kapaa

Dining Outside the Home: House of Noodles in Old Kapaa Town, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: House of Noodles in Old Kapaa Town, Kauai!  Ever get a craving for a sweet and savory dish with a kick of spicy chili sauce and the crunch of cashews? If so, look no further than the House of Noodles in Kapaa. Inside you’ll find everything from classic Thai food, with just the right amount of fish sauce, to popular island pork, bathed in fresh herbs. Let your palate be the judge. For starters, check out the crispy pork wontons paired with a sweet dipping sauce. Mmmmm. It’s not only sinful, it’s delightful. Move on to your choice of homemade noodle soups, fresh salads, stir-fry vegetables, or buttered entrées. Whatever you choose, one thing’s for sure. You won’t walk away hungry! 

She Returns

Day Two: Hawaiian Monk Seals are as rare as hens teeth. And yet here we are on the second day where our expectant mother has returned to the same sandy beach as she did yesterday when she wiggled her way out of the depths of the ocean to come ashore. She seems more restless today, tossing and turning like a circus acrobat as though the pup inside her has suddenly made any position uncomfortable. Judging by the look of her upturned belly, the unborn pup probably already had its limbs, hind flipper, and wide muzzle developed. The brain, no doubt, is already instilled with survival instincts. The volunteers arrived earlier in order to fence off the area for her protection, which kept all bystanders a good distance away. After the encounter with the Hawaiian Monk Seal, I couldn’t help but get philosophical. Perhaps it’s the draw of the island; a special connection to life on Kauai. The following is an excerpt from the daily devotional, Christ in Our Home, Light for Today. “The Mystery of God. Willa was ninety-nine years old, a widow who lived alone. When I visited, I asked how she was. She usually said, ‘Halfway between Thank you, Jesus, and Lord, Have mercy.’ I asked her if she was ever afraid of being alone in her house. She said, ‘I am never alone.’ Her Bible lay open on the kitchen table. She quoted her favorite Bible passage, the final verse in Matthew: ‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:20) Our visits always deepened my own faith. Being with this woman of simple unquestioning confidence in the presence of the Lord strengthened me as Jesus’ follower. Willa didn’t discuss her faith in lofty language, rather in her quiet confidence and testimony that she was not alone.” Thinking about the Hawaiian Monk Seal’s solitary existence as well as her challenges in nature assures me that with God we can do everything. We are never alone. Share the peace. 

Dining Outside the Home: Bobby V’s Italian Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai 

Dining Outside the Home: Bobby V’s Italian Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai!  Change is constant on the tropical island of Kauai. But change is often for the better. If you ask the staff at Bobby V’s about their new location in the Coconut Market Place, you’ll get a hearty laugh and a cheerful nod. Not only is the new location more spacious, to accommodate its growing customer base, but the outdoor garden seating offers the island atmosphere with free entertainment. Don’t be surprised if you catch sight of an ancient hula dance or Hawaiian singer performing on the Coconut Market Place center stage. But back to the menu at Bobby V’s. Italian appetizers get things started while deciding between stuffed calzones, antipasto salads, hand-tossed pizzas, or dinner entrees. My opinion? I’m glad you asked. The Bianca Pizza loaded with three cheeses and drizzled with olive oil was superb. The husband added pepperoni for good measure. See what I mean about customer service? That’s why at Bobby V’s they say, “The best way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.” Buon Appetito!

Hawaiian Monk Seal Pays a Visit

“Get out of bed. Take a walk on the beach,” a quiet voice whispered in the depths of morning slumber. I pulled up the cotton sheet, rolled over onto my left side and went back to sleep. Less than thirty minutes later, I felt the nudge again. “Get up. Throw on some shorts and take a walk on the beach.” I thought Gerald was awake, so I touched his shoulder. He opened his sleepy eyes and said, “What is it?” “Let’s go for a walk. Right now…..to watch the sunrise,” I urged. Minutes later, we rolled out of bed, grabbed our glasses, and headed out the door. As we were digging our feet into the soft, salty sand leaving a path of footsteps behind, suddenly there appeared some commotion slightly beyond the shoreline in the ocean. We turned our sights to discover the oldest known marine mammal on the earth: the Hawaiian Monk Seal! With each wave, she “surfed”, then waddled onto the beach as if totally exhausted. At first we thought she was stranded and wishing to return to the sea. Not so. It was evident she was an expectant mother. It was also evident she had survived dangerous shark attacks by the scar tissue on her dark blackish-silver back and the jaw imprint left on her lighter-colored belly. Definitely shark. Her left eye also indicated she was blind in that eye. I squatted down to get a better look at her. “Hey there”, I said softly. “Are you okay?” She raised her head, before lowering it again, and then proceeded to bury her face in the sand. By this time, two more couples approached and explained a little more about this critically endangered species. 
This is her story (as posted on a beach sign): 

