Up

We got up bright and early and packed up the car with everything that we would need for the rest of the day. We headed to Dani's Restaurant for breakfast. They are a local diner known for their hotcakes (pancakes). We were a little disappointed that they had practically sold out of the papaya hotcakes and only had enough for one hotcake. We got there around 7:30am! We settled for pineapple hotcakes for the rest of our order. The one papaya hotcake we shared was much better than the pineapple ones. Darn it! 

After breakfast, we decided to do a short hike. The closest trail was the Sleeping Giant Trail. The hike was only 1.75 miles long but was almost all uphill, a 1000 foot altitude change, up a mountain that really does resemble a giant figure resting on its back. The trail was very well marked. Each quarter mile distance on the trail was marked as well. It was very rewarding to reach the top. We sat for a few minutes at the very top, resting at one of the two picnic tables there. When we had arrived at the start of the trail and were preparing for the hike (applying sunscreen and bug spray, checking our camera gear, etc.), another car arrived and promptly hit a parked car. The gentleman who caused the collision didn't even know he had hit the parked car. Luckily the driver of the parked car was still there and some words and information were exchanged. A rather unfortunate situation when one is on vacation. Matt offered his assistance as a witness to the driver of the parked car before we set off on our hike. The two parties involved in the collision arrived at the summit while we were still there, resting. Matt dramatically whispered to me, indicating the gentleman who hit the parked car, "Stay away from that guy. He might collide into you and not even know it!" 

We made our exit after taking a few photos to commemorate our climb. We were quite thirsty by the time we arrived back at our car. We returned to Java Kai to reward ourselves with some beverages. We stayed long enough to finish our drinks and then returned to our hotel for a quick lunch. Remember the sad trip to Safeway when we first arrived on Kauai? The remaining salad was the perfect quick lunch. 

After lunch, we headed off to attend a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian. We were only allowed to bring our cameras, sunglasses, and a bottle of water (if desired). Hats and bags were not allowed. When we arrived at the tour operator's office, we were all weighed individually and assigned seat numbers based on weight distribution for safety reasons for each helicopter. We all watched a safety video before boarding our respective helicopters. We found out when we arrived that we had been scheduled as part of a party of six. For some unknown reason, two participants did not show up. Well! More room and better views for the rest of us! The tour was approximately an hour long. Our pilot, Marty, was extremely knowledgable and directed our attention to many points of interest and landmarks. We were able to see the entire island of Kauai including Waimea Canyon, Na Pali Coast, and Kilohana Crater. 

After we thanked Marty for a fantastic tour, we headed towards Kalapaki Beach in the hopes of getting some beach time at a new location. It didn't quite work out as we planned. We followed the directions in our borrowed guide book and ended up on a very rocky area. Hmm. Matt decided he would attempt some sunset photography later in the day. In the meantime, we did what we did the day before: returned to our hotel and enjoyed that immediate section of beach. When Matt returned to the rocky area, I booked our hotel for our final night in Hawaii. I finished up my solo task just as Matt returned. How timely!

For dinner, we chose a Japanese establishment called Restaurant Kiibo. They served simple, home-style food. I had nabeyaki rice (vegetables, shrimp, chicken, and an egg all in broth, over rice, cooked and served in a cast-iron pot) and Matt had fried Mahi Mahi. We chatted with the elderly lady who served us (who may have been one of the owners) and explained that we appreciated simple, non-fussy dishes like the ones offered by Kiibo. She was delighted to hear our feedback. We were delighted with our meal. =)