Kauai, week 2

It has been great having two weeks in Kauai. We're not in a hurry to do anything, because there is plenty of time. We enjoyed Colin's company for most of the first week. Just before he left, Jim and Brenda came to join us. Here Colin and Jim are collaborating on an elaborate breakfast.



We had a wonderful meal at the Plantation Gardens restaurant. This photo was taken in their garden.

The building is a historical plantation house.
Monday was farmer's market day in Koloa. We walked away with three bags of fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy all week.

More snorkeling. Jim took this photo from below Dan.
This is one of the more colorful fish.
The wind really kicked up in the afternoon, giving us the perfect opportunity to go on a cliff walk. The waves were pounding into the rocks....
...with occasional surprise showers.
The spouting horn not only spouted, it moaned.
On Tuesday we took an excursion to the north shore. First stop was the Kilauea bakery. Never pass that up....
The wave action by the Kilauea lighthouse and wildlife refuge was even more dramatic than at Poipu. From the point, we were able to see up and down the north coast. With the borrowed binoculars provided, we enjoyed watching a large pod of dolphins and a number of seabirds.
At the end of the road, we sat on the beach and watched the breaking waves, each with a veil of spray behind it.
Dan and I walked about a mile up the Kalalau trail to a viewpoint down the Na Pali coast. Extensive trailwork made the trail much easier to negotiate.
It's hard to tell from this photo, but the wind was blowing at least 50 mph on this point. We stayed away from the edge, since the gusts could move you involuntarily.
What an idyllic place. This is where the Hanalei River meets the ocean.
Sunset on the north coast, over Hanalei Bay.

The full moon over Poipu.



In closing, we want to remind everyone how important it is to remember your sunscreen to avoid strange malignant growths...

More from Kauai

Colin, Dan and I took a trip up he Wailua River Valley. Below is the Wailua falls. Four years ago we visited this spot after a huge rain storm. The river was brown and the falls were about 10 times the size. We got a very different impressions this time....


We took a hike to a viewpoint.

Below is a view of the crater of Mt. Wai'ale'ale. It is rarely clear to the top, being the wettest spot on earth.


See the gecko?
Ah... breakfast on the deck. Papaya, pineapple, bananas, mangos...
This was the second sea turtle we were able to see while snorkeling.
We went to an orchid festival and art show in Hanapepe, a cute little gallery town.

After sunset, we went on a frog hunt and saw three frogs. They sit very still until you get very close.

Aloha!

Aloha from Poipu Beach on Kauai!

Every day we’ve seen a variety of sea life. We’ve had three whale sightings! This morning I just happened to look up from my knitting and saw a whale breach. First time I’ve ever seen that. Later in the day we all saw a whale slapping its tail over and over. Several times during the day we observed sea turtles swimming in the surf. Almost every day a monk seal takes a nap on the beach. Because it is endangered, locals are designated protectors and put ropes around them to keep people at a distance. Dan managed to capture some of the abundant life under the surface while snorkeling with his waterproof camera





Not all the sea life were fish...


the unicorn fish
I think this is a surgeon fish.
butterfly fish
trigger fish, which has a long Hawaiian name... humu... something. it's the Hawaiian state fish.

The surf has been unusually high due in part to some breezy weather. It makes our morning beach walks pretty interesting. Several places along the rocky shore the waves splash about 25 feet in the air.





We did manage to find a place to do some boogie boarding where we didn’t get smashed by the waves (well, not too badly anyway.) We did swallow a lot of salt water and let’s just say that our sinuses are well irrigated. I lost my goggles when I got flipped by a wave and Colin lost a flipper.



Dan caught the biggest wave... and rode it all the way in.





Tuesday was expected to be clear but windy, so we decided to go to the high country of Koke’e state park and Waimea Canyon park to do some hiking. We hiked about four miles downhill, on a slip and slide in some places, to a viewpoint of the Na Pali coast. I think the photos will speak for themselves of the awesome beauty of the place. On they way back we got into the fog and rain which was hanging over the mountaintops, but it was worth it.


Oh, how they need a Kauai trails association. Even with our poles, we all fell at least once.


The view from the lookout.

Waimea canyon.

We went through a Kauai rain squall on the way back, but then went swimming in the sun at Poipu.

We went to market on Monday and came home with all kinds of wonderful fruits and vegetables, all locally grown by small farmers. Colin had a strong desire for fish for dinner, so we purchased Monchong, a deep sea fish. Dan and I ate some at Keoki’s and it was some of the best fish we’ve every had. Our preparation wasn’t quite as gourmet, but it was so tender and tasty.

Dan bought a ukulele, Hawaiian made of Koa wood, and he is having a great time finding songs on the internet to play, such as Honolulu Baby and I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.

This was Wednesday's sunset. One of the best.

Wish you were here...