filling in
ok, so it's been forever. I'm sitting in Ray Pigott's house in Kekaha, Nabia is sitting next to me, and we are each using a computer (me on a dell, she on a mac). We have just written out notes as to what we've done for the last 6 days or so because we're having trouble remembering - we've done so much. I'll try and catch you up though. I may repeat some other stuff i've written since my last real post, but too bad. you'll just have to read it again.
The 11th: We woke up at the hostel in Kapa'a, henceforth to be referred to as home base. The plan was to head to the North Coast of the island and go through some of the little towns up there and do some snorkelling and laying around on the beach. We first drove our rent-a-wreck car south into Lihu'e to the place we rented from so that we could fill out the (minimal amount of) paperwork. We sat there for a while waiting for the guy to show up after having difficulty finding the place because there was no sign. It looked like a graveyard for cars. Sketch. Once finished with that, we headed back north through Kapa'a, stopping at a crafts fair that was happening. nabia picked up a beautiful photo album made from leaves and bamboo and things - gorgeous, and i finally got a sarong - blue and purple - it just screams amy. Driving further north, we headed towards Moloa'a bay - a beach we read about in our guidebook (Moon guidebooks, by the way - two thumbs up). We stopped at a little fruit stand along the way to have some lunch and bought some fruit - a chiku (cinnamon pear) and some bananas and some watermelon juice and then we sat under some palm trees and had leftovers from the night before for lunch. It's fun to eat tofu stir fry out of a zip lock bag, i swear. Then we made it to the beach - it was a beeeeeeeeautiful beach. secluded, not very many other people there (maybe 4 or 5). We stayed there for a while, swam, and rested on the grassy area near the black volcanic rocks. I put a picture of this place up on Ofoto, i believe. really peaceful.
Now we're hungry, so we head out of the bay up to Kilauea - the official entry point onto the North Coast of the island. There was a pizza place/bakery listed in the guidebook that sounded really gourmet and delicious, so we went there and had some delicious little tarts with potato and dill and cheese and another one with artichoke and sundried tomatoes and yum yum yum. we almost buy a brownie, but we resist. Then we stop at a little farmer's market store to pick up some crackers and fruit for snacking on.
We read about 'anini beach state park's famed awesome snorkelling, so we head there, but after we make our way down to the beach and have a war with our newly purchased snorkel masks, we find out that a) the coral there is dying and it's really sad to see, and b) our newly purchased snorkel masks are cheap and leaky (especially mine). We try for a little bit longer, moving over to where the channel is and the reef gets a little deeper, but we only see a few fish and some more sad looking coral. We decide to leave. On the way in and out of this beach, we walked through a camping area (most of the parks here have camping areas that you can stay in with just a cheap permit, something like $5/day. if we had a tent, etc, it would have been a great and affordable option). There were some older men sitting around near one tent, and they asked us for the time - i told them it was about 3:00 and one guy said really? i'm usually right on time, and today i'm over an hour early. usually i can guess when it's exactly 4:20... we declined their requests for us to join them.
We were exhausted and once again hungry at this point, and my stomach was feeling a little icky, so we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. There was an organic-no-refined-stuff restaurant in hanalei that the guidebook had liked, so we went there. it was called postcards, and we shared peppered pineapple sage ahi with broccoli and ginger vegetables and a salad w/pumpkin seeds & lilikoi (passion fruit) dressing. It was delicious.
Now we drive to the YMCA on the north shore in Ha'ena. We're driving now through the inland part - in Hanalei valley where they grow taro and the "highway" goes through parking lots and over one lane bridges where you have to wait and yield to oncoming traffic from the other side of the bridge. lush and green. and dark - not a lot of traffic lights... we struggle to find the ymca, but finally get there and are directed via yelling out a window to cabin 4. we drive over there and it's just a bunkhouse - a big room with 8 bunk beds or so in it. the bathrooms are across a field. we think "maybe we'll just sleep in the car, but we'll just use this room to change and organize our stuff" but then we start doing all that and decide to just sleep in there too. it's a little cold, pretty dark, and not very comfortable. I don't sleep very well, but we make it through the night.
In the morning, we realized that we were right on the beach - only a fence was separating us from the sand, and since i didn't sleep so well, i was up and on the beach in time to watch the sunrise. You had to walk a little bit to get the real view, but i did and though it was cold enough for me to wear my fleece, it was most definitely worth it.
Ok. I know that you still have no idea who Ray Pigott is and why I'm at his house, but i'll get there eventually. It's just that it's a beautiful day and he said the water was so blue.. i have to go outside. it's our last day on this island, after all. so i'll write more tonight from home base (that's the hostel in kapa'a for those of you not paying attention).
Aloha.
