Kauai, Dear! (Day 5)

Day 5 (Tuesday, March 11, 2008)

First thing on the agenda today is a morning snorkel in a little rocked-off pool in a nearby park. This is my first time snorkeling and I’m a bit surprised that I’m coordinated enough to figure out the breathing. Go me! It’s a relaxing swim without waves or undertows. There are a plethora of fish trapped here that give us plenty to see.

We dry off by sitting on the beach and enjoy a first breakfast of fruit and fig cookies and a look through the local paper. And the sound of chickens and chicks and roosters that are never far away.

Oh look... it's me!

Later that afternoon we head west to Port Allen for a whale watching trip up the coast to Na Pali (‘The Cliffs’). We’re asked to leave our shoes at the dock and I hope they don’t meet the same fate as my socks. It’s an excursion lasting all afternoon (and I come home caked with enough sunscreen and saltwater to last the rest of the week).

Heading out on the catamaran we glimpse a few whales flapping their tales or diving – no big breaches, so the captain doesn’t stop. A couple of bottlenose dolphins find us interesting enough to come say hello, though. They ride the waves underneath the boat and give us a few tricks before going to check out a (less interesting) catamaran behind us.

The sky out by Na Pali is clouded over like no other! There are a lot of heavy mists up by the cliffs, giving them quite the Lord-of-the-Rings-esque feel. We get a closer look at some of the shorn off cliffs where part of the island collapsed into the sea forever ago. We can see the layers from lava flows, incredible rock formations, a few caves (where the aquamarine-colored water bounces in and out), and even debris (tin roofs and such) stuck on the side of the cliffs from hurricane Iniki more than 15 years ago. I think that the cliffs look like a pretty fun place to live.

Spoooky

Did your jaw just drop or what?

The sun is setting as we head back to Port Allen and we keep an eye out for whales. When the captain spots some activity he stops and cuts off the engine so we can listen – they lower a doohickey over the side and we get to hear the humpbacks singing. A few breach for us and we linger for a bit, waiting for more breaching or even a fight (which the crew tells us is the thing to see!). It’s getting late, though, so we are full speed ahead back to port.

Both Aunt Linda and I noticed that there was no dessert to go with our lunch earlier (and I felt somewhat cheated since most of the parmesan cheese blew off my salad in the wind). The crew makes things right by passing out cookies now. Aunt Linda asks if we can take two and David says yes. So we do.

Aren't they cute?

I take a few pictures of the sunset and then decide that I’m a bit tired of getting splashed standing on the deck. So I wait in the cabin near the cookies. A crewman tells me I can have some if I want. So I eat two more.

The captain didn't promise we'd see the sun hit the water, unfortunately

When we get back to port my shoes are still there!!! I fight the urge to kiss them and follow everyone to the bathrooms, instead. We make it back to the house after the sun has set and I take great delight in the idea of a shower without salt. And that is just what I get before bed.

Kauai, Dear! (Day 4)

Day 4 (Monday, March 10, 2008)

Monday was a work day for everyone but me (tee hee hee *snork*). Aunt Linda and Lynn were both headed off to do their thing by mid-morning so I set up camp at the kitchen bar with my computer, phone, and notebook for some wedding planning. How much I accomplished is debatable but at least I felt productive and that’s all that matters, right? I spent much of the afternoon deleting e-mails and files and such and generally making myself feel incredibly accomplished.

I also watched a video Aunt Linda left about hurricane Iniki that struck Kauai in 1992. Preeeetty intense stuff going on der! Roofs flying off and whatnot. I thought MY airport adventures were a pain… anybody stuck on the island during Iniki really got their money’s worth. :)

When Lynn got home around mid-afternoon we had some pupus and later departed for a local school with two guitars in hand. Lynn goes every Monday night to see whoever’s playing and invited me to come along. Performing that night were the Kama’ainas, a local group. There were guitar and ukulele circles beforehand, where the performers went over their set for the night with anyone interested in playing along. It didn’t take me long to figure out I really had no idea what I was doing. But it was fun to watch the masters… Gabby was the guitarist and really knew how to work it. Left me in the dust.

I also got leid again – a woman here makes them to give out to visitors and I choose a green one with blue flowers. She told me what it was made of but you don’t actually expect me to remember, do you?

