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

Kayaking the Wailua, Sacred Sites, Muddy Hikes, Wild Ginger, and Velveeta

The Wailua River is the only navigable river in Hawaii and was the land of the Ali'i or Hawaiian Royalty. We chartered a kayak company to guide us as we paddled up the river much like the ancients must have done. I mean the ancients just paddled, they probably didn't hire a guide. Our plastic, red, double kayak would have been a marvel to the old ones.

This 20-mile-long river once wove through seven different ancient temple sites and is considered one of Hawaii’s two most sacred places. Our final destination was the once secret Opaeka'a Falls. To get there, it started with paddling a kayak in unison for 2 miles upriver, without yelling at your kayak partner once! No easy feat. Maybe that's why, during training, the guide recommended putting the stronger one in the back and the smarter one in the front.

After launch, our little pod of 5 kayaks quickly found ourselves on what felt like a major river. An occasional long boat, looking like a barge with a motor, would go steaming past leaving a big wake and the smell of diesel fuel. Aboard were people not interested in working to make their way up river. Their penance, in addition to the smell, was the fact that starting at 9:30 AM, they had to listen to a really bad trio playing Hawaiian music all the way up and back to wherever they were going. But the day was pleasant, I was feeling lots of Aloha (yes, that's a feeling), and after the barge wake passed, me and my beautiful (and smart) hood ornament made pretty good time up river.

Once we beached our kayaks, we faced another of the many "2 mile" island hikes. We're learning that given the density of the forest and the regular rains, it can take a very long time to make your way through the 6" high tree roots and "chocolate cake mix" type of mud to get anywhere.

Below is a video of our guide talking about the dangers of the part of this hike . . . where the mud could eat your shoes or if you took the dryer route over the tree roots, you could slip and fall 20 feet into the river. He didn't have to worry because we had signed releases which no one read!

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Along the hike, the guide pointed out each of the many unique trees and plants along the way. There was an African tree that grows 15 feet a year and is another "invasive species" taking over the island. We passed lots of beautiful flowering plants including a favorite of the feral pig, wild ginger. At about mile one we stopped for the perfect staged photo op at what they think was the Queens Bath. The royalty had a small village less than a mile away and this waterfall/bath was a perfectly beautiful and feminine location. How the Queen and her entourage got there without breaking ankles is beyond me. But Gwen and I look good on the rock.

Just a little farther up the trail, we came to the really beautiful ʻŌpaekaʻa falls. We discovered the name "ʻŌpaekaʻa" is decidedly not beautiful. It means rolling shrimp in Hawaiian. The story told is that there was a time when a fresh water shrimp was plentiful in the stream and they would come "rolling" over the falls into the pool below.

The waterfall is 15 stories high. Our guide said the belief is that this was the king's bath and a place of power. When I asked him what that meant, he said there was a reverence about the place from its royal history. The ancients believed that because the king was all powerful, the water that flowed from his bath had special healing properties for the less well-to-do downstream. Some things never change.

For me, the cool water was the perfect place for a rejuvenating swim regardless of what may have been going on upstream.

Can you see me in the photos?

Lunch was included in the package price but it was a strange contradiction. First, being in royal surroundings, I guess I expected something, well, nice anyway. Turns out it was a weird combo of good and bad. The "bad" was a white bread bun with a slice of Velveeta cheese, a very little turkey, and some mayo, all having been 2+ hours in the guide's backpack in 80+ degree temps. The condiments were industrial tomatoes, mustard, mayo and Doritos. The "good" was a delicious, fresh, Hawaiian pineapple the guide sliced up right there on a rock. Most people skipped the pineapple.

The trip back retraced the route and was uneventful and, except for tired shoulders, it was a fun outing. When we got back to our end of the island, because we really only had pineapple for lunch, we stopped at the local, hole-in-the-wall fish market in Old Koloa Town and ordered a plate lunch. This meal is another piece of venerable island history.

