Day 6, Last full day on Kauai...

This is my last installment for my trip to Kauai. I had lots of fun catching up with relatives and seeing new ones. Today, I spent time driving to the North Shore of Kauai and doing a little more sightseeing...





In the distant, you can see how the trees join overhead making a tunnel of foliage. After Hurricane Iniki (Inn-ee-key) all the trees looked like sticks coming out of the ground, luckily not many trees blew over and the groves grew back strong.



On this stretch of road, the elevated road goes right through the middle of a grove about 40ft. off the ground, higher in some areas.

Some of the trees did not fair as well, and did not grow back in as full...

Beach, beach, everywhere... most of the Highway runs along the coast and is usually beautifully blue... This bridge goes over the mouth of the Wailua River, where you can take a boat tour up to "The Fern Grotto" http://www.smithskauai.com/fern_grotto.html I have taken this tour a few times in my life.

Another view along my trip where the trees are magnificent!

More Beach along my drive...

Perhaps I will call this place before I set off for my next Hawaiian Vacation!

Do you remember the Kukui Nut Quilt? Well, here is the "live" tree that it was derived from...

Here is that distinctive three point leaf...

So, to one side you usually see the ocean... everywhere else you look, you see mountains. You can see them in the distance...

Although the followers of the Blog could not be there with me, hopefully you have enjoyed this visual tour of my stay on Beautiful Kaui! Mahalo! (Thank You)

Day 5, Get Ready for the Luau

Today was relaxing as well, and I went with my sister on a few trips down memory lane. This is my elementary school. I actually remembered which classroom I was in.

Third door from the left...

Kids relaxed a while so they could stay up and party at the luau...

This is the trail I walked up and down everyday. It was pretty steep... more than I remebered...

What is the Grand Canyon of the islands?... That would be Waimea Canyon on Kauai. 10 miles long and about 3000 feet deep at the deepest spot.

Grayson and Emily in front of ...

The Western Most Harley-Davidson Dealership in the United States...

On to the Luau... This is one of my cousins saying a Hawaiian Blessing before we start...

This is very important... My Grandmother (Emily Kapunohuulaokala Kaohi Iwata) taught one of my cousins to quilt in the Hawaiian Tradition. My Grandmother was also a Hawaiian Healer and used the Kukui Nut in many of her healings. Before she passed, she asked that a quilt be made to signify the 17 children of the Kaohi family.

I present to you: Na Kukui o Kaohi emalama lama Ka lei o Kapunohuulaokala

(The light of Kaohi is enlightened by the Lei of Kapunohuulaokala)

The image is of the Kukui Nut leaf and the Kukui nut. Its arrangement is 11 leaves and 6 Kukui Nuts to signify the 11 boys and 6 girls of the Kahoi family.

This was about 1/6th of the total family at the party. There is a bunch more outside at tables...

And here they are... In total there were about 350 people there this evening...

Then comes the entertainment by yet another cousin who plays professionally.

And of course Emily and Rachel had to dance...


I hope you all enjoyed this blog and will try to continue tomorrow night... I get on the plane Monday night and will not be back to Maryland until Tuesday night late. That whole time difference thing... Flying from West back to East.

Day 4, more relaxed

Today was a relaxing day... I decided to send the kids off with their G'Mom and Papa and I took in a little nature right around the yard where we are staying. We then joined up with the rest back at the pavilion for a cookout and music.

This Hybicus was part of the shrubs lining one side of the property. They were all in full bloom.

Next trivia Question: What type of tree does this open seed pod come from? (Hint, the first word of this tree's common name is something you ask a famous person for.) Okay, I won't go making you search the internet high-n-low for the answer. It is an "Autograph Tree" Scientific name: Clusia rosea. Named so, because people scratch their names on the leaves and it will stay their as long as the leaf stays on the tree. This tree is directly in front of the house.

Even an empty seed pod from the Clusia is beautiful in Hawaii... LOL!!!

Nice palm trees in the neighbor's yard.

The grills are fired up and ready to go... each family brought its own meat and used the grills. We don't use charcoal in Hawaii. 1. Commercial Charcoal is too expensive, 2. Kiawe (key-ah-vay) wood is preferred anyway.

(Trivia: Kiawe wood is the same as Mesquite wood.)

Let the entertainment begin!!!... One of the cousins played music for us... it was awesome.

After they were through playing, the kids took over and did some Kareoke!

Fun day had by all and glad it was more relaxing...

Stay tuned to tomorrow's blog... I'm sure I will have more stuff to add...

Day 3, at the beach

Day three was at the beach. Emily just checking out her legs and seeing how much sun she has gotten so far...





We had a potluck dinner and a lot of the family was there... to imagine this only represents a small percentage of the Kaohi family...



My uncle Paul singing and having a great time... (my mother's brother)

These are the chili entries for the contest. Dad's did not win, but all were tasty!

Grayson had lots of fun swimming and snorkeling...

Emily and my niece Rachel played in the sand and had fun...

The reason this installment took a while to post, is that the timezone change is finally catching up to me and fell asleep at the computer last night...

I'm doing a little shopping today so I can bring lots a people a touch of Hawaii back to the "Mainland"...

Day 2, Meet some of our Ohana

Kids decided to get up at 5 this morning (guess their body clocks not reset yet to Hawaii time) and were filling the house with "Joy"... NOT!!!

After letting them loose in the yard after breakfast we got ourselves together and go going and we all met up at the Hanapepe Hawaiian Congregational Church.

Hurricane Iniki (Inn-ee-key) nearly wiped out this little church and after its rebuild, this is what it looks like today. See the page from the history book below.

And here it is today...

Here is my mother helping out and we are all about to sit and make our sign board with our pictures on it...

Here is our finished board... My Grandmother married a Japanese man (Paul Iwata), so my Grandmother's full name was Emily Kapunohu'ulo'okala Kaohi Iwata... Did I happen to mention that her name is a little long... Her Hawaiian Middle name is pronounced (Kah-puu-no-who-oo-low-oh-kah-lah) and of course the Family Last name Kaohi is (Kah-oh-hee)...


This is the famous "Swinging Bridge", I used to cross everyday to get to school. It is behind the church about half a block away.

Emily with her flower behind her ear... (Trivia question for you... Is she wearing it behind the correct side ear?)

Grayson with Emily and Dad's help, decided to crack open a coconut... Grayson was cleaning off the hairs before we cracked into the main shell.

Trivia question #2 - Chickens are to Hawaii as ______ are to St. Martin?

At 4 p.m. (9 p.m. est) today (7/15/2009) (16oo hrs. for you military folk) we went up to the family grave to pay homage to our Kupuna (Ancestors)

This is my Great Grandfather...

This is my Great Grandmother (Kapuna Wahine or tutu) (Kah-poo-nah or Too-Too)

This is my Aunt Janet who gave the whole family Geneology Chant (17 children long... whew!), plus she did a traditional chant called Aloha'Aina (Love of the Land)

Then back to the church for our "pot-luck" dinner... The food was awesome... some of which I had not had in almost 4 years... I will try to bring back recipes...



That's all for this installment... See you tomorrow! Lots of fun activities going on tomorrow oh... and the LUAU (Loo-ow) starts...