Exploring the Island, one dirt road after another....

It was a dark and stormy night!  mind you, Val told me about it this morning, I totally slept through it!  I guess there are some benefits to being deaf!!!  It is so different this morning from yesterday as you will see by the first two photos.   But, it's not cold and it smells so fresh and sweet!

Yesterday we hopped in the car to seek out the location of 'Smiths Luau' as it is close by where we live and we would like to attend a Luau on this island. But driving too far at night is not high on our to do list! I'm sure the folks who live here know exactly where they are and need to go, but us 'newby's' aren't so fortunate.  Road signs are difficult to see in some areas.  However, we detoured to a strip mall for a bank machine and after using it, we discovered a small boutique, which, it turned out was closed.  Two police cars were sitting out front but I think the two officers were just getting a coffee or something from the cafe next door and not  involved with the temporary closure of the shop.  One of the officers smiled and waved at Val!  She was wearing a cute dress and top as you can see in the photo.  

Sorry, I digress.....so off we went back the way we had come from.  The road was on the right now and just past the bridg, a sign reading "Opaekaa Falls", which also turned out to be highway 580.  This must be it, as we had not seen another road!  Driving on rural roads is challenging if one tends to have a lead foot!  25 mph!  At best 30 mph!  I think the car rental companies must have to charge extra for new brake shoes on this island!!  

Well, we finally came to a small community called Kapa'a and decided we may as well park the car and have a look around.  We saw a sign over a little shop advertising clothing and beach wear.  Upon entering the store we thought we had seen the same thing in another town and weren't too impressed so walked out thinking it must be a chain store.  Next door was a store with bamboo clothing, furniture and trinkets.  As we walked in I thought to myself, this too must be one of those chain stores....the display of tall wicker chair with two beachy pillows, a throw and book was exactly the same as we saw the day before......I said to Val, we need to look at the proprietor....yup, same lady!  Looking out the door we spotted the ABC store we had parked the car at the day before, and upon checking a map, we had come to the town from the opposite direction from the day before!!!  

Ever have one of those dreams where you are trying to get somewhere but roadblocks of one sort or another get thrown in your way?  We decided we best backtrack and see if we missed the turnoff....indeed we did, we came to Opeakaa Falls, off in the distance.....so we snapped a few pictures, looked at the map again to discover we were on the wrong side of the river.  Back we went again, finally finding this funny little turn off and signs indicating Smiths Luau, Fern Grotto and Kayak Tours at the marina.  Now we are in business.  We soon discovered upon parking the car in the parking area that if you book online you save $10 per person!  Well, at the very least, we now know where to go!  We are booked for Monday evening.

Feeling a tad stressed after these scenic detours, we decided a retail therapy session would be in order.  We had passed a building advertising 'made in Hawaii'  clothing.  Val bought a few more things and another suitcase.  A girl can never have enough suitcases I always say!  On the way out, we spotted another place waving colourful sarongs at us, swift left turn, up through the dirt gully and back to pavement, we were there.  We don't waste unnecessary time when shopping is in our sights!  No sense taking half empty suitcases back home!

Today we are considering driving up to Hanalei...the town made famous in the song "Puff the Magic Dragon" from back in the 70's fame I believe.  Hanalei was once a quiet Hawaiian village growing a variety of life sustaining plants including Taro, a staple in the native diet, producing Poi, a food on every natives table, (it's an acquired taste, sort of like Vegemite in Australia) but the town was soon inundated by pleasure seeking, surfing hippy types from the mainland as its soil was great for growing another crop, marijuana!  So off we go to explore.....