Kauai

Episode #820
October 19, 2024

KAUA’I

We bid Dave goodbye and he drove Paula and I to the Hilo airport on the Big Island of Hawai’i.

Our flight to Kaua’i included one stop in Honolulu. The Boeing 717 jet was pulled onto the tarmac where the pilot fired up the engines. Within moments the engines powered down. There were two error lights on the flight controls. The jet rolled back to the gangway where maintenance boarded.

For the next 45 minutes tests were run and heads were scratched. Suddenly, the lights were reset and the pilot announced that we would depart and try to make up the time lost. I thought, “So, immediately after flight control errors the pilot plans on pushing the jet as hard as he can.” We buckled up.

When we landed in Honolulu, we ran to our connecting flight arriving one minute prior to boarding. The flight to Kaua’i arrived on time. Car rental went smoothly. At another delicious Thai meal we were entertained by a hippie guitarist.

Our Airbnb condo was ready for us when we arrived in Princeville.

In the morning, since everything in Kaua’i is near the beach, we walked toward it using dead reckoning. With some dumb luck I saw a beach trailhead sign, so of course we went there. Both of us wore sandals which were not appropriate for the trail.

We slipped, slid and crawled over mud and rocks for an hour arriving at a rocky beach overlook.

The trail may have continued to the sand beach, but we had had enough, returning to the neighborhood through a utility road short cut.

Still wanting to swim we drove to a beautiful white sand beach on Hanalei Bay. While swimming we bumped into tourists and chatted in the water for a couple of hours until all our skin was puckered.

Paula still wanted to jump off something in Hawaii. We had picked out a waterfall but heard of a fresh water bacteria to be avoided. The pier in Hanalei Bay is about 15’ above the water. “Good enough,” she thought. Paula said, “Ready, Set, Go” and jumped off the end of the pier.

The Terrace restaurant and bar in Hanalei had good food and a Passion Fruit margarita to die for.

Having heard that the highway goes only part way around the island we set out to find the northwest end. Sure enough the road ends at and becomes the Kalalau Trail.

As we would later find out, the Kalalau Trail is very technical and dangerous. We also did not have the right shoes.

On the way back to the condo we stopped at the Manini-holo Dry Cave. It is said that fish were being stolen by mythical Menehune. Chief of the fishermen, Manini-holo, dug the dry cave to trap and ambush the Menehune. The plan worked and the tribe recovered their fish.

To see the interior of Kaua’i there is no better way than by helicopter. Paula and I sat in the two front seats of an A-Star helicopter.

Our pilot Jeff has 10 years experience flying this tour, and it shows.

The flight was smooth and VERY CLOSE to the hills, cliffs, valleys and waterfalls.

It began with a landing at the base of Manawaiopuna Falls, AKA the waterfall in the movie Jurassic Park. We stood in the mist of the 400 foot fall as it cascaded down lush tropical cliffs. Luckily the raptors had already been fed.

The tour continued as Jeff dove into Waimea Canyon (the Grand canyon of the Pacific). We were engulfed by the canyon’s 10 mile length and 3000 mile depth.

The helicopter bobbed and dodged around sheer mountains and along the face of sea cliffs of the Na Pali Coast. The only way to see the Na Pali Coast is by long hike, boat or aircraft.

As the tour rounded onto the north shore we saw glimpses of the treacherous Kalalau Trail with its steep climbs and sheer drops. We were glad we did not attempt it the previous day. There were hidden beaches, dramatic mountains and numerous waterfalls.

The helicopter turned inland and soon we were doing a hovering 360 inside the Mt. Wai’ale’ale Crater, one of the original volcanos which built the Hawaiian archipelago.

The return to base flew us over former sugarcane fields, repurposed as small farms and taro (poi) plantations.

Because we have driven to both ends of the road in Juno, Alaska, we decided to drive to the other end of the highway that circumvents Kaua’i. Sure enough, the road ends at Barking Sands Navel Missile Range. The highway begins and ends at the Na Pali Coast in both directions.

As sunset was soon upon us we stopped at Po’ipu Beach to watch green sea turtles come ashore for the night. They come ashore at Po’ipu to rest from swimming and foraging all day. Also, it is warmer and safer from predators on the beach at night. Females will also come ashore to nest and lay eggs. These are big animals measuring 3-4 feet long and weighing 300-400 pounds.

Sunset glowed in rich oranges, yellows and reds.

The Limahuli river canyon has been occupied by descendants of original Polynesian settlers since the beginning of time.

They have used the ahupua’a method of ecological preservation since 200 AD. Today the valley is a national tropical botanical garden and preserve. Natives of this valley protect, preserve, restore and conserve the rare and endangered flora and fauna that is found here.

Today the valley is called the Limahuli Garden and Preserve, a National Tropical Botanical Garden. We spent the day walking the preserve, viewing the rare plants and learning about Limahuli lore. Pohaku-o-Kane was a rock placed on a cliff by the gods to watch over the valley. Nou o Makana was a young man who saved a meneliune who in turn saved Nou. The meneliune was turned to stone for his sacrifice.

Our last day on Kaua’i was spent visiting a neighbor’s cousin, Kathy. We had breakfast at a local cafe and enjoyed a colorful walking tour of the plants and flowers on her property. Kathy makes leis from these flowers.

The last adventure was to rent a tandem kayak and paddle up the Hanalei River. Our upstream, against-the-wind paddle took two hours.

We went under one of the iconic and ever present one lane bridges.

We turned around at a waterfall of a creek that joined the river. The way back was easier and populated my many fresh water turtles.

Finally, we returned to the Terrace restaurant. We toasted with delicious Passion fruit Margaritas.

“Here’s to an adventure,” I said.
“An adventure of a lifetime,” said Paula.

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