Kauai & Oahu (Dec 28 - 2nd Jan 09).
We got to Lihue (Kauai) at 10:20pm and the car rental office closed at 10:30pm. Roberto had never driven an automatic before and the lady who was in charge of showing us the basics didn't seem to have much time to spare. She gave him a quick briefing and brief directions on how to get out of the airport and off she was…
However, the car rental area for EuropCar was about 3 miles away from the airport and we were in a depot type of area with no street name and we kept getting lost trying to get out.
Once we eventually found the main highway, trying to keep track of where we were, in pitch dark, was equally bad. I'd forgotten how badly sign posted the roads were. Small green signs with white letters (not the best of contrasts) and hardly any warning that your turning point is coming up. As a result, we often missed vital turns and trying to get back on track was a nightmare. At night, it was harder to spot landmarks from our map too and we were also starting to be really tired. It was supposed to be a 30 min drive from the airport to the Sheraton but we checked in at 1am. It had taken us more like 2H30 (paperwork included).
We were told to park our car near our allocated flat in 'block 5' but by night, all blocks looked the same and trying to find the right block and the right room was not as obvious as we'd have liked. We got in the elevator and realised that '1st floor' actually meant ground floor, etc. etc. We were not impressed. For a 4* hotel they could have had someone escort us at least.
We eventually 'hit the sack' at 1:30am and woke up at 9:30am to catch the last hour of breakfast. We'd hardly had any food on the plane so were feeling ravenous. We managed to secure a table overlooking the sea and the buffet was quite nice (gorgeous French toasts with blueberries and whipped cream). Roberto loved the view but I felt our balcony in Palau was more special – more private for a start.
We had decided to 'go with the flow' on our first day and just take it easy as the previous day had been a 24H journey (from 2am to 2am – pretty much). We were based on the Southern shore of Kauai and headed for the Waiema Canyon. We missed our turn (the 550 road) and ended up 8 miles out of our way where the road ends. Hum. We turned round, found the 550 and endeavoured to go up & up… However, we couldn't get the knack for making the car work properly uphill and seemed stuck at 10mph. We had to ask for advice when we stopped at the first look-out point as pressing on the gas pedal seemed to make the car over-heat.
The canyon itself ('the Great Canyon of the Pacific') was quite spectacular, granted, but not really my type of scenery (too barren for my taste). It was weird to go up this road, 15 years later and realise I'd forgotten most of it. In fact, I only remembered a few look-out spots where I'd taken photos. I guess we'd only driven ¼ of that road before and must have turned round as we only had 8H in Kauai last time (a day trip from Honolulu). But we'd missed out on the best bit… the end of the road was the most impressive, with the beautiful Valley of the Lost Tribe seen from the Kalalau look-out platform It is a classic Kauai shot and has been reproduced in many post cards. Picture perfect. Chiselled cliffs in the background, exotic plants in the foreground and a bit of mist (of a LOT of mist if you were unlucky) to add a touch of mystery. Very atmospheric place. Roberto wanted to go for a hike there but the clay treks were very slippery and I didn't feel comfortable with nothing to hold onto.
We headed back to a picnic spot area about 5 miles further down (Kokee) but the little coffee shop we wanted to use was shut by then. Our back-up plan was to stop at a supermarket on the way back to our hotel. Back at the Sheraton we enjoyed the facilities (Roberto went to the fitness room, I went on the computer!), but we never saw the beautiful pool… it was too dark by the time we got back (it got dark at 6pm which was way too early for my taste). But at least it'd been a beautifully sunny day with not a spot of rain, which made such a change from Palau where you could not go anywhere without an umbrella, just in case. The rain in Palau was so warm though, and we spent so much time in the water, we didn't mind getting rained on as such, but the cameras were too expensive to take a gamble.
The next day, we'd decided to "kayak & hike" along the beautiful Wailua River as we had so enjoyed our kayaking in Palau. However, it was a far cry from what we'd expected. In fact, we pretty much wished we hadn't bothered because it was 95% hard work and 5% fun. The kind of thing you'd recommend to your enemies but not to your friends. The kayaking was tough as we were going against the current and the paddle were much shorter too and I just lost all my confidence. Roberto had to sweat twice as hard trying to correct my mistakes and I was sooo deflated and frustrated (well, we were both frustrated in fact). When we eventually got the jungle trail, it was SO muddy that you risked twisting an ankle at every corner. Roberto felt it was my 'punishment' for not having been daring enough on the slippery track the day before, ah.
We first had to cross a river (thigh deep) which wasn't too bad except that the water was brown and COLD, unlike Palau's, and the treks felt quite dangerous. A lot of people slipped on the way and children were crying as it seemed endless. It took us a good 50 mins to get a waterfall that was very secluded and nice enough (25m high) but really not worth that kind of hassle. It felt like SAS training, really. They didn't even provide lunch. $40 NOT well spent. We refused to swim in the water hole (too cold, too dirty – and I doubt my hair would have smelt of conditioner after a dip in that).
The main attraction for me was the many beautiful white birds with a long white tail that circled around the top of the falls looking for mosquitoes. Too far away for us to take any decent shots though, but they looked like birds of paradise and I was mesmerised by them.
We only had a 30 min break for lunch before it was time to turn round. The mere thought of doing that horrible trek all over again was really daunting. We were also getting bitten by mosquitoes like crazy.
I ended up with about 15 bites in one hour – big ones. Thankfully Roberto had had mercy on me and bought me some anti-itching cream the day before that worked wonders. He didn't get bitten once! When we got back to our canoe (we had marched well ahead of the crowds to avoid hearing the screaming children) we had to sit around for about 15 mins for people to catch up (suffering yet more mosquitoe attacks) and then had to face the gruelling 1H kayaking back… though it was a bit easier going with the current (but against the wind).
The trek had been so muddy and slippery that we were delayed by 90 mins, this was seriously upsetting as we really wanted to explore the North Shore that afternoon (it was our only chance to do so) and instead of setting off at 1:30pm, we left Wailua town at 3:00pm.
