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 toward
the window). Alas, the clouds were all over the horizon. There wasn't
any way I was going to get a good shot of it peeking up over the horizon.
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 doth 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 gear 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 ways. It gradually got deeper and was about 4 to 6 feet for a ways.
There were fish everyone. Many different kinds of fish swam all around
us. The water was clear and it was like 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 northward. 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 can 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 at all. After our refreshing swim, we traveled back to the car
and headed back to the hotel.
The drive was 30 miles a way, but it takes about an hour, due to limited
speeds. No where 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 did expect 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 around.
It happened to be about 2 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?
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.
- Day 6 -