Kaua'i - Part 1

Hawaii is possibly one of THE destinations furthest from London, yet I was surprised to hear so many people that I know in the UK had actually been before! Following a direct flight to LA (c. 12 hours) and a stressful time at immigration, Fahad and I arrived on the other side and found ourselves enjoying some of the USA's finest offerings - sports, food and beer.

We arrived the night before the rest of the wedding group, so booked a single night at a nearby hotel. When we landed in Lihue, we found an airport similar in size to Eugene's and wandered around for a while trying to figure out where we could board our hotel shuttle. After making a few circles around the tiny airport, we found a small phone which you picked up and were taken directly to an operator (no dialling needed), stated your hotel and then it connected you. I guess the set-up is more environmentally friendly than having the shuttles constantly make rounds like the rental car shuttles do! Our shuttle arrived, for just the two of us, and we had a quick 10 minute drive to our resort. Fahad and I don't normally stay at resorts, as I like the character that you find in B&B's and even some guest houses, but this was a nice treat! The resort was very well kept, and had a nice open and airy entrance. After pointing out how hungry we were, the desk attendant told us we had about 10 minutes to place an order at the bar / restaurant before they stopped serving food, we so sped up our check-in and headed over. Fortunately we made it just in time and sat enjoying our food while listening to some live Hawaiian music, which automatically puts you into the chill-out zone. 

The rest of the group wasn't due to arrive until late afternoon the next day, so we enjoyed some al fresco breakfast, had a brief moment of pool time until we were drenched by a tropical rain shower and then rented our car, where we were persuaded (tricked?) into upgrading to a Mustang Convertible, ensuring we stood out as tourists everywhere we went. With a couple of hours still to spare, we ventured out to a nearby beach to have lunch and catch some sun. The beach we found was called Kalapaki Beach, and had both sand and manicured grass areas to lay. It was a great find, with lots of bars, restaurants and beach activities, probably due to the strip being lined with hotels and resorts. We enjoyed lunch at Duke's Barefoot Bar and watched the airplanes as they came in, so we were able to perfectly time meeting the group at the airport.

 When we got to the airport, we found the whole Horn Family had upgraded their rentals to Mustangs and Jeeps. We travelled in style for about one hour to the north of the island, Princeville, where we were staying for the rest of the week. After briefly unpacking and assigning rooms, Linus' family also came over and we regrouped and headed out to Hanalei where we had read about a number of different restaurants. We should have known better for a Saturday night, but after trying and failing to find a table for 9 people we started to lower our expectations and found a pizza place which was in the back of Tahiti Nui (the infamous bar, which we didn't recognise until AFTER we went inside). The waiter was nice at first, making room for us in the back, but then he quickly forgot about us and kept reminding us how busy he was and how we needed to make his job easier. Island people clearly aren't used to stress. Try working in my job for a day, buddy! In the end, the pizza and mai tais were great, and we were grateful that we found somewhere we could all fit, but I probably wouldn't go back.

 The next morning, Brandee, Linus, Fahad and I set out for a hike to Hanakapi'ai Beach, which was a 4-mile round trip hike. The drive to the starting point was gorgeous, driving past Hanalei and up around the top of the island, as far as the road goes. 

We arrived pretty early (benefits of jet lag) but still found there to be limited parking. We found an overflow parking lot which was still pretty empty, and after scraping the bottom of the rental car on a few large, sharp boulders, it was clear why there were mostly SUVs in the lot! We had intended to hike to the Hanakoa Falls, but that was a further few miles. 

 

After about an hour of hiking, we arrived to the secluded Hanakapi'ai beach, which can only be reached via the hike. There were still a lot of people who, like us, apparently decided NOT to continue on the muddy trail to the waterfall. 

There was a small stretch of sand, which had to be reached by wading knee-deep through a small pool of water. This water was mostly blocked off from the waves of the ocean, but we still had to be quite careful. This beach was not meant for swimming, which was a common theme we found many other beaches,. We found the below warning posted at the bottom of the trail. 

One one edge of the beach, there was a small cave, where you again had to wade through the shallow pool which was mostly protected from any of the ocean waves. It was a popular photo op for most of the visitors!

The next day was the group boat trip around the Na Pali Coast, which we pre-booked in advance. We had only seen the tip of Coast on our hike, and the rest of it is not accessible by car. The only ways to see it are by hike, boat, kayak or helicopter. The ride was beautiful, and being on the left side on the way out, we had unrestricted views of the sights. 

  I was surprised to found out that so many other films had been made in various spots, not just Jurassic Park. There were a number of caves and beaches which featured in films with Robin Williams and Johnny Depp. We even saw dolphins and a sea turtle along the way!

