Reflections of the Garden Island
For years, Elsie and I have hoped to be able to celebrate a major anniversary in Hawaii. Finally it happened, as Dave and Maia made it possible for us to use their time-share. After a brief scare when Canada 3000 went bankrupt, Sears Travel (thanks, Bev!) shifted our reservations, and we were off!
Thursday, November 22: A 5:00 AM arrival at Calgary International Airport ensured plenty of time to get through the enhanced security, as well as the opportunity to see the Calgary Stampeders Outriders, who were catching a flight to the Grey Cup in Montreal - when the Stamps won, by the way. After a brief layover in Vancouver, we were on an Air Canada 747 for the first time, on our way to Honolulu. When we arrived, it was time to get our bags, and check in with Aloha Air, breath in the warm, moist air, and enjoy the fragrance of the flowers.
A friend of Chris’ gave us the code to access the Hospitality Suite for the airlines, so we enjoyed fresh pineapple and guava juice in beautiful, air-conditioned comfort. Then, after a short 25-minute flight, we arrived at the Lihue airport, picked up our rental car, and, after a brief stop at K-Mart for sunscreen and macadamia nuts, we headed for the Lawai Beach Resort in Poipu. Even though we were very tired, it was time to view our first Hawaiian sunset, and then head for a restaurant for dinner - the Tropical Burger. Happy Thanksgiving Day, America! We’re certainly thankful!
Friday, November 23: The day began with an orientation meeting at 
the resort, where we learned that as Canadians, we were disqualified from any discounts for sitting through sales pitches. Oh well - apparently, it’s cheaper for us to buy from Canada than while in Hawaii. We then set out for Kapaa, the North Shore, and the Na Pali Coast. Along the way, we discovered the Kilauea Lighthouse, and Hanalei - remember “Puff, the magic dragon, lives by the sea. He frolics in the autumn mist in a land called Hanalei”?
Further on, after driving past some amazing homes on stilts, we came to Ha’ena Beach Park, and the hiking entrance to the Na Pali coast. After climbing for about 15 minutes, we experienced some of the most beautiful landscape you could imagine. Our return trip brought us back to Kapaa, where we both enjoyed Bubba Burgers. What better way to end the day than a swim and a Jacuzzi right outside our lanai? Just assume we were in the pool and the Jacuzzi at least twice each day.
Saturday, November 24: Would you believe SCUBA lessons? Chris, from First Time Scuba, met with about 15 of us from the resort, in our pool. After an hour of instruction (”don’t forget to breath out…” “adults find this difficult because they think too much…”), we each got to spend about 10 minutes underwater.
We then had lunch from the Fish Market in Koloa (recommended by Fodders), but we ate it on the beach at Poipu. What a beautiful day! There was a market/craft fair going on there as well, and we found a couple of beautiful paintings and photographs that will soon adorn our walls. We drove through a couple of the resorts in Poipu, including the Embassy Vacation Resort that is part of the time-share plan Dave and Maia are in - just to be able to tell them to get there ASAP!
Lunch was some great Mexican food in Poipu Shopping Centre. We had been told that the best places to visit in Kauai are beyond the end of the road, so we headed east on Poipu Road, beyond the Hyatt Regency and the Poipu Bay Golf Course (where Tiger Woods won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf that week), to a secluded beach where we, once again, watched an amazing sunset. Steaks and on barbecue, eaten on our lanai, concluded the day.
Sunday, November 25: One month to Christmas, there are carols on the radio, and evergreen trees on sale everywhere! This morning, we headed off early, again to Kapaa, where we would worship at New Hope Christian Fellowship - a daughter church to New Hope in Oahu. We could not have felt more welcomed. Seldom have we been hugged so many times!
After a light lunch, we stopped at Lydgate Beach - hereafter referred to as “Our Beach” - for a swim. Check out this site: it’s really cool, as you can take a tour of the beach. Lydgate Beach has a rock wall that prevents all but the biggest breakers, even at high tide, from crashing onto the beach. More about this later on!
Then, back to the resort to get ready for the “Drums of Paradise” Luau at the Hyatt Regency. We were disappointed that the luau was moved inside, since there was a threat of rain. We sat with a couple from Tennessee who had just graduated from Optometry school, and a family where the father was about to be sworn in as a US citizen. The pageantry, rhythm and dance of the show was incredible. And so was the food - all except the poi, which tastes about as good as it sounds.
