DivingOnce the rain let up and the waters cleared, there was some good diving on both the North and South shores 37 images |
 1 Sunday Day 1 - We arrived at our timeshare overlooking Hanalei Bay to torrential, monsoon-like conditions. Not exactly beach weather! We also learn that the one lane bridges into the Hanalei Valley are all closed due to flash flooding and mudslides. |
 2 Not sure about Dave's diving planned for Tues morning. Even after the rain stops and the seas subside, there will be lots of brown water runoff. |
 3 Monday Day 2 and the bridges are still closed, rivers are still at flood stage. Brief moments between downpours allow us to take photos of the mountains. |
 4 Waterfalls off the mountains are usually 1 or 2 trickles, if at all. Now there are dozens cascading down from all the rain. |
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 6 During a brief lull, the normally crystal blue Hanalei Bay is completely brown. Dave's diving has been cancelled for Tuesday. |
 7 Tuesday Day 3 - Torrential rains all night finally eased up towards dawn. Looking out from our lanai we see actual sun and clouds!! |
 8 Who knows, on our 3rd day we may even try to get to the beach today! You know its been bad when even the locals are complaining about the weather. |
 9 We give up on the beach idea and instead try to use the break in the weather to checkout the new mini-golf that opened in Kilauea a couple of months ago. |
 10 Of course, the course is waterlogged and the rain starts up again as we head out. |
 11 Yep, it's lots of fun putting through pools of standing water, but hey, we're finally outside! |
 12 We play a few holes, duck for cover to wait it out, then go out to the marshy course to tee off again. |
 13 The mini-golf course is built as a botanical garden. |
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 15 Wednesday Day 4 - The bridges finally open into Hanalei and we head through intermittent showers for dinner at the Dolphin Restaurant. |
 16 Thursday Day 5 - STILL RAINING!! We are invited to a neighbor's cocktail party, so Max started to make guacamole to bring. Loud lightning and poof, the power goes out for the whole area! |
 17 Too dark inside with the power out, the culinary arts conclude on the lanai as we wait for power to be restored... The soggy saga continues... |
 18 Friday Day 6 - Finally we have sun and we see a beach for the first time!! This is Wyllie Beach, a small western extension of Anini Beach on the north shore. |
 19 The view from Wylilie Beach towards Anini. The water is still pretty turbid, but it feels good to finally see the sun! |
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 21 Some periwinkles on the rocks at Wyllie Beach |
 22 Snorkeling at Wyllie Beach, I saw lots of these nudibranchs crawling along the bottom. Very interesting colors and spots. |
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 24 Deb and Mary came over from Oahu to stay with us for the weekend. Our first stop on Saturday was the Hanalei Farmer's Market. |
 25 We didn't really investigate this guy selling Kauai "Fungi". But after all the rain, there was no shortage of fungi anywhere on the island!! |
 26 Deb and Mary checking out the vendors at the farmer's market |
 27 Maxine bought some gorgeous handcrafted pillow covers |
 28 The field behind the farmer's market was still marshy left over from the previous weeks' rain. The Hawaiian state bird, the nene. |
 29 After the Farmer's Market in Hanalei, we headed over to the fish store in Kilauea to have lunch and buy some pupu's. |
 30 After lunch, we of course had to take Deb and Mary to the Kauai Mini-Golf, what a blast! |
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 38 The happy golfers |
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 41 Limahuli is a National Botanic Garden at the end of the north shore road, right before the Na Pali coast begins. Saturday night we attended an outdoor fundraiser of hula and storytelling under the full moon rising over the mountain valley. |
 42 About 50 people attended, setting up chairs in front of the ancient taro terraces where the hula was performed. |
 43 Waiting for the sun to set over the ocean, we could take time to wander the gardens and climb the terraces. |
 44 Limahuli is truly majestic and awe-inspiring. The terraces stretch far back into the valley. We had driven past the entrance for years, but this was our first time inside. The website has the entire history of the valley, its original native inhabitants, and its transformation into a National Tropical Botanic Garden: http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/limahuli.php |
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 47 A halau from Haena begins their chants as the moon rises. As a traditional and sacred performance, we were not allowed to photograph or video it. |
 48 Tahiti Nui is the happening spot in Hanalei village for pupu's, dinner, and local kine music |
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 50 Darryl and KoKo are Kanak Attack, regulars at Tahiti Nui. In pidgin, the name is used to describe the sleepy feeling you get after eating a huge meal. |
 51 Wed afternoon we take a drive down to Hanapepe to visit some of the art galleries |
 52 Automotive art in Hanapepe |
 53 After Hanapepe, we head to Josselin's in Koloa for dinner |
 54 View over Hanalei Bay towards Bali Hai (Mt. Makana). This was the first night clear enough that we got some color. |
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 56 Our last day, we head to Anahola Beach to enjoy the quiet uncrowded sand and view |
 57 Our last night in Kauai, we head into Hanalei for a tapas dinner at Bar Acuda |
 58 Last night in Kauai |
 59 Deb and Mary pick us up in Honolulu. We have a couple of hours to kill before our flight home, so we ride local style. |
 60 We head over to Kuru Kuru Sushi in Pearl City for a unique lunch experience |
 61 Yep, it's a conveyor belt sushi joint with a 45 minute wait to sit down |
 62 Each dish is color coded to indicate the price |
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 64 Even the clock is telling us it's sushi time! |
 65 Finally seated, the goodies whip by |
 66 Yes dear, that is spam sushi with ketchup! Followed by a giant crock of wasabi. |
 67 What's better than spam sushi, why hot dog sushi with ketchup of course! |
 68 The dead plates stack up and the waitresses count the colors to come up with the bill |
 69 Max is having fun! |
 70 Back at the Honolulu Airport waiting for our flight home, the end-times are clearly near as indicated by this display of Spam flavored macadamia nuts |