Wednesday, January 25, 2023
For decades, I have dreamed of some day visiting the island of Kauai, but I never thought I would ever actually get to see it. Traveling to this incredible island was everything and more I thought it would be. I loved it so much, that I started crying and couldn’t stop, as the Island Princess left the harbor. My only regret is that we weren’t able to spend more time in Kauai.
As we pulled into the tight and twisting little harbor, the deep green mountains rose against the bluest sky streaked with white clouds. We could almost feel in our chests the imaginary thunder of dinosaurs depicted in the movie Jurassic Park. As we drew closer, the strictly industrial cruise port completely belied what lay beyond. There was nothing but the mountains themselves beckoning you onward to explore.
We started the morning with a short shuttle bus ride to a little shopping area. Thankfully, the driver explained that we should walk beyond the shops and restaurants to Royal Sonesta Marriott Hotel Vacation Resort, where in the courtyard, we would see a huge koi pond with fish as ancient as 90 years old.
The walkway around the restaurants was lined with flowering, fragrant shrubbery. As we rounded the corner, we momentarily stopped breathing as an incredibly gorgeous blue harbor surrounded by the greenest mountains and framed by towering coconut palms opened up before us. Surfers were testing out the waves, as families lounged on the lush grass to share a picnic.
As we neared the resort, the largest pool I have ever seen came into view, with large elephant statues. Ahead of us the walkway ended in wide steps framed by Chinese lions guarding a large portico.
The resort itself was the most magnificent I’ve ever seen. From the walkways overlooking the pool and fountains, we could see the harbor and mountains in the background.
Enormous potted plants in white and blue Chinese pottery decorated the lobby, along with an actual Hawaiian boat. The koi pond was surrounded by a serene Japanese garden. Hawaiian artwork was displayed throughout the walkways along the koi pond.
After gawking at length at the resort (a fellow traveler told us that there is an even more gorgeous Marriott Resort further inland, which has a lazy river), we traveled back along the harbor to the shopping area, where we found several little treasures to take home with us. We loved the dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts. I wanted to buy some Kona coffee, but a small bag of ground coffee was $38, so I passed on that.
Next, we boarded a huge air conditioned bus to embark on our excursion, the Wailua River Cruise and Fern Grotto. From the bus, we could see waves crashing on pristine beaches and a sprawling golf course on the beach side of the road. The golf course had been a coconut plantation, so there are many towering coconut palms surrounding and scattered throughout the fairways and greens. I could just see myself puttering around in a golf cart, soaking in the beauty.
We traveled to rest area, thick with wild chickens and roosters, and walked to the promontory to view the 150-foot-high Opaekaa Falls, located off the north brach of the Wailua River. The twin falls are framed by the Makaleha Mountains. Opaekaa means “rolling shrimp,” because in the old days, shrimp could be found in the stream at the base of the falls.
Then we walked across the road to look down upon the Wailua River winding through the greenest of mountains. It was then that tears came to my eyes. The only other site I ever looked upon and started crying immediately at the beauty of it, was Lyttleton Harbor outside of Christchurch, New Zealand. The Wailua River can only be most appreciated both from above and from the river itself. It is almost a religious or transcendental experience looking at such beauty as this.
From there we traveled onward toward the river marina. Along the way, the native Hawaiian (descended from royalty) driver pointed out a cave-like structure of rocks and a rock wall. She explained that this was a sacred site, where in ancient times women would travel to have their babies on the birthing rock. The tradition was that the umbilical cord would be wrapped in leaves and stuffed into cracks and cavities of the rocks. After a certain length of time, the mother would return to the spot, and if the umbilical cord was gone, then it was determined that the child was not fit to be royalty. What an interesting story!
We boarded our tour boats and were entertained with stories and Hawaiian music by women dressed in authentic costumes. The water was a peculiar greenish blue that I have only seen in dyed man-made rivers, like the Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom. I never realized that this particular color actually exists in the real world — the Pacific Islands!
The Wailua River is fed by rainfall from the wettest spot on Earth, the slopes of Mt. Waialeale — an average of 450 inches a year. The bus driver said that one year during a cyclone, the mountain received 600 inches of rain.
From the river we could see some truly gorgeous homes, but mostly it was thickly wooded down to the water level. Our destination was what used to be the sacred capital of ancient Kauai, home to island royalty, the fern-fringed cave, Fern Grotto. It lies at the base of Mauna Kapu (forbidden mountain).
We walked up a concrete path through tropical vegetation, enormous trees, and bamboo thickets, to a platform where we could view and photograph the grotto and listen to the “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” The feathery ferns hang upside down, and water softly drips into the grotto from above.
Cliff and I saw and photographed stunningly beautiful green geckos resting on the handrails of the platform.
I asked the Hawaiian singer what it was, and she scowled and growled, “That is the giant green Madagascar gecko, and we hate them. They have almost completely obliterated all of our native lizards!” I later found out that they also bite!
Overall, I would say that visiting Kauai was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I recommend vacationing there if you can, and staying at that gorgeous Marriott Resort to soak in the incredible views as you swim in that stunning pool.
Beautiful!!