Hang loose on Kauai

 

For the last two days we were on the island of Kauai.  The last island of the tour.  Free range has a whole new meaning on the island where you found poultry running around the streets, parking lots and under growth.  Our tour guide said there are no natural predators and even the cats don't bother them.    So I could not resist snapping a picture of this handsome rooster.

Our tour was supposed to take place in an old fashioned trolley, but alas it rained and we were driven in a lovely modern van.  Two local indigenous guides provided us with fabulous information,  legends and even some political insight!  

This tour took us to what was the original port, the falls, the river, ancient fish ponds and sacred sanctuary sites.  The guide was a wealth of information as well as super entertaining.  She tried to teach us the Hawaiian equivalent of the ABC song, but with the Hawaiian phonetics.   She taught us Hang loose in Hawaii (with the hand gesture) sang the song from Gilligan's Island and told us us several movies that had been filmed on this island.  It wasn't all seriousness and history.

Enjoy a few of the pictures of our sites on beautiful Kauai. 

These sacred sites are highly respected still.  They provided sanctuary for people who managed to make it to them and saved them from their punishment.   The catch,  however, if you made it here you were never allowed to leave.   

Opkeaa Falls

Which refers to the once abundant shrimp that used to tumble over the falls

Wailua River

Valued for its fertile soil, fresh water, abundance of fish and sandy beaches for launching and landing the canoes

The fish ponds.  

Constructed years ago, early fish farms, are being rebuilt.  

These mountains overlook the fish ponds.  Legend has it when the people were working on the fish farms you were not supposed to look.  The prince and princess did not listen to the elders and watched anyway.  The result they were turned to stone and you can see their form here in the mountain.

Just hang loose, just have fun
Sippin' on a drink or lying in the sun.
Don't try to fight it, there ain't no use.
When you're in Hawaii you should just hang loose.            (Written by Ron Tish)