Kauai Sketchbook

I enjoyed all the open-air fruit stands of the Kauai North Shore. This small juice stand in Hanalei captures this part of Hawaii.

The coral reef fishes of certain regions, say, the Caribbean and the West Atlantic, are fairly uniform wherever you are. If you know the fish of the Bahamas, for example, you won't be all that surprised by the fish of, say, the Lesser Antilles, or Belize, or Panama: the species are fairly evenly distributed throughout their range. Hawaii is different because the chain is so isolated. Many of its species are unique to the island chain. The markings and coloration of the Hawaiian fishes is remarkable, especially when considering the state of the reefs themselves.

It's not always easy sorting your shorebirds from each other. When I first spotted this Wandering Tattler, I thought it might have been any number of other similarly sized sandpipers. But learning the differences is important: the Wandering Tattler, for example, summers in Alaska and the very northwestern shores of Canada. Knowing that this bird is migrating from the Arctic to the islands of the South Pacific makes the site that much richer.

Hawaiian groceries are wonderful for their fusion of global ingredients. Although Kimchee is a staple in my own refrigerator back home, the diversity of brands and types represented even in the smallest groceries in Hawaii is a sight.

Great island architecture in the town of Waimea, where Captain Cook first made contact with the Hawaiians.

Hanalei is a refuge for surfers, hippies and hippie-surfers. I liked this guy, walking through the streets with a lighter in one hand, and a fattie in the other.

Surf transportation in Hanalei. Since there is only one road through the North Shore, a car needs only do so much, which makes for some great, rusty old vehicles.