We're back

Just in case you were worried and haven't talked to us yet, we arrived back safely into SF last week.  We miss Hawaii terribly, but I'm glad to be home.  So far the best thing about being married is that I'm no longer planning a wedding and can devote time to other, more exciting ventures.

More update later.

After days of lying on the beach and reading, Kate and I emerged from our water-front house and ventured out.  Yesterday, we drove north in search of good food and adventure, which we met at Postcards Café and the wet and dry caves!  As our red convertible was slowly winding the slim roads of the rain forest mountains of Hawaii, Kate and I couldn’t help but stop every half mile to take photos of this cliff, that beach, or the dozens of baby chicks that were following mama hen on the waterfront.  The cliffs were overrun with greens, purples, reds, and yellows, creating an over-run collage of intermixing colors and plants. 

Today our adventures led us kayaking down the river and hiking to a waterfall once used by Hawaiian royalty.  After our kayak downstream – which I’m sure looked peaceful, but left us drained physically and mentally – we hiked to the waterfall.  They told us to prepare for mud, but I didn’t expect to be calf-deep in it.  But after walking hip-deep in a raging river, I was ready for all that Mother Nature wanted to throw at me.  I have to admit, I really enjoyed slipping and sliding with mud between my toes.

As for tomorrow – ziplining!  Then we’ll be off to The Big Island, where we’ll get to see a real live volcano!  We’re having a blast…

Aloha

Since arriving in Hawaii I have lost all sense of time.  My daily rhythm is based on when the rooster crows in the morning, the tide comes in during the day, and the sun sets at night.  Everywhere I go I can hear the powerful and calming ocean breathe in, breathe out as the waves gift the beaches with coral from the reefs that peek out from the water.  Our house is right on the water, with a view of an expansive ocean that is only broken up by black lava on the beach and the bountiful green of the flowering plants.  There are mango and pineapple trees everywhere, just like the coral and shells that are prolific along the beach.  Everything is lush and colorful here.  The reds, greens, yellows, and blues all are vibrant against the lush mountain ranges that you can see from wherever you are.

When we arrived in Kauai, we were struck with the abundant beauty of this place.  And then I was immediately struck by the chickens.  They’re everywhere.  We’ve seen hundreds of roosters, chickens and baby chicks hanging out on the side of the road, on the beach, in our front yard.  I find them hilarious and fun, and have become an obsessive rooster watcher since our arrival.

Our house’s beach is fairly secluded, and it feels private at times.  There are about a dozen other houses that share the beach, but we have rarely come upon others enjoying the water.  Well, we’ve rarely come upon people.  Little sand crabs are abundant here, burrowing into the sand at night and digging themselves out during the day.  Little sand piles can be found throughout the beach, from where the crabs finally reached the surface again to eat little things they find on the beach. 

Just a short walk away from our house, a river meets the ocean.  It’s surreal how beautiful it is.  It reminds us of Disneyland, how over-the-top gorgeous the water and trees are.  The riverside is lined with banana, mango, and coconut trees, along with outrageously beautiful flowers that seem unreal in their exquisite beauty.  The water is brimming with fish and other almost transparent animals –almost all the animals here are invisible.  The crabs are the color of sand, the fish the color of fallen palm trees, the birds the color of mangos.  There are also hundreds of tadpoles swimming at the river’s edge, and I keep wondering where mama frog is – I haven’t heard any croaking, just the diverse trills and cock-a-doodle-dos of the birds. 

We’ve spent our time exploring the Eastern side of Kuauii.  The farmers’ market had all sorts of fruits I had never heard of before.   The banana options alone are overwhelming.  We bought some of the fruits and enjoyed a cold coconut.  After drinking the delicious coconut water, we returned to the stall to have the seller take a machete and chop the coconut in half.  We took the wet, silky insides and ate them.   It was delicious and nothing like what I have been led to believe coconut tasked like.  It’s like tomatoes – the fresh fruit has almost nothing in common with what is sold in the stores.