So ends another winter spent in Kauai. I am glad to be back in Minnesota and getting my plants started for the garden. In a week or so, I will likely miss Kauai.
I have to admit that the present political and financial crisis has me worried. If the present downturn continues, will we be able to continue spending our winters in this way? I am trying to be positive, but nothing at this point seems under my control.
Our time in Kauai is coming to an end and we were able to fit in a whale-watching, sunset cruise. We had planned a similar outing earlier, but had that event cancelled because of high winds. This trip was one of our most successful outings of this type in terms of the number of whales we saw, but most did nothing exciting such as leaping or slapping their flukes, Mostly we just saw spouts, backs, and tails,
We are moving into the time of year when school its Spring break and some families and wealthy students take vacations in Kauai. Tbere is a spot across the way that is on the edge of a cliff over the ocean and once a week I see a yoga class meeting there. Because it is early morning, I see the class silhouetted against the sky. The class was extra large today and I tried to capture what I saw with my telephoto. It turned out pretty well.
There are plenty of strange things you can eat in Kauai. Some you discover at Farmer’s markets. The picture included below is Cacao. Eventually, this could have become chocolate, but this is the original component of that process. I have tasted a “bean” at a Cacoa farm, but one of our Russian friends saw it on the menu at Nourish and ordered. I think everyone had a small taste and then the delicacy was discarded.
Poipu beach is the place to go to see turtles. The numbers have decreased since we arrived, and they are now moving north about 400 miles to lay their eggs. Turtles and large crowds of people must share the same area. There are signs posted that explain the distance you must stay away from the turtles, but not all pay attention or read the signs. Usually, volunteers would position the signs around the turtles and tell those who strayed to move back.
Natasha came to get me to view the scene as I was at my post under cover reading a book. Cindy had taken charge and had moved the signs to an appropriate distance. She was warning people to move back. Natasha wanted me to take a photo. No disrespect intended by the title, but there are some folks who step up and some who know better but stand around looking at the ground. She was nice, but firm.
I have been reading a lot while in Kauai and one of the recent books was “The Notebook:A History of Thinking on Paper”. As the title suggests, the book covers the history of individuals keeping track of different experiences and ideas throughout history. I started to think about my own history of such activities. I started writing online in 2002 and most of the content I generated for this blog was professional in nature. I wrote about Cindy and my experiences promoting uses of technology for teachers. As time went on, I began to write more about a variety of topics including personal experiences. When I retired, about ten years ago, I began a blog focused on our experiences as we traveled about the world. You are reading this blog.
As I read about the history of individuals recording their experiences in similar ways, I took a look back at some of our travels. I decided I used to write more and I wrote more about places than people. You get glances that include our companions and personal reactions, but not as many as others might emphasize. I should make an effort to change my emphasis a bit. We have interacted with many interesting people on our trips.
One of our most interesting friendships has been with a Russian family and their associates. Cindy first met Natasha when Cindy made education-focused trips to Russia and Natasha was her interpreter. I eventually had the opportunity to visit Russia and we spent several weeks exploring the country with Natasha, Alec, and family. Most of that family has now immigrated to the U.S. and Natasha just became a citizen within the week. Alec and Natasha were with us in Kauai when the war with Ukraine started and they were on the phone talking with acquaintances and family members in both countries.
Natasha is with us now soon to be joined by her son Victor and girlfriend who we have yet to meet. Natasha and Cindy have a good time exploring together and spend some time on beaches which allows me to avoid the sand. Natasha is an amazing cook and she and Cindy also have a great time in the kitchen.
Here is my breakfast this morning.
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Kauai is not that large so over the years we have visited most of the most common sites. Cindy discovered the Hindu Temple and has been trying to pay a visit with some of our guests but it takes a while to get there and public access closes at noon. Yesterday, we made a stronger commitment with the closing time in mind and it turned out to be a very nice experience.
The Temple and Monastery have been around in some form since the late 1940s and while I am guess most of the folks who read this blog have little exposure to the Hindu religion, the presence on Kauai makes a lot of sense given the heavy presence of people from Asia. The grounds now total 380 acres and contain two temples - one open to the public and the other being renovated which is not. While open to the public, this is location is not intended as a tourist attraction and you can tell this from the makeup of the visitors who made this journey to spend time at a holy site.
