- Kauai, Hawaii
- 26th-29th May 2000
Paradise Found -- The Garden Isle is as close to Eden as one can get. During the first of our two-day itinerary, my father and I toured the Waimea Canyon, and combed the coconut tree-lined beaches of the east and north. The following morning, we paddled in an open-air kayak for two miles along the Wailua River, then hiked and waded along its north fork for another mile, reaching an idyllic pond over which the Opaekaa Falls pours onto this eager swimmer. (In the collage above, dad took a shot of me being showered, while I had him posing in our light craft.)
Our meals during the day were spartan picnics, nothing to write home about, but dinners took on a special meaning all their own. On the first night, our quest for the perfect Pacific seafood took us first to Masa's sushi bar, then a nondescript steak-and-lobster joint. The following night was a reserved affair at "A Pacific Cafe", an eclectic bistro featuring a "fusion" cuisine that borrows liberally from throughout the Pacific Rim and the Mediterranean.
I'd happily exchange hundreds of toilsome days on the mainland for one more night at the royal coconut beach, as the scent of sugar canes and the taste of fresh papayas linger under the starlit night, carried by the warm, gentle trade winds.
- Gear - Canon Pro70 digital camera
- Base - Hotel Coral Reef, Kapaa, Kauai
 | Sunrise over Kapaa |
| Waimea Canyon |
| Wet Caves |
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