyon.  The area consists of two state parks along the gorge of the Waimea River.  The parks feature numerous overlooks, as well as hiking trails along the rim and down in the canyon.  Aside from these great features, the parks are most known for spectacular views from the cliffs above the Na Pali Coast down to the ocean.  We would be backpacking down there the next day, and I wanted to get a view of our destination from above before we went. 

 

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating Tuesday morning.  Thick gray clouds obscured the mountains and threatened rain closer to the beach.  There didn’t seem to be much point to driving up there in the fog.  Instead, we decided to drive to the north end of the island.  If the weather cleared, we’d drive up there that afternoon.

 

We made the long, tedious drive up through Lihue and Kapaa toward the north end of the island.  On the way we passed a series of pleasant beaches on the east shore.  We made it past the tourist development at Princeville and reached an overlook high above Hanalei Valley.  The overlook provided a great view of green, mist-enshrouded cliffs towering over the valley. 

 

 We descended steeply on a winding road to a steel bridge over the Hanalei River.  Apparently the river floods on occasion, cutting off the Hanalei area from the rest of the island.  It wouldn’t be a bad place to be stranded.  Christy and I agreed that this was the most beautiful part of Kauai.  Dense rain forest clings to the mountains, which tower over an endless string of perfect, sandy beaches.

 

We stopped in Hanalei at Kayak Kauai to buy stove fuel.  Their store is the only one on Kauai that actually carries canister stove fuel, so they can pretty much charge as much as they want.  Each small canister was about $9, which represents a 100% markup from mainland prices. 

 

Beyond Hanalei, the main road winds in and out of coves and crosses about a dozen one-lane bridges.  Our next stop was at Haena.  Here was another beautiful beach, plus an informal campground popular with hippies.  Appropriately enough, Puff the Magic Dragon lived nearby.  Immediately across the road is a large cave.  We walked to the back of it, without the benefit of a flashlight.  The entrance was huge, allowing just enough light that we could still see 50 yards in.  We didn’t see any dragons, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any there.

 

We stopped at another cave a little farther up the road.  However, this one was flooded.  We walked to the edge of the water and peered into the eerie depths.  The adventurer in me really wanted to swim back into the cave, but I had to admit that it wasn’t a good idea.  This cave was much darker, and a flashlight wouldn’t have helped in the water even if I had brought one.

 

We drove another 100 yards to the end of the road.  Here was a crowded parking lot at Ke’e Beach.  This is the starting point for the Kalalau Trail, where we’d be hiking the next day.  We turned around and headed back to Poipu.

 

On the way, we passed through a 60 second rain shower that was typical of our visit to Hawaii.  It rained many times during our trip, but it rarely lasted longer than a minute or two. 

 

We reached Kapaa and decided to take the scenic route.  With the help of the map in my travel guide, we managed to get thoroughly lost in the hills of Kauai searching for Opekapaa Falls.  We conceded defeat and started taking every turn that led downhill.  Eventually this dumped us out back on the main road along the coast.  We drove through the Kapaa traffic jam, and took the main road up to the falls.  This was less fun than the back way, but much more effective.  The overlook provided a distant view across a gorge to a high, cascading waterfall.  On the opposite side of the road we found the ruins of an ancient stone temple.  Nearby was an overlook of the Wailua River, where we had kayaked the previous day.  This view was actually better than that of the falls, as it took in the river, Kapaa, the ocean, and even the reconstructed native village far below.

 

We reached Lihue, but enjoyed one more diversion before returning to the condo.  From town, we drove a few miles up a back road to a viewpoint of Wailua Falls.  This waterfall was featured in “Fantasy Island”, and remains popular with tourists and locals.

 

We finally made it back to Poipu, but drove down to the Spouting Horn.  The Spouting Horn is the remains of an old lava tube.  When a wave comes in, the water is forced up through the tube to spray out like a geyser.  Actually, the Spouting Horn is a large parking lot with bathrooms and an outdoor mall.  We didn’t stay long.

 

We finally made it back to the condo for a late lunch.  I called Waimea Canyon State Park, and was informed that the entire area was still hidden in the clouds.  Was there any point in driving an hour or more to wander around in the fog?  After our morning adventure, I was sick of riding in the jeep.  It was hot and sunny at the beach next door, so we headed out there instead.  We relaxed with our books in the sun for a while, before making an attempt at snorkeling.  The surf was rough though, and the visibility was poor.  We gave that up quickly, and watched some surfers instead.  Then we wandered up the road for a late afternoon treat.  We each got a shave ice, which were called snow cones where I grew up.  Whatever they’re called, they were a pleasant relief from the afternoon heat.

 

That evening, Christy cooked us Blue Marlin for dinner.  It was a great meal, accompanied by steamed vegetables, rice, and white wine.  Afterwards, I dozed on the balcony to the sound of the crashing surf below. 

 

It was well past dark when I went inside to organize our gear.  While we were packing, I discovered that my watch was missing.  I needed it to set an alarm the next morning, so I walked back out to the beach to look for it.  Even with a flashlight this seemed futile.  To my surprise, I spotted something silver in the sand right away.  I reached down to pick up my watch, and it scurried away.  I squealed like a little girl as a huge silver crab ran across the sand.  I decided I didn’t need my watch that badly after all and returned to the condo, where I promptly found it in the pocket of my bathing suit.