Travel Diary

Misty woke me around 5:50am to let me know the sun was about to rise. I looked out the window (mind you, this involved just looking over towards the window). Alas, the clouds were all smothering the horizon. There wasn't any way I was going to get a good shot of it peeking up over the ocean. So, I slept some more. Around 6:20, the sun was up a little ways over the horizon and filling the room with light. Now, the sun was in a good position, so I took a few shots.

Around 7am, Terry, Lesly, and Bri came over and we had breakfast. It consisted of fresh Maui pineapple, cereal and very expensive Kona coffee. The coffee was good, but no better than any average Starbuck's coffee. I don't know what people see in this stuff to make it about $30 a pound, but I think I missed it. Still, it was good to try it. Now, when islanders talk about this special coffee, I can join in their conversations and be among the many who got taken, and spent way too much for some simple beans. It does remind me of a story about Jack and a special beanstalk - except I have nothing to show for my purchase except a half empty coffee bag.

After breakfast, Terry and Lesly decided that they would not attend our voyage to the north side of the island. It was about an hour trip to get there, and of course an hour to get back. Misty and I went alone. We stopped off at Chris the Fun Lady's place and rented some snorkel equipment. We've gotten to know Chris quite well from the two times we've met her. She's a nice lady. We'll miss her. Heck, we're gonna miss everything about Kauai.

We took to the road again and headed north. We would be making a counterclockwise loop from the east side of the island to the northwest side. Along the way, I took some pictures when I could. We were back in green country. Yeah, the whole island is green, but the north side really seems to have more foliage and trees. It's just extra green over there. As we got close to the place we were going, we could see a huge (green) mountain with a small waterfall coming down it. That was a nice site and stayed with us as we traveled. The jungle got thicker and thicker and, if it were not for the road, we'd be completely engulfed in the vegetation.

At last, we reached the beach parking area. It was a bit crowded, but we found a spot. I explored a nearby cove, while Misty checked out the beach. Then, we got our stuff and headed down to the beach. We walked about a quarter mile down the beach and planted our gear. Plenty of sunscreen was used to coat our bodies. No one wanted to be sun burnt on the long plane ride home. The water was even warmer than the east side. And the sand was very course so it didn't cloud up the water. It was tricky to get out in the water, for the reef was everywhere. Navigating the first part meant swimming in 1 to 2 feet of water for a long ways. It gradually got deeper and was about 4 to 6 feet for a while. There were fish everyone. Many different kinds of fish swam all around us. The water was clear and it was akin to swimming in an aquarium. There were actual warm pockets that you would occasionally run across. And sometimes, there were cold pockets as well. But overall, the water was quite enjoyable. Once you got out past a certain point, the reef just dropped off and suddenly the water became very deep. It was like a scene out of The Abyss. I even spotted a SCUBA team down there swimming around. We explored all around and saw many interesting and fascinating things.

After snorkeling for a spell, we took a break. The sun beat down on us as we soaked up a few rays. About 20 minutes went by and we then returned to the sea. This time we explored up north a little bit. The current was a bit stronger and at one point, you could feel it pulling you out to sea. This was slightly harder to fight. Our fins came in quite handy as we paddled against it and fought our way back inward. More fish swam by us and we eventually headed back to shore. Our snorkeling was amazing - but over.

Once back at the beach, we sunned up a little and then packed up and headed to the car. The waves crashed in as I walked through the water to keep my feet from getting too hot. We took a final look at the deep blue sea and went up to the car.

Next, we drove a bit further up the road to reach the Blue Room. The Blue Room was mentioned in the book as a cave with water that led to a small area filled with blue light. We found the trail and then walked up it. Along the trail, a sign warned not to swim. But it didn't say where. Besides, if the people in the book can do it and recommend it to the many people that read the book, then we could do it too.

The trail led over a hill and then down into a huge cave. The cave was full of water and quite dark. But there were people swimming in it and exploring. So, we gave caution to the wind (well, we would have if there had been any wind, but it was just a cave) and hopped into the water. Now, this water was a bit colder than the ocean. Yet, it wasn't anything as cold as the ocean water back home. We adapted to it quickly and looked around. The Blue Room wasn't really much of anything. Maybe the light wasn't just right for it. But it was fun to try it. I must admit, I got a bit nervous swimming in the back part of the cave. It was quite dark and the overhang was just a few feet overhead. Still, I remained calm. There was no current in the water at all. And we saw no animal life either. There may have been bacteria, but we didn't see that either. After our refreshing swim, we traveled back to the car and headed back to the hotel.

The drive was 30 miles away, but it again, it takes about an hour due to limited speeds. Nowhere on the island do the signs allow more than 50 miles per hour. We returned with time to get ready for the big Luau. Just like the Brady's, we'd finish our adventure with a bang. The Luau wasn't cheap either. It was over $50. I didn't know quite what to expect, but for $50, I expected a lot.

Fortunately, the festival was right near our hotel so we only had a 3-minute drive to get there. Right after we parked, I raced over to get a picture of a peacock. It was just hanging out in the parking lot, looking for food. I was quite amazed. I needed a picture since I didn't know when in my life I'd see another unfenced peacock wandering about.

It happened to be about two minutes later.

We went inside and it sort of reminded me of an amusement park, but without rides. There were ducks, geese, and peacocks running around everywhere. We traveled along the guide path and saw many different types of trees and plants. Sure, they were all planted there and didn't occur naturally, but since they were able to grow there without dying, that would have to suffice.

Our dinner was a buffet and, for entertainment, a small Hawaiian band played old lounge songs. It was quite fun to sing along to "Can't Help Falling in Love." I didn't know many of the other songs. Even the lyrics to "Blue Hawaii" escaped me. The food was great and I even tried Poi. It's very bland and doesn't seem to have much taste to it. The drinks were free. And although there wasn't much alcohol in them, you could make it up in volume. Five Mai Tai's anyone? Done.

After dinner, we headed to the open theatre for the dancing entertainment. By then, the sky had grown dark and it was a great show. The show opened with a volcano and Pele up on top of it chanting and dancing. During the show, we saw Hawaiian dancing, Japanese dancing, Chinese dancing, Polynesian dancing, and a fire twirler. Yeah, a luau is a must-do thing in Hawaii.

After the show, it was back to the bar for one final evening.

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