Hawaiian Adventures. Part Two

Hawaiian Adventures

The Island of Kauai

Kauai is known as the Garden Isle of the Hawaiian chain of islands and it truly lives up to its name.  Here you can see cascading waterfalls, enormous sunken canyons, lush vegetation, dazzling sunsets and crescents of white sand beaches along jagged coastlines.  The food in Kauai might be Philippino, Japanese, Chinese, Portugeuse, Korean, Vietnamese, Pacific Rim, or any delicious combination of the above.

For this stay I choose a bed and breakfast overlooking a Tuscan like valley.  Marjorie's Kauai Inn is a good fit for us as they can cater to vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and other lifestyle culinary choices.  Mike, our host, is so accommodating that he provides steamed kale and other greens each morning for breakfast along with steel cut oats, Hawaiian granola, rice milk, buckwheat pancakes and fresh pineapple, strawberries and blueberries.  Our large room overlooking the pool and patchwork valley comes equipped with a television and DVD player, private bath and refrigerator.  When we arrive, the frig is stocked with a welcome platter of fresh fruit, Hawaiian chocolates, macadamia nuts, and Ezekiel bread.  Mike greets us warmly and shows us all the wonderful things he has stocked for us to borrow during our time in Kauai.  These treasures include a collection of well over 100 movies, snorkel equipment, boogie boards, water bottles, books, life jackets and many travel brochures to lead our way.  Every morning he makes suggestions for our daily itineraries and always includes some hidden gems not in the guide books.  The third day, Mike's wife Alexis arrives to prepare some gluten free scones sweetened with dates as part of our repast.  Our breakfast companions are a lovely couple from Vienna, Virginia, only 25 minutes from our home in. Maryland!   We share our travel experiences over tea and breakfast on the outside porch overlooking the spectacular view.  The next day we meet two doctors from Calgary, Canada and have a lovely conversation about health and western medicine.  I am interested to hear about their views on medical care and whether diet has any place in their practices.  They have just returned from a 22 mile round trip trek along the North Shore, camping out on the trail!   We envy the three weeks the Vienna couple have put aside for their first visit to the islands.  We are sorry to miss the celebration they have planned to celebrate their 25 th anniversary after we are gone.  The experience of a friendly, vegan, homey bed and breakfast with interesting fellow guests can supersede any five star hotel, in my book.

Upon arrival, we opt for a drive to the North Shore of Kauai.  It is an hour drive from Lihue along the sole coast road before we arrive at our destination.  At this time of year, the water in this region is more suited to surfers as the waves get up to fifteen feet.  We visit Hanelei town, filled with beachy shops and restaurants and KO gets his dose of L and L, a typical Hawaiian fast food joint.  The traditional plate lunch with its two scoops of white rice, macaroni salad, and Ono fish must be consumed by every true Hawaiian.  Personally I do not get the appeal of it and opt for some Humous and carrots from a nearby grocery.  Princeville is filled with upscale resorts and shopping centers.  The views from the lookouts here are picturesque with tall cliffs over curvy beaches below.  

Following a long drive south, we reach the South Shore in the dark in time for a delicious oceanfront meal at Beach House near Poipu.  Our waiter, Edwin, is a delight.  He asks KO what nationality he is, as, like everyone else we meet, he thinks KO is Philipino, like Edwin is.  KO gets these inquiries many times, especially from the waiters on the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise every year.  He must have similar features to Philipinos, but he is actually half Chinese and half Japanese and from Hawaii.  We do occasionally partake in fish and decide to try the ones that are often found on Hawaiian menus, Ono and Mahi Mahi.  It is served over risotto and accompanied by some lovely greens.  Later we arrive at our bed and breakfast in the darkness and our parking space is on a very steep incline.  We go to sleep wondering if our car will be at the bottom of the hill when we awake at 5 am to the cocka doodle do of the multitude of roosters found all over the island.

Since we only have two full days here, we try to cover a lot of ground in a short time.  This morning we head out to Waimea Canyon, labelled the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  The eighteen mile ascent to the top takes us about an hour,  winding up the passes on the mountain.  Arriving at the summit, 4000 feet above sea level, the views are spectacular.  The canyon layers of red, green and brown rock were formed by a volcano that collapsed.  Waterfalls spout out over the rocks in a haphazard fashion.  Over the western side of the mount we can just barely spy the Na Pali Coast, with its pristine beaches, through the clouds overtaking us.  The temperature up here is 15 degrees colder than at the base and a misty rain is falling.  Juraissic Park was filmed nearby and I am expecting a Tyrannosaurus to appear at any moment!

