Oahu

MILILANI, Hawaii // Our flight to Thailand left from Honolulu, so we decided to fly to Oahu early, and spend our last 3 days in the United States here. 

When we arrived, it surprised me how big Honolulu actually was compared to the other islands on Maui, Big Island, or Kauai. Honolulu was a legit city, with tons of traffic and skyscrapers. We spent the first night walking through Waikiki and then spent the next 2 days hiking. 

We packed so much into 48 hours, and I’m so glad that we got to see this island. In our short time here we were able to do 4 hikes: 

• Makapu’u Point Lighthouse trail // well paved warm up hike
• Koko Head Stairs // 1,048 railroad ties straight up the mountain
• Lanakai Pillbox for sunrise // old military bunkers on the ridge line
• Manana Waterfall trail // down the valley and then back up heart attack hill

Besides hiking, we got to see Waimea Bay where the Eddie Aikau surf competition is held, and have a huge Hawaiian Filipino meal with family before we left the US for the crazy 2 days of travel that lies ahead to Thailand. 

Bathing Suits

PUKALANI, Hawaii // This week I had an epiphany. A bombshell to my wardrobe that will forever change how I shop. I've lived in my bathing suits since I've been in Hawaii so why do I buy undergarments? I should just buy bathing suits. Arguments in favor of bathing suits:

• They are as expensive as undergarments
• They are more colorful and fun
• They dry fast
• They can provide as much support as a sports bra
• They are a constant reminder that summer is coming
• They can be worn in public
• They give my day diversity
  • Hanging out with friends and someone suggest a beach trip. No problem // I am ready
  • Someone spills a hot drink on my top. No problem // take it off
  • It's a hot day. No problem // wear a sheer light weight top
  • Im waiting for a friend who is late. No problem // sun bathe while waiting
  • Want to work out after work without changing. No problem // lift in it

Anticipation

PUKALANI, Hawaii // We finally booked our tickets to Asia. Using frequent flier miles, the total cost was 33 dollars per person. I felt relieved and excited now that we have an exact plan. We leave the second week of April, and have two long layovers in Tokyo and Nagoya with the total trip being about 26 hours, just to Bangkok. When you have the luxury of time, who cares how long the trip will take. I'm actually looking forward to the long journey and exploring the airports. 

I don't have to be back a week later for work or any other commitments.

We have been spending the last few weeks on Hawaii pretty low key. Days have consisted of exercising, looking through all of our photos and videos, spending time with family, and researching Asia. The next phase of the journey is about to begin and I couldn't be any more excited. 

Slow Yourself Down

PUKALANI, Hawaii // I came here Jenny // A New York minute lifestyle and a quick walking pace to match. An attitude of if you're not doing you're failing and if you're not moving you're dead.

Call me Kini // After 3 months in Hawaii I feel like an island girl living a life on island time. At first just driving at max speeds of 45 mph made it feel like we had moved into the slow lane of life. 

Then we started running in the morning and the same streets we had driven for a month changed. I noticed unique houses I had not seen before, bird of paradises blooming, an antique 1950s car in a driveway and I thought now we've really slowed ourselves down.

Yesterday, we decided to walk to the grocery store and again I was amazed at the differences I noticed from slowing my run to a casual walk. 

It's taken 3 months but I think we can honestly say we have finally embraced island time for the first time in our lives. I came here Jenny and I am leaving Kini. Just in time for us to travel to Thailand next week for the next leg of our adventure.

Grounded in Routines

PUKALANI, Hawaii // We follow several vagabonders on Instagram. They are living in van campers, sailing boats across the Indian Ocean, or backpacking the world like us. And within all our writings I've noticed we all talk about routines at some point. This may sound odd as you would think the reason we left in the first place was to get away from monotony. 

But while the backdrop of our lives changes, our routine is constant. We've recognized the importance of finding familiarity and comfort in the little things we do, no matter how unfamiliar our surroundings. These little things become almost ritualistic, keeping us grounded and help us feel at home anywhere.

Some of our favorites include coffee and tea in the morning, the smell of sweat when we exercise, and taking the time to appreciate each sunset and night sky together. And of course the occasional Law & Order episode.

Reflections

"Before I ask you to sit with me, I must be able to sit with myself"

PUKALANI, Hawaii // With our surplus of time and increased interactions with each other, basically all day everyday, I find myself reflecting about why I react to certain situations the way I do. 

I have discovered that I mask my fear with anger. When I'm scared or confused I lash out with attitude, like when someone is giving me directions and I'm scared to take a wrong turn or cause an accident. Or when we are in new different surroundings I stop communicating my fear of the unknown and just get sullen. I think this is a trait I picked up on Wall Street. Fear is a sign of weakness and in a cut throat business you either kill or be killed. Once I pinpointed this trend and vocalized it to Adam I find that we can work through those situations more effectively as I try to communicate my fear instead of unnecessary anger. Though I will say when I see a tarantula fear is definitely the emotion that comes to the surface.

