The most interesting place in North America:

Kaua'i Hawai'i...

is the most interesting place that I have ever been in North America. My family and I spent a week and a half there last July and it was a wonderful experience!

The landscape was very different from anything I had seen before. The ground was covered with lush, green, tropical trees, plants, and flowers and the air smelled wonderfully sweet. There were all kinds of hibiscus bushes, palm trees, and my personal favorite, Plumaria trees (there is a picture of one of the Plumaria flowers at the top of this blog). While on Kaua'i we spent time in Lihu'e (2nd largest city), whose population was around 6,000 people. We also stayed at Po'ipu, known for its beach, and spent a day driving along the VERY steep cliffs of Wiamea Canyon. Wiamea Canyon is beautiful and it is said to be the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, however the most breath-taking sight was the mountains on the Napali Coast. They called these the cathedral mountains because of the way that they extended seamlessly up towards the sky, resembling the steeples of cathedrals.


The wildlife was rather interesting too. There was a plethora of wild chickens and roosters running around the island. The roosters had beautiful bright red, green, and yellow feathers, and the hens were white, black, and brown. I think that the rooster population was comparable to the pigeon population of New York City, NY; maybe more. My brothers enjoyed the tiny lizards that they found running around and liked to try and catch them. One day we took a Catamaran tour around the island and I was also excited to see dolphins, sea turtles, and an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

The culture of Kaua'i was also refreshingly different. Their concept of time and formality was entirely opposite of that of corporate America. People in Kaua'i would wake up early to start surfing at sunrise, and would go to bed shortly after the sun went down around 9 o'clock PM. During the day time would pass leisurely. Kaua'i's main industry is tourism so the entire island had a relaxed feel. People everywhere dressed very casually. We went to the only Wal-Mart on the island and were surprised to find it was not usual to go shopping in your swim-suit. The no-shirt, no-shoes policy did not apply there.

The music was also different. At many of the tourist attractions you could find someone playing the ukulele and singing in Hawaiian, usually accompanied by a traditional hula dancer. My family went to a traditional luau one night where we got to listen to lots of Hawaiian music, see a Polynesian dance show, and also experience ethnic food. At the luau they prepared a Kahlua pig, which is cooked in an emu oven, or dirt oven that is buried in the ground. The Kahlua pork is dipped in a gray starchy, wet substance called Poi (the purple-gray substance in the cup on the plate). Poi is like a purple potato, but it tastes like water, and is mainly used to wet the pork. With dinner they also served several vegetable relish salads. One was made with cucumbers and was very delicious. My favorite traditional Hawaiian food was a dessert called Haupia. Haupia is made from coconut with the creamy taste of pudding, but the consistency of finger jello.

All in all Kaua'i Hawai'i was a place unlike any I had ever been. It was beautiful in so many ways: the landscape, the music, and the relaxed way in which people lived. I hope to go back sometime soon!