Dear family and friends,
Our last night on Kauai we went to a big luau. We expected food, dancing and flowers – we got that and an incredible show. The evening started with a ride around their plantation on a train. The luau property was a former sugar cane plantation. When high fructose corn syrup took over the market, Hawaii’s sugar cane plantations had to start growing other agriculture products. Not only do they grow turmeric, papaya, apple bananas, avocado, star fruit, tangerine, lychee, coconut and mango; but they also are working to reseed Hawaiian hardwood trees like Koa. We also learned they have Berkshire hogs, cattle, donkeys and horses, and they help manage the feral hog population on the island. They donate much of the fruit and hog meat to schools, homeless missions, churches and other community events. Pretty awesome.
One thing the train emcee told us was that they have a particular invasive species vining up many of the trees on the island, including the ones on their plantation. He said it was the houseplant Philodendron. What?!?! Then we drove by some trees covered in Philodendron leaves the size of a watermelon. Our narrator told us somehow, the non-native plant was introduced to the rainforest and they can’t get rid of it. Crazy.
After the train ride we enjoyed a delicious buffet meal with you guessed it…macaroni salad. LOL I still think it’s funny. Fish, teriyaki chicken, pork, lots of sides and dessert. The show was entertaining! Through song, dance and fire, they told us the story of a family who came to Hawaii from Tahiti. First thing I noticed was how athletic the show was – they never stopped moving. The live music and drums really set the pace. The emotional story had a happy ending 😊 We sat at a table with two newlywed couples. Trevor’s sense of humor about being married 27 years had them giggling. It was the perfect ending to our time on Kauai.
We fly back to Honolulu to prepare for the long flight home on Friday. We actually miss Missouri and fall.
Your friend, B
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