Saturday

Saturday was an eclectic but interesting day of hiking, sushi, and a music concert. Originally I had more ambitious hiking plans (Powerline trail to be specific, going for the big views) but the sky looked more clouded than anticipated so I scaled back and did Nounou mountain (Sleeping Giant), from the ocean side trail head.

Sleeping Giant is the popular hike to do around Wailua, both locals and visitors. I met a lady on the trail who climbs it regularly three times a week. It's a good workout but not a big deal, just four miles round-trip and less than 1000 feet of altitude. The trail is a little tricky to follow and junctions are not signed but no worries getting too lost up there.

I have done this hike before, but not recently, and it was both shorter than I recalled (I must be in better shape now) as well as the views more spectacular than expected. From the east trail head, a few switchbacks take you up through forested level and the trail opens up and becomes more rocky. Further up the trail joins with those of other approaches and leads to a picnic area.

It was already a hot morning for the climb, but from here on the ridge there was a little breeze making it quite pleasant. The photo above right shows the trail leading to the summit. As I was taking this photo people up there (you can just make out a speck of the little girl's bright yellow shirt to the right side of the dark rock forming the peak, a ways down from the very top) started waving and shouting to take their picture. I met them up the trail, took a better shot at close range, and emailed it to them last night.

At the top it's fairly exposed and requires caution and getting there is a little rocky section best climbed using hands but not difficult at all. I felt rather foolish having taken numerous shots of the view on the way up that were nice but nothing like the view from the summit.

Panorama, to the east

Panorama, to the north

On the way back I stopped at the picnic tables for water and a snack and already there as if waiting for me was a fellow from the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) I had met at the Limahuli garden. Already I am starting to just get used to things like this on the island and stop being surprised how well things somehow just work out. He was hiking with his mother and we shared snacks and I learned that he already had plans to work with me as a volunteer on an upcoming new project. He manages the "reserve" - a large undeveloped area above the garden proper. The NTBG owns the entire Limahuli ahupua'a - a roughly pie shaped area from the mountain top down to the ocean - so its an extensive wild area they have been working for years to restore to native plans. Most of Kaua'i is overgrown extensively with invasive plants, including the many plants the original settlers brought with them. In brief, the volunteer work would be maintenance of these areas being restored, and a core challenge is correctly identifying the weeds from the native (some very rare) plants.

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I had dinner at "Katsu" - the Tip Top Motel cafe transformed into a sushi restaurant - and had heard that it was the best sushi on the island. I haven't done a thorough survey to judge that but I can say it was good. The ambience of the cafe is a little jarring to the sushi aesthetic (the green tea comes in coffee mugs) and there is a little Hawaiian hybridizing (the miso soup comes with a Chinese soup spoon).

The sushi was very good, fresh and well prepared. The Sushi Combination A ($24.95) was a large meal: 7 pieces of sushi, all with good sized tane (piece of fish or what have you); tekka maki (tuna roll) and California roll; with miso soup and green tea.

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I attended a fun concert of hula and Hawaiian music, An Evening with Na Kaholokula at the Kaua'i Community College. Na Kaholokula has been playing music on the local scene for many years, founded by the father of the two front men, Robbie and Kimo Kaholokula, and one son is now in the band. The music they played spanned from early days of the band up to new songs, all very Hawaiian style (hard to define that). Most music with lyrics was accompanied by hula, either individual or group performances. Several guest performances were interwoven throughout:  Mike Young (slack key guitar), kumu hula Doric Yaris, and a group of west side kupuna (elders) performed hula seated on stage.

The entire show was filled with aloha spirit and evoked a strong feeling of community. As just one example, after opening with a couple of songs, Mike Young got such an ovation (hana ho) he did another song but in changing the tuning of his guitar one of the strings (new ones, he said) snapped. "Anybody have a guitar I can borrow?" he asked without missing a beat.  Kimo Kaholokula marched right out and handed him one of his. Mike said he would play with the standard tuning already set up rather than risk breaking someone else's strings. Robbie, the younger of the Kaholokula brothers served as emcee and announcer throughout and was cleary having a wonderful time. As the kupuna were assembling on stage, clearly some of them needed assistance walking. Robbie offered, "You just take your time getting set, we have the room booked until ten."