Day 6: History

This morning it is pouring rain which gives us more time to contemplate our day's agenda. We roll out after our king's breakfast of oatmeal and tropical fruit with of course, the best coffee roasted by yours truly. There is a farmer's market about 7 miles from here and we NEED more fresh fruit!
I always get to sample what I'm going to buy, and the papaya that I tried is the best ever. I also bought a fresh coconut with the top machete'd off so that we could drink the milk inside with a straw. Mary and I shared the coconut milk which was delicious, then I took it back for the vendor to whack it in half so the we could eat the coconut meat. Quite a treat and show for $2!
I also bought some local bananas called "apple-bananas". They're banana texture, but with a sweet tart taste.

Our next experience was the Waioli Mission House in Hanalei, built by missionaries in 1834-36, to convert the heathen Kauaians. What a treasure! The house was built by New England missionaries , who were given the assignment to travel to Hawaii. They traveled by sailing ship around the Horn taking from 115 to 180 days to get to Kauai. Along the route they learned Hawaiian from the some of the Hawaiian deckhands. They established the mission and raised 7 boys. In 1868 at ages 52 and 54, the Wilcoxes decided to go back to New England to visit their parents before they died. The boys, who were grown young men, stayed behind in Hawaii. The newly completed transcontinental railroad enabled them to sail to San Francisco and travel by rail to the East Coast. Tragically, they both contracted influenza and died while traveling to the East Coast. The house in Hanalei was abandoned for 40 years. Amazingly it was undisturbed all that time, except for termites. The young men moved to different areas of Hawaii, and one of them trained as an Engineer, developed a successful sugar cane farm on Kauai and later became very wealthy. His daughters decided in the early 20th century that their grandparent's house should be restored. Flooring was replaced, furniture restored or similar antiques were brought in. All the books and papers are in place just they way they were when the Wilcoxes left in 1869.

Afterwards we went out on Hanalei pier to watch the surfers, some of which are professional surfers. Most though, are young people who surf by day and bus and wait tables by night.
We walked the length of Hanalei beach and recalled the time 40 years ago when I taught myself sailing on a rented day sail boat which I capsized and bent the mast on coral in Hanalei bay. Mary said later that she always thought I knew what I was doing until we were married for 2 days!

We had a romatic dinner at 8pm at "Bar Acuda" which serves expensive and extremely small tapas dishes that are expertly prepared. I learned to savor each bite slowly. Lemoncello for post meal was a great end. We dined on a veranda with tiki torches that really looked appropriate with the palms and tropical foliage.