Monday, August 31, 2015
After all of my computer trouble last night, I can't say I'm thrilled when Sandy tells me it's time to get up, but wait ... did someone mention surfing? LET'S GO!!
So far, we've had heavy rain every
single night, only to clear up in the morning; today the rain
shows no signs of letting up. It is coming down in buckets!
We are trying to plan
the rest of our day when I get a text: our surfing lesson has been
canceled. So disappointing, but sometimes the waves and the weather just don't
cooperate.
After rearranging the schedule a bit,
we decide to take one of the dogs from the Kauai
Humane Society on a field trip. They have a great program where
tourists are allowed to take the shelter dog out of the shelter for the day. It helps the dogs get placed faster, plus they get some extra loving and they get to have fun outside.
By the time we're ready to roll, the skies are clearing up and we swing by the Hanalei Valley Overlook.
Fields of taro in the valley below. Valleys are ideal for growing taro, because it grows in wetlands.
Chickens! Chickens! And more chickens! No wonder there are so many jokes about Kauai's chickens.
Lots of waterfalls gracing the Namolokama Mountain range thanks to all the rain.
Always wanting to be prepared I suggest we head over to Kahili Bay to check out where we'll (hopefully) be surfing tomorrow. Oops, it's located at the end of a … you've guessed it: dirt road. I think Rex the car is writing his rental car union and inquiring about a career change.
By the time we're ready to roll, the skies are clearing up and we swing by the Hanalei Valley Overlook.
Fields of taro in the valley below. Valleys are ideal for growing taro, because it grows in wetlands.
Chickens! Chickens! And more chickens! No wonder there are so many jokes about Kauai's chickens.
Lots of waterfalls gracing the Namolokama Mountain range thanks to all the rain.
Always wanting to be prepared I suggest we head over to Kahili Bay to check out where we'll (hopefully) be surfing tomorrow. Oops, it's located at the end of a … you've guessed it: dirt road. I think Rex the car is writing his rental car union and inquiring about a career change.
It's a pretty area with a rope swing
over the river and wide deserted beach. Although that could have something to do with the rain that starts coming down again, right when we get there. Time to head back to the car!
Moloa'a Sunrise is open this time and
we check out their fresh fruit selection, where Tjitske picks up a bowl of
cut up fruit and I get a mysterious chikoo (fruit).
After reading all the rave reviews, I'd been wanting to try their sugar cane juice, but I can't resist the daily special: a mix of star fruit and cashew apple juice. It takes some getting used to the unusual flavor and I don't really know how to describe it, but it was pretty good.
Tjitske gets a smoothie too; a tropical heat (mango, pineapple, papaya, apple banana and guava) with dates.
Some crazy skies driving by Kapa'a
After reading all the rave reviews, I'd been wanting to try their sugar cane juice, but I can't resist the daily special: a mix of star fruit and cashew apple juice. It takes some getting used to the unusual flavor and I don't really know how to describe it, but it was pretty good.
Tjitske gets a smoothie too; a tropical heat (mango, pineapple, papaya, apple banana and guava) with dates.
Some crazy skies driving by Kapa'a
Confession: I made a boo-boo. We're almost at the shelter in Lihue when I realize pick-up time was 11-1pm and thanks to our slow start this morning, we've just missed our window. That sucks.
We fill up on gas at Costco and head inside to do a little shopping. Tjitske buys some more fruit, a new
shirt and some extra flash drives (I told you she takes almost as many pictures as I do!). She also finds a cool pair of flip flops for me. Yay! The search is over!
The Fish Express has
been on our wish list for a while and since Tjitske already bought lunch at Moloa'a Sunrise we can pick something up there.
Oh my goodness, so many choices! How are we supposed to decide?
Not, apparently. We can't choose, so we are sharing two dishes; an order of fish tacos, and an order of blackened ono (wahoo) with guava sauce.
Carry-out containers in hand, we drive to the nearest beach which happens to be Nukoli'i Beach Park. Enormous puddles are taking over the parking lot, but the sky has transformed into a brilliant blue dotted with wispy clouds.
Not very impressed with the tacos, but the ono is delicious!
Oh my goodness, so many choices! How are we supposed to decide?
Not, apparently. We can't choose, so we are sharing two dishes; an order of fish tacos, and an order of blackened ono (wahoo) with guava sauce.
Carry-out containers in hand, we drive to the nearest beach which happens to be Nukoli'i Beach Park. Enormous puddles are taking over the parking lot, but the sky has transformed into a brilliant blue dotted with wispy clouds.