Old town Koloa is one of my favorite stops on the Southern Shore.  In 1835, the first sugar plantation was established here.  Immigrants from Japan, Portugal. China, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines flocked to Koloa to work in the sugar cane fields.  KO's dad grew up on a sugar cane plantation in Oahu which we got to visit and in one of the houses they had photos of the immigrants from Okinawa named Oshiro and there was a very close resemblance to his family.  The Koloa History Center and the plaques on many of the buildings give us an idea of what life was like back when sugar cane was king. 

The walkways are dotted with friendly shopkeepers selling Hawaiian Aloha shirts and dresses. A Hawaiian's idea of dressing up is putting on his colorful Aloha shirt. No ties or suits can be found here, even in fancy restaurants or when conducting business.  They have the right idea about comfort!

Pizzeta is our restaurant of choice as Italian food can lend itself to a plant based diet.  We partake in delicious pasta and fresh veggies.

The Poipu Beach near the Grand Hyatt is the place to be at sunset.  We casually wander into the resort, as if we belong there.  Amazing lagoons and waterfalls create the hotel's backyard and we meander along the paths, past the salt water pools to the beach.  A sunset in Hawaii is always spectacular.  Crowds gather to watch the sun making a slow than quick trip toward the horizon and  then out of sight to warm the other side of the globe.  Cerulean blue skies and a Windsor sea is the back drop as the bright yellow sun creates muted purples and pinks to stretch in a watercolor palette of colors for our enjoyment. I never get bored with nature's magic.

On our last day we have planned a catamaran ride along the Na Pali coast.  Promises of a dazzling coastline dotted with snowy white untouched beaches have convinced us to spend the money on this excursion.  When we arrive at the departure site, we get the disappointing news that the seas are too high and rough and the trip will not take place.  Unfortunately, since we are leaving the following day, we will have to miss this experience.  Feeling let down, we head north to the Wailua Falls, site of the opening scene on the popular TV show,  Fantasy Island.  The Wailua River is said to be the first landing spot for all Polynesians to the island.  We travel up a four mile road that leads right to the falls.  Nearby a homeless person with long dreads is creating lovely baskets by hand,  weaving reeds together in a criss cross pattern.  Two mangy dogs sit nearby.  I am not sure if he is selling the baskets as he does not speak but continues to create his beautiful work.  The falls meet our expectations and we take some nice photos.

We are leaving the Hawaiian islands today, after a brief stopover in Honolulu.  The memories I will take with me are the friendly spirit and laid back attitude of the people living here, the watercolor sunsets and sunrises, the majestic scenery, the multiethnic foods, and the serene feeling created by all of the above.  In my hurried existence on the east coast, I forget that there are people around the globe living a slower, less pressured lifestyle and treating others with the kindness and cheerfulness found here in Hawaii.  I am thankful that I got to experience this, if only for a little while......

Hawaiian Adventures, Part One

Hawaiian Adventures

Part 1

When winter approaches in fall with several feet of snow in Buffalo and temps dipping into the teens in Maryland, it's time to make our escape to the beautiful paradise of Oahu, Hawaii.  Since KO's parents live in Honolulu, we try to make the five hour trek across the continental US and then another five hours across the Pacific to visit them every couple of years.  Travel can be both exhilarating and exhausting.  While I enjoy visiting other places, I do not relish what it takes to get there, the hours in the airport and on the cramped planes and the jet lag that seems to last forever and wakes me up at three am. for a few days after I arrive.

The other difficulty with long distance travel is finding a way to stay healthy with the challenges of unusual foods with unknown ingredients, and trying to keep to a regular schedule.  I always consult happycow.com before I leave home to discover the vegan restaurants in the areas I will be visiting.  I match the restaurant to the vicinity we will be touring in each day of the trip.  It always helps to have a refrigerator in the room, or a small kitchen and maybe some relatives nearby who are macrobiotic too! ( a rare and pleasant find for us!). We stayed at the Waikiki Beach Hilton which had a refrigerator in the room, Hawaiian music in the lobby, and valet parking.  

