Off of one rock and on to another; except this one has quite a bit of man-made "rock" too (concrete). We prefer flora and fauna though, so we rented a car to get out of the city. We decided to try something new and rented from an individual rather than a company. This was possible via Relay Rides, a company that allows people to rent out their own cars at their own rates, and provides $1 million of liability coverage for each rental. We coordinated with the owner of the car so that it was waiting for us at the airport with the key in a lockbox hanging off the door. After texting pictures of our drivers licences to the owner, (isn't technology fascinating?) he sent us the combination to the lock box. We did an evaluation of the condition of the car, filled out a small bit of paperwork (and texted a picture of that to the owner as well), and drove off. Great system!! No surprises, no extra costs, and no GPS following us around! The car was an older Toyota Prius with plenty of dings and scratches, so we weren't paranoid about leaning on it, bumping into it with a bag, etc. Plus, blended in with the locals a little better, too. Krispin had never driven a Prius before, but he quickly got used to the engine not starting until some distance down the road... which can be a bit unnerving at first. Just like that, we were on our way to the north shore!
Isn't she a beaut? A real chick magnet ;-)
Thankfully, Oahu is not all concrete, steel and glass! The drive to the north shore was beautiful, and the area we were staying in was a mellow town with a strong surfer vibe. We stayed in a hostel of sorts; a bit of a dump, but cheap! Well, inexpensive for Hawai'i, anyway.
No, this was not our hostel, but it might as well have been.
Since Claire was now a certified diver, we wanted to go diving! In spring, the north shore is great for surfing... hence not so great for diving. However, when it's rough on one coast, it's calm on another... and, fortunately, we had a car! On the west coast, there is a place called Electric Beach. The beach got this name because across the road is a giant, ugly, power plant. There is, however, an obscure benefit to the power plant. The cooling water from the plant flows right down the middle of the beach and out to sea through a big pipe. Marine life happens to love this warm water source, so the pipe is surrounded by abundant coral, fish, turtles, and other sea creatures.
So, we took a little road trip, packed our rental gear and tanks into the teeny back hatch of the Prius, and headed for the beach. The parking lot at Electric Beach is known for theft, so we were a bit nervous. Plus, because we had the Prius, we also had the tricky situation of being stuck with an electronic key. Normally we would take the key with us on the dive, but of course if we did that this time, the Prius would be none too happy. Luckily for us, we still had the lockbox to keep the key safe and dry. The beach entry for the dive had some waves but was not too difficult; the water was warm, and the fish were abundant! We did not dive very deep (max depth 18 feet) so we had a pleasant, long dive at 79 minutes! As an added bonus, no one broke into the car :-)
For a glimpse of what it was like, check out the video below. And please have patience for the fast movement and shakiness - most of this was Claire's first time filming underwater (which meant mostly stalking cool fish as they darted back and forth to evade the creepy big seal following them).
Some say a picture is worth a thousand words; we think this one is worth exactly one...
Claire found a Tortuga, or maybe it's a Kura-Kura, or is it a Kilpikonna? No, no, no it's a Honu'ea.
After we had our fill of tank air and North Shore beaches, we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center for a crash course in all things South Pacific Island-ish (Polynesian). We splurged and went for the whole shebang: the full day tour, luau and evening show. Within the PCC, there are areas dedicated to each of the seven major Polynesian island groups: Tahiti, Marquesas, Tonga, Fiji, Hawai'i, New Zealand (Aotearao) and Samoa. Each area had a traditional-style village representing their respective people and culture. Each village is staffed by people (often students at Brigham Young University Hawai'i) with heritage from the region they are representing. Throughout the day, each village puts on shows that highlight aspects of their culture. The shows are only about a half-hour long, but they pack in a lot; everything from climbing coconut trees to drumming to wedding ceremonies! After the shows, you can even try out some of the activities that were demonstrated. Audience participation is practically a requirement; the demonstrations are informative yet geared towards entertainment and fun as well.
After a full day in the sun, we had worked up quite an appetite for the luau! If you've never been to one, a luau is a Hawaiian feast with lots of songs and dancing throughout for entertainment. At one time, the modern luau was almost all ethnic Hawai'ian food: poi (raw fish), taro (local root vegetable) and the like. However, these foods must not have been very popular with the tourists because now they only offer samples of them; the bulk of the food is ordinary western dishes. Would you like some pasta with that pork and mashed potatoes? Yes, please...
After the luau, we took a short bus tour of the University and an LDS temple (the church bought and dedicated the land for the PCC). Finally, to conclude the PCC adventure, there was the evning show; a well-produced story of Ha, "The Breath of Life." With over one hundred performers, rain, waterfalls, amazing lights, volcano eruptions, singing, dancing, war, and lots of fire, this performance was fantastic!!!
