Beached

The forecast showed an increasing chance of rain as the week would progress. How disappointing it would be, to be here for a week of rain.

Wednesday, I resolved, would be a beach day. [Good call.] Most of my colleagues opted for the pool. And yes, it's a pretty cool pool at the resort, but ... the beach is right there and pools are, well, anywhere.

Some snacks, some cold water, a book to read. No swimming at the hotel's beach—conditions are too treacherous. I decamped to Poipu Beach and spent most of the day with two colleagues who'd chosen to snorkel there.

There were fish!

Swimming all around me! First test of my underwater camera. I wasn't snorkeling, but it was easy enough to submerge it, point it (more or less), and snap away.

Later I offered it to my snorkeling friends. “Are you sure it's waterproof?” he asked. “Well, if it's not, it's worthless—because that's what I bought it to do.”

A sea turtle came ashore and remained indifferent to all the selfie-seeking tourists. Eventually some conservationists showed up to plant warning flags on either side of the creature, but everyone had been well-behaved and stayed a few feet away.

A pair of lifeguard towers make this beach a good (safe) choice for playing in the water. The currents are ... tricky. And surprisingly powerful despite the shallow depth.

Later in the afternoon, another sea turtle came to visit, clambering well up onto the beach amidst the human sunbathers. “KA 8” was marked on the right side of its shell, but I haven't been able to find a reference online.

Back at the hotel, I was early enough to enjoy dinner at a table with a view.

And thus ends a lovely day, indeed.

Hanalei Bay

There is a surprising amount of traffic in some places on Kauai. When I saw how long it would take to transfer from Kapa'a to Poipu, on a whim I turned north instead. I was intrigued to get a closer look at some jagged peaks, and then ... I just kept driving, to the end of the road at Hanalei Bay.

Had I noticed the path along the coast sooner, I would have rented a bike. [Next time.] I had scoped out a park where I thought I'd enjoy my picnic lunch, only to find the local denizens passed out drunk under all the shade trees. The picnic tables had all been claimed, but I perched on a log and took some trash [a discarded AA battery, go figure] with me when I left.

I passed through Princeville, busy with tourists, and found a parking spot in a residential neighborhood. Living a block from Hanalei Bay has its downside.

The color of the sea was mesmerizing, the waters confused and unpredictable.

A red-crested cardinal teased me, darting in and out of the branches above my head. The beach was sunny, the hills were rainy—it is ever so.

An overlook offered an expansive view of the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge wetlands.

I stopped along the way to stroll along the path near Kapaʻa; most people, it seemed, venture no farther than the vista's parking lot.

I arrived at the hotel with just enough time to get cleaned up before joining my colleagues for a celebratory dinner.

I stepped into that open-air lobby with its view to the sea, and ... yes, I remembered. Twenty-three years since that first visit, I still feel like I'm crashing the party; but that's okay. I'm here. For three glorious nights.