I did not enter the Temple because I was wearing shorts and did not take a robe when I entered the grounds. Photos are not allowed within the Temple.
One location we always try to view with visitors in the overlook at Kokee State Park. Because the view is often obscured by clouds, having a clear view is even more rewarding. Cindy's long time friend was visiting and we had a great view on her final day in Kauaii.
On the way, we stopped to view the falls in Waimea canyon. The wind was very strong and you can see the impact the wind had on the falls.
If you think there is not much to look at, you are looking in the wrong direction. The food stand is called Nourish.
Cindy and friend are off exploring the island, so I decided to visit a different coffee shop. Rather than walk the 2 miles back after being dropped off in Princeville, I walked to the coffee shop a 1/2 mile away in the 1 Hotel at Hanalei Bay. I would typecast this place as where wealthy parents would gift newlyweds a two-week vacation after everyone else has gone home from a destination wedding. I put on a shirt with a collar in the hopes they would not throw me out, so I managed to drink a mediocre $9 latte and use their wifi for two hours.
I don't have the attitude that such is life. Income inequalities are a serious problem in our country and things are getting worse rather than better.
The vegetation here is dense and grows quickly. Being a groundskeeper seems a common profession and several different individuals work within this complex constantly. One thing I have noticed about their work is how aggressively they trim things and the reaction of the plants indicates this is what needs to be done. These two trees or bushes were just cut back and I can no longer identify them. The plant identification app I use is also perplexed.
I did figure out what the trees were by using an app to identify a different tree. It is a Sago Palm.
We were warned that the waves were going to be big today. Zero chance I would have been in the water under any condition. We are located on the northwest portion of Kauai and the warning was for us although the Northern point is where the largest waves typically are seen. 12-16 feet is big, but it is difficult to judge from the beach just if you are looking at something that large.
We are in Kauai this year in very unusual times. We were here at the end of the Biden term in office and for the beginning of the Trump administration. The early days of the Trump administration have been chaotic with many executive orders and the firing of many Federal employees. Without knowing what lays ahead in the next few days, it is worth preserving some of the experiences.
We stay in Princeville which is on the edge of the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. A few days ago I posted an image taken from the overlook with a comment about the concern of those working at the refuge because of cutbacks. Cuts were made. I posted something about the cuts to Facebook and had some unusual reactions. One claimed wetlands didn't need to be managed.
Just for the record, we took a quick trip into the reserve today by car. No use of the hiking trails to take a few images. These are multi-use facilities that preserve the natural resources but also serve the recreational interests of locals and tourists and in the case of this space offers small fields for locals who want to raise taro. This plant has special meaning to native Hawaiians and has some commercial value. The water suppresses competing weed growth and serves as habitat for birds.
Snow Geese do not migrate near Kauai, but one has somehow shown up here. Each year I wonder if Alfac has survived. Cindy does not think my prediction that Aflac has not survived the year is funny, but he/she has finally appeared and I managed to get a photo as I walked the trail past the golf course.
Of course, Aflac was named for the television, insurance goose. He/She has been accepted by the NeNes so is among friends and somehow has survived now through several of our visits. I try to get a photo and here is the closest I have come this year,
I happened on this description of cuts to federal workers on Kauai. We see one of these locations daily.
I took this photo through the car window. Cindy slowed down and I was lucky there was no one behind us. I did cheat a bit and used Apple's magic eraser tool to remove a safety cone that protected the parking zone beside the road.
I have not posted for a few days. Cindy and I have been sick so we weren't out and about and I had little to desxribe. Cindy had the flu. I had a skin rash that I have had several times in Kauai. The heat and humidity make the rash irritated and seem to make it spread. I finally went to Urgent Care and now have some medications that should help. The rash is evidently a relative of diaper rash as one of the salves can be used to treat either. I just made that up.