Monday, November 26: The morning was cloudy, but no rain yet, so we headed west from Poipu, to Port Allen, where Capt. Andy’s tours leave for their Na Pali Coast Sunset Cruises. Unfortunately, they were cancelled due to the winter storm that was coming. We hoped to join several others from our resort for this cruise on Wednesday afternoon. There we also met up with the “Mayor of Salt Pond” - at least, that’s what his t-shirt said - one of the friendliest guys you could ever meet!
We also visited the factory where they make Red Dirt Shirts. The story goes that a hurricane came through Kauai a few years ago, destroying their shirt-making factory. When a new one was built, the famous Kauai red dirt kept blowing into it, ruining scores of white shirts. So, when you can’t fight ‘em, join ‘em! The shirts are really quite unique.
We headed further west, and found ourselves on a dirt sugar-cane road to Kekaha Beach, but turned around since it was pretty rugged. Heading back towards Poipu, we headed inland toward the Maimea Canyon. After driving on the ridge of this very rugged terrain, we finally arrived at the lookout for this 10-mile long, 3600-foot deep canyon that has been dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific - but we were socked in, and couldn’t see a thing! Even continuing up to Kokee Lodge didn’t help. The rain had started, and they didn’t expect it to stop for days. In fact, we learned later that Kokee received 7 inches of rain that day. Winter had arrived!
After a very good lunch (BBQ smoked beef on a bun, and wonderful chilli), we drove back to our resort, and rented snorkelling gear and beach chairs. Our journey continued to Our Beach (see Sunday) where we experienced snorkelling for the first time. It was incredible! Immediately, we were surrounded by dozens, and sometimes it seemed like hundred, of fish of all shapes and sizes. Elsie was in her element, since she loves to swim so much.
Since I don’t swim, and just know that I can’t float, I was more reluctant. However, I applied the lessons learned from Chris at SCUBA class (see Saturday), and away I went. And I didn’t sink! All I had to do was stay in water where I could stand up, and I was fine - especially after I got rid of the flippers, so I actually could stand up. We purchased a disposable underwater camera, and Elsie managed to take all 27 pictures in about 3 minutes. Okay, 4 - but you get the idea! The fish, the salt air, the waves, Elsie trying to sing underwater (she was having so much fun!), the rain falling on our backs while we floated around… Yes, the rain had caught up with us, so we really couldn’t use the beach chairs this day.
On the way back to the resort, we discovered Hilo Hattie’s - where you are greeted with fresh juice, a shell lei, and Kona coffee, and where you will find a great selection of “Aloha wear” at very reasonable prices. We would be back to do some Christmas shopping. Back to the resort, into the pool and the hot tub, yada, yada, yada… Dinner on the lanai again, and the freshest, juiciest, you-could-even-eat-the-core pineapple for desert.
Tuesday, November 27: We had hoped to go snorkelling at the beach across from our resort, but the waves were pretty high, which also meant the water would be cloudy. So, we headed back to “Our Beach,” since the snorkelling gear wasn’t due back until 5 o’clock. This time, we actually did sit on the beach chairs, though. When I asked about the best time of year to visit Kauai, I was told, “Anytime. This winter storm is the first in three years. But the best time is late September or early October, when it’s still pretty warm, and most of the tourists have left.” This winter storm had caused the temperature to plummet from 85F to 79F. Brrr!
Another trip to Hilo Hatties, and then to “Two Frogs Hugging” - a very unique store within walking distance of Hatties. Then, back to the resort to great freshened up, because we had reservations at The Beach House Restaurant, located right across the road from our resort. It’s been referred to by Zagat as “one of the most romantic restaurants in the world”. And was the food ever good! Elsie began with the Ahi Taster, while I had Beach House Crab Cakes. Delicious! For the main course, it was Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime Crusted Sea Scallops for Elsie - “the best scallops I’ve ever had! The recipe is on their web site. And I had Crusted Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi. Mmmmm! We couldn’t resist sharing the Molten Chocolate Desire for dessert - hot chocolate tart (it takes 20 minutes to prepare, since they have to bake the brownie/cake), topped with vanilla-bean ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, served in a flan dish. Out of this world!
