Kaua'i * Day 9 * 6.22.2010

(Excuses, do you need excuses? Why certainly! This particular post is so long in coming because: #1, I knew it would be a big one, with lots of typing and lots to remember/share, so it would take a long time to finish it; #2, school started the middle of August and well, frankly, it's hard to get much else done these days; #3, I've been going through withdrawal symptoms lately and a mere song in the grocery store sent me to the verge of tears (a song that was played during our helicopter ride)....so forcing myself to remember, while experiencing much pining and longing for a return to Kaua'i...well, it hasn't exactly been on the top of my 'to do' list; is that enough? good....then read on and enjoy this much overdue post!)


Oh, morning came MUCH too early! We got up a little after 5:00am, gathered our things together and drove to Port Allen to check in by 7:00am.

Our guide, John, passed out dry bags and our group (14 of us) got all slathered in sunscreen and packed our things in the bags. John went down through a verbal checklist to make sure everyone met the requirements for the Zodiac trip....no pregnancies, bad backs/necks/knees, or heart problems allowed. Then he took us down to the dock where we boarded our Zodiac and met our captain, TJ.

I started freaking out a little when I saw how 'small' the raft really was! With 14 people and 2 crew members, it was full! Even though I usually don't have much problem with motion sickness, I took medicine AND wore my sea bands as a precautionary measure! TJ was a nut, we laughed so much.... He gave us one last chance to get off the raft and board the 'sissy boat', the catamaran that was leaving at the same time. Also, one last chance to fess up to any back, neck or knee injuries/problems. Then he told us we'd have them AFTER the trip! No whining allowed...TJ said no one falls over by accident :0) The word 'rough' was not allowed either! We were to use 'exciting' instead!


Here is a picture of what the Zodiacs look like....I forgot to get a pic of our own :(

On the way out of the harbor, I began questioning my sanity! What in the world were we doing?! Is it too late to board the 'sissy boat'?! If this isn't 'exciting', then I sure hope we don't get into some 'exciting' water! We were speeding across the waves, catching air, and crashing back down on the water! John and TJ had offered us gloves before we left to help keep from getting blisters on our hands, but no one wanted them.....I regretted my decision later! (and on the way back we ALL wore gloves!)

Soon out of the harbor we stopped to watch some sea turtles. The camera was still in the dry bag, so no photos.... Also, we passed an old sugar mill, the last one to shut down on the island...all because of cheaper labor in foreign countries...sad.

TJ told us he likes to keep moving on the way out because the water is calmer in the morning, and that it takes about twice as long to come back. I was thinking 'oh great!' So we kept bouncing over the waves! It took a little while, but we soon fell into a rhythm of rolling with the boat rather than holding on all stiff armed and getting sore and tired.

When we stopped to watch some spinner dolphins, we decided it was time to bring out the camera! They were so beautiful! And so close to us! Almost close enough to touch them....



Oh, and no photo doctoring.....the water really is that beautiful and clear! We could see the bottom! I think this is the best photo we got of the dolphins. They were hard to catch in the air....should have taken some video footage, but we were too much in awe of everything to think clearly :0)

There were several other Zodiacs and Catamarans stopped too...

I'm not sure just how long we were stopped, but I was ready to get moving again. Being stopped in the water just exaggerated the rocking of the raft and I started to feel a little queasy... Eric, of course, didn't feel queasy at all. From there we pretty much kept moving at a steady clip, the camera stayed snug in the dry bag....

When we rounded the coastline and got our first view of Na Pali from the water....ah, words cannot express! Simply breathtaking.... At that point I was beginning to really get into the more adventuresome trip! Especially when we got to do things like.....go inside sea caves! The first sea cave had a waterfall over the opening...all of the caves can be seen from our aerial pics on day 2!

The trusty camera came out again for this spectacular view. Inside of Open Ceiling Cave...this is looking straight up! I wonder why they call it that.... :0)

...and looking back out the cave opening to the ocean...

A little different view of the opening and the rock that used to be the ceiling....
Get a load of that water color again! Amazing!

From there on, we decided it was worth taking the chance of having the camera out! View of a falls along the coast...along with a few of our fellow travelers!

Heading into another cave...a double cave with one opening. This one was not big enough to turn around in, so we backed in (the left cave, which is mostly blocked by fellow traveler's head).

It was dark in there! We could see a tiny 'beach' in the back of the cave that the waves were lapping up on. Again, this is a view back out to the ocean.

And a little further out....this view is from the opening to both caves. Also, you can see the falls photographed just minutes earlier, along with a 'sissy boat'. I was glad then that we opted for the more adventuresome trip! THEY didn't get to do the cool things WE got to do! Cool things like speeding out of caves and hugging the edges of the cliffs while going at high speeds! Exhilarating, heart-pumping and yet so extremely fun!

Next is Honopu Beach and arch....also in our aerial pics. So neat to see it from two different perspectives! The arch is a little hard to see in this one....just above 'pink shirt' lady's head!

A coastline shot from the same place....