The highlights of the Oahu branch of this trip are many.  One day we tour the spectacular home of Doris Duke.  At the age of twelve, she became the heiress to the Duke fortune, acquired through the profitable tobacco business. Seeking privacy from the paparazzi, she built a haven in Honolulu which brushes up against the sea with wonderful views of the sand and surf.  At twenty three, on her honeymoon around the world she fell in love with Islamic art and brought back entire rooms from Morocco and reconstructed them to the letter in this palatial home.The wooden floors throughout are from Hawaii, but she planned every other detail including the intricate cut glass windows and the inlayed wooden ceilings from materials she acquired in Iran and other far away places.  She was known for being the first American woman to become an adept surfer as well.  Ms. Duke led a fascinating life filled with mystery, affairs and a love of beautiful things.  

Another highlight was our climb up Diamond Head and our ascent to Manoa Falls.

Diamond Head is an extinct volcano which is 150,000 years old.  A tunnel has been carved through the exterior so the visitor enters into the cavernous center of the volcano.  Along with a multitude of other travelers, at seven am. one morning we begin our climb up ramps, steps and stones to the summit.  It is an arduous climb as the temperature soars into the mid 80's, but the reward is great.  From the top, we can view the entire city and the coastline, as well as the ant like cars below.  It feels quite empowering to add this to our list of accomplishments.  

Manoa Falls takes us to a different climate even though we are still right in Honolulu.  As we enter the area from the parking lot, we can see lush green vegetation and it feels humid.  After walking a ways, the rain begins to fall and the temperature begins to drop.   The trees here loom above our heads and are buried in deep green philodendrons that curl up their trunks.  The sprinkle of rain has made the rocks we must climb muddy and mucky.  One must climb with care so as not to slip.  After a difficult ascent, we are rewarded with a breathtaking waterfall that cascades through a rocky creek all the way down to the bottom of the trail.  Soaked to the bone, we carefully descend through the cool, then humid temperatures of the forest and back to the parking lot.  Hawaiians view this place as a home of the gods and we do detect a serene and other worldly feeling at the end of our adventure to Manoa Falls.

The epicurean experiences in Oahu are plentiful and unique.  First, the influence of the Asian population is apparent everywhere.  Japanese grocery stores and specialty stores, such as Shirokiya, abound.  Shirokiya is a Japanese store adjacent to the Ala Moana Mall that sells everything Japanese and has an eatery upstairs offering Japanese curry dishes, sushi, Nishime, Kinpura, bento boxes, ramen, tempura, rice balls and Mochi.  Sitting at the tables, the language of choice is Japanese and most of the shop keepers are fluent in Japanese.  

The first night KO's parents generously treat us to an authentic Japanese meal at Gazen.  They make their own homemade tofu, much creamier than the store bought type and very delicious, and natto, a fermented soybean dish which provides calcium, but can be unpalatable to some due to its slimy texture.  The udon noodles with vegetables are delicious as is the daikon salad.  It is a real treat to see what real Japanese food tastes like, which is quite different from our restaurants back home.

The KCC  Farmers Market on Saturdays is one of my favorites experiences on the island of Oahu.  People start arriving by busloads at 7 am to roam the booths and to try some of the delicious foods offered here.  Fried green tomatoes, fresh home made natto, Hawaiian chocolate and Kona Coffee, sweet pineapple, Vietnamese street food, raw vegan food from Greens and Vines and many bakeries, including a gluten free, vegan one.  There are clean cosmetics, soaps and scents and fragrant ginger flowers, colorful African Violets and Birds of Paradise.  This "Haole" (a white person) feels very much in the minority among so many beautiful Asian people.  Hawaii is a prime vacation spot for Japanese people as the signs are in Japanese, many speak their language and even though it seems very expensive here for us, it is cheaper here than in Japan so their money stretches in Hawaii and many Japanese choose to have weddings here in Honolulu.

The other places we try are the Downbeat Diner in Chinatown and Nourish near our hotel.  Nourish does a tofu scramble and Downbeat has vegan chili with brown rice. We were not disappointed with either choice.

Finally, having friends or relatives at a travel destination is a real plus. KO's mom has been macrobiotic for 34 years so her kitchen is all set up for us when we come to prepare a macrobiotic meal for all of us.  It feels like home to be in a kitchen again after all these meals out and I am thrilled to share Stuffed Acorn Squash, Cream of Cauliflower Soup, Tofu with Squash and Purple Cabbage and Lemon Bars with them.  KO's mom adds natto and a yummy quinoa dish and we sit down to a home cooked meal.  I feel more balanced and ready to continue our adventure to Kauai, the garden isle, tomorrow.