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My last day here on Kauai…

I’m so, so sad to be going. In a few hours, I’ll be on a plane headed back to the Bay Area.

I can’t wait to see Tabs again, but I’m not ready to leave these warm waters or my Kauai kitties here at the hotel.

El Hub thinks I should call the hotel (the Marriott at Kalapaki Bay) every once in a while to ask the front desk how the cats are doing… I think that’s perhaps a little too crazy cat lady, myself, but I haven’t ruled it out. 🙂

Before I pack up (le sigh), here’s one last look at Kauai…

I’ll miss you, Kauai. Until we meet again…

These secluded, ancient pools were reserved for Hawaiian royalty way back when. Now the sea turtles run the show, and they’re doing a great job. This has been my favorite sight so far on this trip!

“Queen’s Bath is actually a large pool the size of several swimming pools carved by nature into a lava shelf with an inlet from the ocean for fresh seawater to flow… If the surf is too high, you would never recognize this place as anything special. But during calm seas, Queen’s Bath is a marvelous pool to swim in. Fish get in through the inlet, making it all the more charming. (Bring your mask; no fins needed.) It’s a great place to take your underwater camera.”

— The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed, 8th Edition

It’s kind of a trek to reach, both because of the parking (VERY limited. We double-parked for 20 minutes to wait for someone to exit the tiny parking lot.) and the tricky 10-minute hike across wet, slippery lava rocks. Having your hands free helps with scrambling over the rocks. We basically left everything in the trunk of the car (shh) except for a camera and snorkeling mask.

Also, wear booties/water shoes — or anything with good grip like Tevas — if you can. Climbing over the rocks (and you will do a bit of climbing) is tougher in flip-flops. You could do it in flip-flops because I did see some people wearing them, but you’ll probably feel more comfortable in better footwear. There was a gal hiking in front of me wearing flip-flops, and she tripped a couple of times.

There are at least four separate pools/inlets, all pretty close to each other. The first one has a spectacular waterfall fed by a nearby stream that empties right over the edge into the ocean.

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This past weekend El Hub and I braved the long, winding drive out to the western side of Kauai to peer down into Waimea Canyon, also know as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

First things first, the drive. It’s only 30 miles or so, but the road winds back and forth like a ship on rough seas and, uh, I got a little carsick (just a warning if you have a sensitive tummy like mine). Oh, but the view from the top was well worth a little nausea.

On the way to the canyon, we stopped by another local farmers’ market, this one in the parking lot of Kauai Community College.

I’m pretty sure this violates the exclusivity clause in my contract with Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, but I’m really excited about my new part-time job here on the island, and I’m willing to risk my employer’s wrath.

My new boss, Tortie Girl, was impressed by my bonafides and hired me on as her temporary assistant! 🙂

It’s a short-term contract that runs through Wednesday…

So far it hasn’t been as challenging as my regular 60-hour-per-week beauty blogging/pet-assisting job back home, but time will tell.

One of my responsibilities involves feeding Tortie Girl Temptations at least twice per day, and I think I’m doing a good job… She’s a little hard to read sometimes (like my other employer), but she hasn’t scratched my eyes out (yet).

Except for the feedings, Tortie Girl gave me the day off yesterday, so I just lounged around, and it was absolutely purrfect.

The only marginally productive thing I accomplished was eating as much tropical fruit as possible, like these passion fruits, which I can’t remember ever having before. I sliced them open with a plastic butter knife in my room…

They’re filled with liquid, so you don’t want to cut them through the middle; otherwise, all the good stuff spills out. If you cut them across the top, they open up like a fruit cup.

They look a little like alien eggs filled with tart (Ha! I accidentally typed “Tarte”), pulpy seeds.

El Hub absolutely loves ’em, but I’m on the fence. They’re hella tart — so tart that they make your lips pucker.

Oh, but I did go cray over this fresh, locally-grown papaya…

Other than Fruit Quest 2013, I swam, napped by the pool, had a piña colada (although I did not get caught in the rain), and looked for shapes in the clouds. (Spotted a camel, a map of Australia, the Michelin Man feeding a giant mutant rabbit… Pretty much standard cloud fare.)

After a grueling day by the pool, a crab buffet and a butter-stained blue dress…

Oh, well. That’s what Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover pens are for (and they work great!).

Oh, and this comes out of left field, but I also wore this Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue deodorant for the first time, LOL!

I love this scent in all its incarnations.

Speaking of love, I would love a blush the color of this flower…