We Frolicked in the Island Mist in a Land Called Hanalei

Na Pali Coast From Kalalau Trail in 2005

When Julie checked the weather on her iPhone at breakfast onboard Grand Princess, the chance of rain on Kauai was 70%,  and even I didn't make my usual 30% chance of no rain counter to her forecast, because liquid sunshine can be expected most of the time on Princeville's side of the Garden Isle, where plants grow rapidly into jungles.



Hanalei on Photogenic Day in 2005

By the time we had been shuttled to the airport, rented a compact car and driven past Hanalei, the chance of rain had reached 100%, but on the bright side, we didn't encounter any dragons frollicking in the island mist, probably because it was winter rather than autumn.

When we reached a parking lot near the end of the winding road where we hoped to find Tunnels Beach, the downpour suddenly became torrential, and we couldn't help wondering if this was nature's way of saying to drive immediately to Poipu Beach on the sunny side of the island.

We decided to wait it out, and after five minutes, the rain had let up enough to allow us to get out and walk to a nearby path into the rainforest.  The jungle canopy sheltered us from direct rain, but we couldn't make heads nor tails of which of the branches might lead to the beach, so we doubled back.

Chicken Fights for Space on Crowded Ke'e Beach in 2015

The rain had almost stopped when we cleared the jungle, so we decided to walk further down the road to Ke'e Beach, where free range chickens roam along the shore of a great snorkel spot.  Actually, I personally always referred to Ke'e as Tunnels, because a large part of the surface is a shallow water covering of a flat coral reef that has natural alleyways where it is barely deep enough to snorkel.  There are also a few actual tunnels, where you could swim under the coral, but without scuba gear, I have never been anxious to explore them.

As on Hilo, I went for the first snorkeling expedition, while Julie waited on shore to watch our stuff and snap a few photos.  The rain had stopped entirely.

Ke'e Beach from Kalalau Trail in 2005

Had I gone to my left, closer to the rock outcroppings below the hiking trail that follows the Na Pali Coast, I would have found a deeper sandy area to enter the water, but I just headed straight into the shallow coral.

There wasn't room for both my body and any fish in the alleyways, but fortunately the fish could scamper off into the shallower area around me.  It's always amazing to see tropical fish up close, and this reef is quite uniquely suited for that experience. 

At one point, it seemed to get too shallow, and I'm embarrassed to admit that when I got out, Julie pointed to a stain on my rash guard where my belly had obviously rubbed on coral.  As such, I would recommend that you enter at the sandy area, so that you can backtrack.  As it was, I had no room to turn around and could barely find my way through the "surface tunnels" going forward, so I had to push on.


Ke'e Beach Snorkel Spot 2015

When I did finally come to a more open area, I found lots of bigger fish and, partially hidden in one coral shelf was a giant sea turtle.  I don't know if sea turtles are considered good luck, but I always feel extremely lucky when I find one.  I had been in the water quite a while by this point, so I soon headed back in, checking the shore to see where I was so I could direct Julie to this turtle.

On the way in, I found a wide route next to the reef with a few feet of water above a sandy bottom.  When I told Julie my recommended route out, she just laughed and said, "I wondered why you went out the way you did."  I think she had remembered from our last visit, although she also would have taken more time to choose her entry point than I did.



Wes at Ke'e Beach in March, 2015

While it wasn't raining, I didn't want to sit in the wet sand, so I wandered around taking in the views and snapping a few photos.  A couple of young tourists asked me how the snorkeling was.

"Great."

"So no one tried to stop you?"

"No."

"The sign says no swimming or snorkeling due to rip currents."

"Well, I didn't see the sign." 

"Well then, I guess that makes it okay."

Was that snark in that polite young lady's voice?

That sign probably explains why Julie and I were the only ones in the water the whole time we were there, although I think rain also stops people from thinking about going swimming, which is silly, because you definitely are going to get wet if you snorkel regardless, and the ocean in Hawaii is always at least as warm as most heated pools.

In the past, we would have undoubtedly taken the beautiful scenic hike on Kalalau Trail, which begins at Ke'e Beach, but following the rain, the footing would have been iffy at best.

 

Wes on Kalalau Trail in 2005

In 2005 on our last trip to Kauai, our feet had slipped and slid all the way to the gorgeous, secluded beach by a waterfall that was our ultimate destination.

 

It had been a struggle then, and while I may imagine myself to be in my twenties and poke fun about the number of senior citizens on this cruise, I sometimes must accept that I'm a senior myself and that taking precautions is sometimes in order, especially if I have a hard deadline of a time to be back on the ship.



In any case, Julie's plan called for us to drive across the island to Poipu Beach.  We stopped for a royal lunch at what I suppose must be Kamehameha's favorite restaurant, Burger King.  The fast service allowed us to get back on the road quickly, but unfortunately, we hit major traffic congestion shortly thereafter. 

We slowly made it to the other side of the traffic jam and continued on through the Tunnel of Trees along Highway 520 to Poipu. 

For some reason, we had trouble finding the right turn for the beach but finally found a place to park about a mile from where we wanted to be.  It was definitely sunnier than Ke'e, though not hot by any means.

We hiked past resorts along the beach, and when we finally reached the  cove where we we wanted to snorkel, I decided to double back and move the car to the adjacent parking lot while Julie went in the water first.



Sunnier Poipu Beach in March, 2015

I started to hike along the road from the parking lot, because I knew that would be faster than walking in sand, but I wisely decided to double back along the beach instead, just in case the road didn't lead back to our car.  It didn't.

I drove around until I found the right place to turn and parked near the snorkel spot.  When Julie saw me arrive on the beach, she came out of the water carrying the mask and snorkel. 

The strap on the mask had broken, so she had just held it to her face with one hand while paddling with the other for her swim. We had a spare mask, but that one, previously unbeknownst to us, was also broken, so I took the better of the two and snorkeled as Julie had, holding it to my face with one hand while navigating with the other.  Flippers would have made this easier, but we had packed light.

Once again, I was rewarded for my efforts with outstanding snorkeling, with a highlight being an eel.



Cruising from Kauai.  Is that a dragon in the clouds?

Not wanting to miss the ship, we started back to return our car, but we figured we had time to stop at K-Mart to buy a new mask, so we would be ready for our favorite Hawaiian island, Maui.

By the way, if you buy a mask, buy a good one, and that means if you go to a discount store rather than a sporting goods store, buy only the best one and always a name brand like US Divers.  While my old one had broken earlier that day, it had lasted about 25 years, so the cost was pennies per dive.