Kilauea Lighthouse, Banana Joe's, and Anini Beach

I didn't leave the condo until 2:30pm. Yeah, I was lazy.

It was already 3pm when I arrived at the Kilauea Lighthouse. I stopped just outside the gate where I saw people parked. It was a nice view of the lighthouse and the cliffs from high up. Across the little bay from the lighthouse is actually a bird sanctuary. After taking photos and videos, I drove in through the gate and parked again.

I had missed the last tour inside the lighthouse but I still had 45 minutes before they closed at 4pm, so I paid the $10 entrance fee. I won't say much about the scenery, because I can't do it justice. Unfortunately, I ran out of space in my Insta360 camera, so most were taken from my camera, which isn't shabby, btw. ;)

Around 4pm, I left almost reluctantly.

I was wrong about Banana Joe's. I eventually saw the sign to the left of the Coconut Farm Tour sign. But it said "CLOSED". However, the food stall was open. So I stood in line and asked what lilikoi was. The young lady said she only had lilikoi lemonade and lilikoi popsicles, but I didn't have lunch so I ordered the pitaya (dragonfruit) bowl instead. It was delicious!


Then I headed to a secluded part of Anini Beach, walked around a bit, took pictures, sat on a black volcanic rock, watched the sunset, and went back as it started getting dark.


I packed in the evening. Surprisingly, everything fit back into the same two bags.

Island of a thousand waterfalls

Maybe Kaua'i should be called "the island of a thousand waterfalls".

I woke up unusually early, wore black, and headed to Lihue. Google said 39 minutes, but I think it took longer than that because of the traffic.

I arrived early enough at the tour office. When I checked in, I was asked to step on a mat, which probably hid scales under it to weigh us. Eventually, there were twelve of us and I wondered how big the helicopter was. A man named Jesse was our coordinator and he gave us safety instructions and what to expect. Then he grouped us into the "red group" and the "yellow group" and assigned us seats. I was with the red group, seat #1.

Then we boarded a van and we headed to the airport. The helicopter section of the airport had several helicopter landing spots and several helicopters there. We sat on the benches under an awning for the ones that belonged to Safari Helicopters.

One arrived first fully loaded with tourists. Jesse helped them get off the helicopter and instructed them to stand at the edge of the platform. After everyone had gotten off, he sent them to stand next to the helicopter door then took their pictures. Then he instructed then to go to the waiting area and give their flotation packs to the yellow team. The second helicopter arrived and Jesse went through the same process with the passengers of the second helicopter while a fuel truck refilled the first one.

Then after the yellow team had put those packs around their waists, Jesse led them to the edge of the platform for the first helicopter and made them stand in line in reverse seating order. (The fuel truck was refilling the second helicopter by this time.) Then starting with seats #5 and #6, he got them loaded into the helicopter.

When he did the same for our team, he told us to wave at the pilot after he inspected our flotation packs. When it was my turn, both Jesse and the pilot buckled me up with straps over both shoulders like a baby car seat. Then Jesse helped the last man sit to my right. And up we went.

Our pilot Paul was very entertaining and friendly. He flew us over mountains and ridges and canyons and pointed out the numerous waterfalls. He told us the story of how the Robinson family owned much of the land in Kaua'i and kept it naturally pristine. The same family owns the entire Ni'ihau island.

Paul told us stories about the trees (including the one from Taiwan which had layered branches that made the area look like it was prehistoric) and a personal anecdote about a trick his friends played on him involving the kukui nut. (At the time, he didn't know it's a laxative.) He also told a story when he found a couple completely naked at a remote area of the mountains and he said that, if they hiked that far on that terrain, they deserved to go naked if they wanted to. He also talked a bit about the movies that were filmed on Kaua'i, including Jurassic Park. I think he said a hundred movies were filmed there. Paul skillfully got us very close to ridges; it felt as though we were only a few yards away.

On our way back, we saw the waves roll into the beaches from the air. And we saw the towns in the north side where some famous people live. Nearing the airport, Paul played Iz's famous Somewhere Over the Rainbow while he communicated with the tower. And because it was his last flight of the day, he asked that we wait until he turned off the rotors.

