Thursday, June 11, 2009

Kauai's Majestic Na Pali Coast

Recently my good friend and fellow artist, Schar, treated me to a Na Pali boat cruise for a special day! Mahalo Nui Loa Schar!!! We met at Blue Dolphin Charters at 7 a.m. We were blessed with clear skies and a calm ocean that morning.
Marionette and Schar
This is Olokele, the last operating sugar cane mill on Kauai. Owned by Gay and Robinson, they will soon be shutting down around October once the last of the sugar cane is harvested and processed. It's a real end of an era.
We were lucky enough to stop the boat and see two pods of dolphins. Here they are swimming right next to the boat. What fun to see them jump and play in the clear, ocean water!
The famous Na Pali coast with rugged and beautiful cliffs. This used to be home to the ancient Hawaiians. "Na Pali" translates to "the cliffs."
Here are some sea birds taking flight.

We were truly blessed on this boat trip with a sighting of several sea turtles swimming near by. See him poking his head out of the water? They are known as "honu" in the Hawaiian language.

Look how clear and blue the ocean is here! This is truly paradise on earth!
This is how close you actually get to the coast! It's like stepping into a movie! Speaking of movies, the Na Pali coast can be seen in famous movies such as Jurassic Park, King Kong, 6 Days & 7 Nights, Thorn Birds, South Pacific and I just learned that the beach scene at the end of Contact was filmed here.
Just one of many sea caves seen on the trip.
Ahhh! Another wonderful view. I have to admit, I took over 300 photos with my digital camera, and I wish I could show them all. We are truly LUCKY TO LIVE KAUAI! And, if all of this wasn't enough, we ended the trip with a one hour dip in the ocean to snorkel.

Mahalo to Schar and Captain Chris for this wonderful trip!

Aloha,
Marionette

15 comments:

BlenderBach said...

omigosh, it all looks so beautiful!!

missknits said...

wow i am totally jealous! what an awesome place! the pictures were great! the water looks so pristine!

Southern Girl said...

Wow those pictures are gorgeous!! It looks like you had a great time!

Lisabongzee ~ Island Dream Life said...

THIS PLACE IS SO AWESOME! I bet everywhere you looked seemed like a postcard! Well, we are doing a week long backpack trip across Haleakala Crater on Maui. If it is fun, the next trek on our list is the Na Pali Coast hike (we have been researching it for months). I believe it is about 3-4 days, and it goes to some of the secluded beaches in the photos in your blog!

Maybe we will finally get to meet you and Schar on your beautiful island of Kauai. Of course, the cruise seems much more fun (and alot easier) than hiking along sheer cliffs with a 40 pound pack on your back......

Hmmmmm..... maybe I will have to rethink that! And getting to see the playful dolphins and graceful honu is the icing on the cake.

Glad you had a fun day!!

Much ALoha,
Lisa

TERI REES WANG said...

You are a lucky duck, with a very generous friend; you need to keep her around!

The last time we made that route, on the Zodiac boats, we came across a common site. One guy, two body boards, one for his naked butt and the other for the giant trash bag filled with all his belongings! Hee ;P

Melanie said...

Oh.. this is so beautiful! You are making rethink.. maybe we should take a Na Pali cruise :-)

But I hear that you 6-10 swells and high surf warning earlier this week... you must have gone at the perfect time.

What a sweet friend Schar is!

Thanks for sharing!
~Melanie

UniqueNurseGranny said...

What a marvelous virtual tour.I have never been there but lived 8 years in Kaneohe.Makes me so homesicj.Thanks for the aloha post.

LemurKat said...

Just one of the reasons I shall haev to return to Kauai! And hwen I win the lottery, I'm definitely buying a house there.

It certainly is a breath-taking landscape.

Kat

50sgal said...

what beauty. It must not hard to be inspired to paint with this as your 'backyard'.
It is sad about the sugarcane. Does that mean the island will now have to import sugar made elsewhere? How unfair to that family and its workers. The usa is slowly become a 'bedroom community' to itself.

Jean Levert Hood said...

I love seeing 2 very happy artists together!!

What amazing beauty. Stunning.

I grew up in South Louisiana, and most of my family is still there. Sugar cane surrounded the little town I grew up in. About 3 years ago, they shut down the mill. I still miss going "home" in the fall and not having that wonderful molasses scent in the air! They are still growing the cane, but transporting it to another mill. an era gone by.

Justine said...

I love your picture of Mr. Honu! Those are really great pictures. Can't wait to see if for myself in person soon....

Aloha!

Lauren Maurer said...

Wow! You are a lucky girl!!

Bri said...

Oh, so jealous! this looks like so much fun. Great pictures.

Schar Freeman said...

This was a wonderful memory for us both ..special day for a special sistah!! U da Best!!

Your photos are beautiful!!! Cannot believe you captured all those sea birds in flight...good one!

♥schar

Jennifer Stano said...

What gorgeous pictures of an amazing slice of heaven on earth! You are so beyond lucky to live there!!