Mahalo, Kauai

 Pella in Paradise

Day 8: Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Last Day & Travel Home

We watched our last sunrise for the trip from our room.  While I was looking out the window, I saw a lady and waved at her.  She waved back.  I can't remember if it was creepy or not.

There was a long wait for breakfast at the hotel restaurant, so we went to Passion Bakery Cafe and got in a long line for malasadas. When we got to the front, I ordered enough to last me until dinner: an ube malasada, a mango puff pastry, a turkey croissant, and an iced decaf macadamia latte with almond milk.  Yeah, I'm high maintenance sometimes.

While Bro and V were waiting for their order, I went to the Jeep and sat inside.  A guy walked toward the car and looked at his reflection in my window.  He told his family that he needed a shave.  I tried not to scare him because he didn't realize that I was there, watching him look at himself.  I guess I had a day of people looking in my window.  He's lucky I didn't take a pic of him and post it here.

We went back to Island Country Market because we collectively needed one more suitcase for our haul.  Then we went back to the hotel to pack and check out.

New compact umbrella in new big suitcase

Don't forget the snacks!

One last photo from our hotel room

Question:  What do you guys do when you get a new suitcase?  

Our answer:  Go antiquing to fill it up!

We went to Pagoda, which was closed on the other days we had free time.  I really liked it in this quaint little shop, and we talked to the proprietor for a while.  He used to be a coach for cross-fit, and was also a defensive coach in the NFL before visiting Hawaii and falling in love with it, eventually moving to kauai.  I bought a pair of crystal antique earrings and an enamel pin.  

Ceiling decor in Pagoda

We drove around and stopped at Pa'ula'ula Fort and Residence, the home of Ka Moi Kaumualii, the king of Kauai and Niihau.

Land where fort stood

King Kaumualii

Hibiscus

Egret?

Hanapepe was on our way to the next destination, so we stopped for a few minutes to take a couple of pictures.

It's like Reno!

Our next stop was Kauai Coffee Company.  V and I took the walking tour while Bro stayed in the shade at the shop and coffee bar.

There's no way we weren't going to get a pic with 
the giant chicken!

Coffee cherries

We didn't see the pigs.

Wait.  Do I have to pay to pull weeds?

Growing Baby Coffee Trees

Sorting Machine

We met up with Bro at the coffee bar and sampled the coffee.  I also bought some to take home, as well as some chocolate covered peaberry beans to munch on.  We relaxed on the patio as I observed a gecko that didn't seem to be afraid of all of the people walking around.

Then we drove around some more, and went through a tunnel of trees.

We went to a little shopping center across from the ABC where V works, and I finally found a rubber duck for the Jeep!

We ate dinner at SEA Kaua'i, where I ordered a Tuna Avo roll, a Mango Margarita, and Mango & Sticky Rice.  It was all quite yummy.

I refrained from stealing this plate.

Sushi Rolls in Paradise

Mango with Sticky Rice

Coconut Tree!

Cheers!

 We still had some time before going to the airport, and walked across the street to check out the other shops.  I saw a chicken on the hood of a car, just hanging out, but didn't get a photo of it.  So here's a chicken and her chick, with a coconut that was just there.  I don't know if it was a toy for the local chickens, or why it was there.

When we returned to the airport, I twisted my back trying to get my luggage into the shuttle, and was in pain for the rest of the evening, which made for a not-fun ride home with all of the spasms in my back.  We sat in the quarantine area before getting on our plane, and tehre was a mouse in the corner.  So we moved, because it also smelled like pee, and I'm not sure if it was mouse pee.  Great end to the trip, right?  

So we were back in LA, back to traffic, back to ordinary.  I slept A LOT when I got home.

Well, folks, it's almost a year later as I type this last blog of the trip, and a lot of these memories are burned into my brain.  Writing about it now gives me lots of smiles.  That was an incredible adventure.  Thank you to Rockapella for getting me out to Hawaii and for giving us an excuse to go to Kauai.  Thank you to Mona for letting us stay at her beautiful home.  Most of all, thank you to Bro and V for yet another fantastic trip.  I love you guys, and look forward to our next one!

Mahalo!!!