Kauai

And so begins the adventure. After a long haul to Honolulu and arriving in the middle of my Parent's move, my good buddy Canuck and I embarked to the Garden Isle of Kauai the fourth largest of the major Hawaiian Islands. Being budget backpackers, we decided on spending our first two nights at the only Hostel on the Island; 'Kauai International Hostel' before meeting up with some friends who live on the North Shore. -What a trip- Greeted by Mike the peculiar owner/host, we quickly learned of the rules we absolutely needed to follow in order to keep his rotten teeth from barking our way out the door. The hostel is clean and home to many fabulous travelers and friendly people. However, the host could use some lessons in kindness and living the aloha lifestyle. We met such great spirits at the hostel. Jean from Seattle doing her Naturopath degree at Bastyr, the Jugglers from Arcadia on the Island for 28 days with the plan to walk and camp around the entire Island (the Island has a circluar shape and an area of 550 square miles), Craig from the Big Island and Zach from Denver to name a few. Our first night was a rough sleep, but we awoke early with our sights on hiking as much of Kauai's most premier trek along Na Pali Coast. The hike was incredible to say the least. It should be noted that the coast trail is no walk in the woods. Nor is it for the faint of heart or those who don't wish to tarnish there footwear. The hike along the Kalalau trail is a total of 12 miles through narrow, muddy trails, over rocks and tree roots, rushing rivers and steep cliffs. Quite the rush with every step. Hiking the entire 12 miles would require a permit, an over night trip, and a backpack full of supplies. We weren't prepared for such an endeavor so we elected to walk the first 2 miles to a beach (where most people stop and return back) and then another 2 miles to the magnificent Hanakapiai Falls Trail. We continued over steep valley trails, through bamboo forests, over rivers and boulders until finally reaching the falls. Unbelievable is the word that kept rolling off my tongue. Without much thought, we jumped in and enjoyed our private sanctuary as we were the only ones there. We had a gracious moment, alive in the present, full of joy, contentment and humbled spirits. We quickly thought of our beloveds and wished each could be there including those we know to be in current suffering. Then as if on the summit of a mountain, we began our decent back with smiles as we passed those on their way to see the glory. Each had worrisome faces and asked "how far till we get there" and "is it worth it?" "Absolutely", Cancuk would reply. Since I had dropped the remainder of our drinking water in the river, Canuck kept a keen eye on any fruit we could snack on and quickly spotted oranges hanging from a tree. We climbed and shook until two little ones fell to the ground. Green in color and with a sharp tang, they were without a doubt the best oranges we'd ever had. We then continued and continued until finally arriving to the bottom where we were greeted by locals selling fresh coconut.

The next morning we awoke to news of bridge closures and challenges we were to face while trying to meet my friend from Bellingham. John (also known as Bravo) is fortunate enough to live on the North Shore in a small community called Wainiha just a short drive passed Hanalei. The three bridges after Hanalei leading to Bravo's house were under a 24 hour closure in order for the workers to finish the upgrades. A series of phone calls led us into Hanalei where Bravo would meets us in the afternoon. We met him promptly after a swim in the ocean and of course our 4x4 mosquito adventure. We enjoyed ice cream before undertaking the unique adventure of getting to his house despite the bridge closures. With our packs and cases of beer, we were allowed to walk across bridge 1 and then directed to a boat crossing a small creek avoiding bridges 2 and 3. Arriving to Bravo's we met Seth (also from Bellingham) and later met Nigel and Dylan. Graciously, we were hosted for the rest of our stay and entertained with house card games, morning coffee and gorgeous views from the front porch. World renown views in fact. Mt. Waialeale (3,000 feet high) is the wettest spot on earth, with over 430 inches of rain per year pouring on its peak and creating wonderful waterfalls on the Island below. Mind blowing - we stared and contemplated the peak with amazement directly from the porch!

The next day was spent surfing during daylight hours and a indulging in a gourmet evening dinner. 'Mediterranean Gourmet' is the restaurant our hosts Bravo and Seth (and Shannon) work at. Upon arriving, we met Imad the Lebanese owner. Immediately after hearing my name Fadi, he asked me where I was from in Arabic. We then carried on a small chat. Dinner was a remarkable spread consisting of falafel, grape leaves, humus, baba ganoosh, fresh clams, ahi tuna, kofta and spirits. Bravo, Seth and Shannon are fortunate to work at such a beautiful place. After dinner, Shannon graciously invited us to his home for a drink and some of his famous cheesecake. After losing everything in Hurricane Katrina, Shannon bravely called a friend of his on Kauai and asked if the invitation from over a year ago was still on the table. 24 hours later, Shannon began his life on Kauai. Starting from scratch, he is now famous for his award winning cheesecake company 'Hurricane Cheesecake' as well as his knowledge and participation in local affairs. (like the petition to ban the Hawaii Superferry from Kauai). After cheesecake we headed to the only establishment open on the Island past 10pm. 'The Newie' is home to locals and tourists and from time to time can be a rough place for howlies. We had a fantastic time and decided to further our evening with a bonfire on the beach. Staying up unitl 3am on Kauai isn't normal. Thanks again to our hosts for showing us a brilliant time. Thanks also to Canuck, my parents and everyone who contributed to our trip.

January 1st, I'm off for a short stop in Fiji before continuing on to New Zealand. Blessings to everyone over the Holidays.

God Bless,

Fadi