So after that came the concert – lots of traditional Hawaiian music. The local hula dancers got up there for some parts and much of the audience had their ukes out the whole time.

After the show Lynn and I helped put away tables and chairs (something I DID know how to do). It was pushing 10 by this time and guess who was getting tired?

I stayed up to visit with Aunt Linda for a while and then… well I guess I don’t have to tell you the obvious again.

Kauai, Dear! (Day 3)

Day 3 (Sunday, March 09, 2008)

I woke up at 6:30. (10:30 in my usual time zone… but actually 11:30 because of Daylight Savings Time.) I was quite proud of myself for getting all that rest and still waking up early. ;) Aunt Linda and Lynn know how to make some waffles, man! Blueberries AND chocolate chips. We had breakfast outside overlooking the valley and decided to drive to the north shore for some beach time.

So we spent the morning and early afternoon at Hanalei. I didn’t last long in the water because I’m a pansy and have no endurance and kept getting saltwater in my mouth and ears. But there’s no way I would have rather spent my first full day in Hawaii than soaking everything up on the beach and not touching a textbook. It was just what I needed – a lot of doing nothing.

The beach, where you do beachy things

These doves were all over us as soon as we broke out the graham crackers

By the time I started turning pink (yes, mom, I did use sunscreen) we were about ready to hit some shops in search of a snorkel to replace the one Aunt Linda lost a couple weeks ago when her kayak capsized. Not much luck with that, but I scrounged up some postcards. I spent “nap time” writing and addressing 16 of them.

We had dinner on the lanai and watched dusk settle over the mountains. The new moon had just begun to wax and it was still almost pitch black in the valley. Being the city girl that I am, I nearly put a crick in my neck staring at the stars, magnificently strewn across the black sky. Lynn got out the telescope and we took a peek at the moon.

Our last event of the day was a movie (with dark chocolate – woot!). I was pretty wiped out before the end of it so as you can imagine, I was off to bed pretty quick.

Kauai, Dear! (Day 2)

Day 2 (Saturday, March 8, 2008)

I don’t sleep an eternity like I thought I was going to, and wake up before the 5:45 alarm in fact. At 6:30 I catch the shuttle back to the airport with the rest of my crew. Standing in line to check in I hear a couple of girls conversing in German and think it would be fun to say something to them. Then I remember that the only stuff I learned from my German course in high school was “The king sings in the tower” and “The queen cries in the bathroom.” Oh well.

The view in line at security

Apparently anybody who missed the flight to Lihue is pretty special. We get big red markings on our boarding passes and we all have to go through special screening at security. Get patted down and all. It’s great.

Kathy shares an incredible chocolate croissant with me when we got to the gate. I think I would like to have a chocolate croissant every day. It’s dreamy.

My stuck-in-L.A. buddies! Cindy and Raymond aren't looking. :P

And then we’re finally on the plane, taking off on a 5-hour-and-20-minute flight to the island of Kauai! That’s when I realize I forgot my favorite blue fuzzy socks in the hotel. They are the best sleeping socks but sometimes they fall off in the middle of the night. And I didn’t remember to look under the covers for them before I left. This is cause for great sorry but I say a prayer for the lost socks and look out the window at the ocean.

The best view I got of L.A. during the day

That gets boring pretty quick so I try to sleep. But every time I try to sleep on the plane, it gets more uncomfortable. I think I fell asleep eventually but I mostly remember being pretty bored.

Anyway.

Not long after noon we land and WHOOSH – warm humidity! Ah, feels like home. Aunty Linda meets me at baggage claim, where all the baggage from two flights results in a super-duper crowed conveyor and lots and lots of people. We find my suitcase (which is good because it’s really Jason’s) and Lynn picks us up outside.

My high expectations for Hawaii are met in just the drive from Lihue to Kapaa alone! It’s just hard to beat mountains and clouds and pretty trees and stuff, ain’t it?

Part of the view from the lanai

After spending a couple hours at the house (and taking a coma-like nap, I’m told), Aunt Linda and I stop by a beach to watch the sunset and eat some pupus (snacks) before visiting the Hyatt for a Keke Hula. We get adventurous for dinner afterwards and have sashimi with our salads (thought Aunty says it was a bit mushy). We still need our chocolate fix for the day so chocolate mousse pie was in order.

Need I say more?

By the time we get back to the house it is most definitely bedtime. So I go to bed and sleep to my heart’s content.