After we got off, Jesse took extra time with us to take pictures. He was confused by my 360 camera though when it was time to take my picture next to the helicopter, because he had never seen one before. In hindsight, I should have asked him to use my phone instead.

Among the red team was a group of three that included the man who sat next to me in front. It was a couple from Chile and the man who sat next to me was the father of the wife. He lives in Oregon but grew up in the Bay Area. The husband had graciously helped me out of the van both times, and he asked me about my 360 camera after the tour before we hopped back into the van. I couldn't remember the brand and model number, but I gave his wife my Flickr account so they can view my recording of the tour after I upload it. Later, I realized that the app on my phone had the name of the camera, so I gave it to the husband before I left.


Google found a

Fish Express

restaurant nearby but I kept taking the wrong turns. I eventually got there but it wasn't a restaurant per se. It looked more like a butcher's shop but they served poke bowls, so I ordered one. Then I spent more time looking for a nice place to sit while eating. I eventually parked by the Kaua'i Museum, but I decided not to go in. I ate in my car and retraced my route to go to Hilo Hattie's which I saw on the way.

I loved the fabrics, especially the ones printed with plumeria. They seemed to be the "most Hawaiian" print. But the design of the dress made me look frumpy and the dresses were expensive, so I gave up on dresses. Instead, I got some macadamia nuts and cookies to share in the office, and a bag of dried pineapple for myself.

I thought of going west to Waimea, but Google said it would take 2.5 hours for only 26 miles, so I decided against it. I didn't want to waste my vacation time on traffic. Besides, it started raining as I was paying for my purchases at Hilo Hattie's, so I headed back and decided to pass by the Coconut Marketplace again to use their bathrooms.

I ended up buying a couple of sarongs that were on sale. Then I stood in line at Jojo's Shaved Ice for a "dakine" cup of shaved ice (with coconut-macadamia ice cream in the bottom), which I ate on a bench under an awning next to the line of stores, while the rain fell. The shaved ice, especially the ice cream, was very yummy.

Twice I got a warning on my phone about flooded streets. The young lady at Jojo's said that it's common for the streets to be flooded and you can still drive on them but slowly.

After I finished my shaved ice and ice cream, I headed back and got caught in the downpour. The fastest speed of the windshield wipers couldn't keep up with the buckets of rain. Thankfully, I was following (and was followed) by a long line of cars, so I just had to follow the taillights to see where I'm going. Passing by the beach, I could see the tall waves with so much foam crashing by the shore. By the time I got back to the condo, the rain had downgraded to a drizzle. By the time it poured again, I was indoors doing laundry and reading a book.

How to wear your flowers

If you are a married woman, you wear your flower over your left ear. If you are "available", you wear it over your right ear. If you are unmarried but not available either, you have to grow another ear. ;)

Yesterday, Oct 9, my birthday, I took my sweet time in the morning. I even took a nap after breakfast. :) It was already around 1pm when I finally got out the door. I had bought an "open time" ticket for the Fern Grotto River tour, so I could have taken any of their scheduled tour that day, although they recommended the 3:30 tour if I was going to the luau in the evening also. So I had time.

First, I passed by a shoe store and got a pair of Teva hiking sandals. Everything *is* expensive in Hawai'i. But the man who tended the store was very friendly and very helpful.

Then off I went to the river tour. I turned into a parking lot for a park or marina, but there were gates at the entrance, so I was a bit worried that I'd be locked in after sundown. A Hawaiian auntie was walking by (oddly followed by a rooster) so I asked her where I was supposed to park if I was also staying for the luau. She directed me to the other side where there were other cars and a bus. So I parked there and then walked back to register at the building that was behind her.

It looked like I was the first person to check in. But soon, groups of people started arriving. Close to boarding time, a couple from Antioch started a line by the third boat, so I stood in line behind them. We chatted a little and the wife asked if I was traveling alone. I said, yes, it's more fun that way. And the husband commented that I'm courageous.

