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.