Our other concern that day is that when we tried to pay for the kayak tours his credit card was 'declined'... we could not work out why as he knew he still had about £1,000 left in his account before he was 'in the red'. This meant he had to resort to using his debit card and transfer more money from his savings account to be able to keep on funding enough for two. I felt so bad. We found out later that his bank had 'blocked' the card as they feared fraud since he had not warned them that he was going to be in the USA... but I felt we were clutching at straws at this point. It's amazing how very vulnerable you feel with NO money... I have learnt my lesson I tell you. The irony is that I always travel with TWO cards (in separate bags) but on this occasion, I forgot to put my spare one in. And Roberto always travels with 3 cards but he keeps them all together - he too learnt a valuable lesson. From now on, he will ensure they are all in different places and will give his bank prior warning (I'd advised him to call them but he was SO busy before we set off that it slipped his mind). But some things one just *has* to make time for...
Anyway, back to Kauai... the weather on the East shore is notoriously worse in the winter in Kauai (but usually always dry on the West coast – where the Waimea Canyon is) and sure enough, true to itself, it rained a lot more. In fact, it rained so much that they had some 'flash floods' that night. We were so disappointed by the weather as the North was so much lusher (naturally – since it rained a lot more) and we saw some beautiful scenery.
The Hanalei Valley was the highlight for me but it was impossible to try and take any decent shots in the rain – the light was too low and we didn't want to ruin our cameras. We had seen pictures of it at its best in local brochures and it looked incredible in the right light. Roberto wanted to drive ALL the way up the road, right to the Na Pali Coast National Park and it looked gorgeous, even in the rain.
Earlier on, we had also wanted to go to the Kilauea Lighthouse & National Wildlife Refuge which is a bird sanctuary with red footed boobies and albatross and frigates (the ones with a red 'ball' on they chest as they inflate it to impress the females) but we got there at 4:07pm and it had shut at 4:00pm. We were SO disappointed. The brochures had said that it was a 'must see' area that would not fail to impress. I'm sure we'd have enjoyed it far more than walking in the mud for some 2 hours!
We also didn't have time to hike the many beautiful paths in the many National Parks. They have stunning botanical gardens too that we missed out on too (I know they are stunning for having seen reports on them in the airline magazines!).
So, to make up for all these frustrations, we viewed this 3 day stop-over as a taster, and decided we would definitely go back one day. If we do, we will endeavour to spend at least 8 days there and change our base to Princeville (there's also an airport there) instead of Lihue. From Lihue to Princeville it's about a 90 min drive – too long.
We got back to our hotel at about 8pm that day and as we had such an early wake up call next day we decided to check out that evening to save time. We then were told that we had not paid for 2 nights in advance as we'd assumed, but only one. This meant an extra $300 to fork out when we were already running thin. Being very French I managed to argue our case over the 'resort fee' @ $17 per day and said it wasn't fair to impose it as we checked in at 1am on the first day and were checking out now and had had no time to use the facilities much in between. The guy at reception was thankfully very kind and agreed to waive off the fee as I explained we were in this pretty unusual financial situation because of my forgetfulness. Moral of today's lesson: 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. If it's justified, argue your case. What have you got to lose? We saved over $50 -it all helps. The Caroline Resorts had also kindly agreed to write off the last night ($160 worth) as we had checked out at 11pm. They didn't have to, but felt sorry that I'd been so stupid ! :) [well, Zenie didn't *say* that, but I cannot explain it in any other way].
The next day, in Kauai, we'd booked a whale watching tour with Na Pali Riders. $79 for 4 hours. Not bad. It was a 6:45am start to unsure the sea wouldn't be too rough. And it was New Year's eve as well so a 5am start was pretty painful considering we had to stay up till midnight that day but we really wanted to make the most of our last day.
Roberto just loves whales and had never seen one. I prefer dolphins myself (I find that to look at a whale is like watching an iceberg where you only see the top 10% - and they just don't look 'pretty' enough J). We both got what we hoped for. He got to see the humpback whales jump up in the air to impress their females (it was the mating season – with peak time for whale watching in Hawaii being in Jan & Feb) and we also saw a shoal of about 200 Spinner dolphins. They are called 'spinner' because they love to show off by jumping out of the water and spinning around in the air. They'll do it a few times in a row which is great for taking photos… however, not having a stabiliser on my camera I felt safer just filming a movie to guarantee a sharper outcome. There were lots of babies around. Priceless. It would have been magical to swim with them – another thing we'll have to try and do next time.
We then reached the Na Pali coast (which National Geographic voted the 12nd natural wonder of the world) but as it was a bit overcast, it didn't look quite as beautiful as it does in the brochures. However, it still looked dramatic and most unusual. But being on a speed boat I didn't feel too comfortable risking my SLR camera out and held onto the boat rope tightly instead. This actually was a big mistake as every time we'd ride a wave it created extra friction on my finger and I ended up damaging the tendon a bit. My finger was to remain swollen for a while (I cannot really bend it anymore, 6 days on, but Dr Roberto is hopeful that it will be better in two weeks' time). We'll see.
As soon as we got back to the shore we decided we should try our luck for an helicopter tour as one last treat before our flight back to Honolulu at 6:40pm. A bit of trivia: 70% of tourists who come to Kauai do an helicopter tour - a higher % than on any other island in the world. A definite 'must do' basically. I called Island Helicopter at 12:45pm (they were the cheapest out of the 5-6 helicopter companies) and they said 'we have 2 seats left for today at 2:15pm. Can you be at Lihue airport for 1:30pm?' I said 'No chance, we are about an hour away'. She said that 1:45pm would still be ok.
However, we still hadn't quite mastered the art of navigating our way around the island and kept getting lost on the way to the airport. You take just one wrong turn and it's impossible to get back on track. You'd think that the 'airport' would be sign posted on every road within a 3 mile radius, but no… you should be so lucky. If I had had time for a nervous break down, I think I'd have had one… I called the lady back at 2pm to say 'we are on the way, and still hope to make it for 2:15pm' we just keep getting lost….
