Happy Journeys, Travel Blog: Kauai- Day Four, You Can Dance if You Want to

Aloha!
       I finally got my pictures in order for Kauai Day Four! I think you're going to enjoy them. In the morning of day four, I took some time to explore downtown Kapa'a (where our hotel is located) on my own. Its a cute little beach town, but I wouldn't recommend swimming or snorkeling due to the strong current. I saw little swimwear boutiques (expensive) and some surfing outfitters (expensive) and a guy with a rooster sitting on the handlebars of his bicycle. Yes... a live rooster. Now, if I rode around with a live rooster sitting on my handlebars, I would just expect people to take photos of me- I may even be encouraging them to through the act of rooster carrying, but when I asked if I could take a photo I got a cold stare and a "I would prefer you didn't". This is why rooster-bike-man is not pictured here today.
   After wandering around for some time and spending too much money, I got a craving for some coffee. I found a little place (a local chain) called Java Kai. I recently discovered (when I went surfing there) that there is also a Java Kai in Hanalei Bay, but if you don't want to wait in line forever, you should arrive before 7:30am, because Java Kai is practically one of the only competent cafes on the island. A good breakfast/cafe place would make a killing in Hanalei Bay. Anyway, I had a pleasant day wandering around little Kapa'a. Its cute here.
       Around 4:30pm, my parents picked me up for the Smith Family Luau! I know, "Smith" Family? What is that? Apparently, the man who first started the Smith Family Luau was an Englishman who came to Kauai years and years ago and married a pretty Hawaiian girl. Hence the Hawaiian Smiths. When we arrived we checked in at the front gates of the gardens. Tickets for both the buffet dinner and the show are $80 a person. This is a decent price for what they offer, and its half the price of the Princeville Hotel Luau.

Smith's Tropical Paradise!

The tram they take you to the Luau on

       Upon Arrival, you receive a shell necklace, and a photograph with two young, fit-looking people dressed as Hawaiians that you can purchase later, if you wish. Then, they load everyone onto a tram that drives you around the park while a tour guide tells you all about the plants and birds in the garden. I'll be honest- it has a bit of a Disneyland feel. Like, it should be a magical experience filled with the purest intentions of a culture, but its been so well-loved by so many that it's lost a bit of its magic, and now the paint is wearing off and you can smell the fried food in the garbage cans, and there are way too many people. Its similar to the Disneyland feel.
   However, I really did enjoy myself. The Smith Family Luau begins with the Kalua pig ceremony. This is where a pig is buried in the ground with lots of very hot rocks after being wrapped in large leaves and seasoned. Two burly young Hawaiian men appear in traditional clothing to unearth said pig. This is what we eat. Also included in the buffet is an assortment of salads, some sweet potato, fish, chicken, teriyaki beef (my favorite), and an array of dessert options like coconut jello, and rice pudding. They also serve the traditional Poi (not the dance, but the food) which is a gooey paste made from the root of a taro plant. In ancient Hawaiian times, the early Polynesians would take dehydrated Poi with them on long voyages (like the journey to the Hawaiian islands) and add water to eat it. Dehydrated Poi is very nutritious, and can be kept for up to two years- it tastes gross though.
   After dinner (oh yeah, and the open bar) everyone shuffles to the amphitheater to check out the show. The Smith family Luau has a dance performance involving dances form all parts of Hawaiian culture- Hula, Tahitian drum dancing, the Chinese New Year dance, the Japanese fan dance, some Filipino dances, and the dances of the Māori tribe of New Zealand. But I think the best way to tell you about the show is through photos.