Disclaimer: Back in May of 2006, when I started posting about our vacation to the Hawaiian Islands, we were severely limited regarding photos I could share due to bandwidth limitations. Here in 2022, I’m updating these posts using the original image and text I shared, but I’m adding the rest of the photos I would have liked to share if bandwidth and storage had not been issues 16 years ago.
I just can’t get enough of this view and our incredible good luck at nabbing such lodging here under Kahili Mountain. If I weren’t a cynical man, I’d think that karma has its benefits.
We did lots of snorkeling between Maui, Molokai, and Kauai, thanks to the guys at Snorkel Bob’s who rented us the gear. Pufferfish to eels, butterflyfish to needlefish, even the state fish of Hawaii, the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (also known as the reef triggerfish), were all seen by Caroline and me on our snorkeling.
This is our last full day on the islands, and we made the best of it. After snorkeling, we paid a short visit to a part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens where we were able to behold the sight of the endangered jade vine.
The water lotus flower should leave people speechless that such a flower even existed during our time and didn’t go extinct with the demise of the dinosaurs, as it looks like something right out of the Cretaceous period to me.
The aptly named rainbow eucalyptus tree.
Ultimately, the mosquitos drove us away, but not before Caroline sacrificed another gram of blood so I could snap this photo.
The next stop was back at the little roadside fresh fruit stand to get another sweet pineapple along with the yummiest apple bananas that we kept for tomorrow’s breakfast. Then, a stop at the Koloa Fish Market for another poke bento fish breakfast.
We have returned to the Kauai Hindu Monastery in an attempt to gather a better view of the facility and surrounding land.
While I donned the obligatory lungi (actually, it was a sarong), we were still tourists and not adherents of Hinduism, so my hopes of visiting the temple were dashed as it’s frowned upon to interfere with people observing their moment of prayer. Well, the grounds are well worth the visit.
The diversity of plants here is amazing and to think it’s a tiny fraction of what exists in the rain forests of South America.
Nope, won’t be visiting that building out there any time soon.
Lord Ganesha, a.k.a. Ganpati, is upon the door facing Nandi, the bull that I took the photo of yesterday.
On our way back up the eastern shore.
Approaching Hanalei but not making many stops as we have an objective that demands we get somewhere at a reasonable time.
In Hanalei in time for a lunch of mixed plate something or other, including poi and rice and a taro smoothie.
Okay, one ocean photo before getting serious.
We are back at the Haena State Park for a hike up the Kalalau trail.
No, we didn’t lick it.
On Kauai, this is known as a trail.
I probably licked that once or twice, though not while on the trail of toads and roots.
When on the edge of this trail, it’s probably better to look inland as it’s kind of scary out here from time to time.
That’s Ke’e Beach down there, where I took the photo of Caroline walking alone.
Somewhere out there on the left is the famed Hanakāpīʻai Beach on Kauai’s Nā Pali coast, which we won’t be visiting today.
We only made it about a mile and a half as my broken toe wasn’t enjoying the rough trail.
Maybe another time?
At least we won’t be hiking back on this dangerous trail in the dark.
A red-crested cardinal was treated the same as the toad and not licked, though we may have salted its tail.
Back on terra firma. I’ve looked far and wide, trying to figure out just where I took this photo, but have come up with absolutely nothing.
Back down on the Ke’e beach.
We were just in time for a golden sunset and a beautiful ending to our final day on Kauai.