We got there just on time. I had asked for window seats but she offered no guarantee saying the seat allocation was according to weight, but "every couple was guaranteed at least one seat". So when we were teamed up with a family of 4 I had great hope that we'd both get a window seat (2 seats for them, 2 seats for us as Roberto & I were not related and not even dating). But for some gutting reason the little girl and her (wide) mother were on the front seat and her son by the window, husband next to Roberto (in the middle) and I had the window seat on the back. I could have cried with frustration. It was quite expensive for us @ $179 each with taxes and I'd been dreaming of doing that particular flight for about 10 years… Ever since I saw the (first) Jurassic Park movie opening, that was that: I fell madly in love with that scenery. I thought 'wow, wow, wow'… and wished upon a star 'wherever that may be, let me go and see it for myself'… and so, here I was, at looong last…. And when we got to the 'Jurassic Falls' as they call that particular lush valley along the Na Pali coast, full of waterfalls (more than usual due to the recent flash floods), the helicopter just twisted & turned so that we could all take good photos and my head started to spin.
I had not banked on that AT ALL. The pilot turned on the A/C full blast to give me some fresh air as colours started to drain from my (sun-tanned) cheeks. But I could only feel ok if I took deep breaths and if I kept my eyes on the horizon or a fixed point. It was gutting because I really wanted to look down at the landscape below. I believe that if I'd sat at the front I'd have been much happier in more ways than one... but I can't turn the clock back. I managed to do a few movies as a momento which is great as I can view these backs quite comfortably from home...
After that, we had 1h10 to spare so headed to a McDo so that Roberto could get an iced coffee. I was too queasy myself to eat or drink much - I felt the ground was still moving when I was standing kind of feeling. We stayed there about 30 mins reviewing our photos (one of R's fav past times). We also had to re-fuel the car so that we'd give it back with a full tank to avoid a penalty fee. But do you think we could work out how to use a petrol station 'pistol' ??? Boy. It's amazing how little things can make such a difference. We had to ask for help as we could not work it out - more time ticking away. We then went to the car rental point at the airport to 'check out' and they directed us to the car drop off point about 3 miles away. We assumed (oh, how naïve we were!) that we'd be there in 10 mins... but due to dire sign posting, yet again, we went round and round in circles for about 45 mins. 45 MINUTES to drive 3 miles... it seemed insane and I was trying not to dwell on the fact that we had a flight to catch at 6:40pm. When we eventually were able to hand the keys of the car back I felt so relieved. A kind of 'good riddance' kind of feeling almost. Thankfully the shuttle bus left immediately to take us straight back to the airport and GO! Airline were not massively busy so we made it through check-in ($10 per bag checked in) and security with 20 mins to spare before boarding.
We got to Honlulu 30 mins later (a breeze !) and got a cab back the Quest Resort on Waikiki ($39 when renting a car is $50 a day – sigh). We checked in and I freshened up whilst Roberto went out to buy us some food (another fish burger for me from Burger King). OK, not a gourmet meal but it was all I needed really. We then tried to sleep for about an hour or so (in vain) and got up at 11:30pm so that we could take a stroll down Waikiki Beach before the fireworks started.
It was a lovely 24C outside and everybody was wearing short sleeves. All the girls had fake local flowers in their hair (a popular hair clip over there) and it was just so relaxed and so different from London where it's SO packed with people that you simply cannot move. We found a spot on Waikiki beach, just inches from the waves and at midnight the fireworks started right in front of where we were, for a good 15 mins. Roberto had bought a mini bottle of champagne and some guava juice so that we could toast the New Year. It felt fantastic to be so warm on 31st December and to be surrounded by many happy and sensible people (we only saw one drunk woman whereas in the UK I'm sure we'd have seen dozens --- depressing sight). We then strolled back to our hotel (again, lots of room to move on the pavement -- in London you have to shuffle your feet back to the tube station really) and Roberto then went off to explore a gay club whilst I went to bed early... However, I couldn't quite get to sleep until he got back ok.
The next day we got up at 10am and tried to get a 22 bus to Hanauma Bay (the popular bay for snorkellers) but because it was 1st January the bus driver told us that the beach was shut. It seemed really crazy to me... how can anyone shut a beach??? why ??? He said that staff had the day off so there'd be no facilities, no one to sell entrance tickets either. He said that it's a natural reserve that's been sheltered from the bigger waves to make it easier to snorkel. We therefore aimed for the very next bay, thinking that the fish wouldn't be able to tell which bay was which anyway, but Sandy Beach was quite disappointing. It was more like 'Rocky Beach' than Sandy Beach, with lots of big waves, making it quite difficult to swim, let alone snorkel. No shade either (not ONE tree) and NO vans that sold drinks. We had set off with no water and got there at noon (as it was a good 40 min bus drive from Waikiki) and I knew we would not be able to stay there long because it was the hottest part of the day and even with factor 50 sun block on my skin, I could still feel the sun bite. I therefore resorted to using my umbrella to protect my face from becoming more wrinkly (I've really noticed the difference in the last 12 months, sigh) and covered my legs too as I was already quite sun-burnt from Palau (almost 1st degree burn on one ankle). So, I wasn't prepared to look worse... or feel worse (sun strokes being no fun at all). Roberto was brought up by the seaside so was quite used to it all, but I never even saw the sea before I was 18.
We bused back to Diamond Head next, and the 23 bus route was really beautiful... great villas and little harbours with boats in the foreground and beautiful mountains in the background... we were very impressed. Roberto was starting to dream of retiring there I think... When we got to DH we were thinking we could hike all the way to the top but as the park was also closed so there was no option to buy water at the very top. We were advised by a local to hike around the mountain instead but it took us a good 4 miles to get back to Waikiki that away and though we were promised stunning views ('some of the best in America'), I didn't find them that amazing. It was good exercise but not something I'd necessarily want to repeat. We only found one water fountain on the way (a God sent!).
