Pictures & More Pictures

The cable finally got here and now I have two weeks worth of pictures and activities to blog about. I picked a few photographs that highlight what we have done so far with a caption underneath that explains it a little better.

They are in chronological order with the newest on the top.

Every August Hawaii holds its state fair. They have a fair on each island with rides, food, exhibits... the works. I can't imagine how much it costs them to move the equipment to run the rides from one island to the other.

Emilia got to take her dad for a ride in her car for the first time. It was a bumpy ride, but they both loved it. Maybe this will serve as preparation for the real thing in a few more years.

These are Dragon fruit. I haven't tried them yet, but if they taste as good as they look, they must be delicious. Yum!

They had local produce exhibition with ribbons and prizes by category. There were three long tables full of native fruits. I could only recognize a hand full of them and even those fruits I thought I knew looked differently than what I'm used to seeing at the grocery store.

People here must be very trusting. As you drive along streets people have stands in front of their homes where you can buy the produce they grow in their gardens. It's an honor system. You take what you want and leave the money in a little drop box.

They also have a lot of hitch-hiking on the major road that goes around the island. A teenager boy went to church last Sunday from an hour away by hitch-hiking his way there.

There are a lot of water falls all around Kauai. This is a photo of one we saw along the road. Waterfalls and rainbows are literally every where you go.

I love the look Carson has in this picture. Not another waterfall!

Last Sunday we went on a little walk to Sealodge Pools by our house. We got to see a turtle in the water and watch some crazy local kids dive into very choppy water in between cliffs. Totally suicidal if you ask me.

On our walk back we say some teenagers running to meet their crazy friends. They took with them their pet. A cute little gray haired hog.

The water crashes against the rocks really hard. The north shore of the island is safe for swimming in the summer months, but when winter comes the water gets too rough to be out in.

At the beginning of the walk there was a sign with tally marks counting the people that had died from unexpected waves sweeping them out to sea at Sealodge. There were over 20 marks - scary!

Waimea canyon is really a neat place to drive through. I've already blogged about it so I won't dwell much more on it.

There are chickens everywhere. I wonder if chicken will surpass SPAM as the most eaten meat in the island.

The neighborhood we live in is wonderful except for this one rooster who loves to torment my neighbors' cat. The two of them get into fights often and it's usually early in the morning (between 5 & 6 am). Oh how I'd like to kill one or the other, or both!

Hideaways beach is the closest beach to our home. We can walk to it from where we live. All beaches in Hawai'i are public but you get different people depending on what they are best known for - the reefs, sand, calm water, waves, etc.

It takes about 15 minutes with kids in tow to hike down the steep hotel trail that ends on the beach. Most people who go to hideaways are already staying at the hotel and catch a ride provided exclusively for guests. So, even though it is the closest beach to our house, it is a real pain to get to. Needless to say, I don't go to it very often. I prefer to drive to Hanalei and park my car on the beach. It takes the same amount of time and it's a lot more convenient - and a lot prettier.

We spent our first week in Kauai near Poipu. This is a picture of Spouting Horn. The water forced by the surf into a lava tube gushes into the air like a geyser.

There are two activities I love to do in Kauai: snorkeling and body boarding. Can you see me riding a wave? If I don't get trampled by the water, the rides are thrilling. I've had to learn to stop screaming from excitement so I the salty water doesn't get into my mouth.