Day 9 - Kalaulau Trail

We woke up this morning without a plan, so we got a bit of a slow start this morning. We decided to do a portion of the Kalaulau trail which is a trail that begins at the very end of the road that circles around Kauai. Similar to the other trails we hiked, the Kalaulau trail is considered to be a difficult hike. The entire trail is 11 miles, but we decided to do only the first and possibly the second segment of the trail. After eating a hearty breakfast at home, we drove out there and started on the trail around 11:30 AM. The beginning of the hike had a steep incline and was extremely rocky. We took our time stepping from rock to rock, and at times it got very slippery because the rocks were wet. After about only 20 minutes we were able to get a nice view of Ke'e beach and the water. As we walked, the trail seemed to get muddier with puddles all over. At first we tried to avoid the mud, but after a while it became inevitable that we were going to get muddy. Also, we crossed a number of streams. It took us about 2.5 hours to hike 2 miles which took us to the end of the first segment of the hike. The trail conditions were poor, so we decided not to continue on after lunch.

We enjoyed our packed lunches (salami and cheese sandwiches again) on the beach. While sitting on a rock, we watched a few surfers out in the ocean. After our break, we headed back to the car. Our pace on the return hike was much faster, and it started to rain which made certain parts of the trail even more muddy. Shin slipped on the trail and got mud all over his legs and shorts. We would share pictures, but we didn't bring the slr camera with us on the hike. Other than Shin's fall, we didn't have any other embarassing moments.

On our way home, we stopped off in Hanalei and rewarded ourselves by picking up some smoothies. Once we got back to the condo, we showered and started the laundry.

Day 8 - Another Timeshare Presentation and Waterfalls

We had to get another early start this morning because we had to drive to Kapaa for a timeshare presentation at a Shells Vacation Club Resort. It took about 40 minutes to drive down there, and we met Mark, our salesperson. They described the benefits of owning through the Shells network which is affiliated with RCI. The timeshare had a lot of interesting benefits, and the cost was significantly less than the Westin, but we had to pass. Unfortunately, the presentation took up 3 hours of our morning.

By the time we were done, we were ready for lunch. We drove down to Lihue to try Hamura Saimin which was another one of the restaurants on our list. The restaurant had about 3 large horseshoe shaped tables and the seating capacity is about 30-35 people. What made things difficult is that they had only one server waiting on the entire restaurant. When we got there, only two other people were waiting to be seated, and it took only a few to get our seat. It took about 10 minutes to order, and then we had to wait another 20 minutes to get our food. Shin ordered a large special saimin bowl and Alexis ordered a medium regular saimin bowl. We also ordered two beef skewers. The special bowl came with large kamaboko slices, pieces of chashu, and wontons (See right for picture). The saimin was very flavorful. The beef skewers were disappointing. The beef was well done and almost as chewy as beef jerky. If anyone is interested in eating saimin in Kauai, we would recommend this place.

After lunch, we checked out Wailua and Opaeka'a Falls which are two of the more popular waterfalls in Kauai. Both are just a few miles off the main road. It was pouring rain when we arrived at Wailua Falls (see left), but we managed to get a few pictures. It is a very grand waterfall with lots of water dropping into a small body of water down below. The raining stopped by the time we got to Opaeka'a Falls. This waterfall was much smaller, and we took pictures from afar.

Then we drove back to the Coconut Marketplace to do some more shopping. We walked through most of the stores and we picked up a sweatshirt souvenir for Alexis.

Day 7 - A Day of Leisure

We've had some very busy and tiring days, so we decided to take it easy today. We woke up in our condo with no food, so we drove up the street to pick up food from Foodland, a local supermarket. One of the first things we noticed is that that groceries were about 30-40% higher than what we would typically see on the mainland. Even though the groceries were expensive, we figured that it would be cheaper and more healthy if we cooked at our condo.

As soon as we got back, we made some coffee and had some yogurt and spam musubi for breakfast. Instead of doing anything too active today, we decided to drive over to Kilueau to see the lighthouse. We took some pictures from afar, but we didn't pay to go see the lighthouse up close. Then we did some shopping in Kilueau, and then headed up the highway to Anini Beach. Anini Beach is supposed to be a good spot for snorkeling. While we were there, we saw only one couple out in the water snorkeling. While walking around the beach, we got hungry, so we ate our salami sandwiches that we packed for lunch.

