Richard Nichols travel, hiking, art and poetry: Kauai November 2010

Kauai

We visited Kauai Island in early November and wanted to share our impressions and pictures. We spent 14 days kicking around, mostly hiking and strolling, and we had a few unique experiences.

Remember that Kauai is in the state of Hawaii, and modernism is here with a vengeance, but it is still a rural place of 55 thousand population and everyone is spread out along the the 65 mile highway that runs along the coast for 3/4 of the island. Most of the population is in the county seat of Lihu'e, (population 5600), with several major chains including Costco, Walmart and Home Depot, and the small towns of Wailua and Kap'a, which have grown together in a 5 mile long strip of commercialism. Also to remember, these towns are where most of the regular working class people live.

We stayed in a wonderful 5 acre compound of accommodations at the Rosewood B&B, inland on a rural road above Kap'a. Started out on the little 100 SF room, and the owners moved us into a big house for the same price. The fanciest digs we have ever had.

http://www.rosewoodkauai.com/

The traffic in the area of the towns mentioned above was pretty bad, especially during commute, but the drivers were the most courteous and thoughtful we have ever encountered.

Hiking

We hiked and strolled every day. Highlights were the Na Pali (the cliffs) trail that led us to a waterfall after 4 miles, and the trail high on the mountain that looked down upon the Na Pali coast 4000 feet, and then led to the incredible and vast Alaka'i Swamp trail at some 4000 feet, and 1000 feet below Mount Wai'ale'ale, one of the wettest places on the planet with average rainfall of 450 inches a year (that about 38 feet). One thing to beware of: the red clay trails are as slick as a greased pig on ice after rain.

Other highlights included taking several 8 mile hikes along the sweet soft shoreline on the dry side of the Island, and sauntering along the mellow beaches at Anini and Hanalie.

Hindu Monastery

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/

We read about it in Lonely Planet, but nothing could prepare us for what was to come.
We signed up for the weekly tour of a Hindu Monastery with 21 monks in residence, most of them of European descent. They are semi-cloistered, interacting with the outside world through the tours, and the internet. They publish books, a magazine, have a fine website, maintain 400 acres, grow veggies, and are building, or having built, a huge hand carved granite temple! The original founding guru had a vision over 20 years ago, and now the vision is almost done. The granite pieces are being carved by several villages in India and shipped here where the temple is assembled and finish carving is done. Check my pictures and the website.

Mary Oliver finds us

We were in a little thrift store in Wialua, and right on top of a pile of books was a hardback Mary Oliver, the wonderful Pulitzer Prize winning poet. We enjoyed reading her work out loud in the evening.

Beaches

We enjoyed strolling along several picture perfect beaches, notably Anini Beach and Hanalei Bay. But we we only had a few hours on beach reading/swimming/snorkeling time.
A highlight for me was snorkeling along side a 300 lb. sea turtle, a green I think.
For those who like to hang on the beach, this is the place.

Weather

What can we say about the weather except 80 degrees every day, soft trade winds, a little warm rain.

Fruit, lots of it.

Farmers Market: loaded with lots of veggies and fruits. Stick a shovel handle in the ground and it will grow shovels. We went several times to stock up on fresh tasty fruit.
Rosewood, where we stayed, had avocados, oranges, starfruit, macadamia nuts, bananas, all for the picking.

Hitchhikers: Hitchhiking is fairly common. We picked up four people, all locals, most escapees from the mainland, livin the easy life, poor but happy. One native guy married into the Carol Burnett family, and was a musician who has toured, but also sold real estate. Broken down car no problem, just thumb it.