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had our bearings and were settling in.
On the 'think about doing' list was a helicopter tour. But it was expensive, and there's always the safety issue. So at first I thought no. Then I read an observation in our guidebook that resonated:"Going to Kauai without taking a helicopter flight is like going to see the Sistine Chapel and not looking up." Sold. The Helicopter Tour. After doing some research on the many helicopter tour operators, we chose one that had a perfect safety record and was recommended by our guidebook 'companions'. When I called to make reservations, I had to give our weights. Since we both regularly weigh in at our health club we knew our numbers. Upon arrival at the Air Kauai office, we were asked to step on their scale. OK, safety first. Then the shock/embarrassment: I was 7 lbs and Peter 10 lbs heavier than we'd said we were! After some feeble protests: "Your scale has to be wrong." "The gravitational pull must be stronger on Kauai ...", I relented. Not that it made any difference for the flight, but it was something that bothered us. (Other scales would prove us right later on — so there.) We got safety instructions and a life preserver to wear in a waist pack. Then I held my breath as the pilot decided where to seat us on the 7-seat copter. Front, please, I was hoping. And we got lucky! Four other people were put in the back seats, I sat next to the pilot, front middle and Peter got the best seat, front right. We squeezed in, holding cameras and film in hand (no bags allowed) and put on our Bose headsets. They were amazingly insulated and screened out almost all motor noise. All we could hear was the pilot's commentary and inspirational music. It was a neat, weightless feeling as we lifted off. Heading southeast we flew over the Marriott golf courses and Nawiiliwili Bay. As we rose higher to clear the Ha'upu Range I had a lose-your-stomach sensation that was more exhilirating than scary. Wow, this was great. [See Map for Route] We turned east-northeast and were soon over Waimea Canyon. It looked much bigger from the air because we could see the length and shape better than on the ground. The colors of the soil, rock and vegetation came together as a beautiful textured mosaic. We hovered and dipped about for a few minutes. Then just a bit further north we were over the Napali Coast. We flew into the Kalalau Valley and could really appreciate how sharp and narrow the cliffs were that border the valley sides. Then, whoa, we were swinging out over the Pacific where we could see up and down the magnificent coastline. Absolutely spectacular! We caught some distant glimpses of the north coast/Hanalei area before turning inland. I was on sensory overload from what we'd seen so far and couldn't imagine anything more impressive. Well, hang on. We were approaching Mount Wai'ale'ale (WHY-ALAY-ALAY) the wettest place on earth. (451" of rain/year) We flew over green peaks and valleys and through rain clouds. Then suddenly we were encircled — enclosed within 3.000-foot cliff walls. OH MY GOD. Dozens of thin strands of water cascaded down from the crater rim, along the green walls, carving crevices into the rock, until they reached the valley floor thousands of feet below. It was so surreal, so stunning. We floated in silence around the crater, and actually stopped in midair. We were fifteen hundred feet below the rim surrounded by the greenest green interrupted by the longest waterfalls I'll ever see. It was as close as I've come to a religious experience. Sleeping Giant Hike. It was time to do some serious hiking (to work off all the faux weight we'd gained) Nounou Mountain, known as the Sleeping Giant was just west of our hotel. [See Map for Location] So we set off to do the 2-mile one-way climb to the 1,200-ft summit. It was a great invigorating hike up a rocky mud/dirt path. The best part was the view — the east coast stretched out before us as we switchbacked up the mountainside. We could see almost 180 degrees from Anahola to the Wailua River to Lihue (including our hotel). And we saw only a few people, so it felt like the mountain was ours.
When we got near the top, there was a steep incline to go the rest of the way. The guidebook said this about that: "Think real hard before you take this part. It is steep and the spine is almost vertical on both sides. A wrong step, or a slip anywhere near the nose, would almost surely cost you your life." Well! We aren't that crazy, but it didn't look that treacherous — so up we went. I never felt in danger of a fall off the mountain, just down a few feet. We were careful, went slowly and got to the summit. On top we had a 360-degree view — well worth the effort. I felt a visceral connection with Kauai that was only reinforced in the next few days. North Coast Hikes. Next, we
headed back to the north coast. The lava shore was pounded by waves and tidepools were everywhere. It was a beautiful, alive place. We had to dodge crashing waves, some coming up through holes in the lava floor. As we reached the end of the point, there was a deep crevise which the ocean roared and whooshed into, and watch out! Huge explosions of waves showered us and everything around. From there we also had a good view of Kilauea Point and lighthouse. On our way back, as I walked along the cliffside, a bird suddenly flew out in front of me, right at eye level. Neat — it was a white-tailed tropicbird. Curious, I looked into the cliff to see where he had come from ... and saw a little one. A tropicbird chick in its nest. I love it when that happens! Kalalau Trail. We still had lots of energy after getting back to the car, so continued west along the north coast, to the end of the road in Ha'ena at Ke'e Beach. It was time to take on the Kalalau Trail — the hike along the Napali Coast. We planned to do the first leg, a 2-mile trip to Hanakapi'ai Beach. Doing the whole 11-mile (one way) Trail is a major endeavor for serious, prepared hikers. [See Map for Location] But this first section is very popular, so there were lots of people on the path which made for single file one-way passage in many places. It's a very steep up and down, and the path was rocky and very slippery. I didn't feel comfortable with my camera around my neck because I needed my hands available for grabbing rocks and plants to traverse many sections. So the camera stayed in the backpack more than usual on this hike. We went way up and way down on the trail to the beach — it seemed longer than two miles. We saw the misty profiled layers of cliffs to the southwest. Once at the beach we didn't stay long. There were fresh water pools where Peter cooled off. The beach itself was not for swimming, with very strong waves and undertow. But it was a beautiful setting, encircled by steep green cliffs. Back at Ke'e Beach, Peter took another dip. Then, very tired and grubby, we headed back to the hotel. Our dinner that night was well-earned... Island Sights. As our time on Kauai wound down, we scrambled to see a few more sights and do some shopping. We explored the area around the Wailua River — the waterfalls, and an ancient heiau and cemetery. We hung out in "downtown" Kapa'a, had a delicious big salad in an open-air restaurant and watched the passing scene. The buildings are colorful and quaint, many with western-style storefronts. And I had my second shave ice, a delicious treat made with ice that is shaved off a large block to a thin, fine texture. Then you choose up to three flavors that are poured onto it. You can even have ice cream under it all, which seemed excessive to me, since the standard cup size is huge! I loved these ... I felt good leaving Kauai, knowing that we had made the most of our time there ... but if we ever go back there's still so much more to experience. But it was time for us to move on — to the Big Island ... |
Slide shows — click on images
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