Sunday, April 3, 2011

April 2nd, Shangrila Moloaa, Kauai






















Greetings!

Over the last two days, we've driven the northern coast of Kauai, never too far from the Shave Ice stand called Wishing Well.  Our friend, Art Kane, has a goal of getting a shave ice each day for lunch.  The strange experience of being dished by the lady proprietor of the Wishing Well while ordering strange combinations of flavors (usually including ice cream and shaved ice) is high on his daily wish list.  Keeping up with the trials of his favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, is a close second.

We've also sought to satisfy several other wish lists.  Anne Kain's was finding a house she once rented on the north shore, and getting to swim at a favorite beach at the end of the road (Ke'e beach).  It had to be restricted to a shorebreak swim, as the local lifeguards had closed the beach to snorkeling and reef swimming due to strong currents.  We augmented it with a swim today at a beach south of there (Anini Beach), where the snorkeling was substandard.  Pat's wish list was partially filled by a visit today to the Limahuli Gardens, where native and invasive species from all over Hawaii were painstakingly planted up a river valley near the cliffs known for their portrayal in the movie Bali Hai.

I'm still waiting for Julie's wish list, though snorkeling rates very high, and I'm sure we'll find a better place to actually see some fish.  Mine involves testing my belief that I still can surf if given the right tools for how long it's been since I tore up the waves, and for the girth I've developed.  Monday morning, the local Quicksilver shop is hooking me up with a group called the Titus Kinimaka Hawaiian School of Surfing, and we're headed out to Hanalei Bay Pier with a few longboards, and a standup paddle board, to see if I can get my body to remember how its done.

We'll report back on how much of our wish lists get fulfilled.  The weather has been great, the house owner has been responsive to fixing the things that this demanding group of residents expect, and we've got three more days of paradise to explore.

To see all of the photos taken over the past two days, click on: April 2nd, Shangrila Moloaa, Kauai

Mahola

Gregory

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