Share in our experience with our video below:
Got ya! Of course, no pictures of video recording was allowed during the performance...
Here are some other pics just for fun!
Looking as beautiful as ever!!!
Lots of feral chickens here, too.
For our last couple of days in Hawai'i, we went back to the big city. We spent a day making last-minute phone calls to friends and family before we left the states and soaking up some sun on Waikiki Beach before our flight to New Zealand. We also had one of the best meat-free meals, ever. Enter, Downbeat Diner and Lounge; cool decor, laid-back, diner feel with terrific food. Krispin decided to go vegetarian with Claire and chose to brave one of the pseudo-meat alternatives; he ordered the vegan version of the pesto "chicken" salad. When it came, we had to confirm with the waitress that it actually was the vegetarian option; the look, texture, and taste (according to Krispin) of the vegan "chicken" was so similar to the real thing! Once it was confirmed that it had indeed came from a plant, Claire tried it too and affirmed the taste similarity. Claire opted for a "chili moco"; a vegan patty, vegan chili and two eggs over-easy on rice (she always seems to order the larger meals...). YUM. To top it off, we had the most WONDERFUL chocolate chip cookie sundae for dessert; see below for proof. Not bad for a "last supper" in the US.
The famous Waikiki Beach: sand, sun, water, tons of people and some big buildings...
No, it's not as good as it looks, it's BETTER!
Krispin says Claire always picks the best accommodation. Our lodging in Honolulu was through Airbnb; a cosy room in an older condominium complex on the ground floor. The women that owned the place was very sweet. Our room was stocked with snacks, travel books, maps, and enough pillows to have a pillow fight with half a dozen people. At the end of our stay, she kindly packed us a "to-go" breakfast and snacks for our very early flight and even gave us a lift to the airport!!! She travels frequently to Oregon and always appreciates when he friends give her rides to the airport, so she was "payng it forward." :-)
As we prepared for our departure to New Zealand, we ran into a small dilemna that made for a tough decision. If you have ever travelled to another country, you probably are familiar with the "proof of onward travel" rule; you must have an "onward" or return ticket out of the country before you can enter it. If you are asked to show proof during check-in and do not have it, the airline won't let you board. It is a frustrating thing if you intend to travel open-endedly within the time your visa permits or try to "play things by ear." However, it is also a questionably-enforced rule. In Krispin's former travel experience, only once was he ever asked show proof of onward travel. Since we did not know exactly how long we wanted to travel in New Zealand, we considered taking a risk of trying to get through the airport without having, or being asked to show, an onward ticket. The worst-case scenario would be that we would have to buy one in the airport at the last minute (therefore setting a firm NZ departure date).
We discussed our options late into our last night in the USA, but still couldn't make a decision. On the morning of our flight, destiny stepped in to help. Krispin got a email from our travel credit card company. We had twenty thousand miles available (an added sign-on bonus that we were not aware of)!
After a quick peek at the reward airline ticket options, an iffy guess at to how long we would want to be in New Zealand, plus an impulse/desperation decision by Krispin... and we had free tickets on a flight from Auckland to Sydney on the 11th of May. And that was that, decision made! We had a tangible onward ticket and plan: we will be spending a bit of over 6 weeks in NZ and then travelling to Austrailia. Whew!
Comment below if you can tell us what aircraft this is! Krispin loves quizzing Claire in airports.
You knew it; we knew it; but, now it's official. Claire is 100% certifiable!
Okay, to be fair, we are talking about SCUBA diving here. Claire enrolled in an Open Water certification class with Sea Sport Divers in Kaua'i. It was a good class; Claire was either one-on-one with the instructor or had only one other student in the class. That meant they could complete the required skills more quickly, and have more time to explore in the water. For the last 2 out of the 4 dives, the class went out on a boat with other divers, including Krispin! Claire is a natural in the water. She has some difficulty clearing her ears during descent, but hopefully, in time, will figure out what works best for her....and then the bottoms the limit!!!
Claire, striking a pose underwater.
Experience the dives with us below!
Diving was a highlight during our time on Kaua'i, but we are getting ahead of ourselves.
After the Kalalau Trail (see Kaua'i Part 1), we went to stay with some locals, Jen and T. Surprisingly, Claire found this accommodation on Craigslist. Hotels are remarkably expensive in Hawai'i, so we thought we would try something different. We were a bit wary because of the frequent scams on Craigslist; but, there are also some cool opportunities. Jen and T provided us with a comfortable room and some insight into what it is like to live on the island of Kaua'i. One unexpected aspect to life on Kauai is the traffic! Krispin's memories of Kaua'i (from twenty years ago) were of a quiet little island. Now, it's a bustling place with traffic from sun-up until well after dark. Jen and T agreed that Kaua'i has changed; unfortunately, not for the better. To give you a taste of what the traffic was like... our commute to the dive shop was 22 miles away, but it took us over an hour to get there, and the roads are straight! Granted, the top speed limit on the entire island is 50 mph.