We continued on the highway to the end of the road. We stopped off at Tunnels Beach and we took some pictures of a very large dry cave. While walking around, we saw people buying coconuts from a vendor off the back of his truck. He was selling them for $5, and we decided to try it. He cut open one side, and then we drank the water out of the coconut. Then he cut it into pieces and put the white flesh of the coconut into plastic bags for us. Although the experience was kind of cool, the coconut water and the coconut didn't taste very good. Then we continued up the road until we got to the very end. We will likely come back to the end of the road again to do a hike.

After our trip to the end of the road, we drove to Hanalei to do some more shopping. We picked up a few things while we were there, and we also picked up some more shaved ice. Alexis had a grape and strawberry shaved ice with vanilla ice cream, and Shin had a special shaved ice called Bali Hai which was flavored with mango, ling hui, strawberry syrups, and macadamia nut ice cream. Alexis was disappointed that she has not had the opportunity to enjoy her shaved ice with azuki beans. Hopefully, we can get some before we leave.

Then we got back to the condo. Alexis rested and watched television, and Shin decided to take a jog around the Princeville area. It was a very difficult run because there were some steady inclines and the pavement was not flat. After getting back to the condo, we made spaghetti for dinner.

Day 6 - More Snorkeling and Time to Move On

Today, Alexis and Shin woke up at 5AM to get an early morning start. We signed up for a snorkeling trip with Blue Dolphin Charters out of Port Allen. We were out the door just in time, and we found the check-in station without a problem. The winter weather in Kauai is more unpredictable, and the swells have become increasingly larger. Because of this fact, prior to boarding the ship, the crew from Blue Dolphin warned us that if we went on the trip there would be no refunds and they couldn't promise that we would make it all the way to the Napali Coast. Because we don't have that many opportunities to take trips like this, we decided to go on the trip anyways. It was quite a bumpy ride out from Port Allen, but we managed to see lots of interesting things in the water. We saw flying fish, spinner dolphins, and a few sea turtles. After about 2 hours of choppy water, we made it to the Napali Coast. It's a beautiful sight, and it's only accessible by boat or by helicopter. We were able to see parts of the Napali Coast while we were on our hike earlier in the week, but it was also nice seeing it from the boat. As we made it up the coast, the waves got increasingly more violent, so after a few miles up the Napali Coast, the crew turned the boat around.

The boat took us back towards the south side of the island, and once we got to a calm area, we anchored and went snorkeling. We got in the water and looked around. A lot of the fish looked like the same species as yesterday. Alexis was able to see a sea turtle up close. Shin didn't see it while he was in the water. After spending some time in the water, Shin's arm started stinging, so he decided to get out of the water. Once back in the boat, he realized that he had a cut on his arm. Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious, but we still don't know what caused it.

After snorkeling, we had a deli lunch served by the crew on the boat. After our exercise in the water, it was a nice refreshment. They were also serving beer and maitais, but we stayed away from those because we didn't want to get sick and make a deposit back into the ocean. After lunch, the crew took us back to Port Allen, and then Alexis and Shin had to rush back to the hotel to shower, pack up, and to check out of the hotel.

As soon as we checked out of the hotel, we decided to get a snack at a local shopping center. We were both tired so we picked up some coffee from Starbucks. We also shared a sausage from Puka Dog. At Puka Dog, they bake a bun-sized loaf of bread and pierce a hole in one end and toast the bun from the inside using a heated rod. Then, they pour in a selection of unique Hawaiian or traditional condiments into the bun. Finally, a Polish or veggie sausage is slid into the hole in the bun. Puka Dog has been featured on the Travel Channel, and it seemed tasty, so we decided to try it. We both thought that the sauces inside the hot dog were a little overpowering and were unnecessary. Thus, we would have preferred the sausage without all of the extra condiments.


After our quick break, Shin brought Alexis back to the hotel for her spa treatment. She got a lomi lomi massage. For those of you who don't know what lomi lomi is, it is a rhythmical massage technique which was developed in Hawaii using thumbs, palms and elbows to loosen tissues and reduce tension in order to relax. A while later Alexis was done, and then we started our journey to Princeville. On our way to Princeville, we stopped off at the Coconut Marketplace for dinner. We ate at TJ's Grill where Shin had grilled ono and Alexis had a cheeseburger. Once we were done with dinner we got back on the road to Princeville. By the time we got back on the road, it was very dark. It was difficult to see the road, but we made it to the destination without any issues.

We're both very tired again, and we both got a little sun burned today. Tomorrow is probably a day to relax.

