It rained all night, seemingly as ferocious as a tropical Hurricane. I left the sliding door open and let it lull me to sleep. When I woke, it was still raining hard so I nixed my plans for a morning surf in lieu of a drive. I wound up on a back road that led to the Menehune Fish Pond. The Menehune are thought to be the first inhabitants, before the Tahitians, and have evolved into mythical creatures in local lore.

Menehune Pond

The Menehune Pond is adjacent to a river and as the story goes, they built it in one night by lining up for miles and passing rocks person to person. It is a stunning site, one that a picture simply can’t do justice. Since it was foggy and raining, I didn’t get a good picture, but here is one off of the net.

From there, I found the Wailua Falls, at the end of a winding road north of Lihue. It seems everywhere you go, you find something magical here.

By now I was starving and it was slightly chilly, raining, and foggy. As much as I try to always try new things, I found myself driving back to Hamura Saimin for a steaming bowl of Japanese noodles. It was just as good the second time.

Warm and satiated, I headed out to meet a zip line group. Holy mackerel, I had no idea what I was in for! We zipped under tree canopies, over raging rivers, and along waterfalls, thousands of feet high (okay, maybe not that high, but it did seem like it!). After the first section, I’d earned my wings and was ready to push the boundaries of reason. I rode upside down, backwards, and twisting. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt such a adrenaline rush. To top off the day, we rappelled down a 70 ft waterfall with nothing but the ropes and rocks below. What an experience!

Zipping and Rapelling

Wet, muddy, and slightly worn after the adrenaline subsided, I got cleaned up and headed to Tidepools for dinner. I had a glass of champagne (it is my last night after all) and grilled ahi with the vegetables julienned smaller than I’ve ever seen. How did they do that!? It was wonderful, but the ambiance was most remarkable. The restaurant appears to float on water and looks like a thatched tiki hut. There are no exterior walls so your view is of the water reflecting orange flames of tiki torches, turtles and fish floating about, and tropical trees in bloom at the waters edge. Perhaps it is simply the Champagne and Keoki coffee (Kona, brandy, Kahlua), but this is bliss.