Kauai Final: Roosters, Poi, Waimea Canyon, and the Easy, Aloha Pace of Life

We're leaving Hawaii tomorrow, and as the last post for this trip, here are some quick takes, in no particular order:

In Kauai, there are almost always two sounds nearby, ocean and chickens. With 91 beaches and most roads and towns situated along the coast, the sound of water on rocks and sand is a rhythmic background to life here. I've recorded that sound and it will be a large and soothing part of my memory of the place.

The other common sound comes from wild roosters. While the state bird is the Hawaiian Goose, it's the never-silent roosters that are everywhere. I've seen them in almost every stopping point, including the grocery store parking lot in town, near most beaches, and high up in the mountains. Along with dogs and pigs, the "canoe fowl" were brought to Kauai by the Polynesians as a source of food. They did well in this environment and everyone was happy until 1992.

In '92, Hurricane Iniki ripped across Kauai, destroying chicken coops and releasing many thousands of domesticated hens. In that same storm, roosters that were being bred for cockfighting were also blown around. After that storm, nature took its course and today the music most heard in the mornings, evenings, and sometimes in the middle of the night are those crowing roosters.

Some of Kauai's roosters are beautiful and they do add a kind of country charm to the scenery. But to the locals, they are a noisy nuisance. That resentment is reflected in the recipe I came across for cooking the tough wild chickens: Put the chicken in a pot of boiling water. Add a big rock. When the rock is tender, the chicken is ready to eat. Our kayaking guide, in fine stand-up comedy tradition, said, ". . . take our wild chickens . . . Please! Take 2 or 3 home with you!"

Did you know that pre-European contact, Hawaiians were among the healthiest races on earth. A major part of that was due to their diet and a major part of the diet was Poi. It's made from the underground plant root or corm of the taro plant (known in Hawaiian as kalo). Poi is produced by mashing the cooked corm (baked or steamed) until it is a sticky paste. Today it's referred to as one, two, or three-fingered poi, based on how many fingers you need to scoop it up. Making poi by hand required so much work that pounding the taro into something edible was considered men's work in ancient Hawaii.

Poi is a fat-free and highly digestible, pudding-like dish and the stuff is high in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It is gluten free and hypoallergenic. It is so easily digested that it's great for babies. Which is a very good thing because it looks, feels, and in its natural state, is very much like bland baby food. We bought some purple Hanalei poi from the supermarket but couldn't get past more than a couple bites each.

I did find another way to access the healthful benefits of taro, at the Taro and Juice Truck in Hanalei. Hawaii, for me, starts when you cross the one lane bridge into the Hanalei Valley. It's one of the places where the Hawaii I've dreamed about actually appears. At the Taro Truck on the edge of town, they make a powerful taro smoothie with mango, pineapple, and other enhancements that make it the perfect beverage for a tired tourist after a hot and humid day exploring the island.

Waimea Canyon is certainly the grand canyon of Kauai if not the islands. It's about a two hour loop drive to take in all the vistas of the canyon, the Na Pali coast and the Kalalau Valley. The canyon itself is ten miles long, 3500 feet deep, and two miles wide. The fifteen degree drop in temperature with the altitude gain was as refreshing as the big vistas. Another visit to Kauai would have us hiking some of the highland trails at the top.

Coming down from the canyon into the town of Waimea, you almost run into another island food icon, Joe's Shrimp Shack. At Joe's, for 10 bucks you get a dozen large shrimp and perfect sticky rice with a mildly spicy sweet chili sauce over it all. Not much for ambiance, but the shrimp were great. The Santa hat on the big fake shrimp out front was one of the occasional reminders we saw about the holiday season at hand. With all this sun and greenery, it's hard to get into the Xmas spirit.

We did visit the Allerton Arboretum while we were here. It's a gorgeous bay and many acres of land bought for nothing back when land was cheap . . . a long time ago. The grounds are locally known for all the interesting plants from all over the world collected there and for the famous people who have partied at the place. The short story is one of the Allerton boys, who didn't make it as an artist, decided to set up shop on dad's land here and create his art in the landscape.

The good news in the Allerton story is as part of the Arboretum's mission, they are conserving native Hawaiian (and other) plant species that otherwise are rapidly going extinct. I wasn't especially impressed with the tour because not much was in bloom during these winter months. But a few sights were truly amazing, like the Giant Australian Banyan trees. You gardeners can check out the Allerton website here for all the details.

Finally, I've developed a whole new love of pineapple. If I can't find fresh (enough) pineapple on my return to the mainland, I'm going to be very disappointed. At about a dollar a piece, we've had this wonderful treat almost every day. While we never made it to where they are growing, at the farmers markets we have come across two or three varieties. Just to add to your love of the fruit and get your mouth watering, here's me doing the carving!

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Thanks for reading along. For now it's goodbye till February when I may pick this up during our trip to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Just some of what I'm going to miss about Hawaii are the stable and warm temps, the soft sounds of ocean in the background, walking with Gwen on the sandy beaches and the beautiful sunsets. I'll also miss the salt air, the fresh fruits in our daily diet, Kauai coffee in the AMs, the fragrance and visual feast of all the green and colorful plants, the gentle people, and the easy, Aloha pace of life here.

Some Aloha peace in your heart is our holiday wish for you! We think it's the best gift ever.

Love and Aloha,

Earl and Gwen