Once back at Waikiki we sat in a park with some cold drinks and admired a couple of wild green parakeets. I tried to take some nice shots but zooming in, hand-held, made them too blurred. Roberto's were much crisper because of his built-in stabiliser. I really wanted to buy one such lens on my return as I love taking photos so much, but they are currently beyond my budget (£680 for a 28-200mm) and are quite heavy too (560gr) which I find off-putting (his whole rucksack was a camera bag, he even needed a special handle to hold it properly). So I guess I'm going to have to stick to my tripod for a while longer I reckon...
On the walk back to our hotel I asked Roberto to take a photo of me in front of fountain where my sister & I posed back 15 years earlier to the day (!) and then I went in to freshen up whilst he went out again for a jog (I wish I had half of his energy level !!).
At 8:00pm we went out for a stroll looking for a nice place to eat, as we were getting bored with junk food. We ended up at Keno's in one of the back streets in a very nice Asian/American place and were seated on a balcony outside. Just as we walked in 'Don't Give Up on Us' started playing… it was just the weirdest feeling - to hear a voice that was SO familiar to me a million miles away from home. I just told Roberto 'can you believe that this singer is a friend of mine?'. On the way back we passed a nice hotel that looked quite decent and half the price of what we paid at the Quest Resort so, being true to myself and my forward planning skills (!), I walked in and asked for a price list (in case we can go back in 2010). Details as follows for future ref. The Aqua Continental, 2426 Kuhio Ave, HI 96815. Tel. 808.922.2232. http://www.aquaresorts.com/, 2009 rates: $100 for a double room with lots of facilities, 2 streets away from Waikiki. Great area. $25 extra for an extra guest. Ocean view room available too. We paid $210 at the Quest and it didn't look that much better... you live & learn (expensive mistake though).
The next day we had to get up at 5:00am again to catch our 8:00 flight to San Francisco. As my finger was getting worse (I still could not bend it) Roberto gave me some Aulin medication (anti-inflammatory) to ease the pain and it really knocked me out... so the 5 hour flight 'flew by' nicely as I was 'gone' for 4 hours. Then in San Fransciso we hooked up with my good friends again which was the best way to spend the time... playing with the dogs, playing games and having the best meal of the last 2 weeks at the Westin Hotel near the airport. It just went toooo fast. But stop overs are really a great way to hook up with friends from distant lands. I should organise my trips accordingly more often…
We got to the airport with 2 hours to spare and went to the United desk to get our seat allocation. We were then informed that "because the plane was over booked [yet again], we had been upgraded to business class". We were deliriously happy. I had not flown 'business' since 1993 (freebie again, back then, as there's no way I can afford to pay £860 extra).
It meant we could use the Red Carpet lounge too (though I couldn't find ONE computer in there, only 20+ desks for wireless access – I guess that the people who usually fly 'business' are expected to have their own laptop).
Champagne started flowing pretty much as soon as we'd seated down (wasted on me - a tea total). They did not have any greater selection of movies though (and their selection was seriously boring and limited to just 5 movies, a far cry from other airlines with up to 40-45 on offer) but the best feature was the reclining seats that had you almost horizontal. It was so much easier to fall asleep. You also had a choice of menu, proper plates and napkins… a completely different experience - but one I simply cannot afford to get used to. I felt that Roberto had been rewarded for helping me out (as in: 'whatever you do comes back to you' since he had advanced me more than £860 worth of money by then)… I'm still not sure about United's selection process… they only upgraded 5 couples, so why us? I guess it's because I am a Silver Member on Star Alliance?? Or maybe because our flight was delayed 4 hours on the way in (a kind of 'compensation' in disguise?). Or maybe God simply smiled on us, hey! (my preferred option). Whatever, it was most enjoyable. Roberto, who stresses more easily than I do when it comes to airport hassle, was most relieved. He said he could have never done all this on his own and that it'd take him one year to recover, ah.
We landed back at Heathrow on time and thankfully it was a beautifully sunny day in London. I'm not sure my brain could have handled a dull snowy or rainy day – too much of a shock. Roberto had to lend me money again so that I could get back home ok as I'd also lost my Oyster card on the way the airport too and all my English cash in the purse I'd misplaced… He kindly gave me enough so that I could grab some food on the way back home too. It was only 5C when we flew in, so a 20C difference was tough but I could not have afforded to stay in the USA for much longer. This trip ruined me but at least I felt it had been money well spent as it was breathtakingly beautiful. I didn't buy any souvenir (no post cards even) but Roberto & I took 1,000 photos each in 2 weeks, and Impac had given me, for Xmas, a little bottle with some white sand and tiny shells from Palau. I keep it in my bathroom as a reminder that I didn't dream it all. Since I can't go to Palau daily, it's the only way I can have Palau come to me ! :)
I spent the next 5 days in a daze (thankfully work was very quiet) and am now counting the days till New Zealand (just 5 weeks away as I'm writing this). It'll be another 20 hours in the air, but it doesn't phase me too much… it's the necessary 'price to pay' for outstanding rewards and as I won't see affordable 'space travel' in my lifetime, I might as well look forward to it.
Actually, sitting on a plane for 11 hours gave me the chance to read some magazines for instance, which I never ever have time for in London, and to watch some real interesting documentaries I may never have watched either otherwise. I learnt the art of enjoying 'doing nothing' – no calls to make, no emails to send, no deadlines to meet… and this was a great mental exercise. So, I personally choose to see these long flights as something I can use for good to teach me that 'just relaxing' is something I shouldn't feel guilty about.
I was reading in a magazine on the plane 'if you could swap something you have, for something you want, what would it be?'… It was a very thought provoking question I found, because, in truth, I could not think of anything I've currently got that I'd want to give up. I have great support from my family, I have lots of great friends, I love my job and looked forward to going back to it, I have my faith, I can't remember the last time I was sick, I rent a compact but cosy home… and I am so blessed to earn just enough to see the world's greatest wonders on a regular basis… which fulfils my need for intense visual excitement, refreshes my mind and soothes my soul. What could I possibly give up?
I wish you all the very best for 2009 and a renewed sense of awe and wonder for the incredible world God has created to delight us.