Wailua Falls in Kapa'a
Yes, you better believe it, that is Krispin drinking coffee!
Us at Kilauea lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge in Princeville.
After Claire's dive class and our time with Jen and T, we had two accommodations left: one night in a fancy resort in Princeville on the north shore and three nights at an Airbnb in Waimea on the west coast. We stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort on a Sunday night so were invited to their weekly "orientation" gathering Monday morning. During this gathering, they raffle off 2-for-1 activity deals, such as: SUP classes, snorkeling tours, boat trips, and helicopter rides. We stuck around in hopes of winning the helicopter (and they had free food). As it turns out, not too many people showed up, so we ended up winning a number of activities, including the helicopter tour!
Don't get too excied though... we quickly learned that most of the people that stay at this hotel have way more money than we do (duh), so not even the least expensive activity was within our budget even at 2-for-1 price! Definitely not the helicopter tour. We should have expected this; we could only afford the room at this fine establishment because we booked it using airline miles. This got us a little studio, but... unbeknownst to us, it didn't come with a bed... ! Neither of us had ever experienced a hotel room with no real bed - particularly at a higher-end place - but no mistake, all we get is a nice room with a pullout sofa. Well, there's a first time for everything! Not to worry; we found a couple of day-old flower leis that someone had discarded in the parking lot, blended up some Pina Coladas with cheap rum and coconut paste mix, and enjoyed our version of the "resort life" for one night in their fancy pool/hot tub!
Krispin trying hard to blend in...
Claire cooling off under the poolside waterfall.
The fancy pool!
Our last stop on Kaua'i was Waimea on the west coast, where we stayed with a kind woman named Nancy. The west coast still has a small part of the old Kaua'i feel left; minimal traffic, laid-back residents, and according to our guidebook (Kauai Revealed), the best shave ice on the island. By our judgment, we think that claim is debateable. We were much more impressed by the Ono Family Restaurant in Kapa'a for a bite of frozen tropical bliss topped with evaporated milk.
The west coast is much less tropical and a bit more dessert-like than the rest of the island. Unlike other parts of the island, its history - both geological and anthropological - can be seen with the naked eye. The Waimea Canyon (aka the little Grand Canyon) is much bigger than we were expecting, especially because it is on such a small island. The colors and the waterfalls are stunning and the air has a refreshing chill to it. It can be as much as 20 degrees cooler on the rim than along the coast below. We were even able to see the Kalalau Valley (where we trekked to when we first arrived) from high above, which was a neat experience; going almost full-circle around the island! The dramatic cliffs separating us from the valley and staggeringly different climates still made it feel worlds apart though.
A view of Waimea Canyon from one of the many lookouts.
No trip to Kauai is complete without an obligatory rooster/chicken picture (they are everywhere)...
Looking down into the Kalalau Valley from the rim of the Waimea Canyon.
Another shot of us with Kalalau Valley in the background.
As for the human history, we visited an incredible engineering feat called the Menehune Ditch. By comparison, the ditch is microscopic to the Waimea Canyon, but it's origin is quite interesting. Like most people, we assumed that the Hawai'ians were the first people to live on the islands of Hawai'i. As it turns out, there were a people called the Menehune inhabiting the islands before them. The irrigation ditch built by the Menehune predates the Hawaiians and was built with faced stone. In comparison, typical Hawai'ian construction methods were just piled up rocks - not cutting them at all. Another interesting feature of this iragation ditch is that its path takes it through solid rock. The tunnel is about fourty feet long and in some places is so small a person can't fit through it. How this tunnel was excavated and how the rocks were faced is still a mystery. On top of all that, the ditch is, amazingly, still in operation! Quite impressive.
An example of faced stones.
A bright flower into a dark tunnel.
The plaque at the site, 90 years old itself.
The west coast has some killer beaches, too - miles and miles of nothing but sand. There was a very popular beach in Polihale State Park where the sand makes a barking sound as you walk on it (allegedly). Sadly, the park was down a long gravel road, and our rental car was not allowed to go off the pavement. Although we considered defying the rental company rules, we did not; and that was probably a good decision. Later, we read an important part of the contract (yes, this happened the night before we returned the car...who reads them before they sign, anyway?)... apparently they track you by GPS - not cool! We were glad that we had chosen the "better safe than sorry" route on that one.
We are grateful for every experience - both the challenging and the wonderful - that we had in Kaua'i. With its lovely hikes, comfortable homestays, exciting diving, beautiful landscape and relaxed atmosphere, it was the perfect place to begin our journey and transition into "long-term travel mode." Despite our enjoyment of the wonderful island, our time there was finite. We have more places to visit! Next stop... Oahu!