Day 5 - Individual Activity Day

We were dead tired last night, so we got to sleep early and woke up at 6AM. Shin took care of a few work e-mails in the morning, and then we headed back to Joe's on the Green for breakfast. This time Alexis tried their famous macadamia nut pancakes, and Shin had the scrambled eggs with beef, onions, and taro leaves. The macadamia nut pancakes were very thick and sweet with the regular and cocount syrup. The scrambled eggs were good, but Shin preferred the Kalua pork and eggs he had the time before. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures to share this time.

We drove back to the hotel, and Shin dropped off Alexis so that she could go to her lei making and hula classes. Alexis learned how to make a lei using 45 dendrobium orchids. She had to remove the stems and she strung the orchids using a long needle and string. The completed lei looked very similar to the one she received when we arrived at the hotel. After her lei making class, she took a hula class. The class learned a dance called Hanalei Moon. If you want to see it, you'll have to request it next time you see Alexis. : )

Shin drove to Kalaheo and went to the Kukuiolono Park & Golf Course. This course costs only $9 for 9-holes which is a bargain. As he drove up, he was amazed that a course so nice could only cost $9. Because Shin didn't have much time this morning, so he decided to hit a bucket of balls at the practice range. At this course, the course charged $2 for a tin can with 35 practice balls which is quite reasonable as well. Shin hit two cans worth which lasted about 45 minutes.

Shin drove back to the hotel and picked up Alexis. We went to Koloa Fish Market to pick up some lunch. We both ordered plate lunches. Alexis got a plate lunch with ahi tuna cooked in a cream wasabi sauce and Shin got a combo plate lunch with the ahi tuna and a Korean barbecue fried chicken. We also got a side of Korean style poke. The plate lunches were a bit salty, but very tasty. The ahi was cooked just right and the cream sauce was not overpowering and the wasabi gave it a nice little kick. The Korean barbecue chicken was similar to a well-done chicken karaage, and the korean style poke was similar to poke with a light spice to it. We really liked this meal.

After taking a short break after lunch, Alexis and Shin rented snorkel gear from the hotel. Poipu beach has some of the better snorkeling on the island, so we walked over there from the hotel. Once we got there, we had another Michael Chang sighting. It looked like he and his wife were looking around, but they didn't go into the water. We went out in the water and we saw quite a few different and colorful species of fish. One of Shin's favorites looked like the Brazilian flag. It was a nice experience, and the snorkeling here was much better than the snorkeling we did in the Virgin Islands. We snorkeled for about an hour.

We headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. We had reservations at a nice restaurant called the Beach House. We had a sunset reservation, so the restaurant was crowded when we arrived. We managed to take a few pictures of the sunset We started by ordering some calamari, and Alexis and Shin both ordered fish dishes. Overall, Alexis thought it was a nice meal, however, Shin was disappointed. The service was slow, and the food was a bit bland. Instead of getting dessert at the restaurant, we went to Lappert's ice cream for dessert. We each got a scoop of ice cream which were very tasty.

Day 4 - Nu'alolo-Nu'alolo Cliff-Awa'awapuhi Loop

Today was our trip to Waimea Canyon. On our way to Waimea, we picked up sandwiches and breakfast from Sueoka's. We did the Nu'alolo-Nu'alolo Cliff-Awa'awapuhi Loop which is a 10.3 mile hike. We got a late start, and we arrived at the trailhead around 11:15 AM. The lady in the visitor center told us it would take 6 hours to complete. By starting at 11:15, it gave us just enough time, so that we would not have to hike in the dark. Fortunately, it looked like the weather was going to be nice. The hike is described as very strenuous, and it ended up being a lot harder than expected.

The Nu'alolo trail is a 3.8 mile descent to the Napali Coast. There were quite a few steep steps that we had to take which would have been difficult had the weather been poor. This trail had a narrow path, and there were times when there were walls on left and right sides of the trail. so it seemed similar to a tunnel. Since it is currently low season in Hawaii, we did not run into very many people on the trail. We saw two hunters and less than 10 other hikers the entire day. We saw one person hiking barefoot which we couldn't imagine doing.

The Nu'alolo Cliff trail is mostly flat, but was challenging for a couple of reasons. First of all, this trail began with a very narrow path, with no railing, and on the side of the cliff. For people who are afraid of heights, this is not a good trail to do. The second reason why this trail was challenging is because it was difficult to figure out where to go. As soon as we got through the narrow path, we encountered a maze of 10 foot high reeds. We followed the reeds around, and we couldn't figure out how to get through it. We ran into some other hikers, and as a group we managed to navigate our way through the reeds. At this point, we thought it was a good time to take a break and enjoy some lunch. After eating for only a few minutes, it began to rain and we could see the clouds darkening. We were prepared for the bad weather, so we weren't too concerned. We continued on the Nu'alolo Cliff trail for another mile or so before we got to the Awa'awapuhi trail.