Kauai, Dear! (Day 1)

Yes, Jess does hear your incessant pleas for more of the romance, and she promises that it is on its way. In the meantime, she is visiting her Aunt in Hawaii over spring break and has plenty to share about the island. Thank you for your patience! You deserve chocolate.

Day 1 (Friday, March 7, 2008)

Things started off well today! Key word started. Though I suppose they ended well too. We don’t mind a little adventure now, do we?

This has only been my second solo flight, and my first non-direct flight too, but mom dropped me off at the airport and I didn’t even make her come in with me. ;) No biggie, I’ve only been in and out of IAH since I was what… born? I’m at my gate in plenty of time and get in some reading while we wait 40 minutes past the listed boarding time to actually start getting on the plane. But we’re alright. Dallas is only 41 minutes away according to the pilot and I still have over an hour to kill when we get into DFW around 1pm. And what are the odds… as soon as I get out of the gate and am feverishly hunting down a bathroom, I walk past an Einstein Bros Bagels. Naturally, that is my first stop after the ladies room. I order an asiago cheese bagel toasted with sun dried tomato cream cheese – a delicacy I haven’t had the pleasure of wolfing down since my Einsteins closed 3 years ago.

Things continue to go well as we board our flight for Los Angeles early, around 2. ¡Noooo problema! Until, after sitting at the gate for a good half hour or so, the pilot informs us that we will, in fact, need to de-board so that the mechanics can find the source of some leak or what not. Hm. I’m getting a little anxious since I only had an hour scheduled on my itinerary for making my connecting flight to Kauai. By the time we take off from Dallas at 4:15, it’s been (much) more than an hour and I start praying that this last flight is delayed too. Just fifteen minutes, God!

At least the pilot is funny. As we taxi he reminds us that American Airlines has some of the best flight attendants in the world… and unfortunately they’re all off this weekend.

The flight doesn’t feel as long as I thought it would, and I’m awestruck as we pass over the mountains. After learning more about their (speculated) formation and composition in Geology this semester, I’m quite impressed and appreciative of the texture they give this part of the globe.

As we land at LAX at 5:08 the pilot reminds us to return our seats to their most uncomfortable position. As soon as we’re allowed, I call my trusty mother and ask if she’s checked the status of my last connection. (Only fifteen minutes, God, remember? And we’re good!) But according to her, it’s still on time. A few minutes later, an attendant begins to list baggage claim information and kindly informs us that “Unfortunately, if you’re heading for Lihue, your flight has already departed.”

Drat. That WOULD be the flight that left on time.

At the service desk there are several of us who need to get to the island, so at least I don’t feel as alone as I might have. Unfortunately nothing departs until tomorrow morning (unless we want to fly to Honolulu tonight and sleep in the airport, as there are no hotels [?]). Soooo L.A. it is for tonight! We receive our ticket information for the next day along with hotel and meal vouchers. And then I zoom off to baggage claim because good gravy, if I’m stuck overnight in L.A., I want my stuff!!!

Of course, it isn’t there. I was patient, too.

Several of the other passengers and I wait in line at the baggage services desk where nobody seems to really know what’s going on even though they pretend to. Finally they tell us it should be coming down carousel one in about ten minutes. And sure enough, my suitcase finally arrives! I wanted to dance.

After meeting the passengers in the same predicament as me, I’m much more inclined to stick with them instead of trying to figure everything out on my own. But their luggage hasn’t shown up yet so I sit and wait with them. They’re two couples, who apparently are longtime friends vacationing together. One couple seems to be about my parents’ age and the other is a bit older and he has just retired. We talk about whatever comes up… children and grandchildren, school, the wedding, work. At last more luggage appears and thank heavens, everybody finds their case and we can go to the hotel.

A shuttle takes us to the Hilton where the check-in desk is carefully hidden. But we’re smart and we find it. After going up up up to our rooms on the 6th floor we go back down down down to eat. I think several of us are about to fall asleep while we wait for our food but it comes. We eat. We say goodnight.

Enough adventure for one day, methinks! I will say it’s kind of nice having a room all to myself. I had to decide which bed to sleep it. But I laid on both to see which one I liked better.

And now that I have recorded the excitement from today to my satisfaction, I think I will go sleep. A lot.

Completely exhausted and ready to crash

My view of L.A. at night