This story makes up the second part out of a series of four about my trip to Hawaii and Baja, Mexico

As we approached Kauai the weather was still a bit shitty, hiding the islands beauty for the time being. If I may believe the few friends that have been here, this is paradise. Lush nature and less people than on Oahu. Kauai is the most westerly island out of the Hawaiian archipelago that you can visit. Only Ka’ula (uninhabitat) and Ni’ihau lie more westerly, the last one being privately owned (?!).

We were excited to see our car on arrival. We rented a Toyota Tacoma through Turo. It turned out to be the best decision ever as the car was spacious and well adapted to some of the roads we would encounter. The boards were an easy fit for in the back bed. Our bags were stowed behind the front seats. We became attached to the car during our stay and would later refer to it as Taco.

Kauai is expensive. Like really expensive. There were two hostels on the island and they were both expensive. We’d heard of state owned campsites for $3 a night, so our first mission was to get camping gear. We rolled up to the Walmart and were able to get fully equipped for $80.

The state campsites were to be booked in one of the little offices located across the island. As the day was drawing to an end, there was no time to get that fixed so we tried a privately owned campsite. It had a spot for us which turned out to be somewhat on the pathway. A stormy afternoon, two tired surfers and a virgin tent setup made for good Instagram stories.

In our first days on Kauai we got settled into life on the north shore. This side of the island, just like Oahu, gets the most waves, so it was where we were going to spend the most time. We joined a net patrol coastal clean-up with Surfrider Kauai. This chapter of the foundation does weekly patrols along remote parts of the eastern coast. Due to the prevailing easterly currents, a lot of rubbish gets washed up on this side of the island. What we came across was quite shocking to be honest. I’ve done beach clean-ups in many parts of the world, but this was next level. It’s easy to get downhearted in these situations, but our spirits remained high. It felt good to do something back for mother earth. Flying to the other side of the world is hard to justify, so giving back was the least we could do.

Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. This is the place where the legendary surfer Andy Irons grew up. The bay itself has several surf breaks, points and beachies. The town has a really chill vibe to it and most importantly has a good coffee joint. This is what I needed. A place to read a book, slow down and process. I started to get loose from the thoughts of home, the strings that had pulled on me for so long.

The book The Gospel of Eels (‘‘De lange weg naar huis’’ in Dutch) by Patrik Svensson got me hooked. I read for days, intrigued by the worlds most elusive fish, the eel. No one has ever seen eels mate. Where do they come from? We don’t know. The author of the book took me on a journey in the world of eels, but also into his youth and thus into mine. He reflects on the place he comes from, fishing for eels with his father in Southern Sweden. It made me think about where I come from and the characteristics that I’ve inherited from my father, the ones that I’ve developed myself. Reflections of my past played in my head like an old film, making me sentimental at times. The long road of suffering that my father went down was destined for an inevitable outcome. I had known that long before he passed away. His passing was in a sense a relief to me. No more suffering, him resting in peace. I had felt that sense of relief for a long time after his death, but while reading this book I truly started to miss him. I felt space for grief was being created. I had entered a new stage in processing my fathers passing. The final chapter of the book brought tears to my eyes and I had a moment with my father right there and then at the Hanalei Bread Company where I treated myself to another espresso.

We had surfed in the bay a few times and on a spot close to our home beach of Anini, which the locals considered a close-out wave. We had fun session on the steep drops and clear water of the reef though. We drove past the spot where Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack. We didn’t paddle out. The swell came out of a Northwesterly direction mainly. When J broke his board on the point in the bay one day, he was forced to rent one. The rental guys advised us to go to Rock Quarries that day, a bay a little to the east. Wind and swell would be favorable he guessed. He was right. When we rocked up at the small bay, it looked promising. A left pointbreak and not too many people out by our judgement. We paddled out and I took my spot on the outside. I studied the wave, the other surfers. Patience can be key on a pointbreak. You don’t want to be too greedy on spots like this, or you’ll get your ass kicked. Both me and J started getting our waves after a while and damn what a fun wave it was. Headhigh sets rolled through and the waves offered a lot of room to play with as they peeled through the bay. We surfed it a few other times but it never got as good as that day.

After our first week on the north shore we wanted to explore some more. Just like on Oahu, the west side of the island is the dry side. It turned out there was more poverty here as well. We had to make some new bookings for on the state campsites anyways so we booked two days on the west side. From there we could easily access the Waimea Canyon. We had heard of its humbling beauty, but we were not really prepared for the humbling reality of it. The canyon is over 900 meters high and around 16 km long. It was formed by erosion from the Waimea river and the collapse of the volcano that created Kauai. The water running through the river comes from the central peaks of the island which form one of the wettest places on earth. The Alakai swamp on the central peaks provides a steady flow of water to the canyon below.

We made hikes in the early morning, as crowds were limited at that time of day. One hike took us right onto the edge of the canyon and blew us away. In the moments of serenity in between passing helicopters, we made our voices echo on the canyon walls. The morning sun slowly releasing its warmth on our sleepy skins. The other hike took us through the Alakai swamp and provided amazing views on the end of the trail. From there we could see Hanalei bay and the valleys below, constantly trying to fight off the low hanging clouds.

Waimea Canyon | The ridge in the distance is the one we hiked

Early morning on the start of the swamp trail

After exploring the western- and central parts of the island, our trip was drawing to end. We had one last mission: The Nā Pali Coast Trail. This was supposed to be one of the most beautiful hikes on the island. When we started looking into the trip on our arrival on Kauai, we found out that we needed a permit to enter the trail. Luckely for us there were still permits available for our last day on the island. The trail follows the coastline on the Northwestern part of the island, where the green mountains drop into the Pacific Ocean. It’s the only part of the islands coast that’s too rough for a road to be build.

We got up before sunrise as usual, to avoid any crowds and to walk before the sun started to get too hot. As the light of dawn colored the sky, we made good progress on the narrow trail. As we came around a corner after fifteen minutes of walking, we were able to see the beautiful Nā Pali coast. We took it all in for a moment. Our goal was a waterfall, about two hours out on the trail. We passed a group of four people and got taken over by a trail runner. Other than that, the trail was ours. After crossing a river, the trail turned inland towards the waterfall. After another hour of hiking, we could see our goal in the distance. Water plummeted from ninety meters up into a beautiful pool. The ultimate reward after a hike is always a dip into refreshing water if you ask me. A skinny one that is.

Kauai is a special place. It is the only island in the archipelago that was never conquered by Kamehameha. The islanders hold pride in that fact and the island feels different than Oahu. Our time on Kauai was drawing to an end. I knew I was going to miss this place for it had given me a lot. It gave me peace of mind, the thing I was craving the most, but also space for grief. Its stunning nature is unlike anything I’ve seen before. If you ever get to visit Hawaii, a stop on Kauai is a no brainer.

In the next part of my journal, I’ll share my experiences on the Big Island, where me and J met up with David and got to spend some five weeks.

Bonus footage of J preparing the infamous holiday burrito

Journal

A long way from home