Last Crew

Son Todd and family have arrived and had to ignore the time change to make their helicopter flight this morning. This is the final group to share our place and then we will all return to Minnesota. 

 

Cockroaches in paradise

 One of the negatives experts on social media bring up is that what people post on social media is not an accurate representation of their real lives. The constant bombardment of cool stuff can make others see themselves in a negative way because they see their experiences and themselves as not measuring up. 

Just to explain our situation. We are not wealthy. We are retired and both had good jobs. We also inherited some money that allows us to do things. Travel is a priority over what others might value such as having big homes and fancy cars. We are also spending money that might go to our kids as an inheritance although we do try to involve them in our adventures. We know we are lucky and as long as our health and the stock market hold on we will continue to travel.

About the cockroaches. No, I am not going to include pictures, but critters do get in your housing when you spend time in Hawaii. So far we have removed or exterminated three. There were also a couple of small lizards. I hope this focus on the negative somehow balances the pictures of the most excellent scenery. This is not the worst cockroach experience we have had. When Cindy and I were in grad school, Cindy worked in the Iowa State University residence halls doing training for the individuals who were hired as head residents. Her job came with housing and we had a suite in a residence hall that had previously been used by the house mother. It was nice, but located near the steam tunnels that brought the heat necessary for the very large complex. The warm and humid tunnels shared certain characteristic that I now recognize as similar to the weather in Hawaii. Our suite was on the bottom floor and ever once in a while the exterminators would come after the roaches and the insecticide would drive the bugs out of the tunnels. One of Cindy's favorite stories includes a great image of the roaches crawling down the curtains in our living room. 

Anyway, there are cockroaches in paradise.

Na Pali Coast

Kauai is a small island with one main road that runs around the perimeter with side roads going inland as far as is practical. The exception is the Na Pali Coast which is mountainous and not practical for a road. You can helicopter there, hike to some parts, or visit by boat. The northern shore this time of year involves rough seas, but some days allow a visit. Even so the trip is rough enough that sea sickness visits those who are influenced by motion sickness. The following image of the island shows the area that does not contain the ring road.

We took a boat trip for four hours with the Tanners (Lynn's family) that visited the Na Pali Coast. 

Here are some examples of the views from the boat.

A video containing additional scenes.

 

Whales

We took a boat trip today with the Tanners to see the Na Pali Coast. It was fairly rough ride, but I was able to take many nice photos. I decided to divide the images across two sets to reduce the scrolling required. The following are some of the whale photos. We saw multiple whales with a couple of mom and baby combos that seem to be teaching and learning. The best shot had the camera focused at the wrong distance, but you get the idea.

Cindy was taking video with her iPhone and captured multiple whales breaching.

 

Favorite photo

 

Best of the Best

 The Kauai Bakery has been selected as the best source for malasadas on the island. While the kids were on their helicopter excursion we visited the bakery for coffee and some goodies. This bakery prepares the "donuts" first and then  creates the version of malasada you want when you order. I have video.

We bought a dozen to share.

I took a bite of this one so you can see the interior of a malasada. This is guava.

Trail Ride

We are letting each of the grandkids make choices about the activities for one day. Today it was Kia's turn. Her choices were boogie boarding, shave ice, Bubba's Burgers, and a trail ride. Here are a few photos from the trail tide. Grandpa saved a horse and did not participate. 

Called paniola, working cowboys and cowgirls are an important part of Kauai's history. 

Rainy Day Kauai

 It often rains a lot in Kauai, but this year has been dry. After two months, this is the first day when it looks like the rain will be serious. I am not a shopper.

The island is now under a flash flood warning with no driving advised because of water flowing rapidly over the roads in low areas. 

After a heavy rain, many mountains have visible waterfalls.

Travel guide said easy and scenic

 Our kids and families are hikers. The distance can be an issue for me, but a couple of miles is well within my range. The following series describes our experience. 

I decide this was a bad idea. Time to turn back.

Hiking in Kauai is a challenge. 

Moon over Lihue

I have seen many people posting photos of the full moon. I don't know if it has a special name. We were down in Lihue waiting for kids to arrive, saw the moon, and decided to head for the beach. Here is a photo and a short video. Moon over Lihue.

Reinforcements are on the way

 

Misconceptions

 It is easy to think you understand the basics of Hawaii, but then you find that what you thought you knew is ancient history or was never the case. Sugar cane is not a staple of the economy and is grown now as mostly a novelty. Dole pineapples and bananas also are no longer local. If you see a lady selling what I call a yellow pineapple at the farmers' market, she is taking advantage of the ignorance of tourists. The $8 pineapple you purchased was first purchased for less than $2 at COSTCO and it is the same pineapple you get from COSTCO back in the midwest. 

The pineapples grown locally that are unique are called "Sugar Loaf", are white, and have a different taste. A delicacy here is based on freezing these pineapples and then turning the frozen chunks into a type of soft serve that is expensive, but very tasty.

The bananas you purchase in the midwest also do not come from here. The local bananas are smaller and taste different (the following photo shows Sugar bananas and the more common banana available everywhere). Unfortunately, the angle from which I took the position distorts the size of each and the sugar bananas are actually about half the size of the more commonly eaten variety. It is weird how this photography stuff works. 

