Kaua'i - Part 2

After a couple of days of beaches, we decided to engage in some more activities, so headed to the Kilohana Plantation. At the plantation, we first stopped at the Koloa Rum Company where we tasted some of their award-winning rum. 

We tasted three of the different types of rum they had - Coconut, Gold and Spice. The Coconut was amazing, for those who have a sweet tooth like me, but in the end I was swayed by the special offer on the Gold and Spice rum. I also thought that I was more likely to drink them and they would be more adaptable for use in cocktails. 

After the three-shot tasting, we decided that it was a good idea to sober up and take a tour of the plantation. There was an hourly train which travelled around the plantation with a tour guide commenting along the way..

 The tour took us through various plots of fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees, and finally to a pen where we fed wild pigs, sheep and chickens. The chickens run free all over the island, and the back-story is that they they are a cross-bred of farm chickens brought to the Islands by Westerners and the wild jungle chickens which were introduced by the first Polynesians. 

Hurricane 'Iwa and Hurricane 'Iniki struck in 1982 and 1992, respectively, and broken all of the cages which previously held these chickens and added them to the wild where they continued to populate. Due to a lack of any natural predator (mongoose, snake, etc.) and the chickens not being particularly nice to eat, they continue to run all over Kauai'i. It's hilarious to see them everywhere, and the locals make a joke of it, putting chickens on every imaginable tourist item in stores.  

The main activity assigned for the day was actually to travel to Waimea Canyon, nearly on the other side of the island, to the lookout. First we stopped off near Po'ipu for some lunch at Puka Dogs - Hawaiian-style hot dogs with sauces and toppings made from mangos, pineapple, and other tropical fruit. Yummy!

By the time we set off to the canyon, it was in the early afternoon and we decided that it was too hot to drive with the convertible top down. Looking back, we probably should have started the day with the canyon and ended with our leisurely train ride and indoor rum tasting. The drive to the first lookout spot was very steep and curvy, never exceeding more than 15 mph (unless you drive like Brandee). 

At the top of the lookout we found an impressive canyon, which was surprising given the size of this tiny island. 

The canyon is about 10 miles long and 2500 ft deep, with the Waimea River flowing through it. The canyon is covered is red and black striations, which are the evidence of multiple successive volcanic eruptions. We also had a view of Waipo'o Falls in the background. 

After lots of photos and poses, we decided to head back down rather than continue on to the other lookouts. The heat was making it too difficult to stay outside and we were more interested in the next item on the itinerary - shave ice!

 

 We set off back down the canyon road to Jo Jo's, which arguably has the best shave ice on the island. Shave ice, depending on how you order it, is an ice-based desert which may also contain ice cream / condensed milk. Then it's topped off with various flavoured syrup combinations. It's a lot like a Snow Cone, but is Hawaii's own version, made much better (in my opinion) due to the ice cream addition.  We didn't get a picture on the first day, but loved it so much that Fahad and I went back another day for a second helping. 

 The last and final stop was Po'ipu, again, but this time to the beach area. A number of friends had recommended it as a nice place to snorkel and swim. We arrived much later in the day as it was starting to cool down, and found a spot on the grass (sharing with some chickens!).  

 As if we hadn't had enough excitement for one day, we started to spot something swimming up to shore. People around started pointing and suddenly a Hawaiian monk seal beached itself on shore. It had no fear and moved itself further into the sand and rested. The Hawaiians call the seal `Ilio holo I ka uaua, which means, "dog that runs in rough water."

People started gathering around and a local shouted at everyone to stand back, pointing out that the seal was an endangered species. Most seals prefer frigid waters, but the Hawaiian monk seals are quite unique in that they prefer the warmer, tropical waters of Hawaii. There are two other species of warm water monk seals, the Mediterranean and Caribbean monk seals, the Caribbean monk seals are believed to be extinct and there are estimated to be around 300 - 600 Mediterranean monk seals. The Hawaiian monk seals are faring only slightly better, with an estimated number of just over 1,000. The lifeguard sitting near us also jumped up and called the local wildlife conservation centre. We were lucky enough to sneak up at the right angle to catch a photo with it.

Top Tips:

1. Plan your activities bearing in mind the heat, especially on the south-side of the island where it's drier. 
2. The island can seem small when thinking about how many miles it is from north to south; however, the roads are often crowded, narrow, single-lane and at times wet. Careful planning can save a lot of time (and gas!).