We got to Lihue (Kauai) at 10:20pm and the car rental office closed at 10:30pm. Roberto had never driven an automatic before and the lady who was in charge of showing us the basics didn't seem to have much time to spare. She gave him a quick briefing and brief directions on how to get out of the airport and off she was…
However, the car rental area for EuropCar was about 3 miles away from the airport and we were in a depot type of area with no street name and we kept getting lost trying to get out.
Once we eventually found the main highway, trying to keep track of where we were, in pitch dark, was equally bad. I'd forgotten how badly sign posted the roads were. Small green signs with white letters (not the best of contrasts) and hardly any warning that your turning point is coming up. As a result, we often missed vital turns and trying to get back on track was a nightmare. At night, it was harder to spot landmarks from our map too and we were also starting to be really tired. It was supposed to be a 30 min drive from the airport to the Sheraton but we checked in at 1am. It had taken us more like 2H30 (paperwork included).
We were told to park our car near our allocated flat in 'block 5' but by night, all blocks looked the same and trying to find the right block and the right room was not as obvious as we'd have liked. We got in the elevator and realised that '1st floor' actually meant ground floor, etc. etc. We were not impressed. For a 4* hotel they could have had someone escort us at least.
We eventually 'hit the sack' at 1:30am and woke up at 9:30am to catch the last hour of breakfast. We'd hardly had any food on the plane so were feeling ravenous. We managed to secure a table overlooking the sea and the buffet was quite nice (gorgeous French toasts with blueberries and whipped cream). Roberto loved the view but I felt our balcony in Palau was more special – more private for a start.
We had decided to 'go with the flow' on our first day and just take it easy as the previous day had been a 24H journey (from 2am to 2am – pretty much). We were based on the Southern shore of Kauai and headed for the Waiema Canyon. We missed our turn (the 550 road) and ended up 8 miles out of our way where the road ends. Hum. We turned round, found the 550 and endeavoured to go up & up… However, we couldn't get the knack for making the car work properly uphill and seemed stuck at 10mph. We had to ask for advice when we stopped at the first look-out point as pressing on the gas pedal seemed to make the car over-heat.
The canyon itself ('the Great Canyon of the Pacific') was quite spectacular, granted, but not really my type of scenery (too barren for my taste). It was weird to go up this road, 15 years later and realise I'd forgotten most of it. In fact, I only remembered a few look-out spots where I'd taken photos. I guess we'd only driven ¼ of that road before and must have turned round as we only had 8H in Kauai last time (a day trip from Honolulu). But we'd missed out on the best bit… the end of the road was the most impressive, with the beautiful Valley of the Lost Tribe seen from the Kalalau look-out platform It is a classic Kauai shot and has been reproduced in many post cards. Picture perfect. Chiselled cliffs in the background, exotic plants in the foreground and a bit of mist (of a LOT of mist if you were unlucky) to add a touch of mystery. Very atmospheric place. Roberto wanted to go for a hike there but the clay treks were very slippery and I didn't feel comfortable with nothing to hold onto.
We headed back to a picnic spot area about 5 miles further down (Kokee) but the little coffee shop we wanted to use was shut by then. Our back-up plan was to stop at a supermarket on the way back to our hotel. Back at the Sheraton we enjoyed the facilities (Roberto went to the fitness room, I went on the computer!), but we never saw the beautiful pool… it was too dark by the time we got back (it got dark at 6pm which was way too early for my taste). But at least it'd been a beautifully sunny day with not a spot of rain, which made such a change from Palau where you could not go anywhere without an umbrella, just in case. The rain in Palau was so warm though, and we spent so much time in the water, we didn't mind getting rained on as such, but the cameras were too expensive to take a gamble.
The next day, we'd decided to "kayak & hike" along the beautiful Wailua River as we had so enjoyed our kayaking in Palau. However, it was a far cry from what we'd expected. In fact, we pretty much wished we hadn't bothered because it was 95% hard work and 5% fun. The kind of thing you'd recommend to your enemies but not to your friends. The kayaking was tough as we were going against the current and the paddle were much shorter too and I just lost all my confidence. Roberto had to sweat twice as hard trying to correct my mistakes and I was sooo deflated and frustrated (well, we were both frustrated in fact). When we eventually got the jungle trail, it was SO muddy that you risked twisting an ankle at every corner. Roberto felt it was my 'punishment' for not having been daring enough on the slippery track the day before, ah.
We first had to cross a river (thigh deep) which wasn't too bad except that the water was brown and COLD, unlike Palau's, and the treks felt quite dangerous. A lot of people slipped on the way and children were crying as it seemed endless. It took us a good 50 mins to get a waterfall that was very secluded and nice enough (25m high) but really not worth that kind of hassle. It felt like SAS training, really. They didn't even provide lunch. $40 NOT well spent. We refused to swim in the water hole (too cold, too dirty – and I doubt my hair would have smelt of conditioner after a dip in that).
The main attraction for me was the many beautiful white birds with a long white tail that circled around the top of the falls looking for mosquitoes. Too far away for us to take any decent shots though, but they looked like birds of paradise and I was mesmerised by them.
We only had a 30 min break for lunch before it was time to turn round. The mere thought of doing that horrible trek all over again was really daunting. We were also getting bitten by mosquitoes like crazy.
I ended up with about 15 bites in one hour – big ones. Thankfully Roberto had had mercy on me and bought me some anti-itching cream the day before that worked wonders. He didn't get bitten once! When we got back to our canoe (we had marched well ahead of the crowds to avoid hearing the screaming children) we had to sit around for about 15 mins for people to catch up (suffering yet more mosquitoe attacks) and then had to face the gruelling 1H kayaking back… though it was a bit easier going with the current (but against the wind).
The trek had been so muddy and slippery that we were delayed by 90 mins, this was seriously upsetting as we really wanted to explore the North Shore that afternoon (it was our only chance to do so) and instead of setting off at 1:30pm, we left Wailua town at 3:00pm.