They sat near the front and I decided to sit at the back so I could see more of the scenery. I took 360-degree pictures and videos with my new camera, but the riverbanks were not very interesting. The only interesting part was a man who fell off his surfboard in our wake, right near me.

Then we stopped and got off the boat to walk up a slight incline on a paved path. Now the scenery changed. There was a variety of interesting trees and plants. It really looked like paradise. I held my camera high up on my selfie stick as I walked the path. A man in a light blue shirt waved and smiled big for my camera. He said he has an older version of "those" but he didn't bring it with him.

I kept following the line of people until we reached a boardwalk of sorts with a landing at the top of the ramp. A waterfall was to the right, half hidden among the foliage. At the landing, you could see a high cliff with ferns, a gap in the stone (that's the grotto), and a taller waterfall. We were entertained with music and dance then we walked back another beautiful path, which looped and joined the earlier path back to the boat. Many people switched seats but I got the same one thankfully.

Many from the boat also walked towards the luau. It was very organized. First, we were greeted by people who welcomed us and gave us leaflets of the itinerary for the evening. Then, those of us who bought tickets online had to be checked against a list. Then as we turned a corner, a young lady in Hawaiian dance costume (a sarong worn low, coconut shell bra, and a flower wreath on her head) placed a shell lei around our necks. Then each party stopped for a photo, flanked by two more teenagers (a male and a female) in sarongs and head wreaths. Then we boarded a train that took us around the property where we saw peacocks(!) and chicken and ducks. The driver pointed out the different trees and plants along the route, as well as the buildings. Then he dropped us off where the luau would be, but it was still early.

The tables had signs on them for parties of 7 or more. I was told that I could sit anywhere where there wasn't a sign. But some places had the cups and napkins laid down. It meant people had already reserved that seat themselves. An older lady who was dressed in the same orange Hawaiian print as the rest of the "family" came by and helped me choose a seat. I picked one right in front of the stage. She was surprised that I chose that spot but I figured I could get better pics from there. She turned down the cup and the napkin for me and I left my water bottle to reserve the seat, then I thanked her and went off to explore.

At the time of the imu ceremony, I went back to the other side of the dining hall to watch, but all the people were already there. Again, I raised my camera high up on a selfie stick to hopefully get some of the goings-on where the pig was raised out of the rocks. As people were walking back to the dining hall, I (and a few others) went in the opposite direction to get a closer look at the pig. It wasn't a whole pig (like in the Philippines) but large parts of it. The emcee said that it would be like pulled pork by the time it is served in the buffet.

I got in line for the drinks and got a cup of guava juice and a cup of ice water. I was the last one to arrive at my table. I said hi to the couple across from me and the guy next to me (his wife was talking to someone else). Three musicians came on the stage. The woman looked very familiar. She might have been one of the musicians on the boat or she might have been the one who told me to look for a spot without a table sign. I definitely smiled at her when she and the other musicians were tuning their instruments and practicing a little when I was rushing to get to the imu ceremony. Anyway, she smiled at me when she saw me in front of the stage. Then as I set my camera at the edge of the stage to record them, she waved and gave me the hang-loose hand sign. One of her companions was a big bearded man who played the bass guitar. (The lady played the ukelele and the other gentleman played the guitar.) The bass player made faces and blew at the decorative palm leaves that tickled his face, and I giggled.

Soon it was my table's turn to go to the buffet. An older gentleman in a wheelchair was directing us to go farther because there were six buffet lines. I got some salad, a little bit of poi, a cucumber salad, and some raw salmon salsa, breaded fish, chicken adobo, roasted pork, and teriyaki beef. And a slice of pineapple bread. At the dessert table, we were handed a small plate with rice pudding and a slice of coconut cake. I added a slice of jell-o and pineapple cubes. Then back to my table.

Everything was yummy! At the imu ceremony, the emcee said that, in Hawaiian, "ono" means yummy. So everything was ono!

