Day of the Waterfall

So after hiking the Na Pali Coast yesterday, we took it pretty easy today, sleeping in, doing laundry and hitting up a farmers market in the morning before getting lunch at a local Saimin shop in Lihue. Saimin is a kind of noodle soup dish which is a specialty of Hawaii, our guidebook tells us that all the Hawaiian Chinese think its from Japan, and all the Hawaiian Japanese think it is from China.

I think its delicious.

After lunch we spent the afternoon checking out a few of waterfalls scattered around the east side of Kauai. The first was Wailua falls, which was also the most fun, as it required a steep scramble and a semi-treacherous traverse along the edge of the Wailua river using ropes before reaching the off-limits falls. After a bunch of pictures, the route back to the top involved scaling a muddy, scree covered spring using a rope and a lot of vines.

After Wailua, we drove by Opekaa Falls and gawked at the falls and the Wailua river for a few minutes. We also chased some of the feral chickens - have I mentioned - Kauai might be the Garden Island, but it should be the chicken Island, given the number of feral chickens here. They definitely outnumber the people ... anyway, after Opekaa, we took a 2 - 3 mile hike, right in the neighborhood in which we were staying, to Ho'op'i Falls on the Kapa'a stream. There are actually two waterfalls on the river, not sure which is Ho'op'i, but we saw them both.

Wailua Falls. 

After a riverside scramble, here I am thoroughly enjoying a bottom-to-top view of Wailua Falls.

Wailua River from the top of the falls. 

Wailua River just before the edge of the falls. 

Opekaa Falls.

Wailua River from the Opekaa Falls overlook in the Wailua State Park. 

Ho'op'i Falls (the second falls). 

Aviva loves elephant ears - and how often do you see elephant ears this big just growing in the wild.

Ho'op'i Falls (the first falls). 

Loving the jungle and river - it was particularly peaceful here. 

Along Kapa'a stream.