“Aloha, Kākou! My name is K13. I am an adult female Hawaiian Monk Seal, one of an estimated 1300 of us left. In December 2011, I was attacked by a shark. Eventually, I healed on my own. I was already pregnant at the time so on April 29, 2012, I gave birth to a healthy female pup. Then on April 15, 2015, I gave birth again to another female pup. I nursed her for 6 weeks, but then I had to leave because Monk Seals don’t eat while nursing. I was very skinny, hungry, and running out of milk. My pup was fine. She probably put on about 200 pounds in 6 weeks, just on my milk. I am blind in my left eye. I have a shark bite scar on my left side and I have a, so far, benign lump on my lower back. I am otherwise healthy. Mahalo!”
When two volunteer members of the NOAA PIFSC (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center) arrived, they placed a fence around her, keeping bystanders at a distance of 150 feet away. They also gave us more information since they remained “On Watch” for the rest of the day. We learned Hawaiian Monk Seals are a rare breed, with DNA over 13 million years old. Being nocturnal, she had been awake all night eating food along the coral reef. Now it was her bedtime. She would sleep all day on the beach. She is currently pregnant and due sometime in March. Less than 1300 remain. There are fewer Hawaiian Monk Seals in the wild than there are giant pandas. Its Hawaiian name is “ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua” meaning “the dog that runs in rough waters”. Monk Seals got their name from being solitary, like monks, and having loose skin around their neck, which looks like a monk’s cowl. Once the pup is born, the mother seal will nurse for 5-6 weeks constantly, without eating, and then she turns it loose. She will lose hundreds of pounds during this time. Because the pup does not learn how to hunt, it often eats the bait on a fishing hook causing it to swallow the sharp object. Thus, several pups have needed to have a fishing hook surgically removed. What an extraordinary story! As we walked away, we realized this was truly an eye-opening experience we would long remember. 

Dining Outside the Home: Olympic Café in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Olympic Café in Kapaa, Kauai!  No matter the time of year, no matter the weather, this open-air restaurant sitting above Main Street Kapaa in the Hee Fat Building is where it’s happening. You may opt for the unlimited Happy Hour Taco Bar or be a little choosy and select a fantastic Shrimp Salad overflowing with organic mixed greens and an abundance of grilled shrimp. It’s a meal in itself. No complaints here. Meat-lovers will appreciate the Big Burger Selection of 100% organic grass fed beef raised on the Garden Isle. Open seven days a week, there’s not a time of day this spacious eatery doesn’t fit the bill. Be hip, be casual, and always be Hawaiian. 

Hindu Monastery is Sacred Ground

On the island of Kauai, there is a Himalayan Monastery in Kapaa, that teaches true human origins, and Lemuria. It is home of two dozen monks who live, and learn, and teach, and worship. They believe the Lumeria Scrolls truly exist. In it, Kauai is described as a magical vortex as close as possible to the garden of Eden. As Gerald parked the car, a sign with an arrow indicated “Temple Path”. An old Hindu woman placed fresh fruit and a flower offering at the entrance to the monastery. She then sat on the stone wall chanting aloud as though I did not exist. Her body rocked back and forth wrapped in a colorful sarong. I turned to the gathering area where a basket of tie-dyed sarongs were rolled and available for visitors. Reaching in, I chose a blue-fringed sarong imprinted with the Hawaiian sea turtle. In thirty seconds, I had it securely wrapped around my waist to cover the skort I was wearing. Now I was ready to walk down the path toward sacred grounds for this extraordinary experience. Founded in 1970, by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, he created the sacred place for meditation, worship, training of monks, and religious resource for the Hindu world. The first stop, at the grove of giant banyan trees, six flat rocks for meditation led to an 8-armed statue; Lord Shanmuga, a granite sculpture of the six-faced Deity who guides the transformation of the instinctive into divine wisdom through the practice of yoga. Silence is appreciated. As I left the world behind, I encountered a massive 16-ton statue of Nandi the bull, carved from black granite. It stands watch over the Siva temple. A bell announces the arrival of visitors. A swami, dressed in orange under lifetime vows, waves incense and rice offerings while chanting around the bull as sustenance for protection of the temple. Birds fly in and scoop up the morsels of rice. Turning away, visitors are invited to dip their toes into the temple tank before stepping into the sanctuary. This sacred pool has a statue of the child Saint Sambandar dancing joyously on a lotus. The sacred “Om” in the Tamil language is painted on the bottom of the pool. I removed my sandals and entered the sanctuary. The aroma of incense was overpowering. People stood and knelt in silence, hands folded in prayer. One wall depicted 108 golden statues of Lord Siva, each depicting one pose of His cosmic dance of creation, preservation, absorption, and paired graces which conceal and reveal. Within minutes, the swami entered the Kadavul Temple and continued his methodical spiritual exercises. After awhile he turned to the crowd offering incense smoke plumes to those who wished to inhale them. At this point, I discreetly turned and exited the sanctuary. From there, Gerald and I approached the lookout for Mount Waialeale and Iraivan Temple in the distance. It was picture postcard perfect. We were not allowed past this point. As we made our way back to the car, we took a moment to enter the Mini Mela Gift Shop where I chose an aqua and turquoise beaded bracelet with the “Om” symbol. 
“The weak can never forgive. 

