Aloha!
There were several times last night that I was wondering …. WHY did I think that flying long haul for a holiday was a good idea…but fortunately the end of the day reminded us just why it really WAS a good idea.
Unlike the last couple of trips, we had a smooth start to this one with no last minute dramas. Simon and Jatta arrived in plenty of time to take us to the airport and we arrived at the Hawaiian Airlines checkin shortly before they opened. A great start… but things went a bit downhill form there. I have to say Neil and I are not hugely impressed by Hawaiian Airlines – their checkin process was poor and we spent an hour in the queue. Fortunately , Simon and Jatta were happy to take advantage of Sydney Airports free WiFi while they waited and we still had time to share a quick dinner with them before we needed to head through security.
The flight boarded on time but my heart sank when I realised that seated immediately behind us was a melancholy looking dad with a lively 15 month old baby girl. Our hearts sank even more when we realised that she was a twin… and that the two of them were NOT good flyers. I felt very sorry for their Mum and Dad but I was equally sorry for us… it was a long, and very disturbed night flight. We found the flight crew to be a bit taciturn ( almost grumpy) and just not as friendly as we were accustomed to. Combine that with uncomfortable seats, a poor ( paid) in-flight entertainment system, limited menu, grudging supply of water and I’m afraid Hawaiian Airlines won’t be getting a 5 star review from me.
However… enough whinging! We were excited to see the iconic sight of Diamond Head as we flew into Honolulu airport, which helped to sustain us through the hour long crawl through immigration. I’d been told that Honolulu was a much smoother entry into the USA than Los Angeles but our experience was basically the same as every other time we’re traveled to the States. Possibly it was worse because we arrived the day before Thanksgiving – the BUSIEST flying day of the year for the USA.
Luckily , after immigration, customs was a breeze, and we arrived at the gate for our connecting flight to Kauai Island with plenty of time to spare. This flight was one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it experiences – once the plane leveled out the flight attendant trotted down the aisle flinging her “beverage” at us before trotting back again to gather the empty cup…. then the plan was descending for landing.
The scenery flying into Kauai was of those iconic, carved, green Hawaiian cliffs that have graced many a travel brochure and movie scene. Tiny Lihue airport was a pleasure after the bustle of Honolulu and we rapidly collected our Chevrolet Cruze and set off for our first port of call – Walmart!!
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| The “Tunnel of Trees” |
We couldn’t find the guns this time ( !) but stocked up on some cosmetics that were 1/4 the price that I pay for them back home. The drive from there to our Condominium at Poipu Kapili resort took less than half an hour winding through lush green countryside and along the beautiful south Kauai coastline.
The condo is fantastic! The huge lounge opens to a lanai (verandah) with a view across bougainvilleas, green lawns and palm trees to the ocean. The kitchen is extremely well equipped and we were directed to the local Big Saver supermarket to stock up on deli items and nibbles for an easy, lazy tea.
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| Dinner on the Lanai |
It’s always a pleasure to wander through an American supermarket – we enjoyed re-aquainting ourselves with Cheese in a spray can, Root Beer, Pop Tarts and Reeces Peanut Butter cups but Hawaii has another delicacy totally unappreciated in mainland USA – multiple gourmet varieties of Spam. The Hawaiian’s just love their Spam and we could choose from Teriyaki Spam, Hickory Smoked Spam and Jalapeno Spam but I think today’s favourite was Roast Turkey Spam – so appropriate for Thanksgiving!.
The girl at the deli counter asked if we were cooking Turkey tomorrow and suggested that if we wanted we were welcome to revisit the store in the morning – they would be selling Turkey dinners with all the trimmings from 9am to 5 pm. We think we might just have to take up the offer, it seems wrong to be in the USA for Thanksgiving and NOT eat Turkey 🙂
Back at the Condo we relaxed and enjoyed our lazy early dinner on the Lanai before we wandered down the the front of the resort to join the crowds taking in the sunset. The waterfront along the road in front of the resort is considered the best place to watch a sunset on Kauai and we were just in time to see it plop, glowing, into the ocean behind a thin banner of cloud.
Back on the verandah, enjoying the last of a bottle of bubbly, and seeing the stars come out over the ocean – now THAT’s why we came here !