The lady who helped me find a seat came around to ask how everything was. And I told her that everything was delicious. She was also talking to the couple across from me, but soon she was focused on me. She asked if I'm an "islander", and I said I'm Filipina. Then she lit up and admitted that she's half-Hawaiian (on her mother's side) and half-Filipino (on her father's side, from Pangasinan). She introduced herself as "Auntie Celia" and I told her I'm Lea, but she said something else with a different pronunciation so I said it again. Then she took off the flowers in her hair and said she would give them to me. They were a special hybrid of hibiscus that she developed. Then she explained where the flowers are supposed to be worn. She said I should then wear it over the right ear to tell people that I'm "available". But I protested that I'm not available because "I've been there, done that, and don't wanna do it again!" She joked that she could put it at the top of my head instead. But she eventually pinned it to my hair high above my right ear. :) Then she kissed my cheek and I thanked her profusely. It wasn't so much for the flowers, but she has a way of making people feel very welcome. (I looked closely at the flowers later that night, and they were definitely unique! They had a second set of smaller petals near the tip of the stem in the middle.)


Selfie with shell lei and hibiscus over right ear (flipped and cropped).

I had just started on the desserts when the emcee came on stage with a Hawaiian dancer. He explained some stories and traditions and the young lady danced them. He got the audience to participate by asking about the people who were celebrating anniversaries, who are on honeymoon, and who were celebrating birthdays. I didn't raise my hand, which is a good thing because he later got the other birthday celebrants and the children to come on stage and dance the hula with the dancer. :D Then the musicians played again as we finished our meals.

It turned out that the *real* show was in the theater area (which is a beautiful setting with a pond under the stage) that I had visited before the imu ceremony.

As I got up from my chair, the uke lady gave me the hang-loose sign again as she smiled warmly. Then I turned around the stage and the bass player waved. I waved back. And the uke lady waved also. I felt like a long-lost cousin who came for a visit. :D

We lined up to head into the theater. There was a small crowd just outside at the table where they were selling the photos they took earlier. I decided to keep going to get a good seat. Most of the front row was taken, but the far left was empty so I sat there. The lady next to me was snobbish and she stayed a good two or three feet from me, which I liked. I thought that I could set up my camera on the little raised platform, but the first dancers stood there, so I used my little tripod and selfie stick instead.

The show was choreographed and designed well. The lighting and the stage effects were professionally done. They included Hawaiian, Tahitian, Filipino (tinikling!), and Maori dances. Even a haka! The only give-away that the dancers were all family members is because the males were too diverse, in different heights and sizes and skill level. Some were barely teenagers and seemed to just go through the motions.

The dances were done either at the platform right in front of the audience or the main stage in the middle of the pond. A small grove of trees and plants on the left side also served as a dance area for one dancer. "Pele" and a "night" dancer appeared at the top of the "volcano" with fire at its edges and waterfalls flowing from it.

It looked like the "Smith family" was a big extended family. And I wondered if they were all really related by blood or by marriage. And everyone participated in the family business doing multiple roles.

After the show, I purchased my photo and followed the crowd back to the parking area.

And so ended my birthday. :)

Today, I slept practically all day. Tomorrow, a helicopter ride early in the morning.

A timeshare upgrade, a koa wood bowl, and two life histories

I spent too much money today.

I went to the timeshare presentation for a $150 AmEx gift card. i thought I could just quickly get in and out since I'm already an owner and with two contracts to boot. After 3.5 hours (it was supposed to be just 60 minutes), I got rid of those two contracts in exchange for a deeded contract with 2/5 more points, which essentially upgraded me to VIP. And I'm in the hole for about the cost of my car. *sigh*

Somehow, I don't feel bad about it at all. Will, the sales guy, seemed so trustworthy. Maybe because he opened the door for me when I was about to enter the building. Maybe because he's married to a Filipina. And maybe because he shared a lot about his life, his Iron Man competition tomorrow, his wife's birthday today (so he's taking the family out to dinner although he'd rather go to bed to rest for tomorrow), his children, his trip to Italy with his family.

However, I didn't really want to take on more debt until I pay off my car. On the other hand, I don't really want to take back the two old contracts. I suppose I'll just have to tighten my belt for now.