The Awa'awapuhi trail was the most challenging portion of the hike. It is a steady 2.8 mile incline back to the main road. It stopped raining, but we were already tired. Alexis had plenty of energy and kept a pretty good pace. Shin was very tired and carrying a 12 pound backpack. We pushed through and made it back to the main road. Once we got to the main road, we had to hike another 1.6 miles to get back to the car. We finished the hike around 5:00 PM, and we were both exhausted.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped off at Jo Jo's Shave Ice. It's the highest rated shaved ice place in Kauai. We got there right before they closed, and it was a really refreshing snack after a hard hike. Shin got a shaved ice with strawberry, maitai, and pina colada, syrup, and macadamia nut ice cream. Alexis got a shaved ice with cherry, strawberry, green tea, and vanilla ice cream. Alexis also wanted azuki beans, but they were sold out. We sat on the bench and relaxed while enjoying the shaved ice.

We also wanted to pick up dinner on our way home, so we stopped off in Koloa again. Today, we decided to pick up a pizza and salad to bring back to the hotel. While we were walking up the street, Alexis noticed Shin staring at an Asian guy. She also thought the guy looked familiar, so she figured that he was one of Shin's friends. The guy turned out to be Michael Chang the tennis player. He was with his wife, and they were shopping in the downtown Koloa area. We decided not to bother them to let them enjoy their privacy.

Day 3 - A Day of Leisure and Timeshares

We got another early start, and we started the day by visiting our personal concierge in the lobby. She gave us a "Welcome Package," she booked Alexis a spa treatment and she made some dinner reservations for us. The personal concierge also convinced us to attend a Starwood timeshare seminar where we would learn about their ownership program. We hate these timeshare seminars, but they offered us a $100 Starwood gift certificate and a 50% coupon off our next stay at a Starwood hotel. We love free stuff, so we couldn't say "no."

After our meeting, we drove to Kalaheo and ate at the Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company. It's another restaurant that had good reviews and is reasonably priced, so we decided to stop off there to pick up some breakfast. The restaurant is like a little cafe with a full service menu. Alexis ordered an egg white omelette with cheddar, mushrooms, and Portuguese sausage, and a soy chai. Shin ordered an egg scramble with eggs, cheese, tomatoes, green onion, and Portuguese sausage and an ice coffee. We also shared a chocolate raspberry scone (see picture). We really enjoyed our savory dishes, but the scone was just ok (Alexis' scones are much better :) ).

Now that our stomachs were satisfied, we drove over to the Kauai Coffee Company to tour the plantation and to taste test the coffee. The Kauai Coffee Company takes up over 3,000 acres of land, and is one of the largest producers of coffee in the United States. We took a short tour of the plantation which was similar to taking a tour of a winery. The only significant difference was that they were growing coffee beans instead of grapes. We taste tested a number of the different types of brewed coffee, and we purchased a few bags from the store's visitor center.

We headed back to our hotel in Poipu, and stopped off in Koloa to check out Sueoka's, a local grocery store. Koloa has a small downtown area with about 15 stores. We walked along the street and came across a kiosk with someone who was selling Kauai island adventures at a discount. We spoke to the salesperson, and she offered us a great deal on a snorkeling tour if we were willing to attend a timeshare presentation. We weren't too excited about attending another timeshare presentation, but they were willing to take off about $150 off the total cost of the snorkeling trip. We couldn't pass up a good deal, so we signed up. After our purchase of the snorkeling trip, we dropped by the snack shop which is attached to Sueoka's. We picked up a plate lunch and saimin to share for lunch. The food was good, but it was a bit salty.

Then it was time for our Starwood timeshare presentation. We met with our salesperson, and she gave us the overview of the different hotel lines under the Starwood umbrella and she introduced two of their newest hotel chain lines, Element and aloft. After the presentation, she brought us up to her office which happened to be right next to our hotel room, and she tried to sell us one of the timeshares. After a long conversation, she brought up her sales manager to try to seal the deal. Starwood timeshares are very nice, but at $57,000 and a $2,200 maintenance fee every year, it was way too expensive. They managed to hold our attention for 2.5 hours, but we managed to walk away without making a big purchase and our free gifts.

We had a few hours of sunlight left in the day, so we borrowed tennis equipment from the concierge and played tennis for about an hour. It was a good workout, but we both learned that we need to work on our game. It had been many years since the two of us had played, and we both could use some practice.