Since the tour started at 9am , we still had the rest of the afternoon to explore. Despite having a picnic lunch on the boat, Fahad and I decided to go to Kapa'a to try a recommended restaurant, Mermaid Cafe, because eating is pretty much our favourite thing to do on holiday. The cafe was nothing more than a walk-up counter, with a couple of picnic tables outside and a small bar with stools along one side of the hut. I had the Tropical Tacos, which were drenched in a 'special sauce' which I would describe as creamy and coconutty. 

Following lunch, we continued to drive around the island, stopping to take a scenic drive to a 'fishpond' (aka Alekoko Fishpond) near Lihue. The 39-acre fishpond was tucked up into the hills and we encountered very few cars on the scenic drive up. 

The ancient loko wai (freshwater fishpond), according to legend, was built by Kauai's menehune (little people) overnight when they built a 900ft stone dam across a bend in the Hule-ia River. Holes in the structure allowed small, young fish to enter the pond but not to escape once grown.

The scenic drive was followed by a stop at the Gilligan's Island beach (Moloa'a Beach) just before sunset. We reached the beach by a long, dirt road and found a tiny spot for parking amongst the raised beach houses. I wasn't sure why the houses were raised, but I think it serves a dual purpose - avoiding high tide, while providing a less restricted view over trees and neighbouring homes.

Top Tips:

1. Don't be fooled by the laid-back island style, make reservations for top-rated restaurants in advance
2. If you plan on hiking to Hanakapi'ai Beach, Hanakoa Falls or the whole Kalalau Trail - START EARLY! Not only will you struggle to grab a parking spot, but it's a long, slow trek, especially when the trails are muddy.
3. If you MUST rent a convertible, make sure you are a pro at using it and keep a close eye out for rain clouds, especially when on the North/Northest side of the island. We had to stop more than once to protect ourselves and the interior of the car from a sudden rain shower. 

Granada

We took a bus in the late morning from Cordoba to Granada and arrived in the early afternoon. There was rain along the route and we weren't surprised to arrive to rain in Granada. After finding our hotel, we headed out for some sheltered fun at the nearby museums / cathedrals. The rain was relentless and in a moment of desperation I bought a 40 Euro umbrella, covered in cherubs(!) from one of the museums. Following this we went to a recommended tapas bar / restaurant. 

The restaurant was basically like a garage, with a bar along the back wall, lined with stacked barrels with taps. The front of the restaurant was completely open so people could spill out the side onto the cobbled streets. We were lucky enough to find an empty barrel-table, and starting selecting wine and tapas to try.

After that we wandered toward the Albayzin, which is a historic, hilltop neighbourhood which is Granda's old Muslim quarter. We headed to the top of the hill which was lively and covered with restaurants, street vendors and shops. 

 We found a quaint teahouse, Teteria Nazari, which was recommended in our guidebook and stopped by for some tea and shisha (aka Narguile in Spainish). 

We lucked out and got a spot near the door so we could still see the markets and street outside.

We spent a lot of time here because it was raining and also because the Narguile takes a LONG time to finish! The people watching, both inside and outside of the teahouse, was entertaining as well. We spent some time reading the guidebook and discovered another restaurant in the area was highly recommended. We were hesitant about having Moroccan food, since we were in Spain after all, but given the heavy Moorish influence in Granada, I managed to convince Fahad to skip the tapas for one night... The dinner was great, and the host/owner was very friendly to us when we arrived.

The next day was the big day, seeing the top attraction (according to Lonely Planet) in all of Spain, the Alhambra. We were warned by our guidebook to book tickets in advance, and even when we went to look 1 month in advance, all of the tickets had been sold out.

The only way we managed to gain entry was through a guided tour group. In the end, it worked out really well as our group only had 8 people and we got to run straight in. We had handy headphone systems, which meant we could wander away and view things at our own pace, not distracted by the noise and crowds around us.

The Alhambra is World Heritage Site and a complex palace, which was built over time by different rulers, the first one being in the 11th century, then the 13th and 14th century.

 

Most of the palace is covered, but there are numerous courtyards with ponds and gardens. We learned the doors were positioned in certain places so that the sultan could watch his back with only one eye, and that enemies entering the rooms would be blinded by sunlight.

After finishing with the Alhambra we took a bus to Malaga where we had an evening flight. Malaga is on the coast and trying to push itself as a Europe's Culture Capital 2016, and has a number of museums, including a Picasso Museum (Picasso was born in Malaga). The museum was closed when we were there, so we wandered through the small streets, finding a quaint wine bar where would could enjoy our last moments in Spain. 