It was already 2pm by the time I left with my gift card and a nice canvas and leather tote bag (which they called a beach bag but I wouldn't bring a canvas bag to the beach because sand would stick to it). I thought I could get lunch at the farmer's market, but I couldn't find it. It was supposed to be between Banana Joe's (which is now Chocolate Nut Factory) and the mini golf course. The cashier of the Subway by a nearby station said that it's probably not today.

So I headed south to go shopping for muu-muus. The young lady who gave me the gift card suggested a couple of places -- Hilo Hattie's in Lihue (where the airport is) and Coconut Market in Kapaa/Wailua. I figured I'd try the Coconut Market. But along the way, I found a series of stalls with the colorful Hawaiian print dresses, so I stopped by to check it out. The sign said "Noka Fair" and I think that was in Kapaa.

There were more stalls in the back, like little beach stalls on a boardwalk. I thought I'd do a counter-clockwise loop through them. In the second to the last stall, I was looking at a few dresses when a young bearded man rushed in and went behind the counter. He asked where I was from and we started a conversation while I looked. There were a couple of tops that were supposed to be "one size" (fits all), but those tend to not fit me. He said he just sold one yesterday to a woman who was bigger than me.

I kept looking around. He had a bit of everything. Some wooden bowls caught my eye, and, when I picked them up, he said they were made of koa wood, which only grows in Hawaii. He said that cutting it is forbidden, but people are allowed to take any trees that have naturally fallen, so they are rare and expensive. Long story short, he gave me a $10 discount which covered the sales tax.

The interesting part was that he kept telling me about the other things in the store, including some pendants that he himself carved from koa wood. Soon, he was telling me his life story too. How he met his wife. How he came to the US and his work history since. His two little children.

I had already purchased the bowl and he had already packed it for me, and we kept talking. He even took down a folding chair from the attic because I said my back was hurting. So that prolonged the conversation.

Just a month or so ago, he gave up a good paying job to take over this store from a cousin. I suggested that he create an Etsy store and it turned out that he just did, less than a week ago. So I gave him advice for online marketing and I promised to send him more online resources when I get home. He was worried about his English skills (he came from Palestine), so I suggested that he hire a student to do that for him.

When I left, he went back to painting a panel on the side of the building. That's probably where he was when I arrived at his store, which explains why he was rushing back in.

Anyway, the Hawaiian print dresses were around $30 and I'm not likely to wear them in public outside Hawai'i. So I decided to keep looking.

I had turned into Coconut Marketplace yesterday when looking for a place to have lunch after leaving the airport. I thought it was a small strip mall, but today I realized that it is a fairly good sized shopping center. It had smaller stalls besides the long buildings. And grass areas that made it look somewhat like a park. I found Teva sandals for $80+ in men's sizes. And more Hawaiian print dresses for $30 also. And the designs were boring too.

It was already around 6:30pm, so I decided to have dinner at a food stall "Coconut Thai & Chinese Cuisine". All the seating is outside. You had to order through a window. I ordered the garlic fish and lychee bobba drink. Both were good. The bobba drink is like flavored crushed ice with bobba at the bottom. And the lychee flavor tasted natural. It was so good, but I had to take it with me because it gave me at least three brain freezes.

I met two people today who told me their life stories. I've been told that people feel the urge to tell me their stories, either in person or online. Even things that they never told anyone else before. A long time ago, a close real life friend said it's because I'm a good listener. But they have nothing to worry about. I tend to forget things anyway, so their secrets are safe. :)

I haven't decided what to do tomorrow yet. Maybe it'll be a quiet day indoors. Unless they start doing more construction on the parking lot.

Again, photos later.

(While checking out some brochures for tours, a woman asked me where the Coconut Fish Cafe was! I couldn't remember whether it was before or after the Coconut Marketplace. So I suggested that she look it up in Google if she had a smartphone, and she didn't think of Googling it! She was with a much older gentleman who smiled warmly. For some reason, they feel like Minnesotans because of their friendliness, or maybe because the woman reminded me of my ex's cousin. I should have asked.)

I got lei'd

That's an old joke but I couldn't resist. :)

It's been a long hot day, but I am in Kauai, where I'll spend the next seven days.

I'm not really superstitious but maybe it's a good omen that the flight number is 1111 and the gate number was 69.