After our little tennis match, we washed up and got ready for dinner. We decided to try the hotel's Japanese buffet. Every Saturday evening, the hotel has a Japanese dinner buffet that included items such as sushi, sashimi, tempura, tonkatsu, soba, and curry. Alexis ate a lot of her staples, and Shin went right after the sushi, sashimi, and other fresh seafood. For those of you who are wondering, we did not stuff ourselves until we were ready to explode. It was a bit over-priced, but the quality of the buffet on a scale of 1-10 (1 being low and 10 being high) was a 7.5.

We are really having a great time on this trip. Here is a picture that Shin took this evening at sunset. Goodnight.

Day 2 - Lots of Things Planned Part II

After a satisfying meal, we traveled a few miles to go to Allerton Gardens. David, our tour guide, was very knowledgable in botony and did a great job explaining the characteriscs of the local flora and fauna. We took a number of great photos during our tour. The picture to our left is one of our favorites. It's one of the Moreton Bay Figs that were made famous in the movie Jurassic Park. After our garden tour, we traveled to the west side of the island to attend the Smiths Tropical Paradise Garden Luau. The luau started with a tram tour of the grounds. Then before the meal, we watched the Imu ceremony which was the uncovering of the pig. Two men came out and blew on their conch shells and spent a few minutes digging up the pig. Once the ceremony was over, we sat down at a table and enjoyed a nice meal which included green salad, Hawaiian potatoes, mashed potatoes, poi, lomi lomi salmon, kalua pig, beef teriyaki, sweet and sour mahi mahi, and chicken adobe. Overall, the food was pretty good. Immediately after the laua, we went over to the auditorium for the performance. The show included a number of dances from different countries that have influenced Hawaiian Culture including, Tahiti, Samoa, New Zealand, China, and Japan. We thought most of the performances were pretty good, but some of the performances seemed to lack authenticity. However, it was still a very entertaining show.

Day 2 - Lots of Things Planned

We got a good night of sleep, and Shin immediately looked outside our window. The picture above is the view from our balcony. It's really nice and peaceful.

This is one of only a few days where we have a number of things planned. We were both awake by 7:00 AM, and our first activity was outdoor yoga on the grass near the ocean. We picked up towels from the activity center, and participated in the class. It was Shin's first time taking yoga, but he expected it to be fairly easy. He figured that it would be a bunch of stretches, but it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Our instructor, Joy, was a very spiritual person and gave us a nice little workout. What Shin learned is that yoga is a lot more than just a few stretches. After the 75 minute session in the sun, we got a good sweat going and we felt at peace afterwards.

After freshening up a bit, we were quite hungry, so we headed out to lunch. We drove over to the Kiahuna Golf Course and ate at a restaurant called Joe's on the Green. It's known for its breakfast. They have their standard bacon and egg type dishes, but they also have so many tasty sounding specialty menu items like macadamia nut pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and tofu scramble. Alexis and Shin both ordered local specialties; Alexis ordered a spam musubi appetizer to share, and locomoco, and Shin ordered kalua pig, eggs, and rice. The food was great, and the prices are very reasonable.

Day 1 - A long travel day

Shin and Alexis stayed up late the night before the trip to clean the apartment and to finish packing. We didn't get to sleep until 2AM on Wednesday night, and Shin was up by 5am the next morning to start some laundry and to make coffee. Alexis woke up soon after, and after some last minute cleaning, we were ready to leave San Francisco. We drove down to San Jose to Shin's parents house so Shin's mom could drive us to San Jose airport. On the way down, we stopped off in Menlo Park to drop off our apartment keys with Adele (Adele was nice enough to be our cat-sitter while we're away.). Shin's mom drove us to the airport, and after a quick bite to eat, we were off to Los Angeles for our layover. Then after another short wait, we were on our way to Lihue! At this point, we were both really tired and we tried to sleep most of the flight. Although we both got some shut eye on the flight to Lihue, it seemed to last forever.

Once we arrived in Lihue, I noticed that the weather was very pleasant. Mid 70's with light to moderate humidity. We picked up our rental car, and off we went to the Sheraton in Poipu. As soon as we drove up, someone opened Alexis' car door and gave her a nice lei made of orchids (Shin didn't get anything : ( ). At the front desk, we requested an upgrade, and they offered us a much nicer room on the ocean side of the hotel. They said it was much nicer than the garden side. After a short walk, we got to our room, and Shin immediately looked out the window. Unfortunately, it was pitch black, so we he couldn't see anything. I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what this island looks like.

Finally!

It felt like our vacation would never come, but it's finally here! Kauai here we come.

We are so excited, and we hope you enjoy our blog.