Tip Tips:

1. Book tickets to the Alhambra in advance. Everyone says this, and it's true. If you are not so lucky to get tickets in advance and can't risk waiting in line, book a guided tour. I used Granada a Pie (Granada by Foot) and they had tours in English and Spanish.
2. Yes, you're in Spain, but don't write-off the Moroccan and Muslim influence in Southern Spanish cities like Granada. Go enjoy some Narguile in a cozy teahouse, stroll through the street markets, haggling for goods and enjoy delicious Moroccan food. 

Semana Santa in Seville

Easter in Europe is a great time of year. Friday and Monday are holidays, meaning you have an automatic four-day weekend. In addition, many places nearby are starting to get warm which means it's a great time to travel. In keeping with my resolution to travel more in Europe, we decided to go to a southern region in Spain called Andalusia. A town called Seville (or Sevilla in Spanish), is known for holding a week-long festival called Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the run up to Good Friday.

The festival involves hundreds of brotherhoods marching through the streets, during the day but mostly into the late hours of the night).

The brotherhood dress up in a traditional robe and hood, carrying candles, crosses and flotilla with religious statues and images. 

 

Children along the route collect wax from the candles, attempting to make the biggest wax ball. Many of the brotherhoods have been around for centuries with the oldest El Silencio (Silence), founded in 1340, considered to be the oldest existing brotherhood. We were lucky enough to catch them and watch their silent, chilling procession.

The festival was definitely the most unique experience of the trip. We managed to catch a couple of different processions on our first night (Wednesday) by wandering a bit further away from the main tourist roads. It was around 1am and we were also able to get to the front of the crowds and stand right next to the brotherhoods as they marched through.

On the busiest night, we stayed up until 2:30am and also ended up holding a set along the route for about an hour. There were crowds of thousands on this evening, but our planning ahead paid off and we again were at the front for this important evening. We were due to leave Seville on Saturday (after staying up to watch the culmination on Friday evening) and were surprised to see that when we got back our hotel room at 3am that it was going right outside our hotel... Even better, our room faced this street and we were able to look over the heads of the spectators to have a clear view. There were also drums, which did not help the early check out the next morning...

Apart from Semana Santa, which took up most of our evenings, Seville had a lot of other sites to keep us busy over three days. 

 

On our first day, we visited a tapas restaurant which was recommended in our guidebook. Fahad likes to dine al fresco any chance he gets...

The restaurant was known for its innovative tapas, not just chorizo and cheese. 

We also wandered around the narrow, cobbled streets and visited the Palace. Seville and much of Southern Spain is heavily influenced by Muslim culture. 

One of the other highlights in Seville was cooling down while drinking some vino de naranja (orange wine). We discovered this delicious, local drink when we came across a tiny bar/pub with people flowing into the streets. 

They ate tapas from small tables and overturned barrels and drank from tiny cups. We ordered our first by pointing to somebody's else's drink, not knowing what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised by the sweet, orange-flavoured wine! I drank nothing else the entire trip and made sure to stock up on a couple of bottles on my way back.

On our second day we went to a traditional flamenco show, Seville being the home of flamenco dancing. I'm not sure why, but I had imagined flamenco being sort of like salsa dancing. In the end, it was a lot more like traditional folk music and tap dancing - so quite a difference!

After three fun days in Seville, we caught an early bus to Cordoba, about 2 hours away. The main sight in Cordoba is the Mezquita, with is famous for being a mosque and church combination. From the inside you can see how the mosque grew, starting originally as a mosque and then being converted to a church but keeping the mosque features.

 

Cordoba was overall a nice change from Seville, which was much more of a city than quaint and cobbled Cordoba. It was easy to see most of the sites and the Mezquita is the central attraction. 

Last on our trip was Granada where we visited the Alhambra (to be continued in the next post).

Kitzbuhel (and turning 28)

From March 19th - 23rd, a group of friends and I went away for a long weekend to Austria for some skiing / snowboarding. Lots of my friends go every year for a ski holiday (sometimes going twice because they love it so much!) so I decided that after missing out on 5 winters, it was time to see what it was all about. There are lots of popular resorts all throughout Europe, but we opted for Kitzbuhel in Austria because 1) there supposed to still have snow in late March, 2) the resort had a mixture of slopes for beginners to advanced and 3) it had a lively après-ski scene (French for 'after ski') which meant there were lots of bars and restaurants.

Drive to Kitzbuhel

We flew to Muncih, and when we arrived we were worried about the ski conditions because it was hot at c. 22 Celsius (c. 72 F). As we drove along the route to Kitzbuhel, we didn't see any snow and actually laughed at ourselves for even being concerned about the road conditions (I think Michael asked at the rental store if we should bring tire chains...).