Modern Kau Kau Meal

The workers, in the 1880's, carried nesting kau kau (food) tins. They usually contained leftover rice and meats each stacked in a tin. They needed carb-loaded meals for their long workdays, and the rice and meat (no vegetables) did the job. After the plantation era, lunch wagons replaced the 'to go' tins in the 1930's, and today, in styrofoam you can still get plate lunches with fish or other meat and "three sides." This is usually 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad - again no vegetables. We got one with Ahi tuna and had lunch on our lanai listening to the ocean.

If you want to see what we're seeing in our front yard, click on this link to see a webcam view of the beach located a block from our place. Remember, if it's black, you forgot to add in the time zone difference!

Next post, we're going to revisit the North side of the island, lunch in Hanalei, try another inland hike, and somewhere along the way, I'm hoping to find a taro beverage.

I'm crashing now, so I'll just drop in a few photos at the end of this that make me happy. You'll have to imagine the stories that go with them.

Aloha to you all!

Earl and Gwen

Japanese Cemetery

Hawaiian Tomatoes

Dig Deep!

Slowing Down, Wild Pigs, and Hiking the Nepali Coast

When we left the airport, we hit a 25 mph zone on the road to the Poipu beach area where we are staying. On the map you can see we're on an island about 25 miles across in every direction, and there aren't a lot of roads in the first place.

Kauai is 550 square miles in area and 32 miles in diameter. If you look close, the black lines represent what I'm guessing to be maybe 200 miles of roads in total. Except for just a few places, they are all two lane, and 85% of those roads are 25 mph zones. Passing someone is not only precarious, but unnecessary because there is just another car doing 25 mph in front of you. When you hit a four-lane area with a 40 mph limit, the speed increase and freedom of movement is actually exhilarating!

There is also the matter of one-lane bridges. We have crossed many and learned bridge etiquette! Local protocol is to cross the bridges 5-7 cars at a time, or even fewer if you're really going to be in the Aloha spirit.

So, we have really slowed down to life at 25 mph, and like it here at that pace. It's very relaxing after you let go of the "got to get there" notions and just settle in to enjoy the considerable scenery.

Our destination on this day was to hike a few miles of the Na Pali coast. Along the way we stopped to watch 3 cute little pigs come out of the roadside brush and amble across the highway. We later found out they were first introduced by Polynesians 1500 years ago. Because they can have two litters with an average of 7 piglets each time, and they have no natural predators, the island now has more wild pigs than people! The estimated 400,000 piggies are considered an invasive species because they eat tons of plants, dig up the soil, and are a hazard to highway navigation. So much for cute!

Because of the 25 mph zones, the commercial areas, one-lane bridges, and slowing for piggies, it took about 90 minutes to cover the 40 miles to the trail head. Starting just north of the Wialua river, the road hugs the coastline on the right and there were tall green mountains and big ranch fields on the left. The drive is spectacular and 25 mph felt a little fast.

Just after the town of Hanalei (will revisit later), and at the very end of the highway, the 2 mile day hike to Hanakapiai Beach begins. The Kalalau Trail starts at Ke'e Beach, and is the only way to see the lush jungle of the Na Pali coast line by land.

The full Na Pali coast line is only 17 miles long and most people see it from some kind of boat or by helicopter. We wanted it up close and personal.

While two miles sounds pretty easy, there were a few things we didn't count on. Lots of up and down, and 80 degree temps with high humidity. Then we found a very rocky trail which had been made muddy and slippery by the recent rains. We had come prepared with low hiking boots and poles, but it was still a hard hike for both of us. It was worth it.



The first of the two videos below is a shot of Hanakapiai Beach from the trail, and the second from the beach itself. They really are too short (I'm learning) and in any case, no video will do justice to the wildness of the place, the sound of the crashing waves (turn up your volume), and the refreshing feel of the cool water on tired feet.

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And the beach itself:

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The trail from Hanakapiai Beach to the other end is another 9 miles, and 7 more hours of hiking. Most people do it in two days with a camp out on a beach along the way. Some don't get far at all!

On the trail out it was fun to see some of the same types of people hiking this trail that we see on the Tucson desert hikes. They head out with no water or food, in flip-flops, and with little kids along. They apparently don't die, but the suffering and fights with partners along the way has to be horrible.

