Well, where do you start when you missed your flight to Honolulu for no other reason but
stupidity...That's how it started, but it definitely got better.
I was due to meet my mother in Kaua'i 24 hours after originally intended, but when I got to the
airport in Kaua'i she was nowhere to be found. Instead, our friend Steve (a college friend
of my mother's and virtual Kaua'i native), was there to greet me with the message:
"Your mother missed her flight," (though not as a result of idiocy). She finally got in that evening and
we headed to Hanapepe, a small town on the southwestern edge of the island, for dinner at the
Hanapepe Cafe (featuring excellent gourmet vegetarian dishes). Good food, really
cheap, but open only three days a week.
Our home away from home on Kaua'i was Victoria Place, a beautiful bed-n-breakfast run by Edee Seymour,
a dynamic woman who knows everything about the island and makes the most incredible
homemade breakfasts you can imagine. Edee is a delightful conversationalist
who keeps your coffee cup full.
There are four rooms available, each with a different
decorative theme (we stayed in The Shell Room), an eclectic and very full library,
loads of resources on Hawaii, a swimming pool, and full use of all beach accessories
(towels, suntan lotion, beach chairs, etc).
(Accommodations are about $85 per night and advance reservations are definitely
required: Victoria Place, P.O. Box 930, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii 96765 Phone: 808/332-9300)
Victoria Place is also within easy driving distance to many points of interest
on Kaua'i, including Poipu Beach--one of the best on the island for sunbathing--
and Waimea Canyon (a must see). Our first full day on Kaua'i it poured rain
all day, so we ended up at KMart (so I could shop for clothes that actually fit
me; sizes in Japan are fit for the equivalent of pubescent American girls). The next
day we attempted the beach but within 15 minutes we were hovering under the pavilions
on Poipu Beach with handfuls of other dripping wet wanna-get-tan white people. (In fact,
every day we were on Kaua'i it rained, "the worst they'd seen it all year," of course).
But we did get a few glimpses, half-days of sunshine, and desperate as we were we kept the beach
chairs in the trunk so whenever the sun came out we'd just pull off the road somewhere
and sit out there until it started to rain again!
My mother headed back to the East Coast and I went solo to Oahu. Got an easy
Waikiki Express shuttle from the airport ($7 or $8) to the Polynesian Hostel
Beachclub, located at the far end of Waikiki Beach near the Honolulu Zoo and
Kapiolani Park. For $15 a night I shared a dorm with 3 other people, which of course
has its major drawbacks (not to mention the bunk beds are miserably
creaky), BUT this place is 1-1/2 blocks from the least crowded of the
Waikiki beaches, 1/2 block from the vast expanse of Kapiolani Park, and all
conveniences (food/shopping) are within easy walking distance. It worked for me.
Not to mention the staff is really cool, there's a common room with a different
video shown every night, free tea/coffee 24 hours, use of beachmats and snorkel
gear, laundry facilities, and even a barbecue once a week. I made a reservation
two months in advance but they didn't have my name when I got there and I still
got a room with no problem. I heard there are better hostels in the area (i.e.
Interclub Hostel Waikiki) for the same price, but I preferred to be away from the crowds--
which are mostly Japanese, and since I live in Japan I wasn't in the mood
to fraternize. (Polynesian Hostel Beachclub: $12-$15 for Shared room; $28.95 for a Single;
$37.95 for a Double; and $45 for Private Studio. Address: 2584 Lemon Road,
Waiki, Hawaii 96815. Phone: 808/922-1340 Fax: 808/923-4146 Email: dbhawaii@lava.net
Seeing the island After I did the memorial I hopped on the #52 Circle-Island Route--an approximate 4-hour trip if you
don't get off and on too much. I though it was worth it (bus far is $1.00
each time you get on) just to see almost all of Oahu without having to make
too much effort. You'd be amazed at how different the rest of the island is from
Honolulu. As soon as you get about 30 minutes out of the city there are vast
expanses of open countryside, valleys and mountains, and once you reach the north and windward
shores, there are miles and miles of nearly deserted beaches slapped by
aquamarine waters.
The Kodak Hula Show And how could I go to Hawaii without seeing a hula show--there's a free one
in Kapiolani Park every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10 a.m. The Kodak
Hula Show has been around for years, and some critics would say the women who
perform aren't very attractive, and it's all too touristy, or whatever, but
before I heard any of that I went and enjoyed it: an 1-1/4 of free, genuine
hula, performed by men and women in traditional garb. Hold onto your coconuts
when they do the Tahitian-style dances...If you want a taste of those more
"sophisticated" shows, just walk along Waikiki Beach in the early evening and stop
in to sample different hotel attractions. They usually have performers and musicians
playing on their beachside terraces.
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