We arrived in Kitzbuhel and went to our separate hotels before meeting up for dinner. Kitzbuhel is a resort town, with lots of designer shops and quaint cobbled streets. We were pleasantly surprised to find that although it is a resort town, our meals tended to be very reasonably priced with very hearty Austrian portions. 

Fahad and I were the only people in the group snowboarding and so we had a private lesson on Day 1. Our instructor took us to the bunny slope and we were happy to see that after two gondola rides up the mountain there was indeed plenty of snow! Fahad isn't a beginner but he took the course (which lasted until 2pm) with me as a refresher. At the end of the lesson I was exhausted from constantly falling and picking myself back up. However, we decided to stay a bit longer and then headed to the nearby mountain lodge for some much needed rest and 'hydration'! 

It was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies and we were able to sit outside in t-shirts working on our tan at the same time! We eventually headed back down the mountain to the village to meet up with Caitlin, Michael, Bianca and Owen at one of the lodges in the village.

Day two was my birthday, and Caitlin had booked a restaurant for lunch just off the main ski slopes. The reservation was for 1pm, so Fahad and I set off around 10am expecting that would give us enough time at my pace. When got to the top, we found a totally different atmosphere in this part of the resort, with a lot more people and music playing from the nearby lodges. 

We set off to the 'Blue' run, leading in the direction of the restaurant. Unfortunately, the run didn't look so easy, with a narrow path near a cliff, and I didn't trust my control enough to snowboard down. After consulting the map we decided to walk what looked like a short distance. It wasn't actually very short... It was an interesting journey and along the way we were passed by Bianca and Owen, I almost lost my board down the mountain and Fahad almost fell OFF the mountain. All in all, a great run. We learned later that this was the ONLY way to get up this part of the mountain and it was universally thought to be the worst run at the resort. 

Needless to say my confidence in tackling any other run was zero, especially since the next run to the restaurant was about four times as long. We made the decision to skip lunch and make our way back down the mountain. Unfortunately there were only two ways down, one involving entirely gondolas /chair lifts but ending in a far away town. The second involved one additional Blue run and a gondola directly to our village. We asked some nearby skiers their thoughts on this run and were assured it was wide and easy (i.e. plenty of room for me to walk out of the way if needed!). It was also alongside a winter hiking/trekking path, so we could walk down the whole way if needed. By now, it was also lunchtime so the slopes were also a bit quieter so we decided to try one more run and snowboard down. It definitely wasn't easy (for me!), and I fell every 5 seconds but it was definitely faster than walking. 

We made it eventually and settled at an outdoor restaurant to enjoy the sun and finally have our lunch (and some much deserved beers!). Caitlin and Michael joined us later for some pre-dinner drinks.

Fahad organised the evening dinner as a surprise for my birthday. I didn't know where we were going but it slipped out that it was one of the top restaurants in the area with a Michelin star. While we were busying après-skiing we didn't think ahead to when the rental shop closed (6pm). 

We were just about to leave when we realised it was past 6pm and we would not be able to return our snowboarding boots, in exchange for our normal shoes... Our only pair of normal shoes. We quickly ran out to the boutique shops to see if anything was open to purchase, but it seems the town shuts down at 6pm. Fabulous. Below is the outfit I wore to the restaurant (with a very unhappy look on my face). I think you can only get away with this in a ski-resort town!

In the end, the dinner was amazing and lots of fun. Fahad had requested a birthday cake and ordered flowers for me, which I got to take away. 

The final day we went back to the bunny slope, with Owen and Bianca joining us. It was an easier day practicing our lessons and doing some of the nearby jumps. We took a mystery lift over the top of the mountain which led to a secluded mountaintop restaurant with stunning views. We thought it was strange that you HAD to wear boards or skis in order to board the lift, but we soon found out why that was the case! When we arrived at the top of the lift, there was a step mountain down which you needed a board or skis to manoeuvre. 

On the way back you could not take the lift but had to go down either one of two runs. How do I get myself into these situations... The lift person suggested I try the Red (harder) run and that it was actually shorter than the run which Fahad/Bianca/Owen went down. I made it down alive but not after going slightly off course into a ditch. The food was worth it though! 

To end the day, Fahad was doing tricks on the jumps and when getting off the lift chair he managed to hit himself in the face with his own board... We came up with a slightly better war story to tell people in order to explain the cut on his face.

Overall it was a great trip and I will definitely be going again next year! I think I may consider skiing though so that I have more control over myself without having to dive into the snow to stop!