Aloha, it’s time for another Kauai blog entry! By gum, I might just finish out these posts by the time June is over, yippee-ki-yi-bloop! We are up to Day 6. Per my notes, on Day 6 we had breakfast from the Passion Bakery (guava bread rolls, mmmm…), then embarked on a 4 mile hike on the stunning Na Pali coast. Here’s a self-portrait with Josh talking and a French dude in the background. The French dude and the woman he was with had on matching outfits (what is with couples and matching outfits on vacation? Ugh), and they trailed behind us for much of the hike.

Joshy on the trail–the steep, ridiculously muddy trail. It’s a miracle that neither one of us fell during the course of this hike. We passed a middle-aged woman who had fallen and evidently sprained/broken her ankle. On the way back down, we witnessed a helicopter rescue pick her up. Ouch!

The Na Pali coast is ridiculously lush.

These purple flowers were lovely.

The start of the hike.

I love the vines.

Standing on the helicopter “pad” (a square of mud), viewing the trail behind us.

The further up the trail you hike, the more aqua the water becomes.

It’s been over a month, and the red mud stains still haven’t come out of our socks and hiking boots. Worth it? Yes.

Beautiful.

The hala trees have cool roots.

Almost to the beach!

The hike is either 4 miles or 11 miles, and although my crazy husband was up for the 11 mile hike I wasn’t interested. Fortunately (or not?), the 11 mile hike was closed to due to flooding. Phew!

We had to take off our shoes and cross a thigh-deep river to get to the beach…more about that later.

Siiiigh, so beautiful!

Coming up next: we make it the beach! An extremely good-looking Park Ranger! And not-so-great shave ice in Princeton!