Back to the Daily Grind

Yes, we're back from Hawaii. And yes, it was wonderful--unseasonably hot weather, cloudless days, a lovely view of the ocean right off our deck. It couldn't have been more perfect. I actually managed to forget how stressed I was about school. ;)

Last year we didn't rent a car because we were both under 25 at the time and the expense would have been too much for our newlywed budget. But this year, me having just attained that ripe old age, we decided to invest in a rental car so we could see more of the island. It proved to be well worth it--we were able to see many of the sights we missed out on last year. For example, on Monday we drove up the Waimea Canyon--a.k.a. the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii." Not nearly as spectacular as the Grand Canyon, I'm sure, but lovely nonetheless. On Sunday we took a boat tour around Kauai's western coast (Na Pali), accessible to humans only by kayaking around the coast or by taking a strenuous 11-mile hike over steep, razor-sharp cliffs that rise 4,000+ feet above sea level (the larger tour boats such as the one we were on can't land there; there is nowhere to dock). We also got in plenty of snorkeling, sunset-watching and time on the beach. :)

My favorite activity though, was our Saturday kayak trip on the Wailua River. Dan and I climbed into a tandem kayak and headed off with four other kayaks plus "John", our guide. We paddled our way about 2.5 miles upriver until it narrowed from its 17-foot depth to barely a creek. After tying our kayaks up to some tree roots protruding from the river bank, we embarked on what was officially the muddiest hike I have ever been on. I came back covered in mud all the way up to my knees--no exaggeration! We hiked about a mile up to "Secret Falls"--a 125' high waterfall with a large 7-foot deep "swimming hole" at its base. After swimming around for awhile and standing under the waterfall until we were sore from the blast of water, we ate our lunch sitting atop large mossy rocks at the base of the falls. We then geared up for the muddy hike back and the kayak trip downriver. I was really looking forward to the trip back because 1) I thought the kayaking part was the most fun and 2) I thought paddling downriver would be easier than paddling up. Notwithstanding number 1), number 2) proved to be quite untrue. All the way downriver we had to paddle against a relatively strong headwind, making our already tired arms even more exhausted. Daniel and I had planned to hit Ke'e Beach on the north shore for some snorkeling that afternoon, but after our 5-hour kayak trip we decided we'd be happier just heading back to our condo and resting! :)

Dan went a little crazy on the pictures this time around, so once we develop all seven rolls of film and the three underwater cameras, I'll be sure to post some of the photos for you guys. ;)