The "1111" luck came into play when I was able to get a seat that would normally cost an additional $35-40, but when I changed my seats after checking in online, it showed as free, so I changed my seat assignment to an empty row. And no one sat in the other two seats. The three seats across the aisle were also empty until a couple claimed them after the plane door closed. I decided to check in my carry-on anyway because I've had problems with my surgery site each time I lifted anything heavy.

I think the couple sitting in the row in front of me took the "69" luck to heart, because they ate each other's face practically the entire flight. I figured they were honeymooners.

SuperShuttle picked me up close to 7am, although I was downstairs since 6:30am. I thought I could skip the first step of check-in because I already got my boarding pass in my phone. It turned out that i still had to go to the kiosks to get my luggage tag printed out before dropping off my bag in Step 2.

Lots of people but TSA PreCheck line went reasonably faster with no incident. (Unlike my experience at Phoenix, AZ last July.) The five-hour flight didn't feel long either. They had several movies in different channels in the personal screens,

It was supposed to be rainy in Kauai for most of the week (I checked the weather online), but it was gorgeous today with nice fluffy white clouds. A bit too hot for me though.



I also reserved an economy car, but when I arrived at the rental car lot, the assistant said, "Would you like an SUV? It's the same rate." Naturally, I said, "Sure!" A very lucky trip indeed! It works hard going uphill though, so it's just like a regular car. And I have to point my toes to reach the pedals. Short-people problems.

It was only 11:30am local time when I left the car lot (I think it's a 3-hour difference from California because of Daylight Savings Time) and check-in is allowed after 4pm. So I passed by Coconuts Fish Cafe (which was on the way) and had the recommended fish tacos (which they are supposed to be well-known for). The tacos looked small but were filling. There were two tacos, one in its own small plate. They were piled high with fish (I don't know exactly what kind of fish, but, based on its texture (a bit chewy), I'd guess it was catfish. Each taco was topped with a cabbage salad and then a tomato-based salsa and then little cubes of mango. It was good, but I think I should have gone with the poke bowl. Nice ambiance though. Surfers and big waves on the TVs with some mellow surfing music. And the wooden tables were shaped like surfboards, with the fins in one end. The side of a nearby building had a large mural of a breaching humpback whale.



The same shopping center had Safeway so I did a bit of shopping too. Mostly breakfast food.

The drive was really nice. Once in a while I could see the deep blue water with a narrow strip of green near the beach. And the white foam of the waves. A little more inland, I'm reminded of the Philippines. I had a flashback when I realized that the soil is red. When I was 14, we moved to Bataan to live with my dad who found work there, and it struck me how red the soil was. So the scenery was a mix of red soil, lush greenery, and blue sky. Bataan felt quieter though, but I wasn't driving then, so I didn't have to pay attention to the road. Kauai even smells like the Philippines. I thought of stopping to take pictures but decided to get going. I was already not awake enough for driving.

After checking in, I was sent to the concierge desk to pick up my parking permit. And I think it was a set-up. It's a timeshare company so they want to get people into their talks. But I'm already an owner and I don't even use all my points, so it's pretty moot for me, but they'll give me a $150 American Express and discounts for the local tours, so I'll go anyway.

"My" concierge Marina was very friendly and a joy to chat with. The first thing she did was give me a purple orchid lei. Real orchids! I mentioned that I made reservations for a boat tour and a luau for Wednesday only and none for the rest of the week. So she made several recommendations. It turned out that there's a part of the island that is not accessible by car. The area is called Na Pali. My choices were by boat or by helicopter. I like the water, so I think I'll go with the boat. So I'll go tomorrow to the presentation so I can get the discount because the tour is kinda expensive. But I'll still drive around the island as far as I can go and take pictures. She gave me a map highlighting interesting places to go to. And a calendar! I guess I won't get much done on my novel on this trip.

The one-bedroom unit is twice as big as my apartment. It has a patio but no view of the water. Nice big trees though. Three large fans but no air conditioning. Everything looks fairly new. Large screen TV. Free wifi.


Photos later. Having problems uploading them.