Category: Waterfalls

      Debbie: We got up early since we had booked a private tour with Road to Hana Tours. We met at 6:30 a.m. and the guide was Kea who was a local man.  He knew a lot of the history of the Hawaiians and had a great map to show us where we were and where we were heading.

        We traveled through the island, stopped to hike to the Waimoku waterfalls and drove the road to Hana on our way back.

     This was an 8-hour tour.

      Wailua Falls is an 80-foot majestic waterfall on Kaua’i.  In ancient days, Hawaiian warriors would leap from the top of the waterfall to prove their bravery.

We had planned to take a hike to see Waimoku waterfall on the Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park on the Road to Hana.  The hike was just over 4 miles and even when we planned this tour in November, I was nervous, if I was able to keep up. Even though I knew it was a “Private Tour”, I didn’t realize that it was only Dave and me.  So arriving at the parking lot where we were to meet our guide, I was sooo relieved. 

       Dave had a drippy nose, and his voice was a little hoarse.  He took an Alka Seltzer and we started our day. 

       Kea Aaguirre was our tour guide Private Road to Hana & Bamboo Forest Trek with the Road to Hana  Tours.  He was a young man, who was informative and accommodating to our needs and wants.  We knew it was going to be an 8 hour tour and Dave and I took turns sitting up front with Kea to take in all the beauty.  The tour started through the island of Maui and we drove higher and higher.

     As we drove through the interior,  I didn’t realize that we were so high and able to see the coast!    I also realized that there are different types of land formations.   There is the tropical coast, dormant volcanoes, mountains, and plains.  I also didn’t know that depending on which side of the island you are on, the ocean can be rough.

         We were high enough to see the lands belonging to Oprah who lives on a ~24 acres piece of land and Jeff Bezos who owns ~ 15 acres.  Oprah also bought 870 acres of land.   Pretty impressive.

      We stopped a few times along the way to get out and feel the change in temperature and see waterfalls and volcanic lava.       We arrived at Haleakala National Park and got ready for the hike.  We wore our hiking boots and took our hiking sticks and backpack.  I was full of energy and ready to start the hike. (Little did I know that Dave was not feeling well.) 

Dave: Actually at this point I felt completely normal. 

Debbie: The hike was a gradual ascent, and the trail was well-groomed.  Kea pointed out plants and flowers along the way, as well as walking through bamboo.  It is pretty eerie and I wouldn’t want to be there in the dark. Bamboo creaks a whole lot.

     At this point, the story changes to Dave’s medical issue. (This will be addressed later.)

Dave: Long story which will not be published. Ask Debbie or Dave if you have 15 minutes…

     Debbie: We started going up the mountain, and waterfall and lush plants.  Dave was getting weaker and when we were near the end of the hike to the waterfall, Dave told us that he felt winded and wanted to rest.  He told me to go on ahead and he would wait.   I finished the hike and felt good.   We started to descend and met up with Dave who led the way down.  The next thing we knew, Dave was in the bushes.  He said he was losing his balance and fell into the bushes on the right side of the trail, then tried to stand up and fell on the other side.  He said he was fine and wanted to go to the bathroom.     

Dave came back to the van and tried to regroup. Kea was willing to take us to the hospital, but Dave insisted he was fine and wanted to just get back to the car, which was over 3 hours away.  We stopped to see some sites and to get something to eat.  Dave did not eat much. And he was pretty quiet on the way the drive back.  Again, Kea offered to lead us to the hospital, but Dave refused.

     Debbie: We woke up to a nice sunrise and went to church which was located in a very scenic part of town.  Then we walked around Princeville and looked at the beach.

     As we headed to the airport, we stopped at Wailua Falls.   Then we took a flight back to Maui.

    Debbie: We woke up early and watched a great sunrise.  Things like that make me so appreciate my life.

     Dave found a short hike to a waterfall and to see the Queen’s bath.  The hike was a descent on a mud trail.  We made it to the waterfall and continued onto the Queen’s Bath.   It was pretty, but scary climbing over lava rocks with the wind blowing.

     Later on that day, we drove to Waimea Canyon Park known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  It was very scenic and we saw great views along with waterfalls and rainbows.

     Debbie: The condo was amazing!  We woke up to a view of the coast.  We had fresh pineapple for breakfast and watched the sunrise.  We booked a tour of the Na Pali Coast on a catamaran.  We drove from Princeville to Kekaha and met the tour group.  The weather had cleared up, and we were off.

Spanning 17 miles along Kaua’is North Shore, the Napali Coast is a sacred place defined by extraordinary natural beauty.  These emerald-hued cliffs with razor-sharp ridges tower above the Pacific Ocean, revealing beautiful beaches and waterfalls that plummet to the lush valley floor.  The rugged terrain appears much as it did centuries ago when Hawaiian settlements flourished in these deep, narrow valleys, existing only on the food they could grow and fish they could catch.

     The water was so clear and had so many shades of blue.  We all got so excited when we first saw the dolphins!  And they came so close.

That afternoon we had a couples massage in Hanalei Bay, which was so good, Dave fell asleep, and my masseuse loosened up the tight muscles in my legs.

     Debbie: We had booked a tour to Kings Garden that included a hike to a waterfall, ending with a tasting of chocolate!  It is a Hawaiian Historical Cultural Preservation, Land Conservation Program.