I also have trouble losing. This I have always known from tennis, but recently I notice it when it comes to ideas. If I think something should be done differently and the group decides to go another direction I tend to disengage. Secretly I think I want the project to fail so I can say "I told you so." Not a flattering trait I know, and I'm ashamed to even say it out loud. Identifying this trait in my personality is the first step in conquering it I hope. I can't honestly say I have come up with a great solution, but hopefully I'll have time this year to work through it and am open to any suggestions.

Dedicated to Adam for being so patient with me even though I have the above mentioned traits.

Kalalau Trail // Adam's Perspective

KALALAU VALLEY, Hawaii // I still remember researching and reading about this adventure from my desk in New York City. I was bored one day and googled "hiking to secluded beach" or something like that. What I found was this hike on Kauai, the Kalalau Trail. I can still see myself staring at the concrete building next to me out the window on 5th Avenue imaging the Na Pali Coast.

I hiked the whole thing now, there and back. It was pretty amazing, but there were definitely many hiccups along the way.

We started the trail at 8:13 in the morning and the first 6 miles went by quickly as I was just so excited to be hiking. Mile 7 is typically the most difficult and is mostly along a narrow cliffside. The challenge of it really made me appreciate the people doing it, as well as the land and terrain. The sun came out for the last few hours, it got really hot, and most of the remainder of the trail was uphill. We ended up hiking with another couple from Texas and a guy from Ireland the rest of the way, and this boosted our morale and took our minds off the monotonous step after step for awhile. 

The final mile was down a mountain into the valley and we arrived at 4:23 pm, a solid 8+ hours of hiking. We were celebrating the 11 mile trek and finally getting to the beach and out of nowhere it started to rain like crazy. We hadn't even set up our tent yet and my whole bag got soaked. Because of the rain, we set up our tent in the forest. An hour later we were miserable, wet, and moving all of our stuff to the beach. This turned out to be a good call in the end because waking up the next morning, all of our stuff was dry and the scene was amazing. 

The next day was spent mostly exploring and meeting people. This area reminded me almost like the movie "The Beach" as there were a whole bunch of people living here permanently with elaborate camps and growing fruits and vegetables in the valley. The waterfall here is perfectly placed, and is the only source of freshwater serving as a meeting place for everyone. Here, I got a chance to talk to two of the "permanent residents", a guy named Mario and a girl named Lilikoi, who had both been here for about a month and plan on spending at least another month here too. 

It was nice to spend 2 days camping and not have to do the 11 mile hike back to back. The second night we collected wood and made a fire on the beach and made a little sitting space. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. Hours later though a cold front came in and the weather turned extremely cold. The first night I slept in a T-shirt on top of my sleeping bag. The second night I was curled up in a ball with all of the clothes on that I had brought for the entire trek. I probably got 2 to 3 hours of sleep, mostly in 20 to 30 minute naps. 

Once the sun came up we thought it would be a nice peaceful trip back. It was great for the first 4 miles but as soon as we got to the halfway point, the trail got all muddy. By the last 4 miles we were soaked head to toe and covered in mud. The last 2 miles we just wanted to be done. 

Despite all of the troubles though, I love this kind of stuff, and would do it again in a heartbeat. The challenge, seclusion, and beach camping made this a truly unique hike. I wish I could have explored more of the valley and all of the side trails branching off from the main trek, but maybe that will be for next time, when I can get a full 5 day permit. 

Kalalau Trail // Jenny's Perspective

KALALAU VALLEY, Hawaii // Sore. But worth it. I'm glad I did the trek but I don't know if I would do again. The views were spectacular and the beauty of the mountains took my breath away at times but the amount of narrow trails with high cliff exposure also equally made my heart pound. 

Not only was the 11 mile journey along the coast tough physical terrain of peaks, valleys and stream crossings, it also became mentally exhausting calculating the risks of each step I was taking. The trail was only a foot wide at certain points and you had to watch where you placed every foot along the trail which was always either // rocky, muddy, sandy, wet, slippery, steep, narrow, flooded, or brush lined. If you were looking at the mountains or valley or taking a picture you had to be standing still. 

The trail safety is also extremely dependent on weather which is always unpredictable on the coast. We hiked in with blue skies and sunshine thankfully but were not so lucky on our way out. We hit rain the last 7 miles and since there is no cell service on the coast we didn’t find out until we made it back to the parking lot that they had actually closed Kalalau trail the day we exited due to abnomrally high water levels and bad trail conditions. We were cautious coming out and I never felt in immediate danger but I was extremely thankful to step my muddy boot back in the parking lot with no major injuries or incidents to speak of. 