Not very impressed with the tacos, but the ono is delicious!
Nukoli'i is the longest beach on the east coast and never gets really
crowded, but today we practically have the place to ourselves.
I like when the waves crash onto the lava shelf and it creates a tiny waterfall.
Large waves are breaking over the reef and I love throwing sticks in the water and watching them get swept out through the narrow channel.
Due to its location and the long shore currents the beach collects a lot of flotsam with quite a bit of broken glass (which I miraculously didn't step on while I was still jumping around on my bare feet).
It's funny how quickly it heats up after the storm has passed! Tjitske is seeking shelter in the shade of a crooked tree.
Large waves are breaking over the reef and I love throwing sticks in the water and watching them get swept out through the narrow channel.
Due to its location and the long shore currents the beach collects a lot of flotsam with quite a bit of broken glass (which I miraculously didn't step on while I was still jumping around on my bare feet).
But I make her get up to show me the little fish she has found in the little pond behind the
beach. The water at the edge is so shallow I don't even need my underwater camera.
Cute mini tree tunnel.
Cute mini tree tunnel.
Sandy looks at me funny when I suggest
we go rent some bicycles; have I not seen the dark clouds looming in the distance?
Admittedly, it has crossed my mind that we might get drenched, but Hawaiian weather is impossible to predict and for all we know the next couple of days might bring more of the same. Also, she is outnumbered by Dutch people 2-1 and you know the Dutch and their bicycles ...
Admittedly, it has crossed my mind that we might get drenched, but Hawaiian weather is impossible to predict and for all we know the next couple of days might bring more of the same. Also, she is outnumbered by Dutch people 2-1 and you know the Dutch and their bicycles ...
With just half an hour till closing we reach the Pono Shopping Center bike
store, but they are happy to rent
us the bikes as long as we promise to chain them to their door upon
our return. Really nice folks and at $15 for 3 bikes for an hour you
can't go wrong!
Not wanting to lead the other two on a breakneck 'Tour de Kauai' I let Tjitske set the pace.
The Kapa'a Path is an easy, level path that runs parallel to the shore with beautiful views of the ocean and beaches. They have plans to expand it a lot more in the future, which would be great because it is something everyone can enjoy.
Making fun of her fear of heights
Crazy cousins
Little break at Kealia Beach to watch the surfing action.
But why did the chicken cross the road?
Breezing back across the Kapa'a Stream bridge with the wind in our backs. Whieeeeeee!
Wow, I'm really glad we took a chance on the weather!
Someone had way too much fun taking selfies
while biking!
By the time we reach our turn off they both seem eager to keep going. Alas, we have only 5
minutes left. Kind of funny, because at first they both thought an hour would be
plenty long enough and here they are ready to keep going!
Kapaa Brick Oven Pizza has their buffet
night tonight and when we stumbled upon it by accident last year we
loved the concept; where else can you eat unlimited slices of all
kinds of different pizzas and actually try something different for a change? And to make it even better, they also serve
gluten free pizzas!
Tjitske is very pleased with her vegetarian
gluten free pizza; it has so many veggies on it that it almost looks
like a salad!
Meanwhile, Sandy & I stuff ourselves at the buffet: Hawaiian, ground beef, cheese, zucchini, dessert pizzas … you name it, we tried it! And not just pizza, they also have several other things, including yummy crunchy BBQ wings.
Meanwhile, Sandy & I stuff ourselves at the buffet: Hawaiian, ground beef, cheese, zucchini, dessert pizzas … you name it, we tried it! And not just pizza, they also have several other things, including yummy crunchy BBQ wings.
Back home we transfer our pictures and
write some postcards. I'm sneakily trying to mail one to Tjitske from every island, so she'll have a little surprise waiting for her when she gets home. So far, she hasn't caught on! He he.
All in all, we had a very quiet day with not
much going on besides eating. Now off to bed early-ish to try to
catch up on my sleep.
Breakfast: stuff from the grocery store
Snack: Moloa'a Sunrise Juice Bar
Lunch: The Fish Express
Dinner: Brick Oven Pizza
Hotel: AirBNB Casa Pau Hana at Mauna Kai Resort
Mileage for today: 73 miles
♥
Breakfast: stuff from the grocery store
Snack: Moloa'a Sunrise Juice Bar
Lunch: The Fish Express
Dinner: Brick Oven Pizza
Hotel: AirBNB Casa Pau Hana at Mauna Kai Resort
Mileage for today: 73 miles
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