Ethnobotany

 When I used to spend time on Native American reservations I was occasionally introduced to someone who was described to me as an ethnobotanist. I got the idea that these individuals had acquired knowledge of plants that had medicinal properties and could be used in teas and poultices to combat different health issues. While medicinal uses of plants is part of what is included as ethnobotany, this would be a narrow perspective. The term explains the connection between people indigenous to an area and the plants native to that area. Some of the food preparations we have experienced (e.g., lau lau) would be another example. The culture of Native Hawaiians is obvious in Hawaii and references to agriculture are frequently mentioned, but I am guessing the remnants of ethnobotanical practices exist in many places if you look. Perhaps it is the effort to preserve this knowledge and share it that differs.

This is noni. The image doesn't offer perspective so I would compare the size to a lemon or lime. We explore botanical gardens when we visit different locations. There are likely many examples scattered throughout this travel blog. Here, noni would be pointed out as a food and medicine. I have seen food trucks advertise noni juice as a beverage. The juice is thought to have antioxidant properties.

One of the arguments made in the gardens committed to preventing indigenous plants from going extinct is the value of the scientific investigation of chemical substances from such plants for potential medical applications. The connection between this scientific study and the medicinal practices of ethnobotany are obvious, but there is also concern when substances are consumed without consideration of side effects or dosage. 

Cook Pine

 

These are Cook Pines (I think). It has a very interesting appearance with branches that seem further apart than the pines familiar to those of us from the midwest. A closeup of the branches show that the "needles" also have a different appearance.

The tree is obviously popular as a tree for the yard and it just seems strange mixed with palm trees. I have also noticed some cell towers camouflaged as Cook pines.

There is a specific tree that has attracted my attention over the past several weeks. It seems to put the home next to it in a precarious position and because I noticed this tree along my walk route I assumed something had changed to create this situation. I am used to pines toppling over as I think they have a shallow root system and a heavy wind after a heavy rain can sometimes drop a healthy tree. I finally went to the location of this tree to see if this was the case and it was not. The trunk of the tree just seems to be bending. I am surprised the home owner has not had the tree taken down.

Kama'aina

Kauai is one of those places where everything is expensive and you cannot see many things being produced. Maybe coffee, but with that exception everything seems to revolve around the beautiful setting and the tourists who visit to enjoy. Just how expensive is it? I think in terms of the cost of a cup of coffee. Maybe this is just me. The basic 12 ounce cup of coffee is $3. Adjust everything else accordingly and you have the basic idea. You get to the point making purchases is like using play money - just tap your credit card and don't think about it.

There seem similarities between Kauai and our lake place in northern Wisconsin. Here it is coffee and there it is lumber, but you wonder how everyone else gets by. Folks in general don't seem panicked and most just enjoy their environment. I am certain life is tough for some.

Hawaii has something they call Kamaʻāina. The word means "people of the land", but for practical purposes it translates as anyone with a Hawaiian drivers license. Kama'aina means an establishment offers a price break on goods and services for locals. I remember my first encounter with Kama'aina. It was on the Big Island and it happened in the Green Flash coffee shop. I visited so often that the Barista recognized me and one day announced I would receive Kama'aina. This has not happened here, but there too many people and with COVID you don't sit in the same shops day after day. 

The age of the tourists has changed visibly in the past week. More younger people and families. Spring break has arrived. Our own family members will be coming soon. 

Limahuli Garden

 The Limahuli Garden is one of a collective of tropical botantical gardens seeking to preserve and educate about tropical vegetation (see McBride and Allerton Gardens). We have explored this garden in previous visits and we have noticed that this garden like other "attractions" seems to have benefited from the lack of tourists because of COVID. We noticed several upgrades to the infrastructure and the grounds seemed to be in excellent condition. Limahuli attempts to capture the culture and to emphasize the native plants before the islands were colonized.

Taro, Poi, and Lau Lau

 Taro, see yesterdays post, is cultivated as a food source\. The croms (roots) and leaves are edible. After trying it in several forms, I have decided it must be an acquired taste or eaten for cultural significance. If the Norwegians can eat lutefisk and claim they like it, some of the dishes derived from Taro seem reasonable as a commitment to cultural identity. 

Poi is this weird custard like pink stuff you can purchase in grocery stores. Taro is starchy and when cooked and then pounded into a paste you get poi. The paste must be get cold or it will turn sour. You find it in grocery stores in these bags or plastic containers. 

The starchy taro can also be used as a flour. Like a potato it can be made into chips (not a historical form). The taste is a little different from corn or potato chips, but chips are just an excuse for the salt or nachos so easy enough to eat.

Finally, there is lau lau. Native Hawaiians convinced us we had to give lau lau a try. It was one of the common local foods we had yet to sample in our multiple trips to the islands. We found some in a grocery store followed the suggestions for cooking (you steam it), and gave it a try. Again, edible, but not a dish I would consume on a regular basis. Maybe some poi would have helped.

Lau lau consists of a meat, usually pork but we selected chicken, wrapped in taro leaves and then wrapped in ti leaves. The ti leaves are tough and just hold the individual servings together while cooking. The taro leaves are eaten and tasted like spinach to me. There is more in the center than chicken, but the meat is the main ingredient. 

Lau lau as shown on the plate has yet to be opened and the outside layer of leaves is not eaten. The bright green vegetable is sea weed.