I think others are not so lucky. Mile 7 is the most dangerous and one wrong move and you could find yourself down a 100 foot cliff with nothing but rocks to cushion your fall and the ocean waves breaking against the shore to catch you at the bottom. Some people hike the trail alone and at night which seems even more risky in my opinion. If you do roll an ankle you would be reliant on another hiker happening to come along and have a satellite phone and be able to get you to one of the emergency exit helipads located every 3-4 miles along the trial. Thats a lot of ifs to be reliant on when your life could potentially be on the line. 

But like I said in the beginning I’m glad I did it. It was worth the risk if only once to see the paper thin ridge lines fold down the mountains, the pristine waterfalls, the turquoise water, exotic birds and lush forests. The fact you can only get to Kalalau Valley this time of year hiking makes it worth the risk because it is one of the few hidden gems left in this world that is untouched by commercial tourism. Boats and helicopters are not aloud to drop people off in these locations except in the summer months.

I will say the most annoying part of the entire trip was the helicopters. We must have seen 20 our first day of hiking. You feel so isolated and alone and then you get buzzed by a helicopter which kind of ruins the “I'm in the middle of nowhere," feel that is so rare these days. I will say though that if something had gone wrong I think having them around to signal for help would have been extremely convenient. 

Priceless memories and to me a once in a lifetime experience but not worth your life. Haiku’s inspired by the trek:

• Kalalau Trail // Secluded trail hikes, Climbing over the valleys, Alone together 
• Kalalau sun wars // Golden rays pierce through, Ocean mist battles the light, Horizon conquers 
• Check ++ // Beachside bonfire, Water falling down the cliffs, Palm tree breeze

Arriving in Kauai

LIHUE, Hawaii // Two months ago we logged onto the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources website to get a permit to backpack the Kalalau Trail. They only allow 60 permits per day and the entire next 3 months were sold out, except for 6 spots left on March 15th and 2 left for March 16th.

Two months later and after a 50 minute flight from Maui, we arrived at Lihue airport in Kauai. Only 5 days prior they closed the trail due to flash floods so we had been monitoring the weather daily. Besides an old tent I had bought about 10 years ago, and our two sleeping sacks, we felt vastly underprepared for the 22 mile roundtrip trail where there is no phone service or road access. 

After arriving, we rented a car for a few days and drove to Kayak Kauai camping store and rented a mattress pad, a stove, and bought water purification tablets. From there we went to the grocery store and bought: 2 gallons of water, 4 Kind bars, 4 Clif bars, 4 apples, 2 oranges, 4 packs of ramen noodles, 2 cans of green beans, peanut butter, jelly, tortillas, oatmeal, beef jerky, M&Ms, and a bag of carrots. A sufficient amount of food for 2 people over the course of 3 days. 

From here it was on to Walmart to pick up a lighter, a knife, and a pot to boil water. On the side of the road we saw 3 hitchhikers with camping gear and picked them up. It turns out, they had just hiked the Kalalau Trail yesterday and they gave us some great info and advice on what to expect.

We spent the night with family in Lihue, organized our packs, and got a good night sleep. We left for the trailhead at 6:30 the next morning, feeling much more prepared and confident about the intense 22 mile roundtrip hike and 2 nights in the wilderness.

Spearfishing

KIHEI, Hawaii // I have been attempting to spearfish now for a few weeks and finally caught, cooked, and ate the first fish. It was more difficult than I thought, and much more time consuming for such a small reward. 

First, I had to identify the fish that are actually edible. I almost speared a Pufferfish the first time out, then realized I would have been incredibly sick had a I tried to eat it. After some research, the fish that I have been going after now are Kala and Manini. The Kala are easily recognizable by the "unicorn like" horn, and the Manini by their yellow body with vertical stripes.

After identifying the type of fish underwater, I needed to determine their size due to Hawaii fishing regulations. There is no fishing license required to spearfish, but the Kala have a 14 inch minimum limit, and the Manini 5 inches. The final step is actually to get near spearing distance of the fish. Rarely have I ever come close to a Kala, and they tend to always sense I am coming. The Manini feed on coral and swim in big groups, so they are my target the majority of the time. 

Learning to be accurate with the spear is a whole separate challenge. On the beach I practiced with an apple laying in the sand. Just to know how difficult aiming is, I usually miss the stationary apple 4 out of 5 times from only 3 feet away. A moving fish that knows you are a predator is much quicker.

In about 20 feet of water I usually have no luck. With a 5 foot sling spear rarely do I get an accurate shot. Closer to shore in about 5 feet of water there was a large school of Manini and I was able to spear 2 of them relatively quickly before they all dispersed from the area. 

Manini only grow to be 10 inches, so filleting them is difficult. Instead, just gutting them and cooking them whole on the grill with lime and butter is what we did. It turns out, they tasted pretty similar to a smoked white fish.

In the end, I had probably about a little less than a quarter pound of edible fish, but the whole process of learning a fun new skill was totally worth it.