The best thing is that both Fran and I feel like we really have squeezed every experience possible out of this island: hiking to a remote waterfall on the Na Pali Coast, surfing lessons (in shark-infested waters - seriously), taking a helicopter ride, snorkeling and witnessing the elegant sea turtle, who looks like he's flying in water, meeting a rare - and endangered - monk seal, as he lounged on the beach, swimming right up to our spot in the sand (he picked that particular space on an enormous beach), boogie boarding, taking in beautiful sunsets with mai tai in hand, swimming, lounging, reading, eating shave ice (local delicacy) and poke (another local delicacy, akin to sashimi sushi with spices). You name it, we did it.
It's been a great trip!
My title is a reference to Dickens' story, of course - the only novel I've read any time recently - that I finished here on the beaches of Kauai. It was the perfect beach read, but a little too suspenseful, since it kept me constantly wanting to get back to read to find out more about the fates of the Mannettes, Mr. Darnay, and Mr. Carton.
We left the north and east parts of the island - Princeville, Hanalei and Kapa'a - on Wednesday, and came to Poipu on the south shores. The difference in weather is amazing - it's almost always sunny here, whereas on the north side, it's almost always overcast and rainy (near the mountain that receives more rain than anywhere on earth). We're staying at the Sheraton, and we love it. Much, much better than the Princeville, in my opinion, other than the panoramic view we had there. But since most of your time in Hawaii should be spent not in your room, a good view is worth only so much.
Lots has happened since I last wrote. We've gone snorkeling at Tunnels Beach, which was a magnificent underworld previously unknown to me. There were the most amazing varieties and colors of all sorts of fish. And I even saw an eel, slithering through some of the "tunnels." Right as we were about to leave, bummed that we didn't see any sea turtles, Fran spotted one. It was so beautiful, using its wing-like front legs to swim, but the motion looked more like lazy flight, as the sea turtle drifted along. If anything hangs loose on this island (and a lot of things - including people - do) the sea turtle certainly embodies this laid back vibe, going with the flow of the ocean, wherever it seems to take him.
As Fran wrote in a postcard to his mom and dad:
We spent a day snorkeling and lounging at the beach in the photo (Tunnels) and luckily, just before coming in for the day, spotted a sea turtle and swam behind him across the reef. Talk about going with the flow - he looked to be the most relaxed creature I've ever seen - paddling lazily every few seconds, but otherwise, just riding the waves. We've tried to learn from him. We've minimized all effort on this vacation, happy as sea turtles to go with the flow.The next day (I think) we hiked the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast - doing the four-mile round trip to Hanakapi'ai Falls. It was a muddy (very muddy) trip, but well worth it to swim in the refreshing pool below the enormous rush of water.
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