I have seen docs at small clinics when this has happened before, but when I tried one of these clinics I was told they were not seeing new patients. I am actually an old patient, but that probably isn't that funny. I did learn something that amazed Cindy. I really didn't understand that urgent care and emergency rooms are for different things. Urgent care is for those who can't get in to see docs because of issues and situations like mine. You probably understood this, but I have lived a sheltered life and some things just were not obvious to me. This is one of the reasons everyone should travel if possible because you learn new things. Medical situations are not the intended experiences, but things happen.
Anyway, we had to make a trip to the drug store and decided to have Pho because we were in the right place and had not visited our "where the locals eat" place this trip. Pho is a noodle soup and quite filling for the price. Last visit I tried what turned out a homemade vinegar and peppers concoction that I was curious about and found I really liked. Very local. The side dish is chicken.
We were shopping in COSTCO today and encountered this sign at the entrance and in the dairy cooler. I knew things were bad, but this seemed very extreme. Even the Pancake House announced today that they would add a 50 cent fee to any order that included eggs. It turned out the COSTCO people were just lazy and the sign meant three cartoons of eggs.
I did talk with the local guy while laughing at the sign. He said that the bird flu had reached Kauai and I should purchase the limit if I wanted local eggs. I asked how birds got this far to bring the disease and he was not sure. I said I knew that wild birds infected chicken farms. He claimed the Nene were in trouble and might go extinct again. The Nene are Hawaiian geese related to what we know as Canadians. We see many Nene and while they were near extinction they have recovered to the point they are now a nuisance. New menace in these difficult times.
We were supposed to go on a whale watch yesterday, but when we arrived the captain said the waves were still to high from the storm and it would be difficult to see any whales. Spotting the spouts is part of the process and with white caps the spouts are difficult to differentiate. Because it was clear we were warned to wear a long-sleeved sun shirt to protect the skin. We were visiting a farmers' market before our sea departure and I found this. Pretty gangsta. I can hardly wait to wear it to my Wisconsin backwoods coffee shop.
We were alerted to an approaching storm yesterday. We were to experience heavy rain and strong winds that would hit all of the islands. The storm delivered as advertized. We had no cable and no Internet for an extended period of time.
The following images include a photo of a cruise ship close to our beach. We don't see cruise ships so we thought this one may have been sheltering on our side of the island. The second photo is a nice rainbow - mid storm. The final video should be self explanatory.
The Nene is the state bird of Hawaii and is supposed to be, or at least recently was on the endangered species list. We see so many of them and they are so dirty (geese are like that) the endangered part is difficult to believe. Perhaps this is the case on the other island.
I see so many of these birds that I seldom bother to take a photo. I took the following picture because I thought the message on the sign with the Nene standing at attention behind the sign was interesting. I took several photos and moved around a bit and the bird did not move. When I told Cindy that this bird would not move she told me to look behind the bird. If you look carefully, you may be able to see momma Nene sitting on a nest. The bird out front was on guard duty. Cindy just had cataract surgery and has been on me to have the same procedure. This incident will be told and retold to bolster her case.
Temporary seems to have a different meaning in Kauai. I started writing about spending time in this library several years ago. The books on the shelves don't mean much as I read everyone on a device, but I like to sit and use the wifi in the library when I can't find a place to sit at the coffee shop.
They closed the library down in 2023 and added a small pop-up along my walking path. Still looks the same two years later. I stopped by the pop-up in 2024 to say hi. I wondered if the idea was to request a book from the catalog they would find for you. Nope. The books on the shelf are what they have available. One computer the locals could use if they needed online access.
Maybe next year.
Things don't move quickly here. We have been watching an area very near Princeville for a couple of years. The area was hidden behind a fence covered in plastic. We learned last year that it was a wildlife refuge of some type. It was not a large area, but I assumed it was a parking area for a trailhead.
The area was open this year when we returned and we visited today. Cindy had a conversation with an employee working at the site,
It is not a trailhead but more of an overlook with labeled vegetation. The land below the overlook is government-owned and part of the refuge. We have visited the taro fields you can view from the overlook. They are government-owned and leased to local farmers. The site is officially known as the Hanalai National Wildlife Refuge.