Forgiveness is the attribute 

of the strong.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Dining Outside the Home: Sushi Bushido in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Sushi Bushido in Kapaa, Kauai!  Is it a Japanese art gallery in a restaurant or a Japanese restaurant in an art gallery? Take a peek inside and see. You will be amazed! Located in the center of Old Kapaa Town in a place known as the “Dragon Building”, Sushi Bushido is a blend of everything traditional in local-style sushi through contemporary creations in dinner entrées. And the art, you wonder? The artist has a tiny studio next door, which is why an entire red wall inside Sushi Bushido is dedicated to her paintings. That’s what I call a “Win! Win!” for both parties. Check out the Sushi Bar, specialty rolls, and Tempura dishes along with a nice selection of beer and Sake. Trust me, you’ll be in good company. 

Surf Shop is Hidden Treasure 

Ambrose’s Kapuna Surf Gallery is a bright yellow-painted building with chipped edges and white-wash streaks that sits at an intersection on the edge of Kuhio Highway. It’s typical weather-worn entrance has doors propped open to catch a glimpse of area art pieces hanging throughout. We ducked inside to get a break from the noonday sun and catch a cross-breeze. A lean, mellow man with seasoned eyes sat behind the counter with fingers wrapped busily in untangling a wad of knotted fishing string. “I’m using this to sew stitches in a hat I’m making from dried coconut palm bark,” he volunteered. With that he stood up, walked over to a makeshift coat rack and pulled down a primitive looking wide-brimmed fisherman’s hat with an open top. “Here, try it on”, he said without leaving me a choice. “This is a first attempt at saving my old hat that has seen better days.” Without a will of my own, I complied a few seconds longer than I felt comfortable and then removed it. “I didn’t have the confidence to attempt sewing a top on it then”, he continued. “This time will be different,” he said as he took it from me and placed it on his own head. I shoved all thoughts of his disheveled thinning scalp from my mind. He handed me a piece of palm bark as his fingers brushed up and down the surface. “Here. Feel it. This stuff is durable and waterproof. It’ll be perfect when it’s done.” I nodded my head in agreement and wished him good luck. He smiled a coffee-stained grin and turned his attention back to the discarded fishing net. I had to admire him for recycling the knotted nylon mess and perhaps saving the ocean floor from one more piece of debris. Later, we heard through the grapevine this man is practically the “surfboard whisperer”. Like magic, he can repair dings, cracks, and shatters in any damaged surfboard. The guy is a master at restoration. Stepping across the threshold on that hot sunny day was like stepping into a treasure trove. 

Dining Outside the Home: Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai 

Dining Outside the Home: Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai!  Twice the taste, second to none. Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant is a very popular place on Kauai. Perhaps that is why there are two convenient locations on the East Shore. On the main drag of Old Town Kapaa, Mariachi’s is at the center of activity. You can’t miss the brightly colored building. Grab a window seat for people-watching and open air. Pay no attention to the birds that flap their wings. They know how to behave. Before the tortilla chips and tomato salsa disappear, a sizzling platter of crazy fajitas arrives to take its place. No worries. There’s plenty of food to share at a table for two. Bienvenidos!