Here's a shot of the very hot, dirty, and tired couple faking happiness for the camera at trail's end. It was worth whatever it took. A grilled fish taco in Hanalei and a long, slow drive back to sunset at the Plantation made it a wonderful day.

Next adventure is the kayak trip to a sacred waterfall!

Aloha!

Earl and Gwen

Snorkeling, Seals, Old Koloa Town, and Sunsets at the Plantation

Gwen and I were on our way for the first snorkeling experience for either of us in a long time. We are fortunate enough to have a protected cove just down the beach from where we are staying. That's when we saw the body.

It was a little unsettling to see the large seal lying on the beach barely breathing! The poor guy was all fenced off with what looked like crime scene tape and people were keeping a respectful distance. We had just had a big storm go through and I'm thinking the creature got tossed around badly and wound up on the shore to die. I was way off the mark.

The monk seal is known in Hawaii as "īlio holo i ka uaua," which means "dog running in the rough seas." Turns out the dude was partying all night in rough seas, playing, fishing and eating. The scene I came on was Mr. Seal doing the next thing monk seals like to do best, which is nap in the sun on a soft sand beach to rest and digest their evening meal. Apparently they lay there most of the day, oblivious to their surroundings, and aren't troubled by curious tourists. Because your average monk seal is smarter than most tourists, it was nice to see the Monk Seal Volunteers (who have taken the Monk Seal Pledge) out in force keeping photo crazed visitors from setting junior next to the big seal for a picture.

These seals have been on the federal endangered species list since the 1970′s, and sadly, the estimate is only 1100 remain in the islands. They have been hunted like the whales for their meat and oil, and and taken further damage from commercial fishing. Monk seals can get up to 7 feet in length and weigh in at 300 to 400 pounds. I'm thinking that means it's not a good idea to take long naps after eating so much.

"I'm thinking that means it's not a good idea
to take long naps after eating so much."

The snorkeling outing went just OK. Getting the mask on with breathing tube and then flippers is almost adventure enough. Then trying to actually get to the water with rocks under foot and waves coming in made us actually look like a pair of hard-working seals trying to get back home after a long nap. Actually the seals would have looked more graceful.

We had been given a little fish card at the snorkel hut that was full of promise, showing a couple dozen different varieties of colorful fish. Because of the popularity of the cove for beginners, once we did achieve the 3 foot snorkel depth, mostly what we saw was either a forest of white tourist legs or another inexperienced snorkel person coming right at you. Not pretty. We eventually did find the rocks the fish liked and we're able to check off a few colorful species from the chart.

Getting out of the water, by going back through the "forest," avoiding the kids and elders on the way out, and finding the shore left me, like the seal, just wanting to just nap in the sand. We may try again at one of the more secluded beaches. The island boast 91 beaches so it shouldn’t be hard.

After the snorkel adventure and Earl's nap, we headed off to the local farmers market to "buy local." What you see more of here that you don't find elsewhere are macadamia nut treats, fruits like mangoes, papaya, varieties of bananas (and banana breads), lots of fruits with unpronounceable names, and coconuts being whacked apart for drinking the fresh milk inside and eating the meat. With Very Friendly people, offering tastes of everything, it's just a great way to shop.

We are staying near the heart of Kauai's plantation history in the Old Town of Koloa. The Old Sugar Mill of Koloa was the first major sugar plantation in Hawaii in 1835. It launched commercial sugar production all across the islands and began the waves of immigrant laborers that make up Hawaii’s very diverse population today. In the bigger, newer town of Lihue, the locals have decided they need the likes of Costco, Walmart, and even McDonalds. The good folks of Koloa kept it real and vintage. I'm told that with some stabilization and paint, the place looks a lot like it did in the old days.

A big chunk of the original sugar mill is still visible in the center of town. Since arrival, it's been our go-to location for plate lunches (more on that soon), adult beverages, and my favorite, a Lappert's Hawaii, which is coconut-pineapple or Kauai Coffee flavored ice cream cone! See, I'm fussy about where I spend my calories.