Our other concern that day is that when we tried to pay for the kayak tours his credit card was 'declined'... we could not work out why as he knew he still had about £1,000 left in his account before he was 'in the red'. This meant he had to resort to using his debit card and transfer more money from his savings account to be able to keep on funding enough for two. I felt so bad. We found out later that his bank had 'blocked' the card as they feared fraud since he had not warned them that he was going to be in the USA... but I felt we were clutching at straws at this point. It's amazing how very vulnerable you feel with NO money... I have learnt my lesson I tell you. The irony is that I always travel with TWO cards (in separate bags) but on this occasion, I forgot to put my spare one in. And Roberto always travels with 3 cards but he keeps them all together - he too learnt a valuable lesson. From now on, he will ensure they are all in different places and will give his bank prior warning (I'd advised him to call them but he was SO busy before we set off that it slipped his mind). But some things one just *has* to make time for...
Anyway, back to Kauai... the weather on the East shore is notoriously worse in the winter in Kauai (but usually always dry on the West coast – where the Waimea Canyon is) and sure enough, true to itself, it rained a lot more. In fact, it rained so much that they had some 'flash floods' that night. We were so disappointed by the weather as the North was so much lusher (naturally – since it rained a lot more) and we saw some beautiful scenery.
The Hanalei Valley was the highlight for me but it was impossible to try and take any decent shots in the rain – the light was too low and we didn't want to ruin our cameras. We had seen pictures of it at its best in local brochures and it looked incredible in the right light. Roberto wanted to drive ALL the way up the road, right to the Na Pali Coast National Park and it looked gorgeous, even in the rain.
Earlier on, we had also wanted to go to the Kilauea Lighthouse & National Wildlife Refuge which is a bird sanctuary with red footed boobies and albatross and frigates (the ones with a red 'ball' on they chest as they inflate it to impress the females) but we got there at 4:07pm and it had shut at 4:00pm. We were SO disappointed. The brochures had said that it was a 'must see' area that would not fail to impress. I'm sure we'd have enjoyed it far more than walking in the mud for some 2 hours!
We also didn't have time to hike the many beautiful paths in the many National Parks. They have stunning botanical gardens too that we missed out on too (I know they are stunning for having seen reports on them in the airline magazines!).
So, to make up for all these frustrations, we viewed this 3 day stop-over as a taster, and decided we would definitely go back one day. If we do, we will endeavour to spend at least 8 days there and change our base to Princeville (there's also an airport there) instead of Lihue. From Lihue to Princeville it's about a 90 min drive – too long.
We got back to our hotel at about 8pm that day and as we had such an early wake up call next day we decided to check out that evening to save time. We then were told that we had not paid for 2 nights in advance as we'd assumed, but only one. This meant an extra $300 to fork out when we were already running thin. Being very French I managed to argue our case over the 'resort fee' @ $17 per day and said it wasn't fair to impose it as we checked in at 1am on the first day and were checking out now and had had no time to use the facilities much in between. The guy at reception was thankfully very kind and agreed to waive off the fee as I explained we were in this pretty unusual financial situation because of my forgetfulness. Moral of today's lesson: 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. If it's justified, argue your case. What have you got to lose? We saved over $50 -it all helps. The Caroline Resorts had also kindly agreed to write off the last night ($160 worth) as we had checked out at 11pm. They didn't have to, but felt sorry that I'd been so stupid ! :) [well, Zenie didn't *say* that, but I cannot explain it in any other way].
The next day, in Kauai, we'd booked a whale watching tour with Na Pali Riders. $79 for 4 hours. Not bad. It was a 6:45am start to unsure the sea wouldn't be too rough. And it was New Year's eve as well so a 5am start was pretty painful considering we had to stay up till midnight that day but we really wanted to make the most of our last day.
Roberto just loves whales and had never seen one. I prefer dolphins myself (I find that to look at a whale is like watching an iceberg where you only see the top 10% - and they just don't look 'pretty' enough J). We both got what we hoped for. He got to see the humpback whales jump up in the air to impress their females (it was the mating season – with peak time for whale watching in Hawaii being in Jan & Feb) and we also saw a shoal of about 200 Spinner dolphins. They are called 'spinner' because they love to show off by jumping out of the water and spinning around in the air. They'll do it a few times in a row which is great for taking photos… however, not having a stabiliser on my camera I felt safer just filming a movie to guarantee a sharper outcome. There were lots of babies around. Priceless. It would have been magical to swim with them – another thing we'll have to try and do next time.
We then reached the Na Pali coast (which National Geographic voted the 12nd natural wonder of the world) but as it was a bit overcast, it didn't look quite as beautiful as it does in the brochures. However, it still looked dramatic and most unusual. But being on a speed boat I didn't feel too comfortable risking my SLR camera out and held onto the boat rope tightly instead. This actually was a big mistake as every time we'd ride a wave it created extra friction on my finger and I ended up damaging the tendon a bit. My finger was to remain swollen for a while (I cannot really bend it anymore, 6 days on, but Dr Roberto is hopeful that it will be better in two weeks' time). We'll see.
As soon as we got back to the shore we decided we should try our luck for an helicopter tour as one last treat before our flight back to Honolulu at 6:40pm. A bit of trivia: 70% of tourists who come to Kauai do an helicopter tour - a higher % than on any other island in the world. A definite 'must do' basically. I called Island Helicopter at 12:45pm (they were the cheapest out of the 5-6 helicopter companies) and they said 'we have 2 seats left for today at 2:15pm. Can you be at Lihue airport for 1:30pm?' I said 'No chance, we are about an hour away'. She said that 1:45pm would still be ok.
However, we still hadn't quite mastered the art of navigating our way around the island and kept getting lost on the way to the airport. You take just one wrong turn and it's impossible to get back on track. You'd think that the 'airport' would be sign posted on every road within a 3 mile radius, but no… you should be so lucky. If I had had time for a nervous break down, I think I'd have had one… I called the lady back at 2pm to say 'we are on the way, and still hope to make it for 2:15pm' we just keep getting lost….
