D: We got up at 6am so we could make our 8:30am flight. L spearheaded an efficient attack on the packing the night before, so we had a small check list to tend to in the morning. The taxi picked us up promptly at 6:45am and we were on our way.
The taxi driver drove us to the airport the same way I'd have taken, which is rare. They usually like to take a slightly round about way there that amounts to about the same time, distance and money. As we were driving there I remember thinking, this guy is good. We get to the terminal and unload our bags. I look at the meter and it reads $11.05. I start digging in my wallet and he tells us it'll be $15.00. I ask why? He tells me that it's a minimum flat rate when going to LAX (the airport). Now, L and I have taken enough taxi rides from our place to know this was a load of horsesh**. He says it's posted in the cab and he points to a sign. I read it and think to myself, it's a good thing this guys a cab driver and not a lawyer. The sign clearly states that the $15 flat rate he's trying to get us on is for fares originating at LAX. We point this out to him and eventually he gives up. We pay him and I ask for his card. I make a note of his cab number and name and write it down. Later, after L and I check in I call the taxi company to get the official word on Mr. Ahmed's claims.
The verdict.... He was trying to put one over on us. Shame on you, Mr. Ahmed. To top off the little cabbie scam attempt, a brief moment of panic kicked in when L realized she left her purse in the cab. Luckily he hadn't left and her purse was retrieved without any problems. Between the fare incident and the purse incident, it was plenty enough to get our blood pumping for the day.
Turns out we didn't need the extra rush of blood for the rest of the day, because it was smooth sailing from then on out. The flight was uneventful with a short layover in Honolulu, followed by a 20 minute flight to Kauai.
We got our rental car and were on our way. First stop....Wal-mart.
During the flight I had the realization that I didn't pack the new swimsuit that I'd purchased the other day. So to Wally-world we went. After picking up a new suit and some other supplies, we stopped off at "Fish Express". A small takeout seafood eatery that we'd read about in one of our guide books. We got some laulau, two kinds of tuna poke and some salmon. We were hungry so we ate it in the car as we headed to the place we had booked.
Without going into too much detail, here's some quick first impressions of Kauai.
The drive was about 20 minutes thru a very lush and very green tropical landscape. The air was damp and cool. It rained ever so briefly when moments before it was sunny and hot.
The bed and berakfast that L found for us is amazing. It's run by a lady named Lorna, who is one of the friendliest people we've ever met. The kind of person that you meet and are immediately in conversation as if you've known each other for years.
The room is exquisite. Shiny hardwood floors, a nice large king size bed that faces glass doors that lead out to a deck surrounded by all sorts of trees and island foliage. The room has a full kitchen and a spotless bathroom that seem brand new. The place is amazing. The view from the deck is of rolling hills covered with various trees that lead to the ocean about "6 minutes away" (according to Lorna).
Birds are chirping and roosters are crowing. Apparently, there's a large rooster population in Kauai due to a hurricane years ago that destroyed some chicken coops. This allowed for some co-mingling that got out of hand. We even saw some roosters in the parking lot of Wal-mart.
Our only task for the rest of the evening is figuring out where we'd like to eat. After that, it'll be one down and five to go.L: We decided to have dinner at Camp House grill in Kalaheo. I called them to find out what time they closed and to get the address. The woman who answered the phone told me it was on Highway 50 in Kalaheo. I didn't get a numeric address so I figured I was getting "island" directions and it should be easy to find.
The town is a few miles away from where we're staying and you can drive through it in a minute. There are a couple of restaurants and the Camp House was at the west end. Our friends who got married in Kauai last year had come to this place several times during their stay so it came highly recommended.It was originally the home of the a worker who came in the 1800's to harvest the sugar cane fields. We read about the history of camp houses on the menu. The place looks like a small wood shack. Inside there was a mounted deer head, a stuffed rooster and a stuffed chicken (these aren't menu items). I (L) ordered a Kalaheo burger w/ cheese which was a traditional burger w/ lettuce, tomato, cheese, mustard and mayonaise. It was a really good burger. D had a chicken sandwich that was good, too. They had an extensive pie selection. I was looking at the case filled w/ them when D took a picture of me (I didn't know I was being photographed). We decided to get a slice of chocolate chip macadamia nut pie to go.
We stopped by the Lawai market (more like a liquor store) and got some ice cream on the way home. Back at our room we had the pie warm w/ ice cream and it was ono (Hawaiian for good). A great ending to our first day.