Wednesday, November 28: How can this be our last full day in Kauai? We began and ended the day in the pool and Jacuzzi - how else. During the morning, we headed for Hilo Hattie’s again, and then had lunch in Lihue at the Oki Diner. The very friendly waitress, greeted us. She brought us the menus, and said, “You won’t need these. Order the salad bar and Beal Chicken. It’s the warden’s recipe, and you can only get it here or in prison. It’s the best food you’ll ever eat.” I ordered it. Elsie ordered garlic shrimp, and got a dirty look. I was ordered not to share. The salad bar was delicious, featuring a terrific cold noodle dish.
The waitress approached us, and asked, “Where are you from?” “Calgary, Canada,” we replied. “Ah, prairie people.” We soon learned that she knows Canada, especially the west coast. We mentioned having lived in Langley from ‘93 to ‘97, and she mentioned Langley Concrete Company. “We are very familiar with the company, and Sam and Pam Omelaniec are good friends.” “Really?” She said. “He’s my cousin.” Small world, isn’t it? Before we left the restaurant, the cook took a picture of the three of us, and we phoned Capt. Andy’s to learn that our sunset cruise, scheduled for that afternoon, was cancelled due to the “winter storm.”
So, we headed to Princeville - an amazing resort on Hanalei Bay, considered the most opulent on the island. While we were there, we noticed an “Open House” sign on a small house overlooking a ravine. So, we checked it out. Nice kitchen and living room on the main floor, with a deck overlooking the fifth green a hundred yards or so down below. Downstairs to two bedrooms, again with a deck and an incredible view. And they were only asking $409,000, with a monthly maintenance fee of $460 - mostly to keep the foliage trimmed. No grass, and the whole thing is built on stilts, embedded into the hillside. From there, we headed back toward Poipu Beach, where we had dinner at Brennecke’s Beach Broiler. We were a long way from hungry, so we shared a Local Style Pupu Platter, that included Ceviche, Sashimi, Smoked Marlin, King Crab and Bay Shrimp. Again, delicious!
Thursday, November 29: How could our holiday have come to an end so soon? We got the car back to Thrifty’s, and took the shuttle to the Lihue airport. Checking in brought a new experience - we were randomly chosen by the computer to have our luggage searched. When we got to the boarding gate, we were checked twice with metal-detector wands, and our carry-ons were searched a second time. If anyone was trying to get away with anything, the chances were pretty slim they’d get away with it! Somehow, it didn’t make us feel any safer - even with the National Guardsmen standing there with their AK-47’s.
The flight to Honolulu was en-eventful, but then it’s pretty short. With a four-hour layover there, we hoped to at least check out Pearl Harbour and the Arizona Memorial, but when we called Information, they informed us (1) we would have to take a city bus or taxi to get there, (2) we couldn’t get in if we had any bags with us (I had my carry on case), and (3) all the airport lockers were sealed for security reasons. So, we got in line for our flight (1 hour), got in line for security (1 more hour), and then had a tremendous lunch at the Stinger Ray Bar - Kahlua Nachos. They’re much like Mexican nachos, but with pineapple salsa, and instead of hamburger, they had luau pork. Were they ever good!
Finally, we were on the plane (no window seats available), and we lifted off the island half an hour late, wondering when we would return - but convinced that we must! The flight to Vancouver was uneventful, except that they served Mahi Mahi. We landed late, and had to get our bags off the carousel, run through customs, check in for the flight to Calgary, run to our gate, and straight onto the plane. When we left Kauai, it was 30C; when Chris picked us up at Calgary International, it was -15C. We had to wonder why we had come home! And, at 2 AM on Friday morning, we learned that one of our bags had gone somewhere that we hadn’t. It was delivered by Air Canada later that day.
So, there you have it. An incredible vacation as Elsie and I celebrated our 30th anniversary; incredible beauty: flowers, mountains, beaches, restaurants, pools. Fantastic experiences: SCUBA, snorkelling, food, smelling Hawaii for the first time. And plenty of reason to return: we didn’t get on that sunset cruise, and I still want to take a helicopter ride with Will Squyres, and the movie tour - that’s where South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park were filmed.
http://www.kauai-hawaii.com
Add comment December 10th, 2001 Phil