We got there just on time. I had asked for window seats but she offered no guarantee saying the seat allocation was according to weight, but "every couple was guaranteed at least one seat". So when we were teamed up with a family of 4 I had great hope that we'd both get a window seat (2 seats for them, 2 seats for us as Roberto & I were not related and not even dating). But for some gutting reason the little girl and her (wide) mother were on the front seat and her son by the window, husband next to Roberto (in the middle) and I had the window seat on the back. I could have cried with frustration. It was quite expensive for us @ $179 each with taxes and I'd been dreaming of doing that particular flight for about 10 years… Ever since I saw the (first) Jurassic Park movie opening, that was that: I fell madly in love with that scenery. I thought 'wow, wow, wow'… and wished upon a star 'wherever that may be, let me go and see it for myself'… and so, here I was, at looong last…. And when we got to the 'Jurassic Falls' as they call that particular lush valley along the Na Pali coast, full of waterfalls (more than usual due to the recent flash floods), the helicopter just twisted & turned so that we could all take good photos and my head started to spin.
I had not banked on that AT ALL. The pilot turned on the A/C full blast to give me some fresh air as colours started to drain from my (sun-tanned) cheeks. But I could only feel ok if I took deep breaths and if I kept my eyes on the horizon or a fixed point. It was gutting because I really wanted to look down at the landscape below. I believe that if I'd sat at the front I'd have been much happier in more ways than one... but I can't turn the clock back. I managed to do a few movies as a momento which is great as I can view these backs quite comfortably from home...
After that, we had 1h10 to spare so headed to a McDo so that Roberto could get an iced coffee. I was too queasy myself to eat or drink much - I felt the ground was still moving when I was standing kind of feeling. We stayed there about 30 mins reviewing our photos (one of R's fav past times). We also had to re-fuel the car so that we'd give it back with a full tank to avoid a penalty fee. But do you think we could work out how to use a petrol station 'pistol' ??? Boy. It's amazing how little things can make such a difference. We had to ask for help as we could not work it out - more time ticking away. We then went to the car rental point at the airport to 'check out' and they directed us to the car drop off point about 3 miles away. We assumed (oh, how naïve we were!) that we'd be there in 10 mins... but due to dire sign posting, yet again, we went round and round in circles for about 45 mins. 45 MINUTES to drive 3 miles... it seemed insane and I was trying not to dwell on the fact that we had a flight to catch at 6:40pm. When we eventually were able to hand the keys of the car back I felt so relieved. A kind of 'good riddance' kind of feeling almost. Thankfully the shuttle bus left immediately to take us straight back to the airport and GO! Airline were not massively busy so we made it through check-in ($10 per bag checked in) and security with 20 mins to spare before boarding.
We got to Honlulu 30 mins later (a breeze !) and got a cab back the Quest Resort on Waikiki ($39 when renting a car is $50 a day – sigh). We checked in and I freshened up whilst Roberto went out to buy us some food (another fish burger for me from Burger King). OK, not a gourmet meal but it was all I needed really. We then tried to sleep for about an hour or so (in vain) and got up at 11:30pm so that we could take a stroll down Waikiki Beach before the fireworks started.
It was a lovely 24C outside and everybody was wearing short sleeves. All the girls had fake local flowers in their hair (a popular hair clip over there) and it was just so relaxed and so different from London where it's SO packed with people that you simply cannot move. We found a spot on Waikiki beach, just inches from the waves and at midnight the fireworks started right in front of where we were, for a good 15 mins. Roberto had bought a mini bottle of champagne and some guava juice so that we could toast the New Year. It felt fantastic to be so warm on 31st December and to be surrounded by many happy and sensible people (we only saw one drunk woman whereas in the UK I'm sure we'd have seen dozens --- depressing sight). We then strolled back to our hotel (again, lots of room to move on the pavement -- in London you have to shuffle your feet back to the tube station really) and Roberto then went off to explore a gay club whilst I went to bed early... However, I couldn't quite get to sleep until he got back ok.
The next day we got up at 10am and tried to get a 22 bus to Hanauma Bay (the popular bay for snorkellers) but because it was 1st January the bus driver told us that the beach was shut. It seemed really crazy to me... how can anyone shut a beach??? why ??? He said that staff had the day off so there'd be no facilities, no one to sell entrance tickets either. He said that it's a natural reserve that's been sheltered from the bigger waves to make it easier to snorkel. We therefore aimed for the very next bay, thinking that the fish wouldn't be able to tell which bay was which anyway, but Sandy Beach was quite disappointing. It was more like 'Rocky Beach' than Sandy Beach, with lots of big waves, making it quite difficult to swim, let alone snorkel. No shade either (not ONE tree) and NO vans that sold drinks. We had set off with no water and got there at noon (as it was a good 40 min bus drive from Waikiki) and I knew we would not be able to stay there long because it was the hottest part of the day and even with factor 50 sun block on my skin, I could still feel the sun bite. I therefore resorted to using my umbrella to protect my face from becoming more wrinkly (I've really noticed the difference in the last 12 months, sigh) and covered my legs too as I was already quite sun-burnt from Palau (almost 1st degree burn on one ankle). So, I wasn't prepared to look worse... or feel worse (sun strokes being no fun at all). Roberto was brought up by the seaside so was quite used to it all, but I never even saw the sea before I was 18.
We bused back to Diamond Head next, and the 23 bus route was really beautiful... great villas and little harbours with boats in the foreground and beautiful mountains in the background... we were very impressed. Roberto was starting to dream of retiring there I think... When we got to DH we were thinking we could hike all the way to the top but as the park was also closed so there was no option to buy water at the very top. We were advised by a local to hike around the mountain instead but it took us a good 4 miles to get back to Waikiki that away and though we were promised stunning views ('some of the best in America'), I didn't find them that amazing. It was good exercise but not something I'd necessarily want to repeat. We only found one water fountain on the way (a God sent!).
