I woke up Thursday with a sore throat and more feverish feelings. I was really distraught because this is obviously the last thing you want on your honeymoon. We had an amazing breakfast again, and I felt a little better, but tired, so Diana headed to the pool and I went for a nap.
I didn't feel great after getting up, but you know, I'm on Kauai, I gotta get out! We went to near by Koloa, where there are a number of little dives and shops in really old buildings. This town was once at the edge of an enormous sugar plantation that extended many miles to the west. It has a bit of charm to it that's absent from more recent building around the east shore (and it's a hell of a lot less crowded). Diana found a fleece for about $18 to keep warm, as it was the start of two days without sun and it was chilly. The coolness did not stop us from obtaining ice cream. It was damn good ice cream!
We booked the hotel Luau for the evening, then went back out to the pool. There wasn't really any sun to be had, unfortunately. The lack of sun was taking its toll on Diana, who is convinced that she brings cold weather everywhere she goes (and I might be inclined to believe her, after this and our cold week at Disney World in November).
The luau wasn't cheap, but it was convenient and all-you-can-eat/drink, a plus when you can walk back to your hotel. Unfortunately, because of the weather, they had to move it inside to their giant ballroom. Something didn't seem right about that. The food wasn't bad, the stuff I liked anyway, and Diana said the pork was just amazing.
The dancing was pretty good, as it was a combination of a number of different Polynesian cultures, all the way down to New Zealand (which I didn't know had any Polynesian culture). The band was pretty cool too. As you can imagine, given my love for Blue Man Group, lots of percussion makes Jeff a happy guy.
We met a nice father and daughter couple sitting next to us from L.A. There's a serious cultural gap there to be sure. Californians definitely see the world differently. And for that matter, so do Hawaiians. The woman I sat next to on the plane from Honolulu to Hilo made me realize that, as she works for the state and documents the living conditions and such of natives throughout the state.
I can't imagine living here, being dependent on the tourism economy (which is hurting), but tolerant of tourists who neglect to consider that people live here, and this is their home. The locals are simultaneously annoyed at tourists driving too slow on the main roads and too fast in the residential neighborhoods (we saw a sign that someone made that eloquently said, "Slow the fuck down!").
It's such a beautiful place though. I don't think I'd want to live here, but I do love visiting.
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