The 11th: We woke up at the hostel in Kapa'a, henceforth to be referred to as home base. The plan was to head to the North Coast of the island and go through some of the little towns up there and do some snorkelling and laying around on the beach. We first drove our rent-a-wreck car south into Lihu'e to the place we rented from so that we could fill out the (minimal amount of) paperwork. We sat there for a while waiting for the guy to show up after having difficulty finding the place because there was no sign. It looked like a graveyard for cars. Sketch. Once finished with that, we headed back north through Kapa'a, stopping at a crafts fair that was happening. nabia picked up a beautiful photo album made from leaves and bamboo and things - gorgeous, and i finally got a sarong - blue and purple - it just screams amy. Driving further north, we headed towards Moloa'a bay - a beach we read about in our guidebook (Moon guidebooks, by the way - two thumbs up). We stopped at a little fruit stand along the way to have some lunch and bought some fruit - a chiku (cinnamon pear) and some bananas and some watermelon juice and then we sat under some palm trees and had leftovers from the night before for lunch. It's fun to eat tofu stir fry out of a zip lock bag, i swear. Then we made it to the beach - it was a beeeeeeeeautiful beach. secluded, not very many other people there (maybe 4 or 5). We stayed there for a while, swam, and rested on the grassy area near the black volcanic rocks. I put a picture of this place up on Ofoto, i believe. really peaceful.
Now we're hungry, so we head out of the bay up to Kilauea - the official entry point onto the North Coast of the island. There was a pizza place/bakery listed in the guidebook that sounded really gourmet and delicious, so we went there and had some delicious little tarts with potato and dill and cheese and another one with artichoke and sundried tomatoes and yum yum yum. we almost buy a brownie, but we resist. Then we stop at a little farmer's market store to pick up some crackers and fruit for snacking on.
We read about 'anini beach state park's famed awesome snorkelling, so we head there, but after we make our way down to the beach and have a war with our newly purchased snorkel masks, we find out that a) the coral there is dying and it's really sad to see, and b) our newly purchased snorkel masks are cheap and leaky (especially mine). We try for a little bit longer, moving over to where the channel is and the reef gets a little deeper, but we only see a few fish and some more sad looking coral. We decide to leave. On the way in and out of this beach, we walked through a camping area (most of the parks here have camping areas that you can stay in with just a cheap permit, something like $5/day. if we had a tent, etc, it would have been a great and affordable option). There were some older men sitting around near one tent, and they asked us for the time - i told them it was about 3:00 and one guy said really? i'm usually right on time, and today i'm over an hour early. usually i can guess when it's exactly 4:20... we declined their requests for us to join them.
We were exhausted and once again hungry at this point, and my stomach was feeling a little icky, so we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. There was an organic-no-refined-stuff restaurant in hanalei that the guidebook had liked, so we went there. it was called postcards, and we shared peppered pineapple sage ahi with broccoli and ginger vegetables and a salad w/pumpkin seeds & lilikoi (passion fruit) dressing. It was delicious.
Now we drive to the YMCA on the north shore in Ha'ena. We're driving now through the inland part - in Hanalei valley where they grow taro and the "highway" goes through parking lots and over one lane bridges where you have to wait and yield to oncoming traffic from the other side of the bridge. lush and green. and dark - not a lot of traffic lights... we struggle to find the ymca, but finally get there and are directed via yelling out a window to cabin 4. we drive over there and it's just a bunkhouse - a big room with 8 bunk beds or so in it. the bathrooms are across a field. we think "maybe we'll just sleep in the car, but we'll just use this room to change and organize our stuff" but then we start doing all that and decide to just sleep in there too. it's a little cold, pretty dark, and not very comfortable. I don't sleep very well, but we make it through the night.
In the morning, we realized that we were right on the beach - only a fence was separating us from the sand, and since i didn't sleep so well, i was up and on the beach in time to watch the sunrise. You had to walk a little bit to get the real view, but i did and though it was cold enough for me to wear my fleece, it was most definitely worth it.
Ok. I know that you still have no idea who Ray Pigott is and why I'm at his house, but i'll get there eventually. It's just that it's a beautiful day and he said the water was so blue.. i have to go outside. it's our last day on this island, after all. so i'll write more tonight from home base (that's the hostel in kapa'a for those of you not paying attention).
Aloha.
posted by theonetheycallamy at 11/17/2004 10:42:00 AM
2 Comments:
Ok, mom has to be first on this one.
WHO IN THE WORLD IS RAY WHATEVER, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT HIS HOUSE????
I'll be eagerly awaiting your next chapter!!
Your everloving mom
Is "Ray Pigott" like a euphemism for something, like "Mary Jane" or "4:20" or such things?
One week out of the US and already you're hepped up on goofballs.
Maybe it's a secret clue you're offering us, as to where the Treasure of Hawaii can be found. Or maybe a secret message about identity politics? RAY PIGOTT = TO GAY TRIP? GRIP AT TOY? GATOR PITY?
Okay, I'll stop now.
My favorite parts of this blog so far are when you describe the food. Mmmm.
-M
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