Unexpected magic

A Kaua'i waterfall

Kaua’i has some unexpected magic.

Everyone always says that the Hawaiian Islands are magic.  Especially the tourist bureaus, travel agents, and tour operators.  I think the term “magic” is used to describe the warm weather, sunshine, warm oceans and relaxation that everyone craves when they are on holiday.  When you are arriving here from the cold, grey, wet and windy north the tropics can seem magic indeed.  I certainly feel that way when I come here from home.

This time, however, we are arriving from New Zealand and it was summertime there when we left.  Since New Zealand is a truly magical land and so different from anything we have seen up to now Hawaii doesn’t appear so improbable.  Don’t get me wrong – I love the warm weather, the beaches and the shorts and sandals lifestyle.  Who wouldn’t?

I am talking about a different kind of magic.  Weird, spooky magic…

Since beaches are not great here on Kaua’i we decided to do what Kaua’i is known for – hiking!  There are a lot of hiking trails on Kaua’i and there are many hills, valleys, waterfalls and forests.  So hiking is good here. (Pardon me Kiwis – hiking = tramping).  Quite near where we are staying is a hiking trail (Kiwis – hiking trail = track) called the “Sleeping Giant” which did not seem overly ambitious.

We got some directions from a number of people and publications to the start of the trail and we headed off in the car to do a little hiking.  What we did not realize is that if we followed the directions from all our sources universe altering paradoxes would occur.  Apparently the Sleeping Giant trail is like a quark and can exist in a number of places at the same time.  And, according to Heisenberg’s Uncertainly principle if you can determine where it is you cannot determine not where it is going or if you can determine where it is going you cannot determine where it is. 

In short – we got lost.

We drove around for quite a while and saw quite a bit of the Kaua’i countryside.  Telen asked a few different people where the trail was and they all had interesting, if contradictory, answers.  Finally a woman in a parking lot saw us wandering around with maps in our hands and bewildered looks on our faces and she said, “Are you looking for the trail?”  We excitedly said, “Yes!” thinking that we finally had found someone who knew where to go. 

“It’s not here.”

We eventually found the trailhead and headed out on our long overdue hike up to the Sleeping Giant.  It was a beautiful hike up the side of a “mountain” (at home = hill, but that is beside the point) with really interesting vegetation and amazing trees and some wonderful views out over the plains and ocean.

Hiking up the "Sleeping Giant".  Big trees, eh!

The magic happened at the top.

When we arrived at the top we stopped to look over the view and started talking with two people who were already there.  During our conversation we told them that we had taken a year off to travel.  They both got a weird look in their eyes and said that they had just been talking about doing that very thing.  The lady, Jeannie, was all for doing it but her husband – a local oral surgeon named Dave was interested but a bit reluctant since he could not figure out how to do it.

At the top of the Sleeping Giant

Paddy – the other person turned out to be an artist/musician/radio personality from Nelson BC.  So our conversation immediately turned to art and Irish music.  We agreed to have lunch together the next day including Jeannie’s husband - the reluctant traveller.

The lunch was enjoyable and we got a tour of Jeannie’s business - a place that dealt with Reiki massage and alternative wellness.   Since Telen does acupuncture and has an interest in Reiki they had a lot to talk about.  As well Telen had a chat with Dave about the way we worked out how to escape for a year.  Paddy and I chatted about art and got my artistic juices flowing.

All in all - a symbiotic meeting.   What would have happened if we found the trailhead right away?   We would not have run into them right in the middle of their conversation about taking a year away and I would not have met Paddy who helped to rekindle my artistic aspirations.  Maybe Kaua’i does have some innate magic…

looking out over Kaua'i

Doing my "standing on the edge of the cliff" thingy.  I love doing this since Telen cured me.  Ok, she only cured me of my fear of heights - curing me of my other weird things is asking a lot of a few little needles.

Kaua’i is a nice place but it was not what we were looking for in Hawaii.  Part of that is, I suppose, due to expectations.  We have been to Maui before and, perhaps, we were expecting Kaua’i to be like Maui – which it is not.  Part of it might have to do with the weather – it was quite windy the whole time we were there and the seas were very rough. 

Don’t get me wrong – it is a fine place – but not what we wanted.  It is probably more authentic Hawaii than either Oahu or Maui but we shall continue on to find our version of “authentic”…

On to Maui!

The reason Hawaii is such a peaceful land

Telen writes:

There is a saying: "Why does a man produce so many sperms?  Because even the sperms won't stop to ask for directions".  We got lost because Rand refused to ask for directions until I put my foot down and did my own enquires.  

Oh men!

The waters around Kauai are sure rough and powerful.  There have been 8 drownings so far this year.  We were really disappointed that we could not swim in these beautiful beaches.