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Published: November 2nd 2018
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Dateline, October 30
th, Nawiliwili Harbor, Kauai, Hawaii
Chickens, Fern Grottos and Abandoned Papaya Fields
We are excited to be back on Kauai. This morning is pouring rain but that will soon stop and we’re hoping for a beautiful day. As we begin to dock, over the rail on the dock is a lovely woman in red doing the hula to greet us. The three ukuleles being played behind her sound beautiful.
We head off to grab the Alamo shuttle to the airport where we will pick up a car. The shuttle line is so long that we abandon that idea and head for a taxi. The taxi driver doesn’t really want to take us the short 2 miles to the airport but just then 4 passengers come along also wanting to go to the airport and we all hop in. Fare: $15 but we give him $5 each, $30 and the driver smiles as it takes the sting off the short ride. They have moved the car rentals since we were last here so now you have to take a shuttle to the cars. 15 minutes later we are on our way to Kapa’a.
We’ve decided to
take a Fern Grotto boat tour just because we haven’t ever done it. But we have a little time before the 11am boat, so we make a quick stop for 100% Kona Coffee and then head for the beach in Kapa’a to scoop up some sand for the grandson. The sun has come out, the weather is about 78 degrees and it is a beautiful day. We head to the fern grotto and are not disappointed. As we park, the famous chickens of Kauai are all around with their baby chicks ?. The boat holds 100 people but there are only about 20 of us, so lots of room. We head up the river to the fern grotto. We disembark and head up a path of rain forest plants, water from waterfalls flows across the path and all all around us mist is dripping on us through the gigantic ferns overhead. When we get to the end of the trail there is a large wooden platform with a group of Hawaiians singing and playing ukuleles. Very magical. On the way back, this same group comes with us on the boat and we all stand up and learn the hula. Lots
of laughing and fun.
Back in the car our next destination is Koloa. Koloa is where my sister, Linda, grew papayas for a number of years and we’re anxious to see how her fields are faring. We drive through Lihue and on to the Tunnel of Trees (Did you ever see Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii driving through these trees?). Koloa is just up ahead so we turn right and go down about a mile to the papaya fields. Oh gosh, almost missed them as the jungle has taken over. A few papayas have survived and are 40’ tall and scraggly. Beautiful jungle but sad to see after she worked so hard on those field. We backtrack into Koloa and stop for lunch in the little town and follow it up with a macadamia nut ice cream fix. We wander a little bit and decide that since it’s 3pm we’ll head back to the car rental and the ship.
We’ve been to Kauai many times to visit Linda, and to work in her fields, hike the Napali Coast, visit the beaches, see the canyon, Princeville for amazing lunches coupled with Jean’s daughter Christine lived here and Cope’s son
Clint married Abby here, we will surely return.
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