Our base of operations is the Kiahuna Plantation Resort. Sunset at our Plantation home is the same ritual most places in the world where, A. you can see the sun go below the horizon, and B. there's a good chance it will be awesome. People line up their chairs on the big lawn just in front of the beach. Munchies are plenty and stories of the day are shared with acquaintances. If the sun and clouds do an extra special dance of color, there is applause all around. We've attended faithfully when we get back from our adventures in time for the evening and haven't been disappointed yet. Below is a video taste, turn up the volume for full effect.

Aloha till next post,

Earl and Gwen

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Green, Water, and Weird Fruit

On coming out of the Lihue airport, the wave of humidity hit. Arriving from the desert of Tucson, it was a shock and a good reminder it's time to sloooow down. The next thing I noticed about Kauai was the color green.

Now I live in Minnesota half the year and we do have a lot of green, but Kauai is different. It seems like everything not human or a house is green. Deep greens. All shades of green. Like some kind of OZ green that wants to consume everything non-green. Even the roads seem about to be overrun with large trees, flowering plants, and greenery. Wonderful but a little scary. That's because I was about to learn about water.

We love our accommodations about 50 yards from breaking waves. That water is music to my ears. Our first few days here, it off and on rained, and sustained pretty steady winds. It went from misty to actual rain that begged for an umbrella or a raincoat. Every once in a while though, there would be a "what was that" kind of steady downpour. You could see the wall of water coming, dump on you, and then watch it float down the mountain range off to some distant green valley. That was just a taste.

On our third night, the wind kept rising, and the pace of "what was that" rain picked up. By midnight, the rain got serious. Big, fat droplets cascading in on 40+ mph winds and lasting most of the night. I have never, ever, experienced so much water from the sky, with such intensity, and for so long. I was up on and off all night trying to take it in. The mountain in the middle of the island, Mount Waialeale (its name in Hawaiian means 'rippling water') is known as the wettest place on earth. It gets more than 450 inches of rain each year. For you math majors, that's more than 37 FEET of water per year. Tucson gets less than 10 inches by comparison. They say Eskimos have a hundred words for snow, and I suspect the people that live here can talk about the rains with that same kind of vocabulary. For the outsider, however, it was only awe. It does begin to explain all the green though.

Because of the damp days, we used the time to get used to our end of this wonderful little island. We provisioned at Costco where, in addition to groceries, you can buy beach gear and even surfboards, along with all manner of delicious Macadamia nuts.

We've put in a supply of two other island treats, coffee and pineapples. The pineapples are incredibly sweet, and while I may be tired of them by the time our two weeks are up, at under a buck a piece you'll excuse me for pigging out.

We also walked on post-storm beachs, and went to school at a farmers market. I say "school" because of the many mostly tasty treats, vegetables, and fruits I'd never seen before. I had some apple bananas, something I think was called a wood apple, fresh coconut, and most strange of all, the Rambutan or hairy lychee. When you take the top off a Rambutan, it looks like a small, white egg wearing a hula skirt. More fun than tasty.

As for Kauai coffee, what once was a thriving island sugar cane plantation has been replaced with 3100 acres of coffee plants. Kauai Coffee is one of the largest coffee plantations in the islands. A visit there is a very heady experience. After the obligatory tour designed to ramp up your love of the caffeine high, you are exposed to a wide variety of free delicious coffees, coffee ice cream, coffee torts, coffee beans, coffee honey and coffee people who urge you to try more coffee treats. I'm realizing now that part of the reason I was up at 1, 2, and 3 AM on the stormy night wasn't just the light show and sounds of pelting rain, but that last cup of delicious estate reserve peaberry from the junkies at Kauai Coffee.

I know I'm getting landed because I'm not exactly sure what day this is! One of my goals for the next few days is to find and try the Hawaiian dish made from taro root called Poi. We're also going to snorkle, and I may even take a surfing lesson. Pray for me on all accounts.

More soon...

Earl (and Gwen)