going to Kalalau

(originally written October 1st, 2007)

I've had a little change of plans. I was going to stay with a friend in Kapaa (the same town where the hostel is) starting today and for the next week or so, and help her getting her house fixed up to sell, as she's moving to Europe. But it turns out she has a big project to do on the computer for the next several days, so it was better if I come at the end of the week, or else next week. So I shifted things around and instead I'm going camping at the Na Pali coast tomorrow. I'm in Lihue (the biggest town on the island) and just got my camping permits, then I'll probably get a ride out to the trailhead with some people at the hostel.

So I'll probably stay out there roughly a week, give or take a few days. It might just depend on how long the food lasts, or else whenever I get bored and want to come back to civilization. But I'll be at the Kalalau Valley, on the Na Pali coast here on Kauai. That's the section of the island where there's no road because the cliffs are too rugged. But even the trail ends after 11 miles and there's no trail after that because it's too steep even for a hiking trail. But at the end of the trail there is a nice beach with a campground, and then another trail going inland a couple of miles that's great for hiking and exploring, plus a small river for swimming in, so it's easy to find stuff to do out there. Also when I went to get the camping permit he said I was lucky because it's almost full, so it sounds like there'll be plenty of other campers out there.

Anyway the last couple of days has pretty much been the usual. I went snorkeling yesterday with some people at the hostel, at Poipu beach, which is in the same area where my mom and brother stayed back in 1989. It was okay snorkeling, saw some interesting fish but nothing like the Andaman islands, or Thailand by the sounds of it.