Once back at Waikiki we sat in a park with some cold drinks and admired a couple of wild green parakeets. I tried to take some nice shots but zooming in, hand-held, made them too blurred. Roberto's were much crisper because of his built-in stabiliser. I really wanted to buy one such lens on my return as I love taking photos so much, but they are currently beyond my budget (£680 for a 28-200mm) and are quite heavy too (560gr) which I find off-putting (his whole rucksack was a camera bag, he even needed a special handle to hold it properly). So I guess I'm going to have to stick to my tripod for a while longer I reckon...
On the walk back to our hotel I asked Roberto to take a photo of me in front of fountain where my sister & I posed back 15 years earlier to the day (!) and then I went in to freshen up whilst he went out again for a jog (I wish I had half of his energy level !!).
At 8:00pm we went out for a stroll looking for a nice place to eat, as we were getting bored with junk food. We ended up at Keno's in one of the back streets in a very nice Asian/American place and were seated on a balcony outside. Just as we walked in 'Don't Give Up on Us' started playing… it was just the weirdest feeling - to hear a voice that was SO familiar to me a million miles away from home. I just told Roberto 'can you believe that this singer is a friend of mine?'. On the way back we passed a nice hotel that looked quite decent and half the price of what we paid at the Quest Resort so, being true to myself and my forward planning skills (!), I walked in and asked for a price list (in case we can go back in 2010). Details as follows for future ref. The Aqua Continental, 2426 Kuhio Ave, HI 96815. Tel. 808.922.2232. http://www.aquaresorts.com/, 2009 rates: $100 for a double room with lots of facilities, 2 streets away from Waikiki. Great area. $25 extra for an extra guest. Ocean view room available too. We paid $210 at the Quest and it didn't look that much better... you live & learn (expensive mistake though).
The next day we had to get up at 5:00am again to catch our 8:00 flight to San Francisco. As my finger was getting worse (I still could not bend it) Roberto gave me some Aulin medication (anti-inflammatory) to ease the pain and it really knocked me out... so the 5 hour flight 'flew by' nicely as I was 'gone' for 4 hours. Then in San Fransciso we hooked up with my good friends again which was the best way to spend the time... playing with the dogs, playing games and having the best meal of the last 2 weeks at the Westin Hotel near the airport. It just went toooo fast. But stop overs are really a great way to hook up with friends from distant lands. I should organise my trips accordingly more often…
We got to the airport with 2 hours to spare and went to the United desk to get our seat allocation. We were then informed that "because the plane was over booked [yet again], we had been upgraded to business class". We were deliriously happy. I had not flown 'business' since 1993 (freebie again, back then, as there's no way I can afford to pay £860 extra).
It meant we could use the Red Carpet lounge too (though I couldn't find ONE computer in there, only 20+ desks for wireless access – I guess that the people who usually fly 'business' are expected to have their own laptop).
Champagne started flowing pretty much as soon as we'd seated down (wasted on me - a tea total). They did not have any greater selection of movies though (and their selection was seriously boring and limited to just 5 movies, a far cry from other airlines with up to 40-45 on offer) but the best feature was the reclining seats that had you almost horizontal. It was so much easier to fall asleep. You also had a choice of menu, proper plates and napkins… a completely different experience - but one I simply cannot afford to get used to. I felt that Roberto had been rewarded for helping me out (as in: 'whatever you do comes back to you' since he had advanced me more than £860 worth of money by then)… I'm still not sure about United's selection process… they only upgraded 5 couples, so why us? I guess it's because I am a Silver Member on Star Alliance?? Or maybe because our flight was delayed 4 hours on the way in (a kind of 'compensation' in disguise?). Or maybe God simply smiled on us, hey! (my preferred option). Whatever, it was most enjoyable. Roberto, who stresses more easily than I do when it comes to airport hassle, was most relieved. He said he could have never done all this on his own and that it'd take him one year to recover, ah.
We landed back at Heathrow on time and thankfully it was a beautifully sunny day in London. I'm not sure my brain could have handled a dull snowy or rainy day – too much of a shock. Roberto had to lend me money again so that I could get back home ok as I'd also lost my Oyster card on the way the airport too and all my English cash in the purse I'd misplaced… He kindly gave me enough so that I could grab some food on the way back home too. It was only 5C when we flew in, so a 20C difference was tough but I could not have afforded to stay in the USA for much longer. This trip ruined me but at least I felt it had been money well spent as it was breathtakingly beautiful. I didn't buy any souvenir (no post cards even) but Roberto & I took 1,000 photos each in 2 weeks, and Impac had given me, for Xmas, a little bottle with some white sand and tiny shells from Palau. I keep it in my bathroom as a reminder that I didn't dream it all. Since I can't go to Palau daily, it's the only way I can have Palau come to me ! :)
I spent the next 5 days in a daze (thankfully work was very quiet) and am now counting the days till New Zealand (just 5 weeks away as I'm writing this). It'll be another 20 hours in the air, but it doesn't phase me too much… it's the necessary 'price to pay' for outstanding rewards and as I won't see affordable 'space travel' in my lifetime, I might as well look forward to it.
Actually, sitting on a plane for 11 hours gave me the chance to read some magazines for instance, which I never ever have time for in London, and to watch some real interesting documentaries I may never have watched either otherwise. I learnt the art of enjoying 'doing nothing' – no calls to make, no emails to send, no deadlines to meet… and this was a great mental exercise. So, I personally choose to see these long flights as something I can use for good to teach me that 'just relaxing' is something I shouldn't feel guilty about.
I was reading in a magazine on the plane 'if you could swap something you have, for something you want, what would it be?'… It was a very thought provoking question I found, because, in truth, I could not think of anything I've currently got that I'd want to give up. I have great support from my family, I have lots of great friends, I love my job and looked forward to going back to it, I have my faith, I can't remember the last time I was sick, I rent a compact but cosy home… and I am so blessed to earn just enough to see the world's greatest wonders on a regular basis… which fulfils my need for intense visual excitement, refreshes my mind and soothes my soul. What could I possibly give up?
I wish you all the very best for 2009 and a renewed sense of awe and wonder for the incredible world God has created to delight us.
posted by Sylvie at 6:18 PM
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