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. 

Kauai, where you wake up to rainbows. As I said yesterday, we are staying here under Kahili Mountain for the duration of our stay on this island. Before we head out for our late breakfast at the Koloa Fish Market, we thought we should take a moment to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings.

You don’t have to go far to find a universe that’s a world away from the one we’ll be jumping into shortly back down at Poipu Beach, where we finished our day yesterday.

Imagine how many biomes any of us with the means could explore if there was the desire to gather the infinite. Instead, many will focus on celebrity du jour as though the study of fame and wealth could inspire someone to easily achieve something so esoteric and rare as deep talent, but that’s how we package cultural consumption. It’s as though if one were to watch Star Wars, they too could be a Jedi fighter, and with cosplay, I suppose they in some way do just that, but who might ever attempt to take inventory of every variant of Lantana and then pretend to be Darth Frugivore destroying the Lantana Empire’s fruit? Probably not a movie that would sell well.

Just then, this frugivorous lizard throws me side-eye and telepathically signals me to stop making fun of their universe.

Excuse me while we take this underwater. Here we are at Poipu Beach in Koloa was the first place we snorkeled. So I asked this Christmas Wrasse what its thoughts were about a culture preoccupied with the superficial. It blooped out a couple of bubbles, signaling me to piss off.

No, you stupid human, I am not some philosopher fish, nor should you confuse me with some famous aquatic sociologist Osteichthyes you might think I am; I’m just a fish swimming in the sea, likely as confused as you are.

Back on Poipu Beach, I find no sign of intelligent life, so we return to the sea like the Tiktaalik should have done.

Not finding what I was looking for at Poipu, we moved up the road to Lawa’i Beach in Koloa and started looking for fish with answers to life’s important questions.

Lunch was at Koloa Fish Market. Just kidding, we pulled this guy out of the water, ate it, and called it sushi.

Kapaia Stitchery in Lihue beckoned. Without yarn stores, we made do by Caroline buying some fabric.

Wailua Falls in Lihue, and I’ve not a snarky thing to share. In any case, that nonsense can only go so far.

Caroline Wise on Wailua Beach, I’m starting to believe she’s trying to return to some ancient form.

We are driving into Poliahu Park because our day needs more waterfalls.

‘Opaeka’a Falls is just the medicine.

Waterfalls followed by fresh coconut water.

We are at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery admiring Nandi, the bull that transports the Hindu God Shiva. We didn’t stay long as a private event was restricting areas from visitation.

Continuing our exploration, traveling north on the east side of Kauai, we reached the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

Like most lighthouses these days, they serve an aesthetic tourism role as their lights were decommissioned long ago, having been replaced with electronic beacons. Fortunately, they are being preserved, though I can’t imagine the expense will be carried on for decades to come unless they are financially self-supporting.

So this is the famous nēnē goose; its neck feathers are like no other I’ve seen, but then again, maybe I’ve not seen a super wide variety of geese.

We watched a bunch of frigates gliding along the ocean’s edge, but it was the albatross that demanded most of my attention. The albatross is the bird that can circumnavigate the earth in as little as 46 days, can fly for 10,000 miles, remains out over our oceans for up to six years, can read the weather far in front of it, and navigate to avoid storms; this giant bird is magical in my eyes. When one stops to think about the juvenile leaving the nest and this solo journey for years as it matures, only returning to its birth island to find a mate after this pilgrimage to the sea, should leave us wondering what is it gathering in experience as it travels our earth in ways no other creature can.

Hanalei Valley in Princeville is home to one of the most famous overlooks, but right now, the weather is not cooperating for one of those photos.

Wishing Well Shave Ice in Hanalei because if we don’t try them all, how will we know which one is the best?

Hanalei Beach, with two other visitors, we held back so as not to crowd them.

Wainiha Bay Park in Kapa’a was all ours, not another person in sight. How much longer can this kind of experience be had on the Hawaiian Islands?

On our way to the end of the road. We take note along the way to return to the Limahuli Garden & Preserve National Tropical Botanical Garden should we have time this trip or maybe on a future return to the island.

Ke’e Beach in Haena State Park is what we’ll be exploring today, as the Kalalau Trail will require more time than we can afford this afternoon. The Kalalau Trail I mentioned is the famous one that takes the intrepid out on the Nā Pali Coast.

Shore erosion?

The faces of happy people on the island of Kauai on a beautiful day.

The threatened crowds never materialized; maybe this is the benefit of showing up outside of the main summer season.

On our way back around the island, we had that perfect moment where the lighting did all the work of showing off what the Hanalei Valley Lookout is known for.