Thursday, September 30, 2010

Flying High in Kauai


Dan and I decided to celebrate our 11th anniversary with the outdoor adventure company Outfitters Kauai. We splurged on the Kipu Zip Line Safari, a full day with playtime in water, land and air. Shavonne, our guide, was a lively young lady who made our exploit safe and enjoyable.
After a paddle lesson, our group of 14 got into tandem kayaks and navigated a leisurely 2 miles up the smooth Hule’ia (pronounced hula ēya) river. Our kayaks huddled together, we paused in unity so Shavonne could “talk story” about the legendary Menehune; the Hawaiian leprechaun. The ancient Menehune Fishpond parallels the river and legend says the Menehune built it in one moonlit night about 1000 years ago. 
We hiked down a well worn sun dappled path about a half mile into the lush rain forest and were shown where Harrison Ford made his infamous run in the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark. When we came upon a water hole, Shavonne  explained that next week Johnny Depp was going to be “walking on water” and, grabbing the rope, she swung out and moved her feet like she was walking on water. We all have to give it a try!
A tractor ride dropped us off at the thrilling 800ft. zip line, an introduction in flight. With post zip line smiles we ate a hearty lunch overlooking our next coup. Fortified, we excitedly lined up for the 1800ft. tandem zip line; an exhilarating 90 second ride over the forest canopy of 100ft. tall trees. Joyfully hiking and chatting; we’re all good friends now, we arrived at Blue Pool. Shrouded in green shadows the mountain stream-fed pool provided secluded swimming and a chance to cliff jump. After cooling off, a quick hike took us to the river where a motorized catamaran waited. 
The guides work hard to make your experience secure and memorable so please remember to tip; a couple bucks per person is adequate. These exciting excursions are worth every penny, making you feel spontaneous and alive; plus, you’ll get to see places locals don't get to. We highly recommend it!