And then back at the arch from the other side....I know it doesn't look very big, but we are WAY out in the water and perspective is skewed. We could see a man standing in the grass/sand just on the other side of the arch and he was tiny! This arch is big enough for helicopters to fly through! It is in the 'Six Days Seven Nights' movie.

More Na Pali coastline...

Coming up on Kalalau Valley...

Beautiful Kalalau Valley! We turned around at this point and headed back to Nu'alolo Kai.

The stunning Cathedrals! This picture is my computer background! Right next to the Kaualau Valley, I was able to capture this breathtaking view on the way back to Nu'alolo Kai (we were on the 'shore side' of the raft then and I didn't have to have people heads in the pics!).

Back to Nu'alolo Kai for our beach landing, tour, lunch and snorkeling.... As we backed into shore through a channel in the reef, TJ told us our options for....well, you know....when nature calls... He said we'd be anchoring in 'Bladder Bay', waist deep water, or there was a composting outhouse...which he personally has been in ONCE! Nuff said! I tried one of those outhouses on our hike to Hanakapi'ai Falls, and that was enough for me too!

The beach where we landed was volcanic rock, not sand. Sure were glad for Keen sandals!

John took us on a tour through the ruins of Nu'alolo Kai. The last Hawai'ian man moved out in the 1970's. The area was full of Noni trees. We are here to testify that Noni fruit STINKS! It has many healing qualities though, and was/is used for a lot of ailments.

Ruins of a house...

View of Noni grove and house ruins...

Temple ruins...

...and a pond area where fish were kept. The Hawai'ians would catch fish that were trapped in the reef when the tide was out, then store them in the pond until they were ready to eat them!

X marks the spot! Lava channels in the cliff behind the temple ruins. One of 3 in the Pacific that when connected form the Polynesian Triangle.

Close up of Noni fruit.

This next set of pictures is a panorama of Nu'alolo Kai, from left to right. Notice the notch in the cliff of this first picture. A rope ladder was used there for the Hawai'ians to climb to and from the valley on the other side of the cliff.




Awww...

A place to dock boats....this was reconstructed by a college group.

After our walk through the ruins, we ate lunch. I didn't eat a lot because I kept thinking of our ride back! Then we had about an hour to snorkel. Next time we go, we'll definitely be taking an underwater camera! So many colorful fish....all shapes and sizes!

When it was time to get back on board, I kept thinking we needed to hurry up! We were going to be the last ones on! Well, Eric clued me in, he WANTED to be the last ones on! We sat near the front on the way out and it's a much bumpier ride up there...last ones on sit in the back! Smart hubby! So, a last wade through Bladder Bay (I shiver if I think about that too much!) and we were aboard...ready for the ride back. EVERYONE wanted gloves! I still have a scar where my blister was :0)

Oh.My.Goodness. If I thought it was 'exciting' on the way out.....I had another think coming! And yes, it did take longer coming in...we had to stop several times for rest breaks. We were heading across six foot swells, at least! There wasn't much talking or laughing, we were all hanging on for dear life! By the time we got back, our bums were SO sore and we were blasted with salt water (one of the perks of sitting in the back!). My hair was a MESS to comb out later...think windblown, then wet with sticky saltwater, then windblown dry again, then wet, repeat! We arrived back around 2pm-ish and I have never been so glad to be back on dry land! Would I do it again? If you'd asked me then, I would have said as incredible and awesome as it was, once is enough. If you ask me now.....hmmm, I just might be game for it!

After changing into some dry clothes, we walked into a few stores at the Port. Then we drove to Waimea to get some shave ice at JoJo's--MMmmm! I just LOVED the sign on the door!

Eric got a Root Beer Float one, with MacNut ice cream on the bottom. I tried Tropical Rainbow(mango, lilikoi, and guava) with MacNut ice cream....it was SO good! We called the kids while we were eating and told them how good it was!

Next stop...Kaua'i Coffee Company and Plantation. This is the hugest coffee mug I've ever seen! It's sitting next to a framed 8.5x11 paper!

An interesting vintage sign about the process of sugar cane from growing to refining.

Rows and rows of coffee...

...and up close....the beans are still green.

Sign with coffee in the background...

These pine trees were all over the 'rainforest' side of the island (as opposed to the desert/canyon side). They looked so unique and we finally had a chance to get up close to some at the plantation. After a bit of research I do believe they are Norfolk Pines.



Pines, bougainvillea and wind-blown, seawater hair!

So...unique!

We drove back down 'Tree Tunnel Road' to get a picture...
Then we headed back toward our home away from home and got back around 6pm.
We walked around the Marketplace, again. Ordered a delicious pizza from 'Aloha Kaua'i Pizza'...it had a garlic butter sauce and was topped with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, red onion and mozz cheese...one of the best pizzas we've ever had! I have yet to do it, but intent to try to recreate one here at home!

You really should click on this picture to view it full size and fully appreciate the detail of the chess pieces! Go ahead, they're incredible! The price was....well, a LOT, so a picture is all we brought home!


What an amazing, incredible, breathtaking, and exhausting day! We were so thankful for God's protection and a safe trip. Showers and LOTS of lotion rubbed into parched skin never felt so good